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.
   

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© 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

'Twas the Night Before Christmas,

when all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

We're upon that magical day, Christmas. I feel it today...that state of mind, the Zone. It's not just a holiday, it's a state of being...almost out of body - surreal.

Christmas, the holidays, the end of the Year all wrapped-up in one month. A time to give thanks, to reflect on what was and to set goals, have hope and onto new beginnings.

This past year was a good year in my realm and I thank my friends, family and foes for being there for me and for making me stronger.

I thank God for providing me with food, clothing and shelter where others in this world are not so fortunate.

I thank God for blessing my family and myself with good health. As us Greeks say, if you don't have your health - you have nothing! Health above all.

I thank you, my dedicated readers of my blog who take the time to leave comments, send me emails full of warmth and kindness and express your joy at trying out one of my featured dishes.

I thank my new friends in the blogging community who take the time to share their lives, open their kitchens and share their family's secret recipes and traditions. Everyday, I am inspired by your zest for cooking, food, hospitality and friendship.

Some of you have even got out on a limb to meet up with me in person and my motto is...there's always room for another friend.

What will 2009 bring?

I hope for a world that is safer, kinder to Earth, more tolerant, less nepotism, more merit, an end to hunger, the reduction of disease and pestilence, Democracy and justice for all and last but not least...that everyone once again possesses hope for a better tomorrow.

Here in my home, the table is set and tomorrow we'll be feasting on a dinner centered around Prime Rib Roast.

While we're waiting for dinner, there will be lots of treats and snacks for one to nibble on. One such snack is known as Passatempo.

Passatempo means "passing the time" and for Greeks, the best way to do this is to chat with friends and family over a glass of Ouzo, Tsipouro or wine.

Just like in ancient times, Greeks eat when they drink and drink when they eat. For us, walnuts, sunflower seeds, toasted nuts or chestnuts along with dried fruits mixed with spices help us along during the cocktail hour.

In Greece, one can see stand set up on the streets, main squares or farmers' markets offering up an array of nuts and fruits to majority of Greeks who stroll each day or night during their routine Volta (stroll).

Before I sign off for the day, I'll be sure to leave you with a Passatempo recipe.

Another Christmas favourite at the Greek table are cookies and the two most popular ones are Kourabiedes and Melomakarona.

Kourabiedes are a rich, buttery almond cookie that get a vigorous dusting of icing sugar. They kind of remind me of the wintery outside.

The other cookie is Melomakarona and these spiced cookies are baked with aromatic spices wafting from the oven and then they are given a bath in syrup and topped with a mixture of ground cinnamon and walnuts...a reminder of the safe, warm and cozy haven of the family home.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, to the many non-Christians out there....Happy Holidays and may you have a spiritual and reflective time with your family & friends and to all...reach out and be a friend to someone new. There are many lonely people in this world and everyone deserves a friend.

Passatempo

1 cup of almonds
1 cup of walnuts
1 cup of cashews
1 cup of pumpkin seeds
1 egg white
1 Tsp. of fresh thyme
1 tsp. of paprika
1 tsp. of ground cumin
1 Tbsp. of brown sugar
1 tsp. of ground coriander
2 tsp. of hickory salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Pre-heated 325F oven

1. Mix all of your spices and seasonings in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, add your mixture of nuts and the egg white and toss to coat. Now add your spice mixture and toss to evenly coat your nut mixture.
2. Spread your nut mixture out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Serve to your guests warm.
   

Chocolate Baklava (Μπακλαβάς Σοκολάτας)

Perhaps one of the best known and popular Greek desserts is Baklava. Greeks have made & enjoyed Baklava for ages and it's popularity is further evidenced by versions of Baklava appearing in Turkish, Middle-Eastern and Persian cuisines.

Baklava is essentially made of layers of phyllo sandwiching a nut and spice mixture in the middle. A syrup is then poured over the baked Baklava to offer up a glossy texture on the palate and contrasted by the crunch of the phyllo and nut mixture.

The most common Baklava made by Greeks contains walnuts but pistachios and almonds can make an appearance and here I use all three in the nut and spice mixture.

For as long as I can remember the special occasion Greek table, Baklava usually made it's appearance on the dessert table.

A Greek bakery could not survive without an offering of Baklava in their patisserie offerings. Some versions of Greek Baklava are drowned (in my opinion) with the finishing syrup and I prefer the " not too much, not too little but juuuust the right amount" of syrup.

Chocolate Baklava is offered up by better Greek bakeries. One of Greece's pre-eminent bakeries, Xatzi (Hatzi) produces a wonderful Chocolate Baklava but I've trimmed the size to a smaller, bite-sized triangle that will allow your appetite to explore the other treats on offer at the Greek dessert table.

Before I get to the recipe, a quick reminder for those sheepish on handling phyllo pastry:

• Buy frozen phyllo from a store that has a high turnover of phyllo (equals fresh) from a Greek or Middle-eastern store.
• Thaw your phyllo overnight in the fridge prior to use and allow it to come to room temperature (for 15 minutes) before using.
• Place a damp towel over the phyllo while assembling your dish and be organized, work quick.
• Melted clarified butter is my preferred treatment for brushing phyllo.

Chocolate Baklava (Μπακλαβάς Σοκολάτας)
1 package of frozen phyllo (thawed overnight in fridge)
1 cup of walnuts
1 cup of blanched almonds
1 cup of blanched pistachios
1 cup of coarse bread crumbs
3 Tbsp. of sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 egg white
2 sticks of melted unsalted butter, clarified
1/4 cup olive oil (reduces the prospect of butter burning)

Syrup
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups of water
1 cinnamon stick
4-5 whole cloves

Chocolate Coating
100 gr. of semi-sweet chocolate
100 gr. of unsalted room temp. butter

1. In a food processor, pulse your walnuts, almonds, pistachios and bread crumbs into a coarse ground. Empty into a bowl and add your ground cinnamon and clove, sugar and egg white and mix to bind all the ingredients. Set aside. In a small saucepan, melt your clarified butter with the olive oil and keep warm.
   
2. Roll out your phyllo on your work surface and vertically dissect in half. Now cut each half into three, leaving you with six long strips of phyllo sheets.
3. Place a strip on phyllo on the board, paint some butter with a brush and lay a second strip of phyllo and again paint in with butter. Place a heaping Tbsp. of the nut filling at the bottom the strip and fold the side in over the filling and then starting from the bottom, fold into a triangle shape as shown (diagram).
4. Place on a baking sheet that's been brushed with butter and continue to form your triangular pockets of Baklava.
5. Pre-heat your oven to 325F (middle rack) and butter the tops of your Baklava triangles. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the tops are golden-brown. Allow to cool.
6. Make your syrup by adding the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon stick and wholes in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and then pour over the cooled Baklava triangles. After 60 minutes, carefully flip the Baklava and allow the other half of the triangles to soak up the syrup. Place the Baklava triangles on a wired tray to drain.
7. To make the chocolate coating, set up a double-boiler on your stove top and ensure the water is on a very low simmer. Add your chocolate and butter and gently whisk until incorporated and melted.
   
8. Use some wooden souvlaki skewers to assist in coating your baklava with chocolate. Carefully secure each triangle with a skewer and place the triangle in the melted chocolate and twirl in the chocolate until coated. You may then stick the skewer into a florist's oasis to allow the Chocolate Baklavas to dry.
9. Once cooled, place in a plastic-wrap lined container and store in a cool dry place or even a freezer. Good for a month (if they last that long).

Diples (Δίπλες)

My family comes from the northernmost province of Greece, Macedonia but today's recipe is from the opposite end of mainland Greece, Laconia. Although Diples are home to much of the Peloponese, the Byzantine town of Mani is where these Greek fried turnovers come from.

One would expect a rich heritage of cuisine and recipes to come from a bountiful region but the area around Mani is rugged, unkind to agriculture. Many of our ancestors lived in poverty, having to feed many mouths with creativity and resourcefulness.

Diples are one of the many examples of Greeks and their ingenuity in the kitchen. Many of the best Greek dishes are simple, using few ingredients and to this day, enjoyed by Greeks and lovers of Greek food.

My introduction to Diples came from the many Greek festivals I attended at our parish, St. Nicholas. Much like ancient times, the ladies (including my mom) would team up and make an array of dishes and treats to sell for the Festival.

From old times until present, Diples are still made to be presented at the grand table for a special occasion like a wedding, engagement, baptism or nameday.

Recently, my father (and our parish church) celebrated the nameday of St. Nicholas and my mom and I were keen on attempting this Southern Greek treat for donation at the church bake sale.

My mom used to assist is making Diples with the other ladies from the church auxiliary and the preferred method was to utilize a pasta machine. From scanning many recipes on the Internet, the machine is not necessary (no pasta machine in ancient times either) so you may want to still attempt this delicious treat by simply rolling out the dough as thinly as possible.

If you're experienced with handling dough and have made some pasta, you should get have no problem in preparing the dough but as my friend Ivy from Kopiaste concurs, the skill is in quickly folding the dough during the speedy frying process.

Diples are a very traditional dish, little has changed with how they are made and I encourage you try this wonderful dessert from Mani. If it's your first time, get someone to help you.

I'm submitting Diples as part of Eat Christmas Cookies, the second anniversary event hosted by Susan of Food Blogga. Diples are a Christmas and festive treat and I have it on Susan's good authority that Diples rock!

My mom & I put some Greek CD's on and set to make Diples (which took an afternoon). This is a large recipe and you might want to halve if but if I may say, make this Big, Fat Greek batch and give some to friends and relatives. Here's to some southern Greek comfort, by way of Diples.

Diples (Δίπλες)

12 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
5 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
juice & zest of 1 lemon
2 shots of Ouzo or Metaxa brandy
vegetable or olive oil (or 50/50 combo) for frying

Syrup
2 kg. bag of sugar
1 cup of honey
5 cups of water

Garnish
finely chopped walnuts
ground cinnamon

1. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, add the eggs and beat with a hand mixer for about 7-8 minutes. Add the oil and liquour and mix until incorporated. Now add the zest and lemon juice and mix well.
2. Add dry to wet in gradual amounts and mix with your hands. Drop the mixture onto a floured work surface and knead your dough becomes a smooth ball, slighty firm. Divide into small pieces (size of a small apple) and cover with plastic cling wrap. Allow the dough to rest for about 10 minutes and use this time to set up your pasta machine.
3. Treat a dough ball with flour (and flour the pasta machine) and pass through the either of the thinnest two settings. Fold your sheet and pass through the pasta machine (set to the same position) and repeat 6-7 times. Lay out the sheet on a table-clothed lined surface and cut into approx. 1 foot in length. and cover with plastic wrap.
4. Add oil to a large frying pan to the depth of about 1 inch. Your oil should be at about 350F. You will need two forks to fold the sheet of dough like a rolled carpet.
5. Carefully place your dough sheet into the oil and tap it a couple of times to submerge it entirely in the oil. Now quickly fold it three times to form a rolled shape like a carpet. Remove as soon as light yellow colour has formed and place on a paper-lined baking tray. Repeat until all your sheets of dough have been fried into Diples.
6. To make the syrup, add all the ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and then keep the syrup warm.
7. Have a large colander nearby with a large bowl underneath it so as to capture draining syrup. Dip your Diples in the hot syrup and toss them about three times to coat them with syrup remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the colander. Repeat until all the Diples have been dipped in syrup.
8. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Diples can be served immediately or stored in trays covered tightly by plastic cling wrap in a cool, dry place.
   

Greece 2008 Comes to a Close

I'm back and in a bitter-sweet way. It's good to be back in Canada after another wonderful, memorable and fantastic time vacationing in Greece.

Although I wish I could still be in Greece, all things must come to an end and I don't want to get sick of Greece and I always leave unfinished business (an excuse to go back to Greece each year).

Most of the goals I had set out to accomplish on my vacation were met. I met up with friends, caught up with family, made some new friends and took in some winery tours and did a taping for a "Kalofagas" promo.

Throughout my entire vacation, good food & drink was shared and I'm delighted to bring back more fresh & exciting Greek food ideas for you.

Each year that I go back to Greece I learn more about the best cuisine out there (Okay, I'm biased) with the help of the food wisdom from friends and relatives.

To me, the resumption of blogging just after my return from Greece is like a "a new season" for Kalofagas! There will be plenty of days and posts to share my vacation with you (so please be patient).

Let me start off with a quick and easy dessert or breakfast option for you.

In Halkidiki, Greece from August 15th until early September, tree-ripened figs can be had and if you lucky like me, you're surrounded by countless fig trees where one cannot pick or eat all of nature's bounty.

This yogurt parfait is inspired by a product I ate made by Activia, who offers a fruit bottom yogurt with figs.

The concept is quite simple...instead of serving honey with strained Greek yogurt, my not substitute with marmalade-like center of the ripened fig?

Yes, that's right...a tree-ripened fig is that sweet...like marmalade.

Simply spoon in some dollops of strained yogurt into a bowl (or go a little fancy with a tall glass) and layer the meat of the figs with the yogurt.

The tangy Greek yogurt plays off really well against the very sweet insides of the figs.

If you haven't eaten a tree-ripened fig, you must make it a personal foodie goal...you'll never buy a basket of those bland excuses for figs you find at the market for a $1 a piece.

Enjoy!

Loukoumades

What's a birthday party without some dessert?

One of Greece's best known sweets/ desserts/snacks/street foods has to be Loukoumades. I knew that offering these sweet fritters up for my guests would be memorable.

Every Greek has had them. Loukoumades are the Greeks' answer to donuts and both are nowhere near in the vicinity of "health food".

The first time I ate Loukoumades was during my introductory trip to Greece in 1974 at the Tottis cafe located at Thessaloniki's Aristotelous Square.

Every Greek's had them, every Greek wants them but not every Greek can make them (or bother to make them).

Loukoumades can be found throughout Greece and although many good Greek home cooks can make them, most settle for simply buying them as a treat during the evening "volta" or walk.

The recipe I have here uses shortening (Crisco) and as I said earlier, much like donuts...Loukoumades aren't going to win any heart-healthy awards.

Each cuisine has it's sinful delights and Loukoumades are one of Greece's sweet pleasures. This recipe was retained from my mother, who used to volunteer at our parish's Summer Greek Festival.

Greek festivals are held by Greek churches in the diaspora to help fund expansions, courses or for philanthropic aid. Live Greek music, folkloric dance and Greek food were all on offer for parishioners and neighboring non-Greeks.

This recipe was the one used by our parish, St. Nicholas Greek-Orthodox Church here in Toronto. For those of you who have had Loukoumades before will be satisfied in knowing these are just like the ones you may have bought while in Greece.

Loukoumades are a deep fried dough which are then dunked in syrup, followed by a sprinkled of ground walnuts and dusted with ground cinnamon.

They are eaten warm or room temperature and the outside is sticky from the syrup but the delight in eating Loukoumades comes from the crunch one gets from biting into the walnuts, penetrating the fritter and then getting a little burst of the syrup which has penetrated the inside.

Anyone interested in trying Loukoumades?

Loukoumades

For the Dough
5 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 lb. Crisco shortening (room temp)
1 1/2 cups of orange juice
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/3 cup tepid water
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. active dry yeast

Syrup
1 cup of honey
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of water

Topping
Ground walnuts
Ground cinnamon

1. Add the shortening to the flour in a large bowl and mix with your hands until the two ingredients become one. Set aside.
2. In a pot, add your orange juice and 1 1/2 cups of hot water and mix together and set aside.
3. In another bowl, add the tepid water, sugar and yeast and allow to rise for about 5 minutes.
4. When the yeast has risen, add your orange juice/water mixture and then add your wet ingredients to the dry. Mix with your hands until incorporated into a wet dough. Set aside to rise for about two hours.
5. Pre-heat your a large pot with vegetable oil (or a deep fryer) and you want the oil to reach approx. 350F. Set up a frying station of your bowl of Loukoumades batter, a glass with water and the fryer.
   
6. Take a handful of dough in your palm and then it out onto a waiting spoon that's been dunked in water, then drop it in the hot oil until golden brown. Fry off in batches until you've fried all your batter.
   
7. Prepare the syrup by adding into a pot the honey, sugar and water and bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Now dunk your Loukoumades into the hot syrup and douse them with syrup a few times before removing to a colander. Repeat until all your Loukoumades are dunked in the syrup.
9. Plate your Loukoumades and then sprinkle some ground walnuts and ground cinnamon on top and serve warm.
   

Apricot and Pistachio Cake (Κέικ με φιστίκια και βερίκοκα)

I have a pleasant surprise here for you all. I'm presenting you with a Greek dessert that's not in my family's recipe book, I've never personally heard of nor tried this cake...until now.

I'm also excited to present this cake for this month's Royal Foodie Joust, hosted by Jenn the Leftover Queen. Think of it as our own Iron Chef but the twist here is that your dish must contain three ingredients, as chosen by the victor from the previous month.

For those interested, you have a few days yet in June to get your entry in.

This month's challenge was to prepare a dish that contained butter, apricots and ginger.Check!

This recipe comes from a Greek cookbook I have called "Food of the World - Greece" and this cake uses some of Greece's favourite ingredients and satisfies the criteria for this month's Joust and most importantly, it tastes great!

There are three components to this easy cake: the cake itself, the syrup and the topping. Before I go on with the recipe I would like to add that I surprised my toughest food critic - my mom!

Her reaction after trying this cake? "Where did you get this recipe and write it down for me"!

Apricot and Pistachio Cake (Κέικ με φιστίκια και βερίκοκα)

1/2 cup dried apricots
zest and juice of 1 large orange
1 stick of unsalted butter (room temp.)
3/4 cup icing sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 2/3 cups fine semolina flour
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 cup ground almonds

For the Syrup
3/4 cup Greek honey
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tsp. lemon juice

For the Topping
1 1/2 cups Greek Yogurt
2 Tbsp. icing sugar
couple of drops of almond extract
2/3 cup shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts, chopped

1. The evening before you want to bake this cake, put the apricots, zest and orange in a bowl and allow to soak for at least 12 hours (in the fridge). It's also good to place your yogurt in a mesh strainer(with a pot underneath to catch the water) and place that in the fridge overnight to strain.
2. The next morning, pre-heat your oven to 35oF and grease and line a round, 9 inch(23 cm) loose-bottomed cake pan. Transfer the apricots and juice to a food processor and blend until smooth.
   
3. Add the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light & fluffy. Add the egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the semolina and ground almonds and mix well together and now add the semolina and ground almonds and mix well together. Fold in apricot puree.
4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff then fold into the batter mixture. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is a light, golden brown.
5. In the meantime, make the syrup by adding the orange juice, honey and lemon juice into a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Keep the syrup just hot.
   
6. When has baked, let it stand in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing, then remove from the pan and place on a wire rack (with a plate underneath). Prick the top of the cake all over with a skewer and then spoon over the the hot syrup over the warm cake and leave on the wire rack to cool.
7. When the cake has cooled and all the syrup has been absorbed, place in the fridge until ready to serve. When you're ready to serve the cake, bring to room temperature and mix the icing sugar and almond extract with the strained yogurt.
   
8. Spread the yogurt over the cake and top with the chopped pistachio nuts.
   

I'm Feeling Kinda' Blue

As in blue cheese, that is.

During one of my recent food shopping adventures, I was lucky to find some English Stilton for a very good price.

Stilton is one of the family of blue cheeses and as the saying goes, "the stinkier, the better".

I have two dishes for you today, the first being a salad that eats like a meal and the second being an easy pasta dish with blue cheese.

In both dishes, blue cheese is the star. With the salad, you get the crunch of the julienned apple and crisp lettuce, contrasted by the creamy blue.

With the pasta, a little blue cheese goes a long way to flavour this full-bodied pasta dish. Cheese lovers will lick the pasta bowl here.

Crisp Romaine Salad With Apple and Blue Cheese
(for 4)

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and julienned
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 head of Romaine lettuce, washed, dried and hand torn
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. of Dijon mustard
1 tsp. of chopped fresh tarragon
4 Tbsp. of Balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
crumbled blue cheese

1. In a large bowl, add your garlic, vinegar and mustard and mix. Now while whisking, slowly add your olive oil until you get a nice, thick emulsified dressing. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Using a mandoline, julienne your apple and add to your bowl of dressing. Toss the julienned apples in the dressing.
3. Add your Romaine lettuce and chopped tarragon and toss your salad.
4. Serve with chopped walnuts and crumbled blue cheese

Pasta With Blue Cheese and Walnuts
(for 2)

handful of walnuts, chopped
2 Tbsp. of Marsala wine
1 small onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 Tbsp. of butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup of heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

1. Get a large pot of water boiling and and add a generous amount of salt when aboil. Cook your pasta (penne or taglioni) according to instructions.
2. Place a skillet on medium-high heat and add your onion, garlic and mushrooms and saute for 5-7 minutes or until softened and the mushrooms are cooked. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, add your blue cheese and mash it with a fork. Add your cream, Marsala and parsley and mix in, set aside.
   
4. When your pasta is ready, reserve some pasta liquid and drain your pasta. Add the pasta to the skillet along with your blue cheese mixture, walnuts and toss to coat. Add some pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
5. Grind some fresh ground black pepper (you shouldn't need any additional salt).
   

Money and Food

Most of you know that I earn a living as a financial advisor, here in Toronto. I can't and I won't give you any stock tips but I can tell you some fundamentals:

• Save your money. Even the best advisor can't make nothing out nothing.
• Diversify your portfolio. When I mean diversify, spread your assets equally among your real estate, retirement portfolio and investments. I see too many people without balance or diversification in this manner.
• Save 10% of your wages for emergencies etc. Everyone should have about 3 months salary saved, in case they need it. Sadly, the majority are 3 months away from bankruptcy.
• Don't have an advisor? Ask friends or relatives who they deal with, ask for a referral...you trust their judgement.
• Cut and pay off all your credit cards, just keep one and use it as a convenience...to rent a hotel, a car or book a holiday to earn points. If you don't have the money, don't buy it!
  
• Do not try and guess or time the market. It's a fools game...only the big guys can play this game and if you insist on playing with them, you're a fool.

Also, one of the good speakers at my recent conference was a Martin Feldstein, a professor of economics at Harvard University and the CEO of the National Bureau of Economics.

The bottom line:

Things in the US will get worse before they get better and there's a real danger of inflation or perhaps even stagflation. Canada, being so closely reliant on the US economy will no doubt feel a downside too.

As for the rest of the world, it will be affected by the US' recession but not to the same extent. Europe is self-contained and it currently is doing well and the Far East keeps on feeding off the locomotive economy of China.

Now how do I segue from money to food? It's quite simple...as a financial advisor, alot of my meetings are conducted at family's homes, after dinner, in their kitchen.

I smell what they ate for dinner, I discuss food, I review their spending habits as a family (and that includes groceries). Seeing how I have this info at my disposal and I conduct meetings in the kitchen, I have a good pulse of what people are buying and where they are buying their groceries.

Rising oil prices are causing food prices to rise everywhere, creating a pinch on family's budgets. From my experience here in Toronto, most family's are buying their groceries from discount supermarkets and the larger, costlier parent grocers.

Families are including more organic and "green" goods in their shopping list. Most families are also buying their meat and seafood from the same grocery store...one stop shopping.

Few families are buying fruits and vegetables from green grocers, organic farmers or farmer's markets.

Canada has one growing season. Planting occurs in May and early crops of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are ready by August and all the otherfruits & vegetables are harvested up to October. Otherwise, anything listed as being from Ontario or Canadian comes from technology's gift to Canada, the greenhouse.

To live in Canada means we must exercise the necessary evil of imported produce from the US, Mexico and central and South America. The produce section in the winter time is filled with Chilean fruits & vegetables.

We can all try and do our best to buy organic, feed our families well and do our part to preserve our planet but isn't also paramount to put food on the table? I find some hypocrisy in someone who doesn't exercise the same diligence in shopping for fish or meats. Where did your chicken come from? That gorgeous piece of beef...is it USDA or Canada AAA? Is that Ontario Spring lamb or gamey New Zealand lamb? Is that fish from local waters or has it been frozen on a tanker all the way from Vietnam? Was the fish caught without endangering other species? The larger question...were these animals farmed organically, fed a good diet, slaughtered humanely?

I guess I got pretty heavy, eh? No need to worry. My serious moment has abruptly ended...it's time to put the chef's hat back on and later tonight...I'll be at a party and look for me wearing the lampshade on my head!

Look at what's on my table...baked halibut! Canada boasts of having alot of fish and despite Toronto being a 3 hour flight from the Pacific and a 9o minute flight from the Atlantic, we get some decent Canadian seafood flown into town and some weekly shipments of Mediterranean fish from Europe.

Everyone (except my brother who doesn't eat seafood) loved this baked halibut. Most people love halibut because we all ate it in fish & chips. Halibut, like most seafood use to be dirt cheap. Those days are long gone.

I lucked out with these halibut fillets during a recent visit to Toronto's famed St. Lawrence Market. It's open from Tuesday to Saturday and a friend of mine told how I could go down to the market on a Saturday afternoon and buy a pot-pouri of seafood for cheap.

What I got was a couple of halibut fillets, some squid, smoked mackerel fillets and a fillet of Mahi Mahi...all for $10! I'm not going to tell you which shop offers this...you're going to have to head down to the market and find out yourself!

Pistachio Crusted Halibut

4 halibut fillets
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
zest of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1/2 lime
zest of 1/2 orange
4 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Dijon mustard
salt & pepper
olive oil

Pre-heated 400F oven

1. Roughly chop your pistachios and place in a bowl. Mix in your 3 types of zest, parsley and bread crumbs. While stirring with a spoon, slowly add some olive oil until the mixture sticks together.
2. Season your fillets with salt and pepper and brush each top part of the fillet with Dijon mustard.
3. Pack the breading on top of each fillet and place on a baking sheet that's been treated with oil.
4. Place in the upper middle rack of your oven bake for 20 minutes or until the tops have turned golden brown.
5. Serve with some rice and some sauteed and greens