Keftedes With Pligouri, Fresh Herbs and a Lemon Verbena Yogurt Sauce

Each time I visit Greece (count 20 times), I come back to Canada just a little more Greek, a little less "Canadian". Don't get me wrong, Canada is the best place in the world to live but the climate here sucks and that's a big BUT.

Otherwise, why wouldn't the world's second largest country have a larger population than thirty million? It's that "cooler" climate.

My visits to Greece reaffirm my connection to family, friends, history, culture and the food. I've sampled many new dishes and I've been exposed to some novel dishes that use ancient ingredients presented in ways.

Today's ingredient is pligouri or bulgur. Bulgur is parboiled, dried out in the sun, and the bran is then removed. Bulgur wheat is used in baked goods, soups, stuffings or as an alternative to pilaf or couscous.

Here, bulgur wheat is the main ingredient for this wonderfully tasty, heathy and easy to prepare appetizer.

These mini keftedes (faux meatballs) are made of bulgur, cream cheese, feta, grated zucchini and fresh herbs.

The dish comes courtesy of Nena Ismirnoglou.

Keftedes With Pligouri, Fresh Herbs and a Lemon Verbena Yogurt Sauce

Faux Meatballs
1 1/2 medium bulgur wheat
1/2 cup of fresh basil, parsley and mint (finely chopped)
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 small zucchini, passed through the small holes of your box grater
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. cream cheese
3 Tbsp. crumbled Greek feta
black sesame seeds

Yogurt Sauce
200gr. of strained Greek yogurt
70ml. of cream or milk
1 shot of Ouzo
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. of chopped fresh lemon verbena
(substitute with your favourite fresh herb)

1. Rinse the bulgur under cold water and then place in a shallow bowl. Cover the bulgur with just enough warm water to cover it. Allow the bulgar to hydrate in 5-10 minutes or until its "al dente" to the tooth. Place in a mesh strainer and thoroughly drain.
2. Peel your zucchinis and grate them through the small-holed side of your box grater and add to a large bowl. Now add your chopped herbs, cheeses, olive oil, salt, pepper and throughly strained bulgur wheat. Using your hands, incorporate the mixture and taste and adjust seasoning accordingly (herbs, salt & pepper). If your mixture is too wet for binding, a little bread crumb should do the trick.
3. Now using your hands, shape the mixture into little round meatballs and place on a large plate, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
4. To make the sauce, add all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse a few times to incorporate. Sprinkle the black sesame seeds all over the meatballs just before serving.
   
5. Serve the faux meatballs with the chilled yogurt sauce, a salad and part of an array of appetizers.

Back in Black

Today, I'm cooking with a black ingredient, a new ingredient. I'm talking about black trumpet mushrooms.

The black trumpet is a Chanterelle mushroom and although you may not find them fresh at your market, one can easily find the dried variety (which I bought at my local Asian store).

I don't think I've ever cooked with a black ingredient before...I've burned things to a charred crisp but never have started out with something black.

Speaking of black, who likes AC/DC? After a long hiatus, they are on tour again and my friends and myself will be going to see these rock legends when they come to Toronto in October. Check your local listings to see when they'll be hitting your town.

In the meantime, here's some AC/DC to get you warmed up for their concert and for my "cooking in black" session...


Are you done head bangin'? Are you hungry? Are you ready to Eat to the Beat?

My friend Elly at Elly Says Opa holds a quarterly blogging event where you can write about a dish tied to or inspired by music. If you have a dish and tune in mind, you have until the end of the month to squeeze in an entry.

My entry is a Charred and Roasted Pork Tenderloin with a Black Trumpet Emulsion. In plain English you might be thinking?

I blitzed a mixture in my mini-food processor with dried Black Trumpets along with some herbs and even a touch of sugar (helped with the charring processs). The pork tenderloin then got seared in a skillet and finished off in the oven to a juicy finish.

Not satisfied with the use of Black Trumpets? They get simmered down and whizzed into a emulsion or sauce that's poured over the moist pork tenderloin.

This dish was not too difficult, the result surprised both myself and my brother and it was great to enjoy a recipe from a local, well-known Canadian chef, Michael Bonacini.

To accompany Bonacini's pork tenderloin, I made a Potato & Fennel Gratin and I pan-seared some boy choy.

The final meal was outstanding...fall ingredients, seasonal and a delicious foray into the beginning of autumn. I learned about a new ingredient (Black Trumpets), found out that I liked fennel alot and discovered bok choy is a quick, easy and health vegetable to serve up at the table.

Charred & Roasted Pork Tenderloin With a Black Trumpet Emulsion
(from Michael Bonacini)
serves 4

The Rub
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
3/4 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp dried black trumpet mushrooms
2 pork tenderloins

Black Trumpet Emulsion
2 shallots, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. of butter
3/4 cup of black trumpet mushrooms
(1/3 cup if dried, rehydrate in boiling hot water for 10 minutes)
3/4 cup of chicken stock
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. heavy cream

1. Add black peppercorns, coriander seeds, salt, granulated sugar and trumpet mushrooms to a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Grind spice mixture to a fine sandy texture. Alternatively, grind the spices using a mortar and pestle, but the final texture of the rub will be coarse. This seasoning rub can be kept in an airtight container for up to three months.
2. Thoroughly rub the pork tenderloin with generous amounts of the seasoning rub. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes so the flavours penetrate the pork.
3. Preheat oven to 400 to 425 degrees F.
4. Heat a large heavy-bottomed frying pan (with oven proof handles) over medium high heat. Add a splash of canola oil and a good knob of butter. Sear the pork tenderloins in the pan, turning from time to time so pork browns evenly on all sides. Transfer to oven cook pork until just cooked to a pink and tender stage, about 6 to 8 minutes. Let rest 8 to 10 minutes, keeping warm.
5. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add butter, shallots and garlic. Gently cook until the shallots are soft. Add the black trumpets, cook lightly for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Reduce mixture by about 1/3.
6. Transfer to a food blender and puree until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer back to the saucepan and bring back to a simmer. Add the cream and the last of the butter. Then using a small hand blender, aerate the sauce to create a light, foamy, very creamy and velvety emulsion. Adjust the seasoning if needed and serve.

Pasta Shells With Fresh Tomatoes & Feta

One of my favourite pasta shapes of late, are shells, or "kohilia" in Greek.

This shape of pasta is great for trapping the sauce and cheese inside the shell, making for a very falvourful meal.

This is one of the quickest sauces you'll ever come across but I remind you that this dish only works with fresh, very tomatoes. Don't even bother in the winter time.

Greeks will often serve a pasta plain with just some brown butter and feta. Here, feta gets paired with a light tomato sauce.

This dish is about using good quality ingredients:

Greek feta cheese. Any other cheese resembling it and made outside of Greece is a pretender. Feta is a PDO protected name.

Ripe tomatoes. The kind that you can eat all by themselves.

Fresh herbs. Here's one of the many herbs that flourish in my garden. Boy do I love basil!

There you have it. It may be a cliche but it still rings true...seek out and demand quality ingredients and you won't struggle or try and get too smart when cooking up a recipe.

Quality ingredients are your sous-chef, need I same more?

Pasta Shells With Fresh Tomatoes & Feta
(for 4)

500gr. pkge of pasta shells
2 cups of crumbled feta
4 medium tomatoes, concasse & diced
2 cups of fresh basil, chiffonade
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place a large pot of water on your stovetop and when it comes to a boil, add salt and boil your pasta as per package instructions.
2. In a large skillet, add your olive oil and garlic over medium heat. As soon as the the garlic starts to sizzle and the aroma of garlic hits your nose, add the diced tomatoes and simmer for a couple of minutes and take off the heat.
3. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and reserve.
4. As soon as your pasta is ready, strain and add it to your tomato sauce along with the chopped basil and about 1/2 a cup of crumbled feta.
5. Toss thoroughly to dress the pasta with the sauce and then plate.
6. Finish each plate with a topping of crumbled feta and some fresh black pepper and serve immediately.

Succulent Poached Salmon With a Fennel & Orange Relish

It's Royal Foodie Joust time and this my first entry since I won back in July for my Apricot and Pistachio Cake.

The "Joust" was created by Jenn The Leftover Queen and the premise is simple...a friendly competition where a dish has to be presented using three chosen ingredients. The winner of each Joust chooses the select ingredients for the ensuing competition.

Everything is friendly & all but from seeing the dishes of late, I can tell you that many step up their cooking talents and although there can be only one winner each month, we are all well rewarded with a pageant of innovative and fabulous looking dishes.

The ingredients for this month were chosen by last month's victor, Peter from Souvlaki For the Soul who won with his elegant and eye-catching Halvas.

Today, I present thee to you, Succulent Poached Salmon With a Fennel & Orange Relish. This is a dish from Bobby Flay's book, "Grilling for Life" and once again,the dude amazes me with his creations.

The salmon becomes "succulent" as it's poached. Not just any old poached but poached in olive oil! The salmon is poached gently in the oil, so there's no fear of supping on a oil-soaked fish or fear of the olive oil breaking down at a high temperature.

The result is a moist, delicate tasting salmon, poached to perfection in a quivering poach from the olive oil. This is decadent as it uses alot of olive oil but no fear, the oil can be re-used (if you wish) in the future. I'll use it for frying and sauteing, no doubt.

The salmon gets crowned with an orange and fennel relish, which contain all three of this month's Joust ingredients: dairy, fennel and parsley.

The plate gets rounded out with a warm potato salad that I've eaten before but never warm...it takes on a whole new flavour!

The verdict? I think the last photograph says it all!

Succulent Poached Salmon With a Fennel & Orange Relish
(for 4)

Olive Oil Poached Salmon
3 salmon fillets
enough olive oil to just cover the salmon
salt and pepper

1. Season salmon on both sides with salt and pepper. Place in a large high-sided sauté pan and cover with olive oil.
   
2. Turn the flame to medium and let the salmon gently poach in the oil until just cooked through, 15-20 minutes (watch over your salmon to ensure that the oil just "quivers" and adjust your heat accordingly).
   
3. Remove the salmon from the oil and drain on paper towels. Serve in a large shallow bowl and top with the fennel-orange relish with potato salad on the side.

Orange and Fennel Relish
Pinch of saffron
1 head fennel, outer layer removed, halved and thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. of melted butter
Salt and pepper
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 oranges, segmented
2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
1 Tbsp. honey
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. fennel fronds

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place saffron in a small bowl and cover with a few tablespoons of hot water, let sit 5 minutes to bloom.
   
2. Combine the fennel, 3 Tbsp. of melted butter and the saffron, along with the soaking liquid in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast until just soft, stirring occasionally, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly then transfer to a large bowl.
   
3. Stir in the red onion, oranges, pomegranate molasses, honey, lemon, parsley and fennel frond and season with salt and pepper.

Warm Potato Salad
2 lbs. potatoes, scrubbed and boiled until just cooked through
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. capers, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cut each potato into quarters, lengthwise. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the oil.
2. Let the potatoes cook until just warmed through. Add the mustard and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Remove from the heat and add the capers and dill and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Fresh Salad

During this past vacation in Greece I again returned to the warm embrace of Athens.

I visited some old friends, made some new ones and I also had to cook and film a pilot to promote the concept of "Kalofagas" as a TV show.

If you would like a sense of where I'm coming from when it comes to food and in particular, Greek food, visit Wandering Educators where you can read a brief interview that I recently conducted.

As for the sharing the footage from the taping in Athens, please be patient...it's a matter of time 'til I unleash my video debut!

The majority of the filming took place at the Fresh Design Hotel in the center of Athens, at the foot of the Parthenon.

Basically, we filmed some footage at the nearby Barbakeios Market and then I along with two of the hotels' chefs, Christos and Athinagoras,
cooked a few dishes.

I would like to thank the staff at the Fresh Hotel, especially Christos and Athinagoras who made me feel like part of their cooking team and for selecting the quality ingredients.

The biggest "thank you" goes to Dimitri Vorris, the writer/producer/director who originally contacted me about creating a flim version of Kalofagas.

The day was long, the work hard but when one is deep in something you love (look food & cooking), it was damn good fun.

We almost forgot to eat but during a break to a relocation of camera equipment to the rooftop restaurant & bar, we had a chance to catch our breath, chat a bit and have a well-deserved lunch in one of the hotel's cafe's.

One of the offerings was a play on the Cretan Dakos, which is a barley rusk served with grated ripe tomatoes, olive oil and crumbled feta (or Myzithra) with a final topping of Greek oregano.

This salad uses "almyra koulourakia" or dry savory biscuits, kinda like a Greek pretzel but with anise seeds in them. Ask for Taralli at an Italian grocer, they should do the trick.

The presentation caught my eye, the idea novel and the flavour with those anise seeds, fantastic!

Fresh Salad
(inspired by the Fresh Design Hotel's offering)

Some almyra koulourakia (savory cookies)
1 medium sized tomato, diced
1 Tbsp. diced red onion
1 small clove of garlic, minced
extra-virgin olive oil
Crumbled Greek feta
coarse sea salt
ground pepper
Dry Greek oregano

1. Arrange some Paximadia (savory cookies) on a plate to form a bedding for your salad (break them in half if they are too big).
2. In a bowl, add your diced tomato, red onions, garlic, some sea salt, pepper, oreegano and some olive oil and allow the mixture to stew for about 15 minutes.
3. Spoon the tomato mixture over the paximadia and then top with crumbled Feta, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and top with dry Greek oregano.
4. Share the plate with friends, spoon some onto your plate, crack the paximadia and eat each forkful with some paximadi, tomato and feta.
   

Plum Tarte Tatin With Cinnamon Ice Cream

Tarte tatins are most commonly made with apples but other fruits get the spotlight every now & then. Up to bat are plums - another fruit that is at it's peak in the late part of summer/early fall.

The tarte tatin is French in origin and legend has it was created by accident when one of two sisters who ran the....Hotel Tatin was baking an apple pie and after having screwed up the recipe, she tried to make a save by placing the pastry base on top of the apples. Hence, the tarte tatin was born.

This is the first time I've ever made this tart and from scanning the many recipes out there, either puff pastry or a pie crust is usually placed on top of the fruit.

The approach I took was to use a recipe for a tart crust that contains ground almonds. I didn't have any puff pastry, I was craving a dessert and the almond pie crust recipe seemed easy enough.

With great delight, the plum tarte tatin was easy to prepare and the presentation is rustic yet pretty.

Don't forget to make the cinnamon ice cream! I don't have an ice cream maker (yet) but I improvised by mashing some ground cinnamon into some good French Vanilla ice cream, then forming a round scoop and placed back in the freezer to set.

The pairing is awesome!

It's a forgiving dessert where one doesns't have to fuss too much about the appearance of the tart crust as it gets flipped upside down.

It's now autumn, lots of ripe fruits at hand, try a tarte tatin.

Plum Tarte Tatin With Cinnamon Ice Cream

9 in. diameter skillet
1 kg. sweet firm red plums, halved & pitted
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
splash of vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar + 2 Tbsp.
3/4 stick unsalted butter

Tart Crust
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup almonds, toasted & finely ground
1/2 cup sugar
8 Tbsp. melted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
pinch of salt

Pre-heated 400F oven

1. Mix the flour, almonds and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the butter and mix with a fork until little pebbles form. Add the egg and salt and mix well.
2. On a floured work surface, knead the dough into a firm ball ball. Roll out into a flat disc and place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
3. Mix plums, 2 Tbsp. sugar, nutmeg and vanilla in a large bowl and let stand for about 30 minutes.
4. Melt the butter in a heavy oven-proof skilletover medium heat and add the 2/3 cup sugar over the melted butter. Keep stirring until the the sugar melts and has turned to a caramel colour. Now remove the skillet from the heat.
5. Tightly arrange plums, cut side up, working from the outside of the skillet to the center and pour over any remaining juices in the bowl.
6. Take your tart crust out of the fridge and roll it out to the size of your skillet. Lift the tart crust with your rolling pin and place it on top of the plums in the skillet. Press crust around the edges of skillet and poke some holes to allow steam to escape.
7. Place in the oven bake until top crust is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Place your serving plate over the skillet and carefully invert it. Your tarte tatin should now be flipped with the crust on the bottom and plums on top.
   
8. Serve alongside with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream.

Calamari Souvlaki (Καλαμάρια Σουβλάκι)

Yesterday in Naxos, today back at my homebase of Halkidiki, where our summer home is. No worries, we're still be the sea.

For years (since 1980), my family has been coming to Nea Kallikratia for our summer vacations. Here in Toronto, people head north to their cottages to spend the summers but us...we just go to Greece!

The Psarotaverna (seafood tavern) where my family & friends' frequent is called Kapetan Giakoumis and it operates summer & winter and patronized by Greeks and tourists alike for it's fresh, local seafood and affordable prices.

I don't think anyone's paid more than 20 euros (per person) for an array of seafood appetizers and lots of Tsipouro.

Each year that I visit Greece I see new dishes, new takes on classics and I'm all too happy to share these food experiences with you all.

In Greece, "dinner" is eaten late and whenever we go out ( 9 or 10pm), our tables are surrounded by Greeks, as the tourists dine early.

Today's feature is a souvlaki made from calamari. I've seen this done before but what struck me this time was the simplicity and beauty of the presentation.

What "Giakoumis" did was to simply cut the squid then skewer the pieces to reform the shape of the squid's body with alternating coloured peppers and sweet red onions. Brilliant!

There are two paths you can take with this dish: one is to use smaller squids and serve them up as appetizers or go the entree route and use larger squid for each plating.

I've taken the latter approach, using one large squid per person. I do love calamarai, be it poached or fried but when it's grilled, it takes on a whole new dimension...it's my favourite.

Try Calamari Souvlaki...charred calamari, tender to the bite that's balanced by crunchy and sweet peppers and onions between each bite!

Calamari Souvlaki (Καλαμάρια Σουβλάκι)
(per skewer)

1 whole squid, cleaned and cut into equal pieces
wooden skewers (soaked in water overnight)
some red onion (cut to the size of squid pieces)
red, yellow and green peppers (cut to the size of squid)

Marinade
olive oil
minced garlic (or garlic powder)
sea salt
black pepper
balsamic vinegar
dry Greek oregano

1. Even using wooden skewers, soak them the night before so that when they hit the grill, they don't burn away or...use metal skewers like I did today.
2. After you've cleaned your squid, the cut it up in equal pieces but remember to keep the pieces in the sequence of the squid's body.
3. Start skewering the squid, starting from the tail and finishing at the other end with the tentacles, with you alternating a piece of onion or pepper in between each squid segment.
4. Once you've skewered your squid and vegetables, marinate them by first drizzling olive oil, splash of balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, black peppers, a little sea salt ( more later) and some Greek oregano. Allow the calamari to marinade for 1 hour room temperature.
5. Pre-heat your gas or charcoal grill until you have a medium-high heat. You should be able to count up to five when you put you hand above the grill (before it gets to hot).
6. Now season your calamari with sea salt and before grilling, ensure you've brushed your grill when and that you've treated it with some vegetable oil (this will prevent sticking).
7. Grill your squid for about a couple of minutes on each side (until charred) and keep turning the skewers until all sides have that char-grilled look.
8. Drizzle with good olive oil, squeeze some fresh lemon juice and sprinkle some dried Greek oregano.
9. Serve hot with a salad, rice pilaf and some crusty bread.

Postcard From Naxos

One of the stops I made during my recent trip to Greece was visiting the large island of Naxos. I had no intent on visiting this island until one of my readers extended an invite to witness and be a part of a traditional Greek island wedding.

I thought long and hard but after some coaxing from friends and relatives in Greece, they swayed me to visit Naxos. A "once in a lifetime" experience is how some described this. I'm going to dedicate another post(s) entirely on the wedding so please be patient.

Naxos turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me. I only spent a couple of days there but I can assure you I'll be back!

It's a large island and a car is needed to circle the island but what stood out for me was the warmth and genuine hospitality displayed by the locals, affordable pricing, beautiful beaches and great food!

I spent one evening exploring narrow, winding alleys of Naxos, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the island and of course, taking in a meal.

The taverna that I chose for my meal was called, "To Smyrneiko" and opted to dine here as I saw lots of Greeks ( and Italians) eating here, the place was busy and the covered part of the outdoor eating area had evidence of outdoor heaters.

This last detail told me this taverna operated summer & winter...a sure sign of brisk year'round business!

Upon reaching Naxos, I was delighted to see most of the tavernas sun-drying fresh caught mackerel in the blazing Greek sun.

This sun-dried fish would later be grilled and served to many like me wanting to try a Cycladic specialty called "gouna".

I first read of Gouna through my blogging friend, Elena of Hungry For Life who describes the process of preparing Gouna in Greek here.

Gouna is first butterflied, spine column removed and then seasoned with sea salt and oregano and sun-dried for three days in the got sun. After that, the fish gets some olive oil, more oregano and black pepper and it's flash-grilled and served with a wedge of lemon and your favourite accompanying side dishes.

I loved this dish. The seasoning was perect, the oils of the mackerel assured me of a moist fish, grilled mackerel brings out the natural smokyness and I seriously took my time eating one of the most memorable dishes in ages!

For a lack of having a blazing Greek sun, I can't reproduce this dish for you (yet) but I have a few ideas for recreating Gouna...stay tuned.

However, I can leave with a quick, simple and very delicious recipe for an appetizer I had at "To Smyrneiko".

My lovely hostess (and server) Eirini recommended that I try the baked stuffed mushrooms and after she assured that they use only fresh mushrooms, I added them to my array of dishes.

As soon as I took a bite of a mushroom, "Ummm" noises could be heard. These mushrooms rocked! As I written previously, I love the Greek dishes that are inspired by the cooking of Constantinople and Smyrna and these stuffed mushrooms of cheese with hints of ginger sent me floating with food glee!

As the size of mushrooms and how many you would like serve will vary, it's impossible to give specific amounts here but this recipe should give enough of a guideline to try these delicious morsels for yourself.

Baked Stuffed Mushrooms
(appetizer)

approx. 12 white button mushrooms (medium sized)
approx. 1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup melted butter (or olive oil)
grated Kefalotyri (or Romano cheese) to taste
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
couple of splashes of cream (enough to bind the filling)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Preheated pre-heated 350F oven

1. Wash or brush the dirt off your mushrooms. Twist off and remove the stems and carefully open the cavity up a little more and reserve.
2. In a bowl, add the melted butter, grated mozarella, Kefalotyri cheese, minced garlic, ginger, chives and cream and stir to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salty Kefalotyri and some black pepper.
3. Now with a small spoon, place some filling into each mushroom cap and place on a greased baking sheet (or other baking vessel).
4. Place on the upper middle rack and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese has melted to a golden-brown. Serve imediately hot.
   

Greeked-Up Jalapeño Poppers

Today, I'm introducing you to a new ingredient called Pastourma. Pastourma, it is said, is where the origins of pastrami came from.

Pastourma is stronger than pastrami and upon tasting this thin sliced cured beef, one immediately tastes garlic, paprika and notes of cumin and fenugreek.

The origins of pastourma come from the Ottoman/Armenian cuisine but it has remained popular in Greek circles and no doubt brought back to mainland Greece from the Asia Minor Greeks.

Legend has it the best pastourma was made from camel but today it's mostly made of beef. Greeks will offer up thin slices of pastourma as part of an array of "mezedes", in omelets or use it as an ingredient (like I'm doing here today).

If you're curious to try pastourma, some Greek & Cypriot delis will carry it, Turkish, Armenian and Middle Eastern stores will also often sell this fabulously flavoured meat.

Today, I decided to "kick up" a roadhouse/pub classic, the Jalapeño Popper. For those not familiar with bar food here in Canada & the US, Jalapeño poppers are the spicy peppers that are filled with cheese, coated in a batter and then fried. An accompaniment of cool sour cream is also often served.

I've played around with the Jalapeño popper idea a few times and although the origins of this dish are Tex/Mex, my goal was to add a Greek twist to this favorite "bar food" of mine.

In Greece, we have our own cream cheese, commonly known as "katiki domikou". Here, the cream cheese is the vehicle that delivers the Greek flavours here...mashed Feta and tiny pieces of pastourma.

As a side, I serve up a cooling and refreshing Romesco Sauce, which fairs very well with this tasty snack/appetizer.

As for the batter, I found a good fish batter works best here and after seeing wonderful results from Kevin at Closet Cooking and Nina of My Easy Cooking...I'm chiming in to add that this batter recipe rocks!

So, go out & look for pastourma and if you like it, give these Greeked-up Jalapeño Poppers a go. You'll need some readily available tools in your kitchen and beyond hollowing the peppers, this ain't no sweat!

Greeked-Up Jalapeño Poppers

15-20 Jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 slab of Greek feta cheese
3 slices of Pastourma, finely chopped

Batter
1 bottle beer
approx. 2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg (lightly beaten) salt and pepper to taste
sunflower oil for frying

Tools
piping bag/or plastic bag
paring knife
cork screw

1. First, make your batter. Add the salt and baking powder to the flour in one bowl and beat an egg in another bowl and add the beer. Now gradually whisk the flour into the beer & egg until you get a thickish pancake-like batter. Set aside and prep your peppers.
2. Using a paring knife, cut off the stem part of the peppers and reserve them (you'll cap your peppers with these later). Now using a cork screw, stick it in the pepper and gently wiggle, ream and twist inside the peppers to hollow them out.
   
3. Get a small pot of water boiling and then throw the Jalapenos in for about 3 minutes and then blanche in cold water and then drain (you may skip this step if you like your peppers crunchy).
4. In a small bowl, add the cream cheese and Feta and mash together with a fork until one. Now add your finely chopped Pastourma and mix until incorporated. Now place the cheese filling in a piping bag or a plastic bag and simply snip a small hole in the bottom corner.
5. Now fill each Jalapeno with the cheese filling, to the point of where the cheese is just slightly exposed (this will be the glue to seal your peppers with the stem parts).
6. Now "glue" the stem part of the peppers back on.
7. Get your frying hot, to an approx. temperature of 360F. Dip your Jalapenos into the batter and then carefully drop into the hot oil. Fry until golden-brown (about 3-4 minutes) and then reserve on plate lined with paper towel.
8. Serve your Greeked-Up Jalapeno Poppers with a cool Romesco Sauce.