Spaghetti With Brown Butter and Feta (Μακαρόνια με βούτυρο και φέτα)

Last weekend was a busy one. I had a full social calendar, things to do around the house, work on a revamped "Kalofagas" website and attend a Superbowl party on a Sunday evening that's usually spent quietly at home.

Oh yeah...I was also in the thick of baking, enjoying and sharing artisan bread in five minutes! As a reminder, you have until this upcoming Friday (by noon) to leave a comment and be elligible for a draw to win this fabulous bread making cookbook.

As if bread weren't enough carbs, I had a craving for pasta but something stripped down, focusing on good ingredients and what the Hell, I was feeling nostalgic.

One of my favourite dishes my mom would serve is a plain spaghetti (Makaronia) that was tossed in butter until slightly browned, then the pasta was drained and tossed in the brown butter with crumbled Feta cheese and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to cap the dish.

Brown butter is a sauce unto itself and in my opinion, under-rated. The next time you're feeling for pasta yet you want something light, try a spaghetti with brown butter and Feta. Whip up a salad and call it a nice, light dinner where you'll get to eat Makaronia the way momma made it.

In case you're wondering, that's plain white pasta in the photos, the brown butter has given the dish a warm nut-brown colour.

Spaghetti With Brown Butter and Feta (Μακαρόνια με βούτυρο και φέτα)
(per serving)

2 Tbsp. of butter
1 clove of garlic, smashed
handful of dry spaghetti (Misko brand)
extra-virgin olive oil
grated Kefalotyri or Romano cheese
crumbled Feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Get a pot of water boiling on your stovetop. When aboil, add a good amount of salt, add your spaghetti and cook according to packet's instructions.
2. In a small pot, add your butter, a little olive oil and the smashed clove of garlic over medium heat. Keep your eye on the melting butter and soon you will see the milk solids begin to foam and quickly dissappear...THIS is where you have to watch carefully.
3. Your butter will turn from a golden yellow to a chestnut brown very rapidly. Your goal is to get a nut-brown colour to your butter. Once you have that nut-brown butter, take off the heat, take the clove of garlic out and keep cover to keep warm until your pasta is done.
4. When your pasta is cooked to an "al dente", strain and place in the pot with your brown butter. Toss the pasta to coat and if the spaghetti appears a bit dry, add some olive oil into the mix. Add some grated Kefalotyri cheese and continue to toss until the cheese has blended in with the butter.
5. Take off the heat, add some crumbled Feta, a turn of fresh-cracked black pepper and top with some more crumbled Feta and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

The richer, creamier cousin to this dish can be found here.


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

Chicken & Halloumi Souvlaki

We're about a week into January and I'm still eating leaner dishes, avoiding butter (mostly) and trying to be a good boy this January.

Tonight's dish is another way to kick-up the sometimes boring chicken breast. Cut it up, marinate it, grill it and pair it with something else delicious. In this case, chicken and Halloumi cheese are the elevated to "dymanic-duo" status.

Most souvlaki shacks in Greece and abroad now offer a chicken version of this skewered meat and although I often choose pork or lamb, the chicken option is great when I'm in the mood for lighter fare.

When you add Halloumi cheese into the mix, chicken souvlaki's stock immediately rises in the foodie's Bourse. For those unfamilar with Halloumi, is a firm cheese that is made in Cyprus, Lebanon and enjoyed throughout the Middle East.

It's made from a goat & sheep's milk blend and when it's chewed, it often squeaks against your teeth (which I find neat) and it's best trait, it's delicious.

The reason I've chosen Halloumi cheese here is that it's a cheese that holds up well over heat. Be it fried or grilled, Halloumi holds together and for the purpose of this take on souvlaki, it's your best bet.

This dish can be completed on your outdoor grill or one of those grilling pans you place on your stovetop. Being quite aware that there are Northern and Southern hemisphere readers of this blog, again this dish works for both!

This Chicken & Halloumi souvlaki was eaten in the context of a meze, an appetizer or part of a succession of Greek bites between sips of Tsipouro, a winter green salad tossed in a light vinaigrette, some warmed pita bread and some fruit for dessert.

The chicken breasts are cut into pieces that are the same size as your Halloumi pieces (so that they cook in the same amount of time) and the chicken is marinated for a couple of hours in flavours native to Greece, such as thyme, bay leaves, honey and red wine vinegar.

Chicken & Halloumi Souvlaki
(makes meze for 8 or 4 light main servings)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts,
cut into cubes

Marinade
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
4 Tbsp. olive oil
8 bay leaves
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 sprigs of lemon thyme
1 Tbsp. of honey
1 shot of Ouzo
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp sea salt

salt and pepper
approx. 500 gr. of Halloumi cheese,
cut into cubes
(same size as chicken pieces)
warm pita bread
wedges of lemon
wooden skewers

1. Rinse and pat dry your chicken breasts and then cut them lenghtwise in half. Now cut them across into cube-sized pieces and set aside.
2. In a zip-lock bag, all of the marinade ingredients and stir to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning and then add your pieces of chicken into the bag. Seal and squish the contents to coat all of the chicken pieces. Marinade in the fridge for 2 hours and then bring back to room temperature before grilling.
3. Cut your pieces of Halloumi cheese into pieces that are the same size as the the chicken. Strain the marinade (and discard) from your chicken pieces and alternately skewer a piece of chicken and Halloumi onto each skewer.
4. Pre-heat your outdoor grill (or indoor stove-top grill) to a medium-high heat and ensure the grill surface is free of residue and lubricated with a vegatable oil before grilling. Season your skewers with salt and pepper.
   
5. Grill your chicken and Halloumi skewers for about 2 minutes a side and serve on plates with beds of warm pita bread and wedges of lemon.

NOTE: The wooden skewers do not need to be soaked in water prior to grilling as they are not apt to burn while on the grill for such little time.


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

Swordfish With Skordalia (Ξιφίας Με σκορδαλιά)

For the month of January, I'm trying to keep with some fit, clean, easy to prepare and healthy dishes. The month of December saw most of us indulging in food and alcohol, saying yes to another serving, another helping of dessert and perhaps one extra beverage.

My neighbors were over last week for coffee and an array of Christmas treats and it turns out they consumed FORTY POUNDS OF BUTTER. That's alot of sweet and savory foods. Upon closer inspection of our grocery bills, we consumed a mere 25 pounds of butter...PHEW!

I'll do my best to showcase some lighter fare for the month but I do still have a backlog of treats to post about but I can assure you that NO TOFU will appear on this blog for January or any other month.

Today's subject is swordfish. It's a fish that can convert the hardest of pescio-haters out there. Consider it the chicken breast of the sea, if you will. It usually comes in a fillet, very neutral in flavour, forgiving to cook and moderate in cost.

If you do find yourself enjoying swordfish, try & limit the consumption to once a month. Sadly, our oceans are also becoming a sewers and larger fish have higher levels of mercury in them. The higher the fish is in the food chain, the higher the mercury levels.

On to the fish dish. This recipe comes courtesy of The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbooks and this dish comes from the Seafood installment. There must be dozens of these magazine-formatted magazines that offer quick, delicious recipes with photos for you folks that still like and read "pop-up" books like me!

So...there are three components to this dish: swordfish, skordalia and baby spinach. The sword fish, we've already discussed. The Skordalia, well it's a puree of boiled potatoes that are mixed with pulverized garlic in a mortar & pestle. Skordalia is traditionally paired with fried codfish but the paring with the swordfish works wonderfully.

Some of you might be tempted to try and make this skordalia in your food processor - resist temptation unless you want a garlic paste fit for applying wall paper or having the mixture split on you.

The third and final component is baby spinach that's wilted in some olive oil with a little bit of minced shallot, some mint and a bit of salt. Lay a bed of Skordalia on your plate, set your swordfish on top then crown everything with a mound of baby spinach and another dollop of skordalia.

Finally, the swordfish can be done on an outdoor grill or on one of those stovetop grilling pans. In either case, ensure the grilling surface is clean, lubricated with a vegetable oil (prevent sticking) and grilled over high heat.

Swordfish With Skordalia (Ξιφίας Με σκορδαλιά)
(serves 4)

4 swordfish steaks
sea salt
ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil
10 handfuls of baby spinach, rinsed
1 tsp. of fresh mint leaves
1 shallot, minced

Skordalia
3-4 large potatoes, boiled with skins on
4-5 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
splash of wine vinegar or lemon juice
salt to taste

1. Prepare your mise en place (organize all your ingredients). Boil your potatoes with the skins on in salted water (retain nutrients), rinse and dry your baby spinach and have your shallots and garlic peeled and ready for use. Ensure your swordfish fillets are brought back to room temperature before cooking.
2. As soon as your potatoes are fork-tender, remove them from the boiling water and replace with cold water to bring the heat down to a safe handling temperature. Use the dull side of a knife to peel off the skins and set aside. Now add a little coarse salt and your garlic cloves and pound into a mash with your mortar and pestle. Now add the potatoes and a splash of vinegar and pound into a mash until the garlic and potatoes are incorporated. While stirring the mash, slowly add your olive oil into the potato mixture. Add in small stages until the warm potatoes have absorbed the oil. Continue until about 1/2 cup olive oil has been absorbed by the potatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt.
3. Grill your fish either on your pre-heated outdoor grill or indoor grilling pan. In both cases, high heat is required and your grilling surface should be clean. Rub some olive oil on your fillets and season with salt and pepper. Grill your sword fish fillets for about 2-3 minutes a side and keep warm.
4. In a large skillet, add the olive oil and shallots and saute over medium heat for a minute. Add half of your spinach leaves and toss to coat with oil and to wilt for a couple of minutes. Turn the heat off and add the remaining spinach leaves and mint and continue to wilt the leaves for another couple of minutes. Season with some salt, toss and reserve.
   
5. Divide the Skordalia evenly on each plate (reserve 4 Tbsp. to top each plate), place a fillet on top, followed by a mound of wilted spinach, then a small dollop of Skordalia over the spinach. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve.
   

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

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

This is my first post for 2009 and I would like to wish you all a Happy & Healthy New Year!

My New Year's Eve was spent at one of favourite eateries in Toronto and I dined, laughed and drank with eleven good friends...right into the wee hours of January 1st.

The dinner was delicious, the company provided laughs (as always) and the memories....priceless. The next day (New Year's Day) could have been a really rough day but I stuck with a menu that I'm very comfortable with and as always, tested out a few new recipes prior to going "live" with the dishes.

One dish which is symbolic of New Year's for Greeks, seasonal and of course delicious, was this salad I made of mixed greens with a vinaigrette made of pomegranates.

Pomegranates are a part of Greek New Year's traditions as many families will smash a pomegranate in front of the home and hopefully disperse alot of seeds over a wide area. The more seeds are dispersed, the better the fortunes for the home.

I first tried this salad for our Christmas Day dinner and although it was delicious, the mere presence of just pomegranate juice leaves the dressing a little runny. I fine tuned the vinaigrette by adding some pomegranate molasses into the mix.

Pomegranate molasses can be found at a Greek or Middle Eastern market and if neither of those shops are near you, one could reduce the pomegranate juice into a thicker syrup.

Everyone at the table loved the simplicity of the dish, it's easy on the eyes and the contrast of crumbled Feta and pomegranate seeds bejeweling the salad made each forkful of salad a delight.

I don't have any specific measurements here but I can tell you now that my preferred method of making salad dressings is with a squeeze bottle that looks like those you find at a diner with ketchup or mustard in them. The one I use is opaque so I can easily eyeball the measurements of the vinaigrette ingredients.

Mixed Greens With Feta & Pomegranate Vinaigrette

seasonal mixed greens, washed and pat-dry (salad spinner)
juice of 1 pomegranate
seeds of 1 pomegranate (for garnish)
approx. 2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
approx. 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 small clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut your pomegranate in half and using a wooden spoon, smack the skin side of each half and place a bowl underneath to catch the falling seeds. Ensure none of the bitter pith falls into the bowl. Place your pomegranate seeds into a blender or food processor and whiz into a liquid. Pass through a strainer and discard the seeds.
2. In a squeeze bottle or jar, add the pomegranate juice, the garlic and eyeball how much olive oil you should add. Basic vinaigrette rule is 3 parts oil to 1 part acid (your pomegranate juice is the acid in this instance).
3. Add some salt, pepper and the Dijon mustard and shake to emulsify. If the vinaigrette is too runny for your liking, add some pomegranate molasses, shake and again taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Place your salad in a large bowl and squirt some pomegranate vinaigrette into the bowl and gently toss the salad until fully coated.
5. Divide among the plates, squirt some more vinaigrette, sprinkle some crumbled Feta and some pomegranate seeds for garnish.

PS. Lydia of the Perfect Pantry just wrote a wonderful article on Pomegranate Molasses, pomegranates and some background. There's even a recipe to make your own!

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

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.
   

Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Salad (Πατατοσαλάτα με πιπεριές Φλωρίνης)

I hope you enjoyed my travel and food journey through New York over the past couple of weeks. There have been many times since my return where I wished I could jet off each weekend, see some new friends again and sample more of the city's great food.

I'm thinking New York could become a yearly thing and I have some ideas for the next time! I have one more (final) post to add about my New York stay but I'll delay that one for a bit as I'm kinda hungry to get back into my regular blogging step.

I'm most comfortable creating or trying new dishes, photographing it (quickly as possible as my food photo subjects are also meal subjects) and ultimately sharing the dish with you.

This dish involves two of my favourite ingredients...potatoes and red peppers. Potatoes are filing, potatoes taste great and potatoes are versatile. Potatoes can be boiled, friend, baked, steamed and used in both sweet and savory dishes.

Peppers...Oh how do I love thee pepper. As the son of two parents from the northern Greek prefecture of Florina, it's almost by default that I would adore peppers. Greeks by and large enjoy peppers but I think the Greeks in the north love them just a little bit more.

My dad will have peppers in some form or the other in his meal. My father also has a thing for hot peppers. We're not talking spicy but hot, blow your head-off, speaking in tongues /I think I see God kinda-hot.

I had an uncle who was so enamored with peppers (especially hot ones) that he would bring small chilis with to a wedding reception and snip some into his banquet dinner!

Red peppers all across Greece are referred to as "Πιπεριές Φλωρίνης" or "Florina Peppers. Yes folks, we're that fond of peppers that the red ones are associated with the Prefecture of Florina!

As most of your will agree, tomatoes around this time of suck. Well, most of them. Here in Canada, we have quite the hot-house industry for growing vegetables indoors and I even saw some imported Ontario "on the vine" tomatoes at Whole Foods in New York!

I usually stick with cherry tomatoes in the winter as they are the only option for anything with taste but don't give up - there's an alternative....make the red pepper your winter tomato!

Red peppers have more vitamin C than an orange and so on a health aspect, you want red peppers in your winter diet and some of you might even have a phobia about scurvy. Eat red peppers!

The best way to roast red peppers is on a gas or charcoal grill. Us Canadians are crazy that way (we'll grill all year 'round) but we're also realists....standing for hours charring peppers is a sure way to get sick.

Each September, my family roasts bushels of sweet and hot peppers for the long Canadian winter. If your don't have a charcoal or gas grill, use your stovetop to char your peppers but be prepared for a hearty post-charring clean-up...it will be messy.

Bushels of peppers get charred/blackened on the grill and then they are placed on a large tray and covered so that they can "sweat" before being preserved.

My family's favourite method for preserving roasted peppers is to freeze them. In one of my earliest blog posts, I go into detail on how we do this but the short story is...bag them in zip-lock bags and freeze them for up to the next summer.

When you freeze your peppers, leave the charred skins on. The skins will provide added protection to your peppers from freezer burn and when thawed, the skins peel off rather easily, leaving you with perfectly roasted peppers that are ready for a salad or side dish as part of your winter meal.

Today, I'm going to show you one of my favourite combos, that is to say roasted red peppers and boiled potatoes. Here, I've also added some roasted red garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, chopped fresh chives, parsley and briny capers.

Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Salad (Πατατοσαλάτα με πιπεριές Φλωρίνης)
(for 2 or as a side dish)

1 large Yukon Gold potato
1 large red bell pepper, skins peeled and cut into ribbons
3 cloves of roasted garlic
(or 1 raw clove)
1 Tbsp. capers
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped chives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar (optional)
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

1. Place a small pot of water on your stovetop and bring to a boil. Add some salt to the boiling water and carefully place the potato (with skin on) into the water and reduce heat to medium and boil until fork tender. Place under to cold water to cool the potato until you're able to comfortably handle the potato (you still want it to be warm).
2. Using the dull side of a knife, peel of the skin of the potato. Now carefully slice your potato into slices and set aside.
3. Wrap each slice of potato with a ribbon of roasted pepper and plate in a circular, overlapping pattern.
4. In a small bowl, add roasted garlic and mash it into a paste with a fork. Now add the olive oil and whisk the two ingredients until blended.
5. Sprinkle some sea salt over your roasted red pepper and potato salad and pour the olive oil and garlic mixture over the salad.
6. Grind some fresh black pepper over the salad, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, chives and capers and drizzle a little wine vinegar (optional) as a finishing touch.
7. Serve with grilled or fried fish or some good, homemade sausages.
   

Heads & Tales: Saturday Night at Ammos

Saturday would be my first full day in New York. In any city a Saturday is going to be exciting but in New York, we're talking electric.

The day started off with myself making my usual fry-up of bacon & eggs, toast, juice and coffee. Soon after, I headed out and took the train to the bottom of Manhattan and paid hommage to the site of Ground Zero.

Security was very tight with respect to people taking photos and the property was fenced off and covered by a green tarp to block any decent photos from beingt taken. The most logical explanation I heard was that the World Trade Center was being rebulit and that the location of safes & storage is what security was trying to protect. Any other theories out there?

The rest of the day was spent exploring TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal), Greenwich Village and Chelsea. I have been to all three of these neighborhoods before but one new attraction was the Chelsea market.

It's a converted warehouse that's turned into a long market with many shops catering to food enthusiasts and it also houses some office space, including the operations of the Food Network.

The late afternoon saw me return to my apartment, feed and walk Stiva the wonder-pooch, recharge my batteries and plot the evening ahead.

My first contact with a New York area food blogger was with Maria of "Kali Orexi". Maria is a native of Astoria who now lives in Queens and she's only just begun her Greek food blog, which translates into "bon appetit".

I left the dinner & drinks suggestions open to Maria's choosing...afterall, I was the visitor with no idea of the New York Greek food scene.

It was agreed that we'd meet at Ammos (literally translated as Sand). Ammos is located just behind Grand Central Station and for those of you who have not been to New York, a visit to the main hall is well worth the subway trip to take a few snaps, watch the hustle & bustle or perhaps even take it a drink or a bite from one of the cafes & restaurants perched atop of the hall.

I arrived early at Ammos but I was promptly greeted by Maria, her sisters and husband. As with Greeks, formal introductions melted away and we all became quite comfortable with each other as we sat down, shared in array of Greek dips and pondered what to eat for dinner.

Maria turned out to be as friendly, charming and hospitable as her blog is. I encourage you to visit her blog as she shares some wonderful Greek dishes enjoyed by her family.

Most of us chose seafood and I was pleased that much of the fish was grilled whole and as a bonus, presented to the customer de-boned.

I chose the grilled lavraki, which is also known as Loup de Mer in French. Lavraki is also known as a European sea bass, much of it is today farmed but it's a wonderful product and perfect for either baking or grilling.

After dinner, we ordered an array and desserts and shared the different offerings of Karydopita, yogurt with sour cherry spoon sweets, kataifi.

After all that food, wine and dessert...us Greeks have to burn off those calories and lucky for us, a small ensemble band was geared and ready to perform comtemporary Greek hits.

The music was loud, the liquor flowing, Greeks on their feet and dancing up a storm!

From being seated at the door to being driven home to the apartment I was staying at, Maria and her husband were most gracious hosts and I hope to soon return the gesture of their warm hospitality.

In the meantime, I'd love to share a new way that I like to grill and present sardines. Fresh caught sardines are still affordable and are one of the most enjoyed fish by Greeks.

Although they can be fried or baked, grilled sardines seem to be the favourite to prepare them. Here, I've taken the souvlaki concept and applied it to grilling sardines.

The method helps keep your fish in tact, allows you to easily flip the fish during grilling and the presentation is no doubt an eye-opener when you're served a plate of these beauties.

As always, I prefer buying whole fish as this allows me to inspect the fish and confirm it's freshness (bright- not-sunken eyes, firm body, bright red inner gills and smelling only of the sea).

I was delighted to see fresh sardines being sold through much of New York City and I hope some fish mongers in Toronto are paying attention: WE NEED MORE FRESH SARDINES!

There's no rocket-science here. The sardines are scaled and gutted, heads left on (to help secure the skewers) and the fish is brushed with vegetable oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and adorned simply and deliciously with a Latholemono.

Pre-heat your gas grill, brush(clean) your grill surface well, wipe the grill surface with some vegetable oil and grill your fish.

Sardines take a mere two or three minutes a side and a warm potato salad and some sauteed bitter greens round out this wonderful Greek seafood dish.

Kali Orexi!

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.