Mediterranean Sweets

delectable baklava

As someone who has a sweet tooth, I find it hard to hide my excitement when presented with a chockful of saccharine sweet treats.

I have to confess that I prefer soft candies to hard ones. Perhaps I like my candy to have more bite. Chewy candies I can take, and more so if it's made with nuts!

Weird is the word to use. I have weird food preferences, or maybe I just like interesting combinations of food. My tongue is my taste panel where I seek out new depths with different cuisines and food.

Mediterranean food ranks high in my 'favourite cuisine' list. There's just something beyond exotic about various Mediterranean food that gets to me. I love grains, and yes I do love my hummus (chickpea + tahini paste) and baklava.

Not only is Mediterranean food tasty, but also sexy and very appealing - the way they dress their food with spices, how they utilise the most down-to-earth utensils (think of the tagine in Morroco). I won't dare say I'm a Mediterranean expert, but I do know a good thing when I taste one!

Who in the world uses the adjective 'sexy' to describe food? I happen to be that person and I'm the sort who can literally fall in love....with a tantalising dish or in this case, sweets...



These sweets were given to my aunt and had free access to them when I dropped by her place. I was really lucky because she had only gotten them the day before.



This one has ground pistachios in it, and it's encased in a thin crisp shell - a dream to bite into. Yummy. Told you I have a thing for nuts...

Then there's the date rugelach:



Miniature date rugelach rolls - they're adorable and soft and full of date-goodness. It wasn't too sweet as well. That's the thing about me, I can't really stand artificial sweetness - I prefer natural sweetness that comes from food like honey or dates.

And speaking of dates, here's a cool date with a walnut in the centre:



These are very fun to eat! The nutty crunch that awaits you on your first bite; that's what I call a nutty surprise. Dates and walnuts taste good together.

I have a sudden craving for these sweets right now. Ahhh...