Kataïfi (καταϊφι)

The sister dessert to Baklava has to be Kataifi. The more common and popular dessert is baklava but don't let that keep you from trying out this dessert that's easy to assemble, fabulous to look at and ever a delight to eat.

Much like Baklava, Kataifi exists in the dessert repertoire of Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern and some Arabic nations. Kataifi is a pastry that resembles "shredded wheat" but that's where the similarity begins and ends.

Kataifi behaves like phyllo dough in that one has to work quick, be fresh and be kept moist when handling it (like phyllo). Where does one buy Kataifi? That's easy, you'll likely see packages of Kataifi pastry for sale in stores that sell phyllo pastry and quite often, they are beside each other in the freezer!

The most common filling for the Greek Kataifi is chopped walnuts but I don't think the Greek Food Taliban will fault you for making up your own nut mix. One can try pistachios, almonds, pecans or go ultra-rich with pine nuts!

During the Christmas holidays, I was in a mood for a combo of pistachios, almonds and walnuts, do I hear a "Hell Yeah"?

Having some leftover filling from my chocolate baklava, I went & got some Kataifi pastry from my Greek grocer and set out to make some Kataifi!

Sandie, this one's for you!

Kataïfi (καταϊφι)

1 package (1lb) of Kataifi pastry, thawed
1/2 lb. of melted butter

Filling
2/3 cup of walnuts, fine chop
2/3 cup of pistachios, fine chop
2/3 cup of blanched almonds, fine chop
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp. of ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. of ground cloves
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Syrup
3/4 cup of honey
2 cups of sugar
2 1/2 cups of water
1 cinnamon stick
rind of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon

some reserved nuts for topping

Pre-heated 350F oven

1. Buy your Kataifi pastry from a store that sells alot of phyllo and kataifi pastry (high turnover). This ensures you're buying a fresh product each time. Thaw in the fridge overnight and take out of the fridge about 15 minutes before working with it to come to room temperature.
2. In a food processor, pulse your nut mixture until you've achieved a crumbly nut mixture. Empty into a bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients in the filling list.
3. After you've brought your Kataifi to room temperature, open the pastry. The Kataifi I work with comes rolled up in a package. Carefully unroll it and using some scissors, cut up into 2"X5" strips. Keep your supply of Kataifi pieces covered with a damp towel as you assemble the Kataifi rolls.
4. Drizzle the surface of your Kataifi piece and place 1 Tbsp. of the nut mixture at one end of the Kataifi strip and roll it up tightly into a small cylinder. Place the the assembled rolls of Kataifi on a buttered 11"X 15" pan and sprinkle them with melted butter.
5. Bake in a preheated 350F oven (middle rack) for 1 hour. Allow to cool.
6. Prepare the syrup as follows: add all the syrup ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Keep the syrup hot until your Kataifi has cooled from the oven (Katiafi must be cool - syrup hot).
7. Using a ladle, pour the hot syrup over the entire surface of your Kataifi. You may see pooling of syrup but no worries, the Kataifi will absorb the syrup up. Sprinkle the reserved nuts over the Kataifi pieces.
   
8. Allow to cool before serving. Keep stored in an airtight container (room temperature) for a week.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.
© 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

Pastourma Takes Patience (παστουρμά)

On many occasions I've referred to the Greek eating experience as being centered around many sample plates of foods that are shared over drinks, conversation among family and friends. Greek cuisine has alot of appetizers, usually simply prepared but the array is great and the diversity even more so.

One facet of Greek appetizers or "the meze" is the use of delicatessen meats. I remember when I was young and my mom would prepare for an entire week to prepare mezedes for the onslaught of family and friends who would drop by our house on the occasion of my father's nameday, St. Nicholas.

It's very common to see salami and other cold cuts on offer at a buffet table or as part of an array of appetizers like cheeses, bread, toursi (pickled vegetables) and the usual dips (like Tzatziki).

I've always liked deli meats be it Greek or non-Greek but today and in the future, I'm going to showcase some of Greece's deli and cured meats.

There's Kavourma from northern Greece, the Cretan delicacy of Apaki, Louza from the Cycladic Islands, Siglino from down south Mani way and today's feature, Pastourma.

From my readings, Pastourma comes from Armenian cuisine but it's widely enjoyed by Turks, some Arab countries and of course, Greece.

Pastourma made it's way to Greece through the migration of Greeks who once resided in Constantinople and Asia Minor. Some of the best Pastourma I had was when I visited Istanbul (Constantinople) a couple of years ago.

The Greeks of Asia Minor have left a permanent stamp on Greek cuisine and as many would agree, our cuisine is richer for it.

What's Pastourma? It's the grand-daddy of Pastrami. It used to be cured by frontier horsemen who would carry a type of Pastourma in their saddles during their long treks away from home. In essence, it's a beef jerky but now will get into the nitty-gritty.

Pastourma, it is said was once made of camel meat but that could be either urban legend or a fact of days of yore. Today's Pastourma is mostly made from different cuts of beef. For this recipe, I used an inside round cut of beef...lean, no silverskin and ideal size for some who wants to enjoy it with family and friends.

Pastourma takes about a month to salt cure and dry age to perfection. From my research, there are some quick-cure recipes out there but it appears the slow method garners the best results.

Pastourma is not for everybody. The crust is known as "tsimeni" or "trigonela" and it's a paste that contains garlic and spices, the predominant one being fenugreek.

Personally, I love the aroma, the taste of Pastourma. For those not in the know, fenugreek is a spice used heavily in the Orient it's from Methi leaves, which my Indian friends will attest to using in their dishes quite often.

Pastourma is best when it's sliced thinly, it has that texture of prosciutto or bresaola, very tender and buttery kind of experience. In it's rawest presentation, it's served thinly sliced on a plate with some bread and cheese and washed back with an Ouzo or Tsipouro aperitif. I've also found dry Greek reds to pair well with Pastourma.

Pastourma also makes for a wonderful omelet, which often is served as a dinner option for those late night Greek meals.

The most famous use of Pastourma has to be Caesaria Pie, which contains a filling of pastourma slices, Kasseri chese and often tomato.

Pastourma can be found at Middle Eastern markets, some Greek food marts sell it, Armenian and Turkish patronized stores will also certainly carry it. If you're in a city or town that is nowhere near any of these stores, no worries....the home version is here.

Once again, my core belief in food is sharing and I've held no recipe back and nor will I ever. I present to you Pastourma, the home-cured version...enjoy!

Pastourma (παστουρμά)
(recipe adapted from Mark Marcarian)
33 days preparation

1 piece of inside round beef (about 2 lbs)
approx. 1/4 cup sea salt (granulated)

Tsimeni
3 Tbsp. of ground fenugreek
1/2 tsp. red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
3-4 cloves of minced garlic
approx. 1 cup of water
cheesecloth

1. Ask your butcher for an inside round cut of beef, lean and no silverskin. Rinse and pat-dry your meat and place in a container that will fit in your fridge. Using an upholstery needle, thread some butcher's twine through one end of the meat and tie a knot so that you may later hang the meat for curing.
2. Cover the the entire area of meat with sea salt and place in your vessel. Cover with plastic wrap and use either a brick or 2-3 cans of tomatoes to weigh/press down on the meat. Place in the fridge for 3 days and turn once each day.
3. Upon completion of day 3, rinse the meat of the salt in cold water and allow it to then soak in cold water for an hour. Allow the water to drain off the meat (30 minutes) and press between some cloth towels to remove any remaining moisture.
4. Wrap the meat with one layer of cheesecloth and hang in a cool, airy place to dry for 2 weeks. My Pastourma was hung to dry in a cool, dry cellar that was 15-18C and humidity of about 60-65%. Check on your Pastourma from time to time, you might get a slight foul smell but that's okay...change the cheesecloth ( I did 3 times).
   
5. After 2 weeks, remove the cheesecloth and rinse and pat dry. Now mix all the ingredients (except the water) for the Tsimeni in a large bowl. Slowly add the water a bit at a time while you mix the ingredients until a thick, gloopy paste has formed. You'll use anywhere between 1/2 to almost 1 cup of water (the Tsimeni should be thick so that it adheres to the meat).
   
6. Put on some gloves and slather the meat with your Tsimeni mixture. Take your Tsimeni-coated meat back to where you hung the meat and allow to cure for another 2 weeks.
7. After a total of approx. 33 days, your Pastourma is ready to be eaten. Cut the Pastourma in half and slice thinly against the grain from the inside towards the outer, tapering end of the meat. You may also refrigerate or freeze your Pastourma for future use. Wrap well in plastic wrap and that for 5 minutes to soften and go on and slice what you need before placing back in the freezer.
8. Serve thin slices at room temperature as part of an appetizer plate with some cheese, some bread and an aperitif like Ouzo or a dry Greek red wine.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.
© 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

Ragu of Braised Lamb

This past Friday I drank & supped with some old and new friends and discovered a new eatery that's operated in Toronto for years.

I supped at none other than Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant. Upon pulling up in front of what used to be a bank, you wonder if you're at the right address but as soon as you enter the premise, catch the buzz of the crowd, the positive vibe of the staff and ultimately taste the food. You'll realize why this joint has been satisfying Torontonians with Italian food for years.

If you're in Toronto and you feel like Italian, a fun crowd and at affordable prices, go to Geo's! I started off with the Frito Misto and finished off with a grilled whole Branzino (Lavraki) stuffed with tarragon and lemon. I also ordered a side of rapini but the dish that stood out in my mind enough to replicate it the next day was the Lamb Ragu.

Geo's served me an aromatic, slow-braised lamb that was served on a bed of homemade Pappardelle pasta. It was a small "secondi" so every twirl of pasta in my fork was savoured. The dish left me wanting more and based on my taste memory and a quick scan of the internet, I was able to successfully recreate a wonderful dish that will make a lover of lamb out of anyone....sheepish (pun intended)!

Jamie Oliver has a game ragu recipe which makes for a good starting point but if you want something more concrete, take a look at Claudia's ragu at Cook Eat Fret.

Both Jamie and Claudia reinforced my taste memory of Gio's ragu and convinced myself that I would go in the right direction with my own take.

Ragu is Italian for meat sauce (not that awful jarred tomato sauce) and although the sauce comes together after a couple of hours, it's quite easy, ideal for that lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon where you can turn up some tunes, open some wine and gracefully cook, drink and entertain at the same time.

On this occasion I also had the opportunity to once again put my new pasta machine to use and make some homemade Pappardelle (thicker than fettucine). There are tons of "how to" references on making homemade pasta so I'll only emphazise that the general rule is about 1 cup flour plus 1 egg for each pasta serving. Most recipes include olive oil, salt and some water in the mix.

Pasta dough is very forgiving and once you know you're way around your pasta machine, you'll be cranking out enough pasta to guraantee you a spot in carbohydrate heaven!



Ragu of Braised Lamb
(serves 6)
1 1/2 lbs. of lamb shoulder (bone in)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 carrots, fine dice
2 stalks of celery, fine dice
1 tsp. dry rosemary
1 bunch of thyme
3 bay leaves
4-5 allspice berries
2 cups of good tomato puree (passata)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 sun-dried tomatoes, minced
1 1/2 cups of red wine
1 cup of beef, veal or lamb stock
1/2 cup cream grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
homemade Pappardelle (or pasta of your choice)

1. Trim your lamb meat of excess fat but still leave some on. Season with salt & pepper and pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown your lamb meat in batches and set aside and reserve.
2. Now lower your heat to medium and add your onions, carrots, celery, parsely and garlic and saute for about 1o minutes or until softened. Make a bouquet garni by rolling your bay leaves, thyme springs, rosemary and allspice berries in a tied cheesecloth ( I forgot to but YOU should) and add into the skillet.
3. Add your tomato paste and sundried tomatoes and stir in and cook for a couple of minutes. Now add your wine and simmer for another five minutes. Add your tomato puree (passata), pieces of lamb and stock and bring to a boil. Add some salt and pepper to taste and cover. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about an hour. Remove the lid and simmer for another 30 minutes.
4. You lamb meat should fall off the bone and be fork-tender. Remove the meat from the sauce and continue to simmer the sauce until you've achieved your desired consistency (I chose thick, for another 30 minutes.
5. Get a large pot of water boiling and get your pasta cooking. Separate the lamb meat from the bones and tear the meat into bite-sized pieces. When the sauce has thickened to your liking, the meat, cream and some grated cheese. Remove the bouquet garni and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6. Add a good amount of salt to your water and boil dry pasta according to package's instructions or about 3-4 minutes for fresh pasta. Strain pasta and divide among the 6 bowls. Serve a heaping ladle of lamb ragu over the pasta and grate some Romano or Parmesan and a few turns of fresh ground pepper.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

A Simple Greek Sandwich

Roast some red peppers. Place in a paper bag to sweat for 30 minutes or so and peel the charred skins off. Season with sea salt and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Get yourself a slab of Greek Feta cheese.

Toast a homemade sesame seed bun and place some roasted red peppers in the bun, with a slab of Feta. Sprinke some dried Oregano and enjoy one of the easiest and tastiest sandwiches will ever have.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

Grouper en Papillote (ροφός στο χαρτί)

I am enjoying this January from an eating perspective. It's been refreshing to look and enjoy meals that are on the lighter side without sacrificing taste or neglecting your hungry stomach.

Last week's Fish a la Spetsiota was warmly embraced by you my readers and it appears it's caught the attention of some at Food Network Canada!

Today, I'm going to feature another fish, the grouper. My fish monger seems to always have a decent and fair supply of these fish. They likely come from the waters of Florida and the fish can be the size of a salmon to half the size of a human.

I would characterize grouper as a semi-firm fleshed fish, not as dense as shark or swordfish but something a little firmer than salmon. It's flavour is mild in flavour and holds up well to the recipe I'm about to show you.

I do enjoy baked fish (almost as much as grilled) and this grouper "en papillote" (in paper) is easy to prepare, easily accessible ingredients and healthy to boot!

Healthy you say? Remember it's still January, I have my eye towards healthy dishes and this one is a good serving of grouper, some vegetables, olive oil and your one component of decadence...a big, crusty roll of bread who's only purpose on Earth was to give you the honours of mopping up this lovely, aromatic sauce.

Grouper en Papillote (ροφός στο χαρτί)
(for 4)

1 medium red onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 pints of cherry tomatoes (pre-roasted on high heat in your oven)
1 Tbsp. of minced garlic
1/4 dry white wine
1-2 unpeeled zucchini, sliced
4 (7-8oz.) Grouper fillets
1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves
(or 1/2 tsp. dry basil)
1 tsp. dry Greek oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper parchment paper
butcher's twine
extra-virgin olive oil

Pre-heated 400F oven

1. Rinse and pat dry your fillets and season lightly with some salt and pepper, set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil reduce to medium and saute your onions and peppers on for about 6 minutes or until softened and tender. Add the tomatoes, garlic and wine and simmer for another minute. Stir in zucchini and add salt and pepper according to taste and set aside.
2. Cut four pieces of parchment paper (about three times the size of each fillet) and layout on your kitchen's work surface. Set each fillet in the middle and spoon some sauce mixture over each fillet. Top with a few basil leaves and some dried Oregano and fold the sides up towards the middle, fold the two pieces to form a seal in the middle and twist the ends of the paper with your hands. Now secure each end by tying each end with butcher's twine.
3. Place your paper parcels of fish on a large baking sheet and place on the middle rack of your pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes.
4. Carefully transfer to each plate and cut open the packets at your dinner table. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over each fish and serve with a seasonal salad, some crusty bread and a dry white wine.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

If I Owned a Steakhouse in Greece

I would serve up something like this.

Steaks aren't really part of the traditional Greek diet. There isn't much by way of aged steaks like we know here North America. Beef and veal are most used for braising, stews and mince.

There are some butchers who have know-how to butcher cows with an eye towards steak cuts and they even have their own aging and hanging rooms for the beef. These butchers cater to the steak houses in Athens, Thessaloniki and some of the jet-set Greek islands.


Having spoken to butchers about how they butcher cattle differently from their North American colleagues, the consistent reply I get is that although they (Greek butchers) know how to butcher for steak cuts, there is little demand for it in the Greek market.

Another thing one should know is that many (perhaps most) Greeks like their meats well-done. There's a generational gap between myself, cousins and our parents as us younger folks like our meat medium to rare and our parents like their beef well-done. It's a cultural thing, no right or wrong - that's just how it is.

On to the dinner. The flavours and ingredients used for this dish are used in Greek cooking but none of the dish can be really characterized as "Greek food". Greek-inspired, yes. Greek recipe - NO. I can't say that anything here is derived from recipes of our forefathers or even from a Greek cookbook per se.

The steak is inspired by my dad's treatment of a steak....coarse salt, black pepper, garlic powder and dried Greek oregano.

The mashed potatoes utilize Yukon Gold potatoes, roasted garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, scallions and crumbled Feta.

The beans are simple...a quick saute of sliced mushrooms with some roasted garlic and olive oil and blanched green beans get tossed in at the end to warm through. This pairing was inspired by a recent beans and mushrooms recipe posted over at my dear friend's Kalyn's Kitchen.

Put the steak, mashed potatoes and green beans with 'shrooms and you have a wonderful steak dinner with "an eye towards Greece".

Pull up a chair, let me fetch a bottle (or two) and please do, have a seat. You're having steak at my place tonight. Let's sip some wine, talk food, think about summer vacation plans and enjoy a wonderful steak dinner!

Pan-seared Steak With Roasted Garlic and Oregano
(for 4)

4 New York Strip steaks, 3/4 - 1 in. thick
olive oil
unsalted butter
coarse sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper
garlic powder
dried Greek oregano

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta
4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 bulb of garlic
4 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
the green tops of 2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup of unsalted butter
approx. 1 cup of milk
crumbled Feta cheese to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Mushrooms and green beans
4 handfuls of green beans, trimmed
1 cup of Cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 cloves of roasted garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Peel and cut your potatoes into quarters. Place inside a pot and cover with water and reserve. Preheat your oven to 375F. Cut the top off your head of garlic and place in some tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap up, place in a oven-proof vessel and roast for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool. You may also use this time to boil your beans in salted water (until al dente) and then shock by placing in a icy water bath. Drain and reserve.
   
2. Bring your steaks to room temperature for cooking. Drizzle some olive oil on both sides of the steaks and season with coarse salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder and dried Greek oregano. Start your pot of potatoes by boiling them in salted water and cook until fork tender.
3. Place your skillet on the stove-top over high heat and add a couple of pads of butter and some olive oil. sear your steaks in batches until both sides are a deep brown colour and reserve on a baking tray (reduce heat to medium-high).
4. When the steaks are all seared-off, place the baking tray in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes (for medium), remove from the oven, place on a plate and tent with foil. Allow to rest about 5 minutes before serving.
5. In the meantime, your potatoes should be ready to make your mashed potatoes. Strain the water from the potatoes, add butter and all but 2-3 cloves of the roasted garlic (for the beans and mushrooms). Add the milk, sun-dried tomatoes, and mash up some more. Now using a wooden spoon, mix in the crumbled Feta and scallions and then taste and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper. Reserve & keep warm.
6. In a skillet, add a few turns of love oil and add your sliced mushrooms over medium-high heat. Stir to coat the mushrooms with oil and season with some salt and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook off for another 5 minutes. Take the lid off and add the beans and the remaining 2-3 roasted cloves of garlic. Toss to mix and and taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and keep warm.
7. Divide the mashed potatoes by spooning a big scoop onto the middle of each plate, place a steak on top of half the steak and place a mound of beans and mushrooms on the side.
   

PLEASE NOTE: You may certainly grill the steaks on your outdoor if it's warm enough in your part of the world.


If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

Fish à la Spetsiota (Ψάρι α λα σπετσιώτα)

Many, many years ago...1990 to be exact, I was working for a Canadian bank in my first "adult" job and being at the bottom of the ladder, I was given a mere ten days for vacation and that vacation could only be taken after the summer holidays (when those with seniority and children came back from vacation). The only window of opportunity for me to visit Greece with some decent swimming weather was September.

I actually booked and stayed in Greece for 2 weeks! Some of you might be thinking, "I'd take two weeks to Greece" but let me put things in perspective for you. Two weeks for a Greek who's accustomed to spend an entire summer in Greece is almost a tease of a vacation.

Regardless, I went to Greece for two weeks but it was one of the funnest and action-packed trips to Greece. Not one day wasted, every hour savoured, every moment with friends and family precious.

Some friends of mine set up to meet me in Athens upon my arrival and we were spend a night in Athens then take a short ferry boat ride to two islands in the Saronic Gulf, Hydra and Spetses.

These islands are very popular with Athenians as they are only a short distance away by car and ferry or just a ferry from Athens. Both islands picturesque, transporting you far away from the hustle & bustle of Athens and offering the city folk a slower pace, a sip of the good life and a breath of warm sea air. Today, we'll dine in Spetses.

I remember a pretty town lined with old mansions, horse drawn carriage rides and many roads finished with mosaic patterns. Days were spent taking leisurely strolls or taking a short ferry to the mainland for a nice swim at Kosta beach.

The evenings? What else but to dine in one of the many quaint and affordable eateries that cater to foreign and Greek tourists alike.

This baked fish dish comes from Spetses and it's basically a baked fish (Plaki) with whole or fish fillets, tomatoes, parsley and breadcrumbs. There are obviously many slight variations to this dish but here, you get simplicity, you get a healthy dinner option, a viable weeknight meal that will transport you to one of Spetses' many tavernas.

Fish à la Spetsiota is also in keeping with my goal to eat lighter and healthier during the month of January. I have cracked a bit and I will share some of the richer meals real soon.

But in the meantime, go to the market and see what the catch of the day is. It's Friday and I'm sure your fish monger is brimming with some fresh fish. Fancy a whole fish on the bone? Or would you like the "no fuss - no muss" of a fillet?

Either way, this dish can accomodate you. Sole, tilapia or snapper fillets will work fine here and on the instance I made this dish, I used sea bass filllets.

The dinner was accompanied but a simple yet delicious salad of Romaine lettuce, scallions, dill, extra-virgin olive oil, wine vinegar, sea salt, pepper and some Feta cheese.

Greeks enjoy rice with fish and I've paired the Spetsiota dish with baked rice and a side of blanched green beans.

Try Fish à la Spetsiota with the rice and green beans. The rice is your obvious starch but the beans and fish pairing really work here. Place the fish fillet on top of a bed of beans and allow some of the tomato sauce to get on the beans. The two work beautifully together!

If using fresh tomatoes, a little tomato paste will help bring the sauce together but here I used a good quality canned plum tomatoes. Finally, don't even think about using that store bought crap they label as breadcrumbs. It's more akin to sawdust than anything else.

Grab some old bread and pulse it in your processor or even take some good bread, cut in cubes, bake it in low heat (300F) for 30 minutes and turn the heat off and allow the bread cubes to cool and dry out for another hour so. Place in your processor and you have the tastiest breadcrumbs ever!

Fish à la Spetsiota (Ψάρι α λα σπετσιώτα)
(serves 4)
adapted from The Food and Wine of Greece, Diane Kochilas

4 fish fillets
1 1/2 cups of plum tomatoes
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup olive oil
extra-virgin olive oil for finishing

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Rinse your fish fillets and pat dry. Lightly season your fillets with salt and pepper and stand for about 30 minutes.
   
2. In a food processor, add the plum tomatoes, parsley, garlic and wine and pulse until the mixture is blended but some pieces of tomato remain. Allow the mixture to marry for 30 minutes. Pre-heat your oven.
3. Season the fish with a little more salt and pepper and place in a lightly treated baking tray with olive oil. Pour some of the sauce on the tray then lay your fillets down. Pour the tomato sauce over the fillets and sprinkle with your homemade breadcrumbs.
4. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and bake until the sauce has firmed up and the breadcrumb topping has formed a crisp, light-brown crust (approx. 30 minutes).
   
5. Serve warm with some baked white rice, a bed of boiled & blanched green beans and a green salad. Drizzle each fish with some extra-virgin olive oil.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

Kampanoules With Peppers and Basil (καμπανούλες με πιπεριές και βασιλικό)

It's been awhile since I've posted a pasta dish. It's not that I haven't been eating pasta (I have) but I'm also not going to bore you with another Bolognese recipe or any other standard pasta dish that most of us regularly enjoy.

Instead, it's time to showcase another rustic dish, filling yet light on the pocket and the palate. Last year Misko of Greece sent me some samples of their Greek pasta and one of the more unique shapes were their "kampanoules" (καμπανούλες) or in English - "little bells".

The package reads that they are indigenous to the province of Thessalia, which sits between Macedonia and and Attica. The shape of this pasta also mimics the shape of the little bell-shaped flowers that grow wild on the mountainsides.

Enough with flowers, pasta tastes better, no?

This recipe comes from the side of the package of Kampanpoules. This is a simple dish, using only vegetables, herbs, olive oil and the pasta itself. I've made this dish a few times and it always satisfies me with it's fresh flavours and I never feel bad about eating a big bowl.

Another Greek cheese that's grated on top of pasta dishes is the aged, dry Myzithra. Myzithra comes fresh and aged and it's made like ricotta cheese (from the leftover whey).

Dry Myzithra comes in large, grapefruit sized balls, it's a hard and salty cheese. When grated it has the characteristics of a mild Romano.

Kampanoules With Peppers and Basil (καμπανούλες με πιπεριές και βασιλικό)
(for 4)

2 cups or 500gr. of "καμπανούλες"
1 cup of diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small red onion, diced
1 cup of fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1 green pepper (banana or cubanelle), sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1/3 cup pitted black olives, rough chop
1 cup of fresh basil, chiffonade
Grated dry Myzithra cheese

1. Place a large pot of water on your stovetop and bring to a boil. Add a good amount of salt and cook your pasta (kampanoules) for 10-13 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, add your olive oil over medium heat and add the onions and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Now add your mushrooms, tomatoes and peppers and simmer for about 8-10 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the chopped olives and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
3. When your pasta is cooked, drain it and add to the sauce along with your basil and toss to coat all the pasta with the sauce.
4. Divide pasta into four plates and grate the dry Myzithra over each serving.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

Fruits of the Forest (Φρούτα του δάσους)

Ever since I was a child, I've always enjoyed eating mushrooms. My earliest recollection of eating mushrooms were a batch sauted and smothered in butter and garlic, like Greek mom's do.

I enjoy mushrooms on pizza, mushroom soup, a baby spinach salad with sliced mushrooms, mushroom crepes, pasta with a mushroom sauce or part of a tart or stuffing. They are really quite versatile and I love mushrooms so.

I have lots of Greek cookbooks and although there are some mushroom recipes, there aren't much. Last year I discovered a Greek language blog called Manitarosyntages (mushroom recipes) and it was af if I have discovered my own batch of edible mushrooms during a hike in the forest.

The blog's author is Dimitra Vergou-Evanggelopoulou and after reading a few of her posts, I discovered that she had also just released a cookbook full of Greek recipes with mushrooms...SCORE!

I inquired about ordering and shipping the book to Canada and Dimitra was very generous in offering me a complementary copy. The book arrived just before Christmas and it's one of the best Christmas presents I've received in awhile.

Dimitra comes from the Greek prefecture of Grevena, which is located in Greece's northernmost province, Macedonia. The area of Grevena has long been recognized as a bountiful area when it comes to mushrooms and most recently, truffles have been found.

Most of the truffles go to export but this delicacy is starting to appear in Greek dishes too! The book contains seventy recipes from soups & salads to appetizers and main courses and even some applications in Greek spoon sweets!

At this point in time, the book is only available in Greek but one could always buy the book, befriend a Greek and get a translation, no? For those interested in buying this fine cookbook, you may visit the publisher's website here.

In the meantime, I'd like to thank Dimitra for her generosity in sending me the book and in typical Kalofagas style, it's time for food and for sharing.

The other day I found some finger-food sized ouster mushrooms that had short stems and not woody at all. If you're wondering...yes, the oyster mushrooms have that slight seafood taste and the stems can be too woody to eat. Simply break snap off the stems and they will break in their natural spot (much like asparagus).

This recipe makes for a quick and delicious meze or appetizer. It's fried oyster mushrooms but you can use any mushroom you wish. What's unique about this dish is that the batter uses white wine and that, my friends complemented the taste of the mushrooms.

It's winter time in Greece, people are entertaining in their homes, dining with friends at tavernas and wine is flowing freely. Pick up a bottle of dry Greek white wine, make some of this batter, fry up some 'shrooms and sip on the wine and discover how this appetizer complements the wine so well!

For this dish, I sipped on the Domaine Porto Karras Malagouzia. Malagouzia grapes, a Greek varietal that was almost extinct has made a resurgence and it made for a wonderful pairing with the fried mushrooms. The fruity finish complements the earthy mushrooms and a slight sweet aftertaste is left on the palate.

What are you waiting for? Go grab some Malagouzia and some mushrooms!


Fried Oyster Mushrooms (Μανιτάρια Tηγανητά)
(makes 1 appetizer plate for 4)

Approx. 1 lb. of Oyster mushrooms, stems trimmed
2 eggs
1 glass of dry Greek wine
approx. 1 cup of all-purpose flour
sea salt and black pepper
vegetable oil for frying

1. In a large bowl, crack your eggs and add the wine and whisk to incorporate. Now add the flour while whisking until you get a thickness akin to pancake batter. Add about a tsp. of salt and pepper and allow to sit.
2. Heat your deep fryer or other vessel used for frying and your oil should get to about 360-370F before frying.
3. Dip your mushrooms in the batter and fry in batches until golden-brown. Set on a paper-lined plate, season with sea salt and serve warm with a dry Greek wine.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis