Thanksgivin' Fixins'

One of the great things about hosting a special meal is that attention to the side dishes is given and people always talk & ask about those recipes.

"What's in the potatoes? How did you make the sauce? What spices did you use?"

All those questions will be answered here.

First up was the mashed celery root and potatoes with butter milk and thyme. Celery root is a vegetable used alot in Europe and from speaking to relatives, it's enjoyed in the winter by Greeks as well.

When considering using celery root in mashed form, you have to add some starch, otherwise the dish will just be runny. Potatoes come to the rescue, acting as the binder, a whole head of roasted garlic heightens the dish, butter milk (another Greek favourite) gives the dish a tangy bottom and fresh thyme and chives round out the flavour.

The other side dish that figured prominently in the dinner was the roasted root vegetables. Your choice of vegetables is according to your tastes but I chose a mix of butternut squash, carrots, turnips and parsnips with some baby onions to finish the mix.

The key to this dish was the fresh sage and spices. I used my coffee, er spice grinder to help create a blend of fennel seeds, cinnamon nutmeg and then added the chopped fresh sage.

I tossed the veggies in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and tossed the spices to coat all the veggies.

Besides the aroma of the roasting turkey, the smell of these root vegetables roasting away in a blanket of aromatic spices had my guests entering the kitchen and eventually, tasting the piping hot root vegetables...they smelled & tasted that good!

Finally, what's a Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce? Cranberries are native to North America but here I injected some Greek ingredients in keeping with the Hellenic theme.

Making your own cranberry sauce is easy. One only has to add some liquid (I used orange juice), some sugar, orange zest and I spiked it with grated ginger and a pinch of ground cloves.

The aroma and flavour kept my guests guessing and this sauce was a natural pairing with the roasted turkey.

Stay tuned, tomorrow I'll present the Bougatsa with poached quince and almonds.

Stuffed Turkey (Γαλοπούλα γεμιστή)

Here's the Main Event folks, the stuffed turkey.

I've been a big fan of brining a turkey for over a decade now. Oh, I'm sure you all have your favourite way of doing it but out there is an equal amount of people who fear, dread or avoid turkey. Usually because it ends up dry.

Brining a turkey is simply allow the bird to steep overnight (24 hrs.) in a salt water solution. What's happening here? Much like when you eat salty things, your body craves water. That's what's happening to the turkey - it's taking in moisture (water).

I've gone beyond my usual salt & water brine here and I've added some aromatics to make this turkey somethin' special for the Greek-themed Thanksgiving.

Another change I made was in how I roasted the turkey. Although I didn't use a Butterball turkey, I did refer to their website for their roasting calculator and I picked up a great roasting tip:

Roast the turkey uncovered at 325F only cover the turkey with aluminum foil after you've achieved it's desired colour. I've always done the reverse (cover for duration of roasting & uncover to brown at the end), but this Butterball method gave me a picture-perfect, moist and succulent turkey.

The other component of the turkey was the Greek stuffing. Greeks do enjoy roasting a turkey but it's usually done during the Christmas holidays. I had a wealth of reference points for a Greek stuffing and I settled on a classic which used ground meat, minced giblets, raisins, chestnuts and pine nuts.

The turkey and stuffing were an obvious hit. My guests had never seen a beautifully roasted bird before and I must admit, this one turned out pretty damn good!

The stuffing was savory with a little but of sweetness from the raisins, chestnuts and pine nuts. I don't have a decent photo of the stuffing but I can assure you my guests and myself enjoyed it alot.

Again, I was able to find a Greek wine as a pairing for the main course of the evening. Alex Pulcini of Pavlou Estates Winery recommended the Kappa P62 Xinomavro-Syrah as his choice for this turkey. I described the flavours the turkey would have and that this would be much more falvourful, aromatic and tolerant of a red wine.

Alex recommended this wine as it's a people pleaser, seems to be very popular with white and red drinkers and this wine has obvious notes of black cherry.

The P62 bottles I served did not last and I wish I had more...my guests wished they had more! I'm delighted to share with you that we collectively will be buying another case of the P62.

Earlier this year during my vacation to Greece, I was fortunate enough to enjoy a tour of the Pavlou Estates Winery (watch for my post on the winery tour, the people who make it and the wine).

Stuffed Turkey (Γαλοπούλα γεμιστή)

Brining Solution

3 bay leaves
handful of peppercorns
3 cloves of garlic
a bunch of fresh thyme
small handful of parsley
1/2 cup of Mosxato wine
handful of allspice berries
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 cup of salt
enough water to cover the turkey

Roasted Turkey
1 large turkey (5.7kgs) feeds 10
melted butter
sea salt pepper
sweet paprika
black pepper
garlic powder
combination of dried thyme, oregano and rosemary

Pre-heated 325F oven

1. To brine your turkey, you will need a large, clean pail or a large pot. Place your turkey inside and add enough water to cover the bird. Now the remove the bird and add the wine, orange juice, aromatics and the salt. Now place the container on your stove and bring the brining solution to a boil. Allow to cool before placing the turkey inside the brine. Palce the cover on and refrigerate or place outside (if cold enough for approx. 24 hours).
2. Between now and roasting the turkey, you may pre-make your stuffing (recipe below).
   
3. The next day, 1 hour before roasting, remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well and pat dry. Pre-heat your oven to 325F. Discard the brine.
   
4. Ensure your pre-made stuffing has also come to room temperature before spooning it into the cavity of the turkey. Have ready two containers of stuffing ready: one large portion with an approx. amount you think you'll require to stuff the bird and a back-up portion to replenish it (this helps eliminate cross-contamination to any leftover stuffing that does not fit in the turkey).
5. Spoon the stuffing into the main cavity and stitch with some wooden skewers to seal. Now place some stuffing in the neck area of the turkey as well (that's what all that excess neck skin is for...stuffing). Again, stitch with some wooden skewers to seal in the stuffing.
6. Place your turkey on a roasting rack and rub it all over with melted butter. Seasoning your turkey with a Mediterranean dried herb mix (I used oregano, thyme and rosemary, sea salt, black pepper, sweet paprika and garlic powder.
   
7. Place the roasting rack & turkey onto a roasting pan and add an onion, carrot and celery stick in the bottom of the pan with some water and a splash of wine. Place your turkey on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 3 1/2 hours. Monitor your turkey after about 2 hours to check for it's colour. When the desired browning has occured, tent your turkey with aluminum foil and continue to roast until the thigh meat has reached 180F (using a thermometer) and 160F in the stuffing.

Greek Turkey Stuffing

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 pork sausages, casings removed
1/2 lb. lean ground pork
1 packet of turkey giblets, finely chopped
1 bay leaf 1 tsp. dry oregano
3/4 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup wild rice
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup of Mosxato wine
1/2 cup of raisins
1 1/2 cups of turkey/vegetable stock
1 cup of chestnuts, chopped
1/2 cup of pine nuts
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. ground clove

1. In a large skillet, add your olive oil over medium heat and add your onions, garlic, celery, bay leaf and saute for about 10 minutes to soften. Now add your giblets and saute for a minute or so, followed by adding the sausage meat and ground pork. Turn the heat up and brown your meat while stirring constantly.
2. Now add rice and stir to coat and toast the rice for a couple of minutes. Now add the wine and raisins and reduce to medium-low and simmer while stirring for a couple of minutes.
3. Now add the stock, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer while stirring and most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Your rice should be just under '"al dente" and it will finish cooking as stuffing in the turkey.
4. Now add the chopped parsley, chopped chestnuts, sage and stir it. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and take off the heat. Add the pine nuts and a pinch of ground cloves and stir in. Allow to come to room temperature before placing the stuffing in the turkey (you may place in a container and refrigerate overnight).
   

Soup and Salad (Σούπα και Σαλάτα)

The next phase of the Greek themed Thanksgiving Dinner involved soup and salad. As I've written before, I'm more of a soup guy when the cooler weather arrives but this is here is an autumn salad, featuring a blend of seasonal greens and a vinaigrette with a Greek ingredient that's very ancient...Petimezi.

I first saw the dressing used here on a Greek food show called the Nistiko Arkoudi (Hungry Bear) and the show's title is a play on a Greek saying, "the hungry bear never dances". In the show's intro, the bear's dancing alright...a testament that the bear (and viewer are fed well).

The dressing is a sweet & sour combination involving Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard and Petimezi. Petimezi is a grape syrup or mollasses that was produced and used in ancient times before the arrival of sugar on the scene. Back then, natural sweeteners like Petimezi were used.

The dressing was finished off with some minced garlic, salt and pepper and given a good shake in a jar to emulsify the dressing.

The salad ingredients are quite interesting too...bitter rocket leaves, red cabbage, leafy green lettuce and some Napa cabbage to round out the mix. The salad goes further with the sweet & savory theme with a topping of pomegranate seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and roasted red peppers.

I had this salad during my stay in Naxos this past summer and I promised myself to recreate this wonderful salad. On the menu it was listed as Smyrneiko Salata, homage to the Greeks who fled Smyrna in haste, but brought their wonderful recipes back to mainland Greece with them.

The soup course of the night involved beets. My original soup idea was a roasted red pepper soup but despite it's wonderful flavour and result, it proved to be too good, a bold flavour especially since turkey and fixins' were next on the menu.

The pureed beet soup proved to be a wonderful surprise to me (during it's testing) and for my dinner guests. Everyone was expecting a very sweet soup - something more dessert than savory but this recipe makes it very much a savory soup with onions, potatoes, thyme and oregano to take the sweet edge off the soup.

Before I get on with the soup recipe, I must give due mention to the wine pairing for the soup and salad course: Steve Kriaris of Kolonaki Group recommended the Skouras Cuvee Prestige White.

The Skouras Winery is located in the northeast Pelleponese and the the wine is made from a 50/50 split of Roditis and Mosxofilero grapes.

Again, we agreed that a crisp, no oak white would complement the soup and salad course and I could detect the light florals as per the tasting notes from Skouras.

I'm really enjoying this Greek wine and food pairing and I'll endeavour to showcase more qaulity Greek wines in future posts.

In the meantime, here's that Beet soup recipe...

Beet Soup With Oregano
( serves 4, I doubled the recipe)

approx 400gr. of medium-sized beets
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large russet potato, peeled
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
chicken/vegetable stock
2 tsp. of ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. of dried Greek oregano
strained Greek yogurt

1. Place your beets in some aluminum foil, wrap well and place in a pre-heated 450F oven for about 40 minutes. Allw to cool enough to be handled. With the help of a knife, peel away the skins, discard and cut the beets into chunks.
2. In a pot, add your olive oil and over medium heat add the onions and garlic, bay leaf, ground coriander and saute for 15-20 minutes. Now using your box grater, grate the potato into the pot and stir and simmer for another5 minutes (add some water if too dry).
3. Now add your beets and enough stock to just cover your beets and bring to a boil. Now simmer for another 30 minutes until thickened somewhat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
   
4. Remove from the heat, take out the bay leaf and using your hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return to medium heat and simmer for another 15 minutes or until you've achieved your desired consistency.
5. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and allow to cool a bit.
6. Serve in bowls with a dollop of strained Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of dried Greek oregano.
   

Mezedes at the Greek Table

Mezedes are Greek appetizers and there are two approaches when approaching the Greek "trapezi" or table.

One is to offer up several little bites and tastes to your guests throughout the night. This type of evening has no 1st, 2nd or main course...just meze after meze after meze with conversation and drink to accompany the food.

The other approach is to offer up some small bites (again) mezedes but to nudge your guests' appetites, not satisfy it. This latter approach is the one I took for my Greek-themed Thanksgiving Dinner.

I made three - no four mezedes, all were simple, all easy executed and big on flavour. I also made sure there weren't too many as I've gone too far in the past with the appetizers and have left my guests stuffed and not so quite ready for the main courses of the evening.

The first appetizer I brought for my guests was the "Greek sushi". The Greek sushi reference was inspired by an print ad I saw from a Greek food company that produces many ready-made appetizers for the Greek homekeeper who's too busy to prep such mezedes.

Assembly of the Greek sushi was quite simple: make Dolamadakia Yialantzi cooked long grain rice that was flavoured with sauteed scallions, fresh mint and dill, olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper. The tangy filling was contrasted by the natural sweetness and smokey undertones of the roasted peppers. For breaking the colour monotony, I roasted red, yellow and orange bell peppers.

To complete the Greek sushi, the dolmadakia had to be binded to the peppers. I bought a bunch of fresh chives, boiled them in salted water for a couple of minutes and then blanched them in cold water (to retain their colour). The final step was to obviously bind the dolmadakia to the peppers with the chive string and snip of the excess. Ta-da...Greek sushi!

The next platter of mezedes that I served up were whole wheat crostinis with warm caremelized onions tossed with pitted Throumpes olives from Thassos and some fresh thyme and dried Greek oregano.

Again, a simple process of slowly rendering and sauteeing your onions on medium-low heat was the key to getting soft, sweet and tender onions. This process took about 30 minutes and then I simply tossed the pitted olives in along with the thyme and Greek oregano.

The crostinis were made by cutting thin slices off a baguette and then I simply baked them for about 8-1o minutes in a pre-heated 350F oven. This meze can also be made ahead of time...just reheat your olive and onion mixture.

Next up in the succession of mezedes were my phyllo cups filled with a spinach and cheese mixture. The inspiration for these cups came from my mom's recipe for Spanakopita and in particular, the filling she uses and that I prefer.

Store bought phyllo was used here along with olive oil cooking spray to make the cups. For the filling, I used convenienient and time-saving frozen spinach that was thawed, hand-squeezed of excess water and I made a filling that included the spinach, sauteed scallions, 50% Feta & 50% mizithra (ricotta), eggs to bind, chopped fresh dill and salt and pepper to taste.

The phyllo cups consisted of 5 layers of phyllo, with each layer getting an olive oil spray treatment. The muffin tins were also sprayed so that your phyllo cups popped out easlily after baking.

After your phyllo sheets have been sprayed, cut the layered phyllo sheets into twelved equal squares and stuff into each muffin tin. Now fill each muffin cup with your spinach & cheese mixture and if baking immediately, place in a pre-heated 350F oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden-brown. Take out of muffin tins immediately and allow to cool just a bit.

If like me you pre-made these spinach & cheese phyllo cups, then you can cover the muffin tray with plastic wrap (or bag) and place in the freezer for future use. I baked these phyllo cups from frozen to straight into the oven and they came out wonderfully after about 30-35 minutes in a pre-heated 350F oven.

I gave my guests a bonus appetizer which was inspired after reading an article on a Greek-Australian chef who was often left with the dilemma of leftover Hortiatiki (Greek) salad after get-togethers.

Rather than dump the soggy leftover salad, his frugal mind opted to puree the leftover salad and turn it into a dip. Upon trying this experiment out I knew that my guests would love this and scoop up every last bit of dip.

Again, no real recipe here, just build your Greek salad (no iceberg lettuce here) and then place in a food processor and whiz away until your have your desired consistency. You might have to add some breadcrumbs if too runny. I served these with baked pita bread triangles.

I think the key to good mezedes is to make them simple, but make them well and if part of a dinner party, keep the samples small as you want your guests to enjoy the rest of the evening's meal.

Finally, in keeping with the Greek Thanksgiving meal, I offered up Greek wines that were paired with each course.

Steve Kriaris of the Kolonaki Group recommended the Kir Yianni Akakies Rose. This wine uses 100% Xinomavro grapes (grape indigenous to to Greece and harvested from Naoussa and Amydeon).

This rose is a no oak rose that's crisp, best served chilled and it served as a perfect quaff for my Greek mezedes. I detected notes of strawberry and hints of lemon and according to my guests, the rose was a refreshing surprise to a gang that normally doesn't drink rose.

To quote one guest..."I normally don't drink rose but if I were presented with a bottle of Kir Yanni Akakies, I would drink it (rose) more often"!

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: My Big Fat Greek Thanksgiving

When Foodbuzz announced the launch of "24, 24, 24", even they did not foresee the huge success it would garner. Twenty four people hosted twenty-four dinners in twenty-four in twenty-four hours.

The dinners were enthusiastic celebrations of the foods people adore and and enjoy in each corner of the world they inhabit.

I imagine many food bloggers submitted proposals and Foodbuzz sadly had to turn away some people. I was still on vacation in Greece when the event was announced but I submitted a proposal soon after Foodbuzz relayed the news that "24, 24, 24" would be a monthly event.

My approach was to feature a Thanksgiving Dinner with some Greek flare. Here in Canada, we celebrated Thanksgiving on October 13th and our US neighbors will be celebrating next month.

In Canada, the emphasis of Thanksgiving lies squarely on giving thanks to the harvest and celebrating the precious bounty at the table.

Canada is a multi-cultural society and I truly believe it's one of the best countries in the world to live in. As Greeks living in Canada (along with peoples of other ethnicities), many of us have also embraced Thanksgiving. It's a noble holiday to commemorate and I one I do not take lightly.

Last night I hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner using Greek ingredients and Greek recipes using seasonal products. My goal was to awe my guests with dishes that screamed of being Greek while staying true to a Thanksgiving Dinner.

I also had the pleasure of enjoying an all Greek wine night with my guests. With the assistance of Steve Kriaris of the Kolonaki Group and Alex Pulcini of Pavlou Estates, I was able to pair a 5-star wine selection with this Thanksgiving feast.

I would also like to thank my cousin, Nicholas Hadzis who took the time to write out the ornate menus you see here.

Another thanks goes out to Marianthe Mesbouris who tooks tons of photos while I was prepping and serving up each course...thanks Red!

A thank you to my brother Danny and his girlfriend Natalia, my cousin Effie, my good friend Amy and sisters Evelyn & Roula. You all made the evening memorable and as always...the laughs kept on coming!

Let's get on with the food, shall we? Today, I'm going give you a quick run down of the food served in the order that they arrived at the table but I will give you the recipe details in the week ahead.
































































First up, we had the mezedes or Greek appetizers:

Horiatki Dip...inspired by leftover Greek salad....don't throw that out...make it a dip!

How about crostinis with caramelized onions and (Throumpes) Greek olives with thyme and oregano?

Or here's a play on Dolmades, made to look like "Greek sushi".

What would a Greek evening be without the use of phyllo?

These spinach and cheese phyllo cups were snapped up in no time!

Next up in the long line of service was the soup course. Fancy a Beet soup with Greek oregano and Greek yogurt?

An autumn Greek salad with seasonal greens and a vinaigrette of olive oil, mustard, balsamic vinegar and Petimezi.

What's a Thanksgiving dinner without the turkey? Here, I brined the turkey with Mosxato wine, bay leafs, peppercorns, garlic, thyme, parsley, allspice and orange juice. The turkey was also stuffed with rice, chestnuts, raisins, giblets and pine nuts.

The "fixins" to accompany the turkey were a mashed potatoes and celery root with buttermilk, roasted garlic, thyme and chives.

These roasted root vegetables were aromatized with a blend of sage, cinnamon, nutmeg and fennel seeds.

Can't have a Thanksgiving without Cranberry sauce. I put my Greek twist on this by adding a hint of clove and orange zest.

The main course was followed by a Greek cheese platter featuring Vlaxotyri, Kasseri from Mytlini and Cypriot Halloumi.

Despite having satiated guests, one always has room for dessert. In Greece, Bougatsa is a much loved breakfast treat filled with custard (crema) and here I've turned into an autumn dessert. It's Bougatsa with poached quince and almonds, finished off with a dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon.

That was My Big Fat Greek Thanksgiving. Watch all this week for me to give you the nitty-gritty on each recipe, notes on the wine pairings and any other afterthoughts on the dinner.

Time for clean-up...

You're All Invited

Why don't you all come over to my place for dinner? I'm having a Big Fat Greek Thanksgiving Dinner.

Tomorrow I'll post all the delicious dishes...from mezedes to Epidorpio (dessert).

In the meantime...would you like a nibble of some Greek "sushi"?

Seafood Pie With Rösti Topping

Last year I recall seeing many seafood & fish pie dishes being presented by my Brit friends 'oer across the pond. To all of you, each and every pie you baked had me salivating and I promised you all and myself to add this dish to my roster.

The kicker for this dish is what the book calls a "rösti" topping. For those not in the know, rösti is a Swiss dish of grated potato, usually mixed with butter or animal fat and fried into lovely patties of spud goodness.

This seafood pie emulates that taste and texture on the topping. Many fish & seafood pies get the mashed potato topping but when I read this technique, I loved it from the the "get go" and the result is a textured, fab looking topping that will please the eye and the belly on these cold autumn nights.

The dish comes from a book called Easy Entertaining by Julia Aitkens. There are few few photographs in the book but it's jammed with many simple dishes that will WOW your guests with little effort.

This recipe originally called for smoked salmon - I had smoked mackerel. It's all good as long as you added something smoked for the proper flavour mix.

Seafood Pie With Rösti Topping

Filling
1 1 1/4 cups of cold milk
1 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1lb cod, haddock or other white fish 8oz. raw shrimp, peeled & deveined 8oz. of bay scallops
2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables (thawed & rinsed)
4oz. of smoked salmon
3-4 bunches of scallions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced dill pickles
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
splash of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. of black pepper
1/4 tsp. of salt
1 large bay leaf
1 clove of garlic

Topping
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes
1/3 cup of melted butter
salt and pepper

Pre-heated 400F oven

1. For the filling: In a large sauepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk, wine and flour, bay leaf and whisk until smooth. Stir in butter and bring to a boil while whisking and the mixture becomes smooth and bubbly. Reduce to medium and whisk for a couple of minutes until it thickens.
2. Add the fish and seafood, mixed vegetables, scallions, herbs, pickles and Worcestershire, salt and pepper and stir gently. Taste & adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and remove the bay leaf and garlic clove. Spoon/pour the mixture into a 11 by 7 inch baking lined with parchment.
3. For the topping: Add the potatoes (skin on) to a large pot of water and fill with enough water to just cover. Bring to a boil and add salt and boil for 15-20 minutes, until just under-cooked. Drain and place in cold water to cool down just enough for you to safely handle them.
4. Peel the skins off the potatoes with the aid of the back of a knife and using the largest holes of your box grater, grate the potatoes evenly over the surface of your seafood pie mixture.
5. Using a brush, dip it in your melted butter and sprinkle over top of your potato topping. Lightly season the topping with salt and pepper and place in your pre-heated oven for 40-45 minutes. If necessary, heat the broiler and the broil your seafood pie for 2-3 minutes to get a golden-brown topping.
6. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes, cut into portions and serve immediately with a dry white wine.
   

Foodbuzz's Official Launch

Foodbuzz is a website that acts as a meeting place for most of the food blogs that exist out there. From Foodbuzz, one can search for your favourite recipe, read reviews of eateries in your city or perhaps even a city you'll soon be traveling to.

I've been with Foodbuzz for nearly a year and it's put me in touch with many wonderful people, their blogs and the staff at Foodbuzz have been most helpful with blog & networking advice.

This past September, Foodbuzz also spearheaded the 24, 24, 24 Event whereby twenty-four dinners were hosted in twenty-four cities in twenty-four hours.

In case you missed it, there's a cool YouTube clip that's a musical slide show of the fabulous dinners hosted around the world.



I was on holidays when 24, 24, 24 was announced, which made it impossible for me to participate. I promised myself to jump at the opportunity to host such a blog and food event if the opportunity presented itself again.

If I'm not visiting blogs or posting as much, it's because I've been extremely busy. Stay tuned...this weekend's gonna be "buzzing" with activity!

Aromatic Giouvetsi (γιουβέτσι με αρωματικά)

When you get this dish simmering down, you'll understand exactly why I call this version "aromatic giouvetsi".

This version is not a family recipe as my mom's versions usually just employes bay leaves and sometimes allspice berries. Here, a quadruple kick of spices sends the aroma and flavour of this traditional dish to new heights.

You all know of that kitchen aromatherapy when the apple pie is resting on the window sill? This aromatic giouvetsi offers up that same experience only here it's the savory experience.

It's not hard to find this dish if you're dining in Greece. Many tavernas that cater to locals and tourists will often have a giouvetsi on the menu.

It's a bonus when it's baked in these individual earthenware pots or "gastres". Like in any country, there's good food and bad food to be had.

Try & find out where the locals go and you're off to a good start. As for giouvetsi, if you're looking for this version, let your nose show you the way. This dish has bay leaves, allspice berries, cloves and cinnamon.

I like to call this "Greek four spice" blend and if you add ground black pepper....ya have a Greek five-spice blend.

If you can't make it to Greece just yet...relax, jot down this recipe or add some paper to your printer and the HP inkjet will do the work.

If you can't find the eartherware pots, a family-style serving in a casserole dish is also standard fare back in Greece.

Enough chit-chat...let's eat!

Aromatic Giouvetsi (γιουβέτσι με αρωματικά)
(serves 4)

1.5 lbs. of veal, large pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large, ripe tomatoes or
1 1/2 cups of plum tomato puree
1 large onion, grated
3-4 cloves of minced garlic
1 Tbsp. of tomato paste
2-3 bay leaves
4-5 allspice berries
4-5 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
enough veal stock or water to cover the meat
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of elbow macaroni per serving
butter
grated Kefalotyri cheese (or a Pecorino Romano)

1. Rinse and pat-dry your pieces of veal. Season with salt and pepper and pre-heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and brown your pieces of veal.
2. Now fill the the pot with enough veal stock (or water) to just cover the meat. Now add your grated onions, tomato puree, paste, garlic, and all the spices and bring to a boil. Add some salt and pepper and cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer until you left with a thickened sauce (about 45 minutes). Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper, remove the spices with a slotted spoon and reserve.
3. Get a large pot of water boiling, add a good amount of salt and cook your elbow macaroni as per package instructions. You should now pre-heat your oven to 400F.
   
4. When the pasta is done, strain and add back to the pot and stir in some butter to coat all the macaroni. Now add 3/4 of the tomato sauce and toss to coat.
5. Spoon the macaroni into the individual "gastres" (earthenware vessels) or pour into a casserole dish and place the pieces of veal on top. Pour the remaining sauce over top along with a drizzle of olive oil and some more fresh ground pepper. Place the "gastres" on a baking tray in your pre-heated over for about 10 minutes or until just slightly golden.
6. Remove your tray of giouvetsi and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
7. Serve immediately with some grated Kefalotyri cheese (Romano works fine).
   

Chicken With Spinach and Feta ( Κοτόπουλο με σπανάκι και φέτα)

First off, I like to thank all those who took the time to view my cooking piece and to comment, offer advice, discourage and encourage.

I see the wisdom in most of what was said but one can't be all things to all people and I think it's best for one to be themselves.

The next time I'm presented with an opportunity to film a piece, I think the best approach is to just be oneself, treat your audience as you would your house guests and everything will be fine and most importantly, have fun!

On that note, I had a joy making this easy dish of chicken breast and two of Greece's favourite ingredients: spinach and Feta.

Greek cuisine has brought you Spanakopita (spinach & cheese) pie but here, I take a similar filling and spruce-up an otherwise bland piece of meat - the chicken breast.

This meal makes for a good date offering or a snazzy weekday meal that will please adults and kids alike and...you get to sneak some good' spinach into the meal.

The is chicken with spinach and feta is easy, big on taste, easy on the wallet and simple enough to jot down on a cocktail napkin.

Chicken With Spinach and Feta
(Κοτόπουλο με σπανάκι και φέτα)
(serves 4)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of water
75 gr. crumbled Feta
75 gr. ricotta cheese
4 Tbsp. of chopped fresh chives
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 pads of unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
sweet paprika
2 Tbsp. of flour
1 clove of garlic, smashed
2 Tbsp. minced shallots
1 cup chicken/vegetable stock
1 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Trim your chicken breasts of any excess fat. Wash and pat dry and set aside. In a bowl, mix your spinach, chives, dill, Feta and ricotta and mix well with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.
2. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut a pocket into the side of the chicken breast and fill with the spinach mixture. Secure with one or two toothpicks. Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper and some sweet paprika.
   
3. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium/high heat and brown side of the chicken (3-4 minutes a side). Remove the chicken and reserve.
4. In the same skillet, add the wine to deglaze the tasty brown bits and reduce over medium heat for a couple of minutes (the wine has nearly evaporated). Now add the shallots, garlic and flour and saute for another minute or so, just enough to cook the rawness out of the flour.
   
5. Now add your chicken stock along with the chicken breasts, bring to a boil and then cover and, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes.
6. At this point your sauce should begin to coat a wooden spoon. Remove your breasts and keep warm. Add the cream to the sauce and simmer until the sauce is thick and you can draw a line into the skillet with your wooden spoon. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and add the chopped fresh parsley.
7. Cut each breast into slices, fan onto the plate, serve with your favourite rice dish and spoon the cream sauce over the sliced chicken breast. Serve immediately.
   

Lights, Camera...Kalofagas

Kalofagas - Part 1 from Peter Minaki on Vimeo.

Here it is, the clip you've been waiting for...a snippet of the filming I did this past summer while in Athens, Greece.

I spent the whole day filming which began with gathering some footage at Athens' Varvakeios market, followed by a day of having myself filmed while preparing three dishes and having myself introduce two other chefs with two of their dishes.

We concluded the day with some footage in and around the hotel where we filmed and a send-off on the hotel's rooftop overlooking Athens.

I may seem repetitive but I would like to thank Dimitri Vorris, the producer/writer/director who went out on a limb to produce this pilot, Athinagoras and Christos - the two chefs who filmed with me on that day and the Fresh Design Hotel in Athens.

This day was fun, a learning experience and it gave me a whole new respect for those food personalities who work hard to make a TV show. Just think about it...those food celebs are spending 12 hours a day to make a 30 minute program for you, the viewer.

The footage from this filming was never meant for sale as a TV show but to serve as a "pilot" or promotional piece to sell the idea of "Kalofagas" for TV media.

Myself and some friends are currently sending DVD copies and clips to people who we think such a concept could be of interest to.

There are two other dishes prepared for me, Dimitri can surely edit them and send them to me and with your support and encouragement...more clips will arrive here in no time at all!

Sit back, enjoy and please offer your comments and feedback in the comments section below. This was a learning experience for myself and I along with Dimitri would like to hear what you have to say.

Cheers!

Tagliatelle of Wild Mushrooms

One of the most wonderful ingredients in the fall has to be mushrooms. Many people's tastes change but ever since my childhood I've love mushrooms.

Here in Canada, Gordon Ramsey's the "F-Word" is now showing and although it's been viewed in the UK for a few years now, it's finally reached our shores.

The "F-Word" stands for food and clearly the intention of the show is to show the kinder, smiling and more cordial Gordon Ramsey to the public.

I'm of the belief that the personalities that appear on television as nicey-nices are usually A-holes in person and the "bad guys" on TV are really the calm, friendly and cordial ones.

I've heard from many sources that Gordon Ramsey is kind in interviews, always signs autographs for fans and even takes a moment for a little chit chat. I've heard little flattering about more "popular" food celebs.

So, the "F-Word" also shows more of Gordon Ramsey's cooking and earlier this week I was captivated by a mushroom & pasta dish he cooked up in his restaurant.

He used a mixture of fresh wild mushrooms but knowing that this could be out of reach for many, I've taken a more accessable route to reproducing this recipe.

Last night I used a combination of Cremini, Oyster and dried Porcini mushrooms. If you have access to fresh Porcini...please go ahead and enjoy them but for most of us, the dried variety are easier to find and here and one even gets some mushroom stock out of it!

This dish is easy on the sauce but large on flavour. As one diner at Gordon's restaurant attested, "you can taste each ingredient with each bite" and that's what I was going for here.

Let the ingredients come out, keep the cream to a minimum and enjoy this aromatic, flavourful and hearty pasta dish.

Note: the Oyster mushrooms are added towards the end as they are very delicate, do not take long to cook and become tough (like seafood) if overcooked.

Tagliatelle of Wild Mushrooms
(for 4)

4 Tbsp. olive oil
4 pads of butter
3 large scallions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 ounce of dried Porcini mushrooms
1 cup of chopped Cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup Oyster mushrooms, stem removed and chopped
(rinsed if gritty)
1 tea cup of hot water
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups of chicken/vegetable broth
1 500gr. package of Tagliatelle
(plus reserved pasta water)
4 Tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
splash of heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Place your dried Poricnis in a tea or coffee cup and fill with boiling water, Cover with a saucer and allow to steep for at least 15 minutes. In the meantime, place a large pot of water on your stovetop. When it comes to a boil, add your salt and pasta and cook to under "al dente" or about 5 minutes. Drain and reserve.
2. In a large skillet, add your olive oil and butter over medium-high heat and add your scallions, garlic and Cremini mushrooms and saute for 3 -5 minutes. Add the wine, reduce to medium-low and simmer until most of the wine has evaporated.
3. Now add your re-hydrated Porcinis, the Porcini broth and your stock and bring to a boil. Now lower to medium and simmer for another 5-7 minutes (reduced to about half).
4. Add your chopped Oyster mushrroms, half of your chopped tarragon and parsley and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Saute for a couple of minutes while stirring, remove the cloves of garlic and reserve and keep warm.
   
5. Add your pasta into the mushroom sauce along with a splash of heavy cream, the remaining chopped parsley and tarragon and toss over medium-low heat (if yor sauce is too dry, add some pasta water). Keep tossing until the sauce has thickend and is absorbed by the pasta.
6. Serve in bowls immediately and top with shaved Parmesan cheese.
   

Grilled Smoked Mackerel (Ψητά καπνιστό σκουμπρί)

The other night I finally played catch-up with one of my cousins as we hadn't seen each other since before my trip to Greece.

I showed her my pictures, relayed the good and bad parts (what bad parts?) of my trip and enthused about the wonderful food I ate.

If you're a regular reader of Kalofagas, then you know that I do enjoy (love) seafood. One such love is for mackerel.

Not just any old mackerel but I REALLY like smoked mackerel. It's a fish that's often overlooked but when it's fresh, damn is it good.

Mackerel also seems to available all around the world and in a smoked format. Upon my recent trip to the market, I found some locally smoked mackerel and bought in hopes of reproducing a meze (appetizer) I enjoyed during my stay in Athens.

I had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with Johanna of Food Junkie, Not Junk Food. Johanna is a native of Athens who's an archaeologist by day, gourmet cook by night.

She razzles & dazzles her readers with original Greek dishes and her food has yet to disappoint me. When Johanna learned of my return to Greece, we immediately agreed that we should meet over food and drinks - a taverna.

Our decision to dine at" Logia Tis Ploris" was unanimous. We were both wowed and inspired by the rave review our fellow blogger Laurie gave of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska. I was picked up by Johanna and her husband and we were also joined by a her childhood friend.

The taverna was very quiet, the music kept to a minimum and the service prompt. We ordered off the menu like a kid in a candy store with mom's stolen purse...we barely had any elbow room on the table!

All of the dishes at Logia Tis Ploris were fabulous, whimsy and affordable. One such dish that both Johanna & I enjoyed was the grilled smoked mackerel.

There really is no recipe here other than to find a good source of smoked mackerel and to employ some fish boning and grilling skills.

To grill some smoked mackerel, one simply has to butterfly the fish, pull the sping column out and remove any pinbones in the fish.

I'm then left with two mackerel fillets, whereby I carefully remove the skin so as to keep the fillets in tact. I then separated each fillet into two. Each half of a fish naturally separates into two smaller fillets: the top part of the fish and then the bottom part.

The bottom part is not as firm and it really doesn't an appealing form. Save those portions for a fish or seafood pie.

I then pre-heated my gas grill, brushed it well to remove any remnants of my previous grilling and wiped the grill surface with a towel treated with vegetable oil.

As smoked mackerel is already salted, all one has to do is brush some vegetable oil on each side and place on your pre-heated grill. You'll need a medium-high heat in your grill and as your fish is already cooked, all you're looking to do is give your mackerel some nice grill marks and warm it up.

Use a heat-resistant spatula to flip your fillet and voila...you're done!

Place your grilled smoked mackerel, drizzle with some extra-virgin olive, black pepper, dried Greek oregano and a wedge of lemon for some squeezin'.

I served my grilled smoked mackerel with a roasted pepper and potato salad, a warm bean salad, crusty bread and some Tsipouro (Greek anise moonshine) on ice.

Johanna, I dedicate this smoked grilled mackerel to you....next time we cook for each other, endaxi?

Warm Green Bean Salad (αμπελοφάσουλα)

For those not in the know, today is Thanksgiving Day here in Canada and it's Columbus Day in much of the US. You might find blogging traffic a little slower and these two holidays are probably part of that absence today.

Regardless, I find myself wanting to share more food and travel experiences from my recent trip to Greece.

You will recall that I visited the island of Sifnos and that as a food enthusiast, one of the criterion I chose when picking a travel destination is it's food.

Sifnos did not disappoint. I had one of my most memorable meals on the last night of my stay in the island.

Picture this:

I had just finished a full tan of swimming and tanning, I had a light lunch and for those that swim alot will know that one's appetite is increased after a good swim.

I plopped myself into the seat of a seaside taverna, covered to protect us from still hot sun, Greek music playing in the background, the sounds of other Greeks eating, cracking jokes and dreading their return to the city.

I order grilled & stuffed calamari, a baked feta with tomato and hot peppers and I had ordered a plate of vlita. Al this would be accompanied by the day's fresh baked bread and a carafe of Tsipouro (raki).

The waiter-dude comes back and tells me there's no more vlita but that I should try the "αμπελοφάσουλα" or, warm bean salad. "It's good with seafood", he assures me.

Myself, tired and hungry - I comply.

This one of food's weird, surprising and most enjoyable food finds. It's so simple yet when the ingredients are fresh, the easy preparation only heightens the taste and overall eating experience.

Essentially, this warm bean salad is boiled in salted water to an "al dente"stage, it's then shocked in an ice bath (to retain it's vibrant green colour) but strained quickly enough to keep the beans very warm.

In my research, this warm bean salad is served with Skordalia - a Greek aioli if you will. In my instance, it was served warm, obviously tasting of lots of garlic, tossed in extra virgin olive and fresh lemon juice and seasoned with sea salt.

Vlita or boiled wild greens are a favourite accompaniment for many Greeks but "ampelofasoula" will give them a run for their money.

That last dinner in Sifnos was most memorable and I'd have to say this warm bean salad was truly the highlight for me.

Warm Green Bean Salad (αμπελοφάσουλα)

Approx. 1lb. of green beans, trimmed
3 cloves of roasted garlic
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon sea salt
black pepper

1. Take a whole bulb of garlic and just cut the top off with a knife. Place inside some aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, wrap it up with foil and place in a pre-heated 400F for 30-40 minutes. You now have roasted garlic - reserve.
2. Place a large pot of water on your stove top and bring to a boil. Add a good amount of salt and drop your green beans inside. From the time the water returns to a boil, count 5 minutes and your beans are done. Blanch in an ice bath or pass under cold water but you still want to keep the beans warm. Strain and place in a large bowl
   
3. Add 3 cloves of roasted garlic with the beans, along with the olive oil and lemon juice. Toss to coat and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.
4. Serve warm as a side dish to your favourite seafood.

Fillet of Sole With a Tomato and Olive Sauce (Φιλέτο γλώσσας με σάλτσα ντομάτας και ελιάς)

Sometimes the easiest, most straightforward dishes can provide you with the biggest culinary surprise.

Such was the case recently when I was flipping through one of the cookbooks I brought back from Greece. I had some fillets of sole but I just couldn't decide how to prepare them...until I saw "the recipe."

Here's the humble recipe:

Fillet of Sole With a Tomato and Olive Sauce (Φιλέτο γλώσσας με σάλτσα ντομάτας και ελιάς)
(serves 4)

4 fillets of sole
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups of vegetable cocktail juice (V8)
1 Tbsp. of tomato paste
12 pitted black olives, halved
1 medium onion, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried Greek oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Brush some vegetable oil on your fish fillets and season both sides with salt and pepper and carefully roll each fillet and secure with a toothpick. Place on an oiled baking dish and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, add your olive oil, grated onion, tomato paste and garlic and saute on medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.
3. Add the tomato juice, bring to a boil and simmer until it's reduced to a thick sauce. Take off the heat, add the oregano and olives and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Reserve and keep warm.
4. When your fish is cooked, spoon the tomato and olive sauce onto each plate, place the rolled fillet on top and serve a spoonful of sauce on top of each roll.
5. Serve immediately with a mashed potato nest filled with your favourite array of vegetables.

Now read the recipe again and look at the dish. I still find it hard to believe that this rudimentary (albeit delicious) recipe is the same one photographed here.

The bottom line, re-examine your usual dishes and think of a way to change up the presentation.
Usually, I'd serve this fish fillet flat out on the plate, potatoes at 2 O'clock and veggies at 6 O'clock.

A little imagination can go a long way. I don't know where my mind was at on this day but I pulled a rabbit out of the hat.

I adore how this dish looks, it tasted fabulous and it was ready in 40 minutes after a busy day of meetings.

Enjoy!

Papia Portokali (παπια πορτοκαλί)

Greece's cuisine also has a good roster of wild game recipes and one of the more universally enjoyed meats has to be duck.

A couple of weeks ago I seared some breasts that I carved from a whole duck. I was left with a carcass, wings, duck fat and duck legs.

When one has duck legs, it's confit time. Confit comes from the French word (to preserve) and this method of immersing a food in a substance for both flavour and preservation has ended up being a favoured method of enjoying duck legs.

To confit duck legs traditionally, one must brine or marinate the duck legs overnight, then slowly poach the duck legs in reserved duck fat.

I was prepared to go through the whole process but Jerry's (Cooking by the Seat of my Pants) quick and successful approach to confit saves time and offers instant food gratification.

Jerry's approach is simple: season your duck legs with salt, pepper and herbs of your choice (I used springs of thyme and rosemary), drizzle with olive and add a splash of stock and roast in low-heat oven for an 60-80 minutes (mine took 80), then increase the heat to 350F and roast until your duck legs are golden brown.

Jerry made a confit of chicken on a bed of spaghetti and I urge you have a look at his recipe and even delve further into the blog for more food inspiration.

Back to my duck legs. The title of this dish is Papia Portokali...or Duck a l'Orange. The French are well known for this classic but the Greeks have their own version that's true to our indigenous ingredients.

Papia Portokali shouldn't intimidate you. It's sounds elegant, has that rustic/chic look and above all, tastes fantastic.

Here are the steps needed to bring this fabulous fall/winter dish together:

• prepare your duck confit
• mise en place (organize and prep your ingredients)
• braise the accompanying lentils
• steep the raisins in orange juice mixture
• saute and reduce onions and orange sauce
• finish duck & orange sauce in the oven

Let's make some Papia Portokaki!


Papia Portokali (παπια πορτοκαλί)
(serves 4)

4 legs of duck confit (see Jerry's method here)
6 oranges
1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup orange liqueur
2 medium onions, diced
1/2 cup raisins
3 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
4-5 allspice berries
3 Tbsp. olive oil + 1/4 cup to saute onions
2 sprigs of thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Braised Lentils
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup chopped celery
3 cloves of minced garlic
1½ cups of lentils
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup vegetable cocktail (V8)
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Place oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add lentils and sauté for 1 minute. Add bay leaf and stock. Bring to boil, cover and simmer until lentils are cooked, about 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover pot for last 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain off any excess liquid. Remove bay leaf, stir in organo and balsamic viengar and adjust seasoning. Reserve lentils.
2. Into a bowl, squeeze the juice of 2 oranges and add the 3 Tbsp. of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, allspice berries and raisins and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes.
3. With the remaining oranges, trim the peel off and cut into horizontal slices and reserve.
4. In a large oven-proof skillet, add the olive oil over medium-low heat and saute your onions for about 10 minutes. Now add your mixture of orange juice and raisins in along with the stock, liqueur(pour from a cup - NOT bottle) and bring up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add your thyme sprigs and rosemary. Reduce the liquid by half or until it's thickened.
   
5. Arrange your orange slices to one side of the skillet and place the duck legs on the other. Place into your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
6. Spoon a bed of braised lentils onto each plate and lay a duck leg on top with some orange slices to the side. Spoon some orange sauce over each duck leg, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Yes, I Ate Soup in the Summer (ρεβιθόσουπα)

Ahhh, the things I do for those who follow my blog. One of my food quirks is that by & large, I eat salads in the summer, soups in the winter.

Oh, there are always exceptions like the odd, cold summer day or a cold soup but a hot soup in Greece with the blazing 35C heat? Yes, I ate soup.

It wasn't just any soup but the very well-known and traditional chickpea soup of Sifnos. My last day on Sifnos was a Sunday and it would be my last and only chance to eat the real deal.

Yes, I could have eaten the soup on any other day but the Sunday soup would be special. You see, the bakeries do run on Sundays here and for many people on the island, the tradition of sending your pot of soup to the bakery to be cooked still exists.

This tradition was a neccesity for many homes in the villages across Greece where they were old and not equipped to host an oven. Necessity led to resourcefulness and tradition whereby the lady of the house would take the family's meal to the local bakery for cooking.

In Sifnos, surely there are many varieties of soups, depending on that family's tastes (or rather the man of house's tastes).

Each "noikokyra" (housewife) prepares the soup in a large earthenware pot and lugs the contents down to the bakery on a Saturday evening.

The chickpea soup simmers all night at the bakery until it becomes lunch time, Sunday afternoon.

I am so glad that blogging has prodded me to try ingredients I once thought I did not like. Such was the case with chickpeas. I can't say they are my favourite ingredient but I find myself increasing my use of them each year.

They are healthy, cheap and I find quite delicious. Speaking of delicious...this chickpea soup will surprise you with it's aroma and fabulous flavour.

There are alot of onions in this soup and the tag-along veggies of celery and carrot round out the flavours. Add a slow simmer, some good stock, a pinch of fresh ground cumin and a squeeze of lemon and you have a soup that eats like a meal.

Chickpea Soup From Sifnos (ρεβιθόσουπα )
(serves 6)

1 500gr. can of chick peas
(rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 carrot, finely diced
1/2 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
6-8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
(depending how thick/thin you like your soup)
a pinch of fresh ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon juice

1. Into a pot, add your olive oil over medium heat and throw in your onions, celery, carrots and paprika and parsley and simmer on medium low for about 15 minutes for the vegetables to soften.
2. Now add your stock, bring to a boil and simmer medium-low heat with the lid slightly ajar for one hour, By this time you should have a thick, chunly chick pea soup with broth still eveident.
3. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, add a small pinch of ground cumin and serve with a wedge of lemon.
4. Serve hot, squeeze just a little lemon juice, add some fresh ground pepper and enjoy this comforting, rustic soup.

Sifnos - History, Culture, Food

This past summer I had the pleasure of visiting the Greek island of Sifnos for the first time. It lies in the middle of the Cyclades between Serifos, Kimolos and Antiparos and is about 80 nautical miles from Piraeus.

Sifnos is also known for it's contribution to the sciences and the Greek literary tradition.

The island can boast a large number of Sifnians who contributed to the social development and reconstruction of the modern Greek state: politicians, teachers, religious leaders, journalists, lawyers and economists.

Sifnos is known today as a summer resort, an island of natural beauty, with its hospitable and courteous inhabitants, its white washed traditional houses, its beautiful churches and chapels, its old monasteries and its popular as well as hidden-away beaches.

For me, Sifnos also attracted me with it's reputation of having great food, unique recipes cooked in earthenware vessels due to it's thriving pottery industry and it's the birthplace of Tselementes.

Tselementes is perhaps the best known chef and food writer and he's credited with catapulting Greek cuisine to new levels after his training in Europe and stints at some of the finest hotels.

Today, Greece's food philosophy is a mix combining naturally grown and seasonal foods with the best herbs and spices to create simple, fabulous dishes and the "Tselementes effect" in the creation of a class system based on food. Wealth, sophistication, and status were associated with his creations.

This juxtaposition of cooking also exists with the patrons of Greek eateries. It is quite often that one will see the everyday Greek person dining side-by-side with Greece's rich and famous.

I witnessed this phenomenon in Sifnos. One of the first things I noticed upon arriving in Sifnos was the long row of yachts that were docked in it's port.

One night at a taverna, I was smack in the middle of ordinary vacationing Greeks and a large table filled with the clan of one of Greece's wealthiest families, dining side by side with their Greek common-folk (this family owns one of Athens' soccer teams).

Although this wealthy family dined on the prohibitively expensive lobster spaghetti (80 euros/kilo), the rest of us were more than happy to be feasting on Sifnos' local dishes.

One such dish is Revithokeftedes or chickpea balls. Revithokefetedes can be simply described as Greek falafel. Chick peas get pulsed and mixed with herbs and spices and then deep fried to a golden perfection.

From gleaning the internet, I've seen revithokeftdes served up in hamburger pattie size and also in little meatball-sized format. When I was in Sifnos, all I saw were the small, meze-eat in two bites kind of Revithokeftedes.

There are two approaches to making Revithokeftdes...one is to soak the dried chick peas overnight or in a more modern and time-saving way, using perfectly acceptable canned chick peas.

Revithokeftedes are a wonderful addition to the repotoire of Greek appetizers. The mixture here is pulsed chick peas, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and chopped fresh dill.

Grab a bottle of ouzo, invited some friends, offer up some simple seafood dishes, a seasonal salad, cheeses, olives and throw in a plate of Revitokeftedes.

Revithokeftedes

500 gr. can of chickpeas
(rinsed and drained)
2 small onions, chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 bunch of fresh parsley leaves
1 egg
4 Tbsp. of chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper
sunflower oil for frying
flour for dredging

1. Into your food processor, add the chickpeas, onions, garlic, parsley, dill and egg and pulse until a smooth paste. Add some salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture is too wet, add some bread crumbs to tighten the mixture.
   
2. Form the mixture into small meatballs and reserve on a plate. Place in the fridge to set for at least an hour.
3. When you're ready to fry, bring the revithokeftedes back to room temperature and dredge in flour.
4. Pour about 3/4 inch of sunflower oil into a frying pan and shallow fry your Revithokeftedes until golden brown. Blot on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
   
5. Serve immediately as part of an array of Greek appetizers (meze).

Pollo alla Cacciatora

We all know this dish as "chicken cacciatore" but it's really "cacciatora".

The origins of the dish are northern Italian and the story goes, the hunter's wife might have cooked this dish on the eve of the hunt as fuel for the chase.

I've tried many versions of this dish but I like this one best, inspired by a recipe from the glorious food mag, Saveur. This dish turned out wonderfully and it was a joy to cook with my new Kitchenaid dutch oven.

Pollo alla Cacciatora
(serves 4)

1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 Italian sausage, casing removed
1 cup dry white wine
1 can (28oz.) of plum tomatoes, hand crushed
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 chopped fresh parsley
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/3 cup diced green pepper
1 cup of Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
flour for dredging

1. Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Place a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2-3 turns of olive oil. Brown your chicken pieces and reserve.
2. Into the same cooking vessel, add your sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon and brown for a few minutes. Now add your onions, carrots, celery, peppers, mushrooms and bay leaves and rosemary and saute for 5-7 minutes or until your onions are soft and translucent.
3. Now add your parsley, tomato paste and garlic and saute for a minute. Now add the wine and reduce for about 5 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate.
   
4. Add the chicken pieces (plus juices) back in the cooking vessel along with the tomatoes and their juices and your stock. Partially cover with the lid and simmer for about 60-80 minutes or until you have a thick, chunky sauce.
5. Spoon some sauce on the bed of your plate and place a couple of chicken pieces for each serving. Serve with roast potatoes, some good bread for mopping up the sauce and a glass of red wine.
   

Fennel Gratin

In keeping with the maxim that one should use up an entire ingredient, I also made a potato & fennel gratin with the my leftover fennel from the latest Royal Foodie Joust.

I've grown to really like fennel and I've also learned it mellows when cooked or sliced/shaved thinly.

I used Ina Garten's gratin as a reference but if you compare the two, I've taken quite a few departures.

I've added thyme into the mix, kept the skins on the potatoes, used Yukon Golds and rather than mix the gratin ingredients in a bowl, I layered the filling so as to have a more evenly distributed final dish.

If trying fennel in a potato gratin for the first time, don't tell anyone else what's in it. Your family or guests will love the flavour but won't exactly be able to pinpoint the ingredient. Fennel mellows when cooked and in a very nice way.

Potato & Fennel Gratin

2 small fennel bulbs
1 medium-to large onion, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup cream
1 cup whole milk
4 sprigs of thyme
2 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
(1/2 cup reserved for topping)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Butter the inside of a 10 X 15 X 2" baking dish
2. Remove the stalks of the fennel and the bulbs in half. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bubs crosswise (making approx. 4 cups). Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or until soft and translucent. Reserve.
3. Using a mandoline, thinly slice your potatoes and mix them in a bowl with your cream, milk and fresh thyme. Arrange an alternating layer of potatoes and then some onion & fennel, sprinkling a bit of salt and pepper and then some grated cheese. Repeat potato layer, onion and fennel, salt and pepper then grated cheese.
4. Pour enough of the cream/milk mixture to just cover the gratin and then press down to smooth the potatoes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Gruyere on top and finally your bread crumbs.
5. Bake for 90 minutes, until the potatoes re very tender and is browned and bubbling. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
   

Grilled Pork Chops With Mustard, Honey & Sage

Anyone living in Canada or anyone who's visited here or knows a Canadian, will understand why we're sometimes called "crazy canucks".

From a cooking perspective, throw any bad weather at us and if we want to eat something grilled, we'll grill it in the worst of weather conditions.

I'll grilled outdoors when it's pouring rain, extreme cold and yes, even when it snows. I think the only time I haven't grilled is when it's hailing (hail hurts my head).

The weather around here is definitely closer to winter than it is to summer. It was just a week ago that I had the A/C on. The switch on the thermostat has been flicked towards the furnace...exit...stage winter!

I love me a good pork chop but I do get bored with the same ole' slab of pig on the grill. This quick and easy marinade did the trick, however.

I have autumn flavours working here...sage, mustard, honey, oregano and bay...sound good so far?

I also wanted to test out my new coffee grinder which will never be used to grind coffee.

I've seen many food personalities use this contraption to grind spice mixtures into a fine powder.

I want that too!

Let's grill!

Grilled Pork Chops With Mustard, Honey & Sage
(for 4)

2 Tbsp. of fresh sage
2 tsp. of dry oregano
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. of whole, mixed peppercorns
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
4 tsp. of Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. honey
4 tsp. of canola/sunflower oil
zest of 1/2 lemon
squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1. Using a mortar & pestle or dedicated coffee grinder for spices, add your sage. oregano, bay leaf, salt and peppercorns and grind into powder.
2. Now empty the spice mixture into a large Zip-lock bag, along with the honey, mustard, oil, zest and lemon juice. Mix to incorporate the marinade and taste-test and adjust accordingly.
3. Add your pork chops into the bag and squish the contents so that the marinade has coated all the chops. Throw in the fridge for at least at at least and hour (ideally three hours) and return to room temperature before grilling.
4. Pre-heat your grill to a medium high heat (should be able to count to five when placing your hand over the heat). Brush your grill well to remove any residue and treat it by wiping some canola oil.
5. Season your pork chops with some salt and a little more black pepper and place on your grill.
6. Your pork chops should take 4-5 minutes per side. When the chops are done, allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.
   

Clams Tossed in Herbs and Spaghetti

As the cooler months approach in Greece, the availability of shellfish also increases. Greece has it's own mussels, scallops, cockles, razor clams and the subject of today's dish, clams.

Some of you may not have a good source (or any source) of fresh seafood so if you have to, use canned clams but to capture the true essence of this dish one should use fresh, live clams.

There's something magical about live shellfish. The liquor or broth that's released when the shells open up is something akin to culinary magic.

This is a simple, straightforward recipe...just the herbs, wine, some spices and the clam liquor offering up straight-ahead seafood flavour.

For this dish, I used four herbs...oregano, thyme, rosemary and parsley but you may certainly shake-up the herb combo to your liking.

For many of us in the northern hemisphere, we are still blessed with some mild weather and you may have some fresh herbs left in your garden that are begging to be used up.

Go to your nearest fish monger and pick up some fresh clams or mussels.

Cervantes once said, "hunger is the best sauce" but I think this one comes in a close second!

Clams Tossed in Herbs and Spaghetti
(for 4)

1 kg. of fresh clams
2 tsp. of fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tsp. of dry Greek oregano
1 tsp. of fresh thyme
1 tsp . of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4 Tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
2-3 chillis
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 500gr. pkge. of spaghetti

1. Place your clams in a strainer and rinse under cold water. Now place in a bowl and cover with some cold water and add about 1/3 cup of corn flour and let them soak for about 20 minutes. The clams are still alive and as they breath, they still filter water and sand out of their shells. Much of the sand will stick the the corn flour and sink to the bottom of your bowl. Just before you are ready to cook your clams, rinse them again under cold running water and strain.
2. Place a large pot of water on your stove top and bring to a boil. Now add a good amount of salt and your spaghetti and cook as per package instructions.
3. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, onions, garlic and smoked paprika and saute for 3-5 minutes for the onions to soften a bit.
4. Now add your clams, chillis, dry & fresh oregano, thyme, rosemary and white wine and cover and turn the heat to high. Allow your clams to steam for about 5-7 minutes. Your clams should be ready when they have all opened (discard any unopened clams).
5. Strain your pasta and add it into the skillet with the clams and toss along with your chopped fresh parsley.
6. Adjust seasoning with additional red pepper flakes, salt (usually not required) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
7. Plate and serve immediately.