Microplane Rasp

After years of "dilly-dallying" with cheap impersonators and awkward box graters, I finally bought myself a Microplane Rasp.

It's long enough to sit over a pot or pan and you can grate right into the dish being prepared.

I bought this utensil from Kitchen Stuff Plus and although I like to keep the kitchen clutter-free of gadgets, this is a must have, especially for $20!

http://www.kitchenstuffplus.com/shop/product.php?d=GADGETS&sd=GRATER&pid=W000619

Bayou Classic Chick Can Rack

I've been enjoying beer can chicken for years now but after a few chickens have fallen over in the BBQ, I decided to finally try out one of the many racks in the market.

I found this particular rack at Walmart and it was on sale for $3.96. I tested it out and it worked wonderfully!

Stay tuned for my beer can chicken entry...

Homemade Rotisserie Gyro

I thought I'd start off with something good, like this attempt at homemade gyro with my new BBQ rotisserie.

Although the end result looked, smelled and tasted great, I will try again to emulate the tasty pork gyro found all over Greece.

You'll need:

1 whole pork, fat trimmed to your liking
3 medium onions, grated in a bowl
1/3 cup vegatable oil
black pepper
Vegeta seasoning to taste
4 gloves of garlic finely minced

Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl or other container that will fit all of the above. Cover and allow to marinate for 12 hrs. or over night.

Take your rotisserie spit and insert a whole onion at one end and start skewering the pieces of meat tightly on the spit and at the other end (when done with the meat) insert another onion.

Secure your meat with the apparatus and under the lowest of heat and a closed BBQ, let the rotisserie do all the work.

In just over an hour you should get a glistening, revolving piece of BBQ heaven ready to be thinly shaved with a good serrated knife or an electric one.

The meat was delicious, tender, moist and satisfying but it tasted like a jumbo souvlaki. I served BBQ Scalloped potatoes, Greek salad and home made tzatziki (I will touch on those in future installments).

I will try and play with spices with my attempt at home made gyro.

This is a work in progress...

Grilled Yellow Tail Snapper

With the warm weather here and having a short Canadian Spring & Summer, I try & BBQ/grill as much as I can.

One of the places I visit is a local Chinese supermarket and they have a seafood counter. They usually do not have the best or freshest selection but if you know seafood, some gems can be found.

I noticed a yellow tail snapper...bright, glossy eyes, it smelled of the sea and the gills were a porfira vibrant red...a fresh fish!

Here's how I grill my fish:

Light your BBQ (on high) with the lid closed until you have at least 400f reading in the Q. I then take some vegatable oil and wet a paper towel and wipe the grill with the oil (on an already brushed & clean grill). This should prevent any sticking to the grill.

When you have fresh fish, simple is always best:

Wash the fish throughly (inside & out);
Pat dry with paper towels;
Rub olive oil inside and out of the fish;
Season with Vegeta seasoning and pepper (in & out);
Place directly on the grill with the lid of the BBQ now open.

A fish of this size should take about 5 minutes per side but one sure way to check is when you've flipped the fish once and want to check for doneness, pull on the dorsal fin and if it gives away with ease, your fish is done!

As is standard, allow your fish to rest and you can use this time to dress your fish. Being of Greek descent, I drizzle the fish with a fine extra virgin olive oil, a generous squeeze of lemon, a good sprinkle of dry Greek oregano, chopped fresh chives and some lemon zest for more of that citrus burst and colour.

I served this fish with a Mediterrean potato salad and some steamed dandelions in olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice.

It was delish, of course!

Easy Trail Mix Bars

I like snacking and I think we're all looking for something healthier and of course homemade. I receive Kraft's What's Cooking quarterly and I've been more attracted to their dessert & sweets recipes.

Here's the recipe: http://www.kraftcanada.com/EN/Recipes/RecipeTemplate?recipe_id=86964

I found this to be both easy and tasty...enjoy!

Blog Virgin

Greetings,

This is my intro to the world of blogging and in particular, food blogs. I feel like a debutante being introduced for the very first time to society so...be gentle!

I love food. I think of food the way one plays chess...thinking of up to two meals ahead or sometimes more.

I'll try to show you my take on food through my experiences involving food, drink, friends, family, aquaintances and such.

I hope to share and learn all there is about food.

Let's eat!