The Squeaky Cheese

I've been really diggin' Halloumi cheese of late. It's a semi-firm, slighty salty cheese that's popular in Cyprus and much of the Middle East.

One of the characteristics about this cheese is that when you're chewing it in your mouth, you hear this squeaking noise. Personally, I amused by it and besides, it tastes great!

Today I'm showing you a Greek pasta dish using Χυλοπίτες or egg noodles. For as long as I can remember, I've enjoyed a quick supper of egg noodles that were tossed in brown butter and crumbled feta. It was a simple weeknight or lazy person's pleasure.

Here, I'm taking that same egg noodle and cheese dish and jazzing it up. I'm a grown boy, I now have culinary "baggage"!

This is my first time including mint with pasta but I convinced myself to try it because Halloumi comes in a brine with mint so...the two should remain together right?

Chalk this pasta as one that's ready by the time your noodles are ready. The ingredients fresh, limited complexity, boundless flavour.




Hilopites With Halloumi and Mint (Χυλοπίτες Με χαλουμι και δυόσμο )
(for four)

1 package (500 gr) of egg noodles 1/2 stick of butter
3 Tbsp. olive oil
approx. 1 cup of cubed Halloumi cheese
some all purpose flour
1/2 cup cubed Manouri cheese
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint (half if dry)
8 bunches of green onions, chopped splash of Tawny Port wine
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Get a large pot of water boiling. Add a generous amount of salt when the water comes to a boil. Add your egg noodles and cook according to package's instructions.
2. Cube your Halloumi and Manouri. Dredge your Halloumi in flour and shake off the excess flour. Reserve your Manouri.
3. In a large skillet, add your olive oil and a couple of pads of butter on medium-high heat. Brown your cubes of Halloumi and reserve.
4. Add the remaining butter, your green onions and mint and saute on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add your Port wine and reduce for a minute. Take off the heat and reserve.
5. When your noodles are cooked, save some pasta water, strain and then add the noodles to the skillet and add your Halloumi and Manouri cheeses and toss to coat.
   
6. Add some pasta water if needed.
7. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
   

I Think I Love Harissa

One of the goals of my blog is to explore other cuisines, try new dishes and and always, share my experiences with you, my dedicated readers.

My focus is on Greek food but you've seen me branch out into other Mediterranean dishes but I've neglected the other side of the Mediterranean - North Africa.

There's a whole undiscovered culinary territory to be explored. However I will tread carefully, learn the "lay of the land" before getting into the heavy stuff.

I finally picked up Harissa. She's not some gal from the Sultan's Tent but it's a condiment, originally from Tunisia. Harissa is basically a hot pepper paste that's flavoured by cumin, garlic, salt and chillies.

From my early readings, this condiment is used in sauces, marinades and dressings. Here, I've played with Harissa in two different tomato salads.

We're in the middle of winter and I'm not goofing around with imported tomatoes. I found some decent hothouse plum tomatoes, no doubt from the Holland Landing greenhouses.

I halved the tomatoes, laid them out on a tray and I drizzled them with olive oil, coarse salt, cumin and coriander seeds and a sprinkle of sugar.

I roasted them in a pre-heated 350F oven for 45 minutes, turned off the oven and allowed the residual heat to finish off the tomatoes.

I have two warm tomato salads for you, both using Harissa paste in them. The first is a salad of Tunisian origins...sweet and savoury playing off each other.

The second is a fusion of Greek salad with an North African flare...a Harissa vinaigrette. Both salads have a little bit of heat but the sweet tomatoes balance the heat and smokyness of the Harissa and cumin.

I'm going to enjoy my North African journey!

Slow Roasted Tomato Salad a la Tunise

Dressing

1 tsp. Harissa paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped coriander (cilantro)
Juice and zest of one orange
1 walnut, ground
4 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

1. Combine all of the above ingredients and leave to stand at room temperature for the flavours to marry.

Harissa Vinaigrette

1 tsp. Harissa paste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt to taste

1. Combine the above ingredients in a jar and shake well to emulsify. Drizzle over your tomato salad.

Macedonian Sausages

My family comes from Greece's northernmost province, Macedonia. It's capital city is Thessaloniki.

Like much of Greece, Macedonia has mountains, flat lands and sea. Macedonia also has lots of pig.

One of my favourite things to eat is sausage and I mean quality sausage. It could be Italian, Polish, Bratwurst or even Chinese!

My favourite has to be our very own Macedonian Sausage. I'm not expecting everyone of you to go out and make your own sausages but if you enjoy them as much as I do and you want to know what's in them...making them yourself is the only sure way isn't it?

If you live in a city with a sizeable Greek community, ask for Macedonian sausage from your butcher.

I've seen Macedonian sausages at St. Lawrence Market, on the Danforth, Kostas Meat Market and at Highland Farms.

I like sausages on the grill, I like them fried up, I like them baked or...I like them done over the fireplace!

If any of you have made sausages before, you know there's some work involved and at the very least, an assistant is needed (one to plunge the sausage mix into the machine, the other to guide the sausage into the casings, twist the links and replenish casings as they run out).

Macedonian Sausages

20 lbs. medium ground pork
(from pork shoulder)
1/2 case of leeks, cleaned and chopped
1/2 cup black pepper
1/2 cup Boukovo (red chilli)
250 gr. Vegeta seasoning
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/8 cup dried oregano
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 little tubs of hog casings

1. Soak the hog casings in cold water for 30 minutes and then rinse. Replenish the cold water and leave them in a bowl of water.
2. Mix all the above ingredients in a large Rubbermaid container and mix well with your hands.
3. Take a handful and fry it off on your stove to taste test. Adjust seasoning.
4. Take a hog casing and place it on the bottom nozzle where your sausage mix will come out.
5. Place the sausage mix on the top entry point of the sausage maker and start pumping out sausages (I have an electric sausage maker).
6. Twist the sausages into links of your desired size.
7. Replenish hog casings to the nozzle of the sausage maker as they run out. Repeat until all of your sausage mix has been made into links.
8. Hang your sausages for a week in a cool, dry place like a cellar or if you have a spare fridge.
9. Freeze the sausages in zip lock bags. They are good for one year (beyond that you're tempting freezer burn).

OPA!

Ever see this flaming dish at a Greek taverna? Ever hear the Greek waiter shout OPA? This next dish is inspired by the many Greek restaurants, eateries and tavernas that serve up this style of fried cheese to a clientele that never ceases to tire of this ritual.

Whoever said presentation never mattered to a dish must have never opened a Greek restaurant. I know of non-Greeks who whenever they go for Greek, they always order the "Flaming Saganaki" dish.

Saganaki is most commonly know as the appetizer of fried cheese. The usual cheese that's used is a Kefalograviera, which is a semi-salty cheese that's fried, flambeed with Ouzo or Metaxa brandy then doused with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Saganaki can come in varied forms as a dish. The word saganaki is a diminutive of sagani, a frying pan with two handles. The Turks call it a sahan.

When your waiter lights up the Saganaki, you're surely going to hear a robust OPA! It (OPA) literally means "to jump" and it's used in many ways to say "bravo", "WoW", "all right" or in today's lingo, "You Go"!

When a Greek says OPA, they are usually dispensing complements, admiring your zest for life, your dancing or drinking prowess or showing their admiration of a performance.

I'm taking a departure from usual cheese for Saganaki and I'm using a Cypriot Halloumi cheese. It's a firm, slightly salty cheese, it's buttery and, it's one of my favourite of the Greek cheeses.

Before you attempt some serious harm on yourself, always pour your liquor of choice into a shot glass and then empty it into the vessel you're using for a flambe. NEVER pour hard liquor from the bottle into the flambe vessel...the flame can travel all the way up into the bottle and cause your very own kitchen nightmare.

Now that we're beyond living dangerously in the kitchen, WoW your house guests and light up the Saganaki, and get everyone to shout out, OPA!!!!!!!!!!!

Fried Saganaki With Halloumi

1-2 slices of Halloumi cheese
egg wash
all purpose flour
sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. olive oil
a shot of Ouzo or brandy
juice of 1/4 of a lemon

1. Organize 3 plates for 1) dredging your cheese in flour; 2) coating the cheese in eggwash ; 3) coating the cheese in sesame seeds.
2. Slice your cheese and coat in flour, then egg wash and finally coat it in sesame seeds.
3. Place your fry pan (Saganaki) on medium-high neat and add your olive oil. Drop a sesame seed to see if the oil is hot enough (if the seeds crackles, you're ready for frying).
4. Fry your cheese for 2 minutes and then flip to fry on the other side for just over a minute.
5. Take the Saganaki off the heat and pour in your shot of liquor and ignite the alcohol.
6. Squeeze fresh lemon juice and serve immediately with toasted pitas or crusty bread.
   

Seafood Medley With Fusilli Corti Bucati

Looking back at my recent posts, it seems I'm on a seafood kick of late. I've been fortunate enough to find some good quality fresh seafood and I recently also found a really good frozen seafood product.

For years I've seen frozen bags of mixed seafood at the grocery store but the quality was sub-par, what with teeny shrimp, imitation crab and rubbery cuttlefish.

I found this seafood medley to contain mussels, shrimp, calamari and octopus - all Aces for my appetite.

I also had been meaning to try out a new pasta shape, Fusilli Corti Bucati. This pasta is native to Calabria, southern Italy which means it's located at the "toe" of the Italian peninsula.

I chose this pasta because of it's corkscrew shape which is supposed to be good for thick, rich sauces, like my Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.

The last time I used this roasted red pepper sauce was with my Lobster Linguine and I was craving this sauce again. I don't want to be labeled a Bourgeoisie so, I opted for the Pauper's version with the seafood medley.

As expected, the pasta dish was delicious, not too difficult to prepare and dramatic in it's appearance.

As a short cut, I've been pre-roasting cherry tomatoes and red peppers, then freezing them for future use in dishes like these.

If you're like me and you love tomatoes all year 'round but despise tasteless winter tomatoes, then opt for cherry tomatoes.

Cherry (or grape tomatoes) are the only ones that in fact retain a good flavour in the winter months. Be sure that your cherry tomatoes are locally grown and the hot-house variety. Otherwise, you'll biting into a tomato that tastes like it's been bumping around in the back of a semi-truck.

Seafood Medley With Fusilli Corti Bucati
(for 4)

1 package of seafood medley (thawed)
1 package of Fusilli Corti Bucati
2 pints of cherry tomatoes, roasted
1 red bell pepper, roasted
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of dry white wine
1 Tbsp. of smoked paprika
1 tsp. chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
splash of heavy cream

1. Pre-roast your cherry tomatoes and red pepper by placing them in a vessel, drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a preheated 450F oven for 30-45 minutes or until the skins are blistered. Turn the heat off in the oven and allow the residual heat to continue roasting the tomatoes and peppers for another half hour.
2. Take the tomatoes and pepper out of the oven. Place your red pepper in a paper or plastic bag and allow it to sweat for 30 minutes. When it's cool enough to handle, peel the charred skins from the pepper and remove the seeds.
3. Add your cherry tomatoes, juices and roasted red pepper and puree in a food processor or blender. Reserve.
4. Get a large pot of water to boil and season generously with salt when boiling commences. Cook your fusilli according to the package's instructions.
5. In a large skillet, heat your olive oil on medium-high heat and add the seafood. Saute for the seafood to take some colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
6. Add your onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes on medium heat so that they soften. Add your tomato and red pepper puree, paprika, chili flakes and the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer until the sauce has the sauce has thickened.
7. Add your chopped basil, cream and adjust seasoning.
8. Strain your pasta (reserve some pasta water) and toss your pasta with the sauce and the seafood medley. Add some pasta water if you want the sauce to be a little looser.
   

Ouzo-Cured Salmon

One of my new blog buddies is Laurie of Tastes Like Home, Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska. She recently shared how she cures salmon and I was immediately drawn to this method of treating salmon.

The curing method has it's origins in Sweden and the end result is called Gravlax. I love fish, love salmon, love smoked salmon and Gravlax. It was a no-brainer for me to want to play around with this approach to salmon.

Gravlax literally means "buried salmon" and the name refers to the traditional method of preparation for this food: fresh salmon was heavy salted and buried in dry sand to ferment and cure. Most Gravlax recipes involve sandwiching two fillets together with the dill and salt mixture being in the middle. I cured just one fillet and the result still was excellent.

One of my sources of new recipe ideas is to peruse the menus of Greek restaurants and often they can be a good source of inspiration for a new dish.

I've seen that a few restaurants that are reinvigorating Greek cuisine have offerings of salmon cured in Ouzo. Laurie armed me with the knowledge on how to do this.

One of the goals of this blog is to show my readers how I think Greek food should look and taste, share this rich cuisine with all of you and show that Greek food is much more than just Souvlaki and Spanokopita.

Salmon is not a fish native to the Mediterranean waters but it is often found and sold in Greece, usually imported from Scandanavia.

Here, I'm taking a non-traditonal Greek ingredient, a foreign cooking method and applying Greek flavours to it.

Ouzo perfumes the aroma of the salmon, sea salt reunites with the flesh of the fish, dill heightens the flavour of the salmon.

Curing a salmon was remarkably easy. The key to this dish is using only the freshest of fish and trusting that your final result will turn out fine and that your going to slide a piece of salmon in your mouth and savour it's oily, rich flavour.

My guinea pigs for my Ouzo-cured salmon were my parents. You should know that Greeks don't take too well to their meat being rare, they have an aversion to sushi and question any meat that hasn't been licked by the flames of fire.

What was their reaction to my Ouzo-cured salmon? "When are you making it again"?

Ouzo-Cured Salmon
(ingredient listing per pound of salmon)

1 lb. fresh salmon fillet, pin-bones removed
2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
2 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. Boukovo (red chile flakes)
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1 good shot of Ouzo
plastic cling-wrap
a heavy weight

1. If using a wild, freshly caught salmon, ensure that you have frozen the fish for alt least 7 days. Otherwise, most commercially sold salmon has been frozen at some point and you're safe from any existing parasites.
2. Although you've bought a fillet of salmon, inspect the salmon visually and with your fingers to see if any pin pones were missed by your fish monger. If you find any, you can used needle-nose pliers to remove them.
3. Place the salmon on a large piece of plastic wrap (about three to four times the length of the fillet) with the skin side down, pink flesh facing up.
4. Put the salt, sugar, and black pepper, zest, chili flakes into a bowl and mix until evenly distributed. Reserve.
5. Pour the shot of Ouzo over the fillet.
6. Spoon the mixture onto the exposed salmon flesh, making sure to cover as much of the exposed areas as possible.
7. Place the dill on top of the salmon. If the dill is too long to fit on top of the fillet, then snap off the stems or fold the dill over. If you have 2 fillets, place the second one flesh side down on top of the dill (making a sandwich of the fillets).
   
8. Wrap the salmon up well and taut with the plastic wrap and place in a vessel. The container is there to catch the juices that will seep out of the salmon during the curing process.
9. Place a heavy weight on top of the salmon ( I use a large can of plum tomatoes) and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, maximum 3 days (the longer, the better the flavour).
10. Unwrap the salmon, remove the dill and and rinse off the salt mixture and then pat dry with paper towels.
11. Use a sharp knife to thinly slice your salmon.
12. Serve it as an open-faced sandwich, as an appetizer or a first course.
    

Amaranth Greens (βλήτα)

Greeks eat alot of greens in their diet and you should too! Amaranth greens or as we call it, "Vlee-ta", is eaten lot with fish and seafood and it can be found growing wild throughout Greece.

What others consider weeds and a garden nuisance is another's culinary gold!
It's of course also cultivated to supply the large Greek demand for the tasty, slightly bitter greens.

Amaranth is a close relative of spinach and beets so you know it's packing lots of iron and this kind of stuff it's good for your blood. As Louise from Zoomie Station says, " ya gotta groove well on chlorophyll"!

I'm offering Amaranth as my entry for this week's edition of Weekend herb Blogging, hosted this time 'round by Anna of Anna's Cool Finds.

For those in North America, I've attached a photo of Amaranth as it looks like when you're seeking it out at the market. The beautiful photo is provided by Alanna Kellogg of Kitchen Parade.

I often find Amaranth in Asian markets, I'm sure you will too!

Amaranth Greens (βλήτα)

1 bunch of Amaranth greens
water
salt
extra virgin olive oil
juice of half a lemon

1. Fill your kitchen basin with water. Chop your greens and place in the water to soak and release it's sand and dirt. Repeat the process until the water is no longer sandy or dirty (usually 2 or 3 times).
2. Rinse your Amaranth and get a large pot of water boiling. Add a generous amut of salt to the water and and your greens when the water boils.
3. Lower to medium and simmer for approx. 15 minutes or until the stems are fork tender.
4. Empty boiled Amaranth into a strainer and allow the excess water to drain.
5. Empty into a bowl and add some extra virgin olive oil, juice of half a lemon and toss to coat well. Adjust for seasoning with salt.
6. Serve warm or cold with fish or seafood.
   

Deep-Fried Mussels (Μυδια τηγανιτα)

One of the most enjoyable items of seafood out there are mussels. They taste of the sea, they are affordable, available fresh or frozen in many places and they are so versatile.

Greeks love mussels in a Saganaki, a soup, seafood pizza or in this case, deep-fried. The second largest city in Greece is Thessaloniki and deep friend mussels are a specialty of this northern Greek city.

When I visited Constantinople, I was also pleased to see that Turks also enjoyed eating mussels alot and although their presentation was different (on a skewer), the flavour was the same. As much as our two peoples have differences, the similarites are equal on the other side of the ledger.

I'm making these mussels for Ivy, over at Kopiaste, to Greek Hospitality. Ivy is a Cypriot-born Greek who now resides on Athens with her family and she shares her kitchen creations daily. I encourage you to visit her site, I'd eat any of her dishes.

Ivy also recently was on a Greek TV show that had a recipe contest. She did not not win the grand prize but she was the 3rd place finisher and that earned her a trip for two to visit the fair city of Thessaloniki (be sure to congratulate her).

Ivy, don't forget to order Midia Tiganita when in Thessaloniki.

Midia Tiganita (Μυδια τηγανιτα)

Approx. 1lb. of shelled mussel meat
1 cup of all purpose flour
1/3 cup of corn flour
salt and pepper
bowl of ice cold water
Sunflower oil for frying
Lemon wedges

1. Rinse and pat dry your mussel meat, reserve.
2. In a large bowl, mix your flour, corn flour, salt and pepper and reserve.
3. Get you oil good & hot for deep-frying.
4. Dredge the mussels in the the flour mixture and shake off any excess flour.
5. When the oil is hot, dunk each mussel in the cold water and then carefully drop them in the oil.
6. The mussels are done when they turn a golden-brown. Repeat and cook in batches.
7. Place on a paper-lined plate to absorb excess oil and season with salt and toss.
8. Serve immediately with some lemon wedges.

Cream of Vegetable Soup

It's no secret that I love my soups in the cold months. I love brothy soups, chunky soups, soups with noodles and creamy soups.

Lately, people shy away from creamy soups thinking that they are packed with flour or heavy cream as a thickener. Sometimes those ingredients are called for but I've discovered that potato can act as a great thickening agent for your soup.

The first time I discovered this method is when I made my clam chowder which included grated potatoes. The starches from the potatoes are what thickens your soup and the proof is realized when you finally puree your soup. You get a thick, velvety soup without the starch of the flour.

Before I forget, I still finish off my soups with a splash of heavy cream.

Cream of Vegetable Soup

1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 head of broccoli, broken into pieces (1 cup)
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
3 medium potatoes, grated
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs of thyme
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
7 cups of chicken/vegetable stock
splash of heavy cream

1. Place a large pot on your stove to medium high heat. Add your butter, onions, carrots, celery, broccoli, garlic, some salt, bay leaves, thyme and parsley. Saute and stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes on medium heat.
2. Grate your potatoes into the pot and stir to mix in well. When the mixture starts to become pasty, add a little stock to prevent anything from burning. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. Add your stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium, cover with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Uncover and simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
   
5. Take off the heat and puree your soup with your hand blender ( I like leaving some vegetables in tact).
6. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and add a splash of cream. Garnish with parsley and serve.
   

Stew of Veal With Carrots (Μοσχαρaki με καροτα)

When I was young, I didn't like having the "Greek" meals like the one here. I didn't like carrots, I thought bay leaves and spices were weird.

What led to my awakening to good food and all food Greek? Perhaps it was spending summers traveling and being absent from my mom's home cooking or perhaps it was eating too much of one of my aunt's bad cooking or combination of both.

How can one not love this dish? Look at it. Look at the ingredients. Look at the flaky meat! I prepared this dish using a pressure cooker to save time but you may certainly brown the veal and then braise all the contents in a dutch oven. My way took one hour, the slow way takes 2 1/2 hours. Your choice.


Stew of Veal With Carrots (Μοσχαρaki με καροτα)

1 kg. of stewing veal, cut in large pieces
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup of canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup of dry white wine
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary
5-6 carrots, sliced into
1/2 inch rounds
5 peppercorns
4 whole cloves
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper

1. Cut your veal into large pieces and place in the pressure cooker.
2. Add the remaining ingredients into the pressure cooker and stir well.
3. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and turn your heat to high. Your seal will have formed when the pressure cooker starts whistling.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the pressure and steam to do it's work for 45 minutes and break down the meat and other ingredients.
5. Turn off the heat, remove the pressure cooker from the burner and switch the valve that releases the steam and pressure.
6. Only open the pressure cooker when the whistling and steam have all escaped.
7. Stir your stew and taste for seasoning, adjust with salt and pepper.
8. Continue to simmer if you wish the sauce to be thicker or combine 1 Tbsp of corn starch with 1 tsp. of cold water and mix into the stew to thicken.
9. Serve with roast potatoes and crusty bread..."kai VOUTA"!
   

Beets (παντζάρια )

It's winter time and yes, the beet dishes are all over the internet, in your markets, in your grocery bags and on your table.

I can remember beets beyond a part of my family's cuisine since I was a young, Greek "palikari".

I'm going to show you beets done 2 ways: the first is the simple, Greek family style beet salad and the second is also a beet salad with Greek ingredients, from the luvable southern belle, Paula Deen.

Beet Salad (παντζάρια σαλάτα)

1 bunch of beets (with greens)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the bulbs of the beets from the greens and rinse. Wrap the beets together in aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes at 400F. Allow to cool before handling.
2. In the meantime, fill your sink with cold water and soak the beet greens to remove sand and grit. You may have to repeat this process one or two more times to remove the dirt.
3. Get a pot of water to boil and and salt. When the water boils, chop your greens and throw them in the water and count 5 minutes from when the water returns to a boil to know they have been cooked.
   
4. Strain the beet greens and blanche them in a strainer with cold running water. Allow the water to drain.
5. Open the foil around the beet bulbs and peel away and discard the skins (you want to use gloves as the beet juices are also a strong dye).
6. Cut the red beets into wedges and place in your salad bowl along with the beet greens.
7. Add your olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
   
8. Adjust seasoning and serve cool or room temperature.

Next up, we have a Roasted Beet Salad from Paula Dean. Even though I haven't tried many of her recipes, I love her like an aunt and I'd love to have her over for dinner...she'd be a riot, Y'ALL!

I was so impressed with the ingredients in this salad...beets, garlic, pitted olives, olive oil, vinegar, dill - all topped up by a piece of feta cheese! This dish screams of Greek influences. My bet is the southern belle (Paula) must have knicked this recipe from a Greek friend.

Today, I'm taking it back!

Greek Coffee (Ελληνικός καφές)

In my last entry, I told you have I've cut smoking but I still have plenty of other sins such as drinking alcohol, decadent foods (and other things your dad warned you about).

For about a month now I've been exclusively drinking Greek coffee. I've rediscovered Greek coffee and I've been enjoying making it:

the ritual watching over the coffee coming to a boil, of waiting for the coffee grounds to settle and then, sipping it until you taste the mud at the bottom.

Greek coffee is a strong brew, served with foam on top (Kai-maki) and the coffee grounds on the bottom. One is served a Greek coffee in a demi-tasse cup (like an espresso cup).

In Greece, the ritual of drinking Greek coffee occurs twice a day. The first Greek coffee is sipped in the morning as a jolt to wake up the the morning and the second jolt comes after waking up
from the afternoon siesta or "mesimerianos ipnos".

Greek coffee is always served with a tall glass of cold water and a small cookie lika a Koulouraki or sweet on the side, like a biscotti (Paximathi), Melomekarena or in this case, Amygdalota.

Greek coffee is easy to make. You'll need to buy Greek coffee, which is a fine grind and you'll find in small, vacuum packed bags at most stores that sell Greek food and drink items.

To make Greek coffee, you'll need a briki, cold water, sugar and of course, the coffee. Greek coffee can be made in four different ways. It can be sketos (without sugar, strong and bitter), metrios (medium, usually with one teaspoonful of sugar), glykys or vari glykos (almost honey-sweet) and glykys vrastos - sweet but boiled more then once so it loses most of its froth.

Depending on which kind of Greek Coffee you like, measure and add into the briki the coffee, a teaspoonful of coffee per cup, and the sugar. For a medium coffee the best balance is to add the same amount of sugar as coffee. For a medium coffee the best balance is to add the same amount of sugar as coffee.

Greek Coffee (Ελληνικός καφές)

• Greek coffee
• Sugar (if used)
• A briki (μπρίκι)
• Demitasse cups
• Cold water
• Water glasses

1. Using the demi-tasse cup, measure the amount of cold water will need to make your servings of coffee and add the appropriate amount of sugar (you can only make one kind per order).
2. Using a spoon, stir to dissolve the coffee and sugar in the water. Place the briki on your flame and watch over your coffee closely (do not leave it alone).
3. You want to serve Greek coffee with the foam (kai-maki) and as soon as you start to see the coffee rise and foam, quickly take the briki off the heat and pour into your guests' demi-tasses.
4. Serve with a glass of cold water and a cookie or a sweet.

Crispy Roast Chicken With Tarragon and Lemon Verbena

Guys are bad with remembering dates, birthdays or anniversaries. Our agenda books are our lifeline.

I'm pretty good with remembering events in my life through a song on the radio, a smell, a meal or just a vibe. I get sentimental about vacations, friends & good times of yore, concerts and the dearly departed grandparents.

I just realized that I've been cigarette-free for two years! Oh, I smoke the odd cigar or cigarillo but I don't inhale (Clinton coached me well).

I don't think I can go back to cigarettes. I'm tasting things again as they should be, without the ashtray breath.

I can taste this fantastic new Greek dish. This is another recipe from the Greek food mag "Gastronomos" and the dish is the creation of Myrsini Lambraki.

It's a roast chicken of tarragon and lemon verbena, both herbs are found in Greece but only now are they a part of the awakening of Nouveau Greek Cuisine.

This dish is rustic, not the Kolonaki-snot-nosed chef style of Greek cooking that tries to be French. Once again, Greek cuisine should about using the ingredients that are at hand in the land and utilizing traditional Greek cooking techniques in new dishes.

I think this roast chicken fits that bill. For those not familiar with lemon verbena, it's a shrub tree that has aromatic leaves that give off a sweet, lemon aroma. Up until this time, I've only enjoyed lemon verbena as a tea or a Mojito.

When this chicken was roasting, the aromas were dreamy. I was like a giddy child impatiently waiting to open his Christmas presents. As always, if you can't find fresh herbs, use half the amount with the dried kind.

Crispy Roast Chicken With Tarragon and Lemon Verbena

1 whole roaster chicken
1/2 small lemon
2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon verbena, chopped
1 clove of garlic, smashed
1 clove of garlic, minced
approx. 1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. water

Preheated 400F oven, approx cook time 90 minutes

1. Rinse and pat-dry your chicken. In a bowl, add your olive oil, minced garlic, tarragon and lemon verbena and reserve.
2. Insert a smashed clove of garlic, along with the 1/2 lemon, some of the herbs and truss (tie your chicken).
3. Rub the herb/oil mixture all over the bird and then season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
4. Place in a roasting pan with a grate, so that the chicken is suspended over the drippings. Pour about 1/2 cup of water in the pan to prevent burning.
5. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes or until the chicken has achieved a golden-brown, crispy colour.
6. Reduce the oven heat to 375F roast for another half hour and replenish water if need be in the pan.
   
7. For the last half hour, take the chicken out of the oven and using a large fork or tongs, carefully pick up the chicken and tilt to empty the juices that have amassed in the cavity (important as this will make your sauce). Place the chicken back in the oven and roast until the juices run clear.
8. Remove the chicken from the roasting pan and allow to rest before carving .
9. Remove the grate and place the roasting pan on the stove top and pour in your wine and deglaze the drippings from the chicken. Adjust seasoning and add your corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce.
10. Carve your chicken and pour over the pan sauce on the chicken.
    

One Potato Salad, Hold The Mayo

A couple of weeks ago when I was having some fish, I couldn't decide on a side dish/starch. I love potato salads but the usual recipes with mayonnaise aren't a good match with fish.

I recalled making a potato salad last summer in Greece that went very well with fish and the Mayo was absent.

In the winter time, one doesn't want cold salad from the fridge but, served at room temperature or warm, this hits the spot.

I was also invited to participate in another food event called "Game Night Party", timed for the upcoming Superbowl. The event is hosted by Mansi of Fun & Food.

Anyone participating is asked to present a vegetarian dish (no meat or seafood) and I'm offering up this light, zesty potato salad...sans mayonnaise.

The bold ingredient in this recipe is mustard. Pick your mustard of choice...hot dog, Dijon or grain mustard...all would work well.

Dijon Potato Salad

1 kg. Yukon Gold potatoes
coarse salt
cracked black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. capers, drained and chopped
1/4 cup pickle juice
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped fresh dill
juice of 1/4 of a lemon

1. Put the potatoes in pot of cold water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and allow to cool (you may place in cold water).
2. In a large bowl, make your dressing by adding the olive oil, mustard, lemon juice and pickle juice and whisk to form an emulsion. Reserve.
   
3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skins off with the back of a knife. Cut the potatoes into chunky pieces and add to the salad bowl.
4. Add your parsley, chopped pickles, scallions and dill and toss to coat the potatoes well. Adjust seasoning with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.
   

Comforting Chicken Paprikash

A few years ago while on my way to Greece for my summer vacation, I stopped for a few days in Budapest, Hungary.

Budapest is really two cities: Buda sits on the hilly western bank of the Danube River and Pest to the east. Combined the two cities are known as Budapest.

Hungary is known for it's rich history of striving to be independant, Hungarians are great at business, some of the prettiest women I've seen were in Budapest and, they also boast of a rich cuisine that is washed down with their excellent wines.

Hungarian cuisine is dominated by the use of paprika which is made by drying and grinding red peppers into a fine powder. Paprika can be found sweet, hot or smoked and it's used to season soups, stews and sausages.

Today, I went with a more lean approach to Chicken Paprikash by using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Although the meat was tender, it still had a dry texture and I'll use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the next time Paprikash is summoned to the table.

Chicken Paprikash is remarkably easy, a one skillet dish (along with some egg noodles) and the flavour scale is quite high considering how easy this is. Make sure you add the sour cream mixture at the end...it'll provide your Paprikash with the right thickness and stick well to the noodles.

Chicken Paprikash

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour
salt and pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
1 bay leaf
1/4 dry white wine
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 cups of chicken stock
1 pint of roasted cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 scallion, sliced

1. Wash and pat-dry your chicken. Season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.
   
2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and brown the chicken breasts under medium heat or 2 1/2 minutes a side. Brown in batches and reserve the chicken.
3. In the same skillet, add some more oil and toss in the onions, green peppers and garlic and bay leaf and saute for about 5 minutes for the vegetables to soften.
4. Add the wine and deglaze the brown bits from the pan. Now add the paprika, your chicken stock and cherry tomatoes and bring to a boil.
   
5. Cut your chicken breasts into fork sized strips. Add your chicken into the skillet, stir in and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes. Cook uncovered for another 10 minutes for the sauce to thicken. Take off the heat and reserve.
   
6. In a cup, mix the sour cream with the corn starch. While stirring, mix in the sour cream mixture into the Paprikash.
7. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve on a bed of egg noodles.
   

Balsamic Asparagus Salad

Last night the temperature dropped and we now have colder, normal Canadian weather with us once again.

I've just finished bringing in the evening's firewood from the garage. I'll be making dinner in the fireplace over cherry wood with some Keftedes, Macedonian Sausages, roasted red peppers, tomato slices, feta cheese and some crusty bread.

The spread's gonna be meat-heavy so, I was thinking of how to balance out the meal with some more vegetables.

I had some asparagus in the fridge that had to be cooked before it got thrown away. I found this recipe for Balsamic Asparagus Salad at www.recipezaar.com and I just finished dressing the salad. It's simply delicious!

I omitted the sliced mushrooms and cheese, this salad is just fine as I'm presenting it to you today.

Balsamic Asparagus Salad

2 bunches of thin asparagus
2 tsp. of fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. of balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard
1 large clove of garlic,
6 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of loosely packed chopped basil
(I used 1/4 cup frozen basil)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Trim the asparagus from the fibrous, woody ends (discard) and cut into 1 inch pieces.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add a good amount of salt and blanch the asparagus for about 5-7 minutes.
3. Pour the asparagus into a strainer and run cold water to stop the cooking process. Allow the water to drain for about 5 minutes.
4. In a salad bowl, add the garlic, vinegar, mustardand lemon juice and some salt and pepper and mix well. While whisking, pour in the olive oil until your dressing is emulsified.
5. Add your asparagus and basil to the bowl and toss to coat the asparagus with the dressing.
6. Season with salt and pepper and serve cool or at room temperature.

Gambas al Pil Pil (Sizzling Garlic Prawns)

Today I'm so excited to show you this quick and easy Tapas dish. Tapas are one and the same like Greek mezedes or...appetizers.

Today, I cook for Nuria, my dear blog friend at Spanish Recipes. Pay a visit to her site as she injects humour, info on Spanish cuisine and culture and she'll even sing a song for you.

I loved this dish for it's simplicity, quick cooking time and fabulous flavour.

Look at the photo...it tasted as good as it looks!



Gambas al Pil Pil (Sizzling Garlic Prawns)
(for 2)

Olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 Small red chilli
12 medium-sized shrimp, peeled, deveined with the tail
Salt
2 Tbsp. white wine
2 tsp. chopped parsley

1. Add olive oil to a frying pan until about 1.5cm deep. Heat over medium high heat.
   
2. Add garlic, chilli and they should be sizzling. Cook for 15 seconds then turn the prawns over.
3. Add salt, white wine and parsley. Spoon prawns into a serving dish and pour over juices.