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

'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).

Rabbit Stifado (Κουνέλι Στιφάδο)

Lamb and sheep are cute animals, chickens are cute when they are born, calves are cute, turkeys are majestic with their plumage, deer are a adorable.

All the above animals do not posess the "Fugly" gene yet we eat them.

Rabbits are cute and sadly delicious!

I just wanted to draw the parallel before any hypocrites write or opine saying...oh but rabbits are so cute and cuddly. Creampuff the the white-tailed bunny is cute, adorable and untouchable.

Sammy the the fornicating bunny at the ranch has been bred to be eaten and in my opinion, is totally fair game in this cut-throat food chain that is Earth.

If you're a vegetarian...this post is not for you. I am cutting up a rabbit here into pieces, browning it off in a pot and braising it until the meat forks off the bone.

Rabbit is good eats.

Stifado is a Greek stew of lots & lots of onions, some tomato product and a protein being the usual ingredients. The most popular Stifados are made with rabbit or hare but I've also enjoyed beef or veal, octopus and rooster stifado.

One of my earliest (and fondest) memories of Stifado goes back to my visit to Greece in 1988. I was in my father's town (Amynteon, Florinis), staying with relatives and my Uncle Pavlo (bless his soul) had shot a huge wild hare on his farmland.

Like with any wild game, the meat is wilder tasting and tougher as the animal has developed more muscle mass and it's diet is more complex that the farm fare of it's rabbit cousins.

Hare demands that it be marinated overnight in red wine, herbs, spices and then cooked in a slow braise that ultimately becomes an aromatic stew that will perfume your home.

Exit wild hare and enter rabbit. Rabbit is far milder in flavour and one would be hard pressed to taste-test if they were eating chicken or rabbit.

So, many ask why eat rabbit when one can have chicken? Easy...at least you know you're eating rabbit - not some Franken-chicken that you bought cut up into pieces, wrapped in plastic by Dexter and removed of any evidence of having two heads!

I apologize to no one for my food choices, especially when it comes to my delight in eating rabbit. Oh sure, the pet store gang of rabbits are the elite, untouchable ones but my farm-raised rabbit has probably had more action than any of us have seen in our lifetime.

The sacrifical rabbit is justified and I'm going to share this Stifado dish which celebrates Greek cooking at it's best: taking less popular ingredients (rabbit), cooking it simply and cooking it well.

Few ingredients are used here but the quality is high. Take the time to make a Stifado...you'll be rewarded with a delicious meal that will awaken the olfactory and transport you my aunt's Greek kitchen, complete with loud Greeks, hungry children and thankful guests.

Rabbit Stifado (Κουνέλι Στιφάδο)
(for 4)

1 whole rabbit, cut into pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
15-16 whole small onions
6 whole cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
2 heaping Tbsp. of tomato paste
+ 1 cup of water to dillute it in
1 cup dry red wine
3 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
lots of cracked black pepper

Pre-heated 350F oven

1. After cutting up your rabbit into pieces, rinse and pat dry and lightly dredge in seasoned flour. In a large, oven safe Dutch oven, add a few turns of olive oil over medium-high heat and brown-off the pieces of rabbit in batches and reserve in a plate.
   
2. Turn down the heat and add your wine and deglaze and scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pot. Add your rabbit back in the pot, followed by the onions, garlic, dilluted tomato paste, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cracked black pepper.
3. Bring to a boil and cover and season with salt and pepper. Place in your pre-heated oven (middle rack) and braise for about 90 minutes. Carefully take the stew out of the oven and taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Remove the lid and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes. This step will cook-off the remaining liquid, thicken and brighten your sauce to a warm, red colour.
5. Serve each plate with a heap of onions, couple of pieces of rabbit and a spoonful of sauce. Grind some fresh black pepper over top and serve with some good, homemade bread and a dry, Greek red wine.

Note on cutting up rabbit:
The rabbit usually comes headless and the body is in tact with organ meat inside. What I did was dissect it in half (lengthwise, then I lopped off the hind and front legs. What you're left with is the middle part of the rabbit - the saddle.

You can cut the 2 saddle halves into two, leaving you with four pieces plus the four legs.

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.
   

Heads & Tales: Kefi in New York

During my stay in New York, my days were occupied by sightseeing (nothing too touristy) and the evenings were for dining and meeting new friends.

My stay in New York and the exploration of the Greek food scene wouldn't be complete without tasting the creations of Michael Psilakis.

Michael has appeared on Iron Chef America and he currently is part owner of Anthos and Kefi. Anthos is on the high end of the menu scale and Kefi is smaller but in no way inferior, quality-wise.

Once again, my Greek food and drink guide Konstantine suggested we meet at Kefi, located on West 79th (Upper West Side) and sample an array of the dishes.

Michael Psilakis was not here on this night but the staff accomodated us immediately with a table despite the packed lobby and lack of avaialable seating. Kefi will be moving to a new location soon and this problem should be resloved soon.

What does Kefi mean? The literal translation is "fun" but that really doesn't describe Kefi. Kefi is spirit, triumph, joy, adrenalin, the state of being aware of experiencing a good time, a celebration of being Greek, with good friends, food and drink, laughter, emotion, sentiment and finally...something only a Greek can really feel.

If you're a Greek reading this, you know what I mean and to others...go out with your Greek friends and ask them to tell you when "that moment" of Kefi has been reached...maybe then you'll understand.

From the waiting area to the farewell, Kefi's ambiance was laid-back, down-to-earth and unpretentious. The dining area is small and below street level but with such close quarters, one makes easy friends with the table beside you and conversations on food & wine can be easily engaged.

Constantine and I imbibed on a wonderful Vatistas Malagouzia and our other fave, the Pavlou P62 Syrah/Xinomavro with our parade of meze-sized dishes at Kefi.

For in New York or some of you who would like to enjoy some Greek food in the area, Kefi will offer you the greatest bang for your buck out of all the Greek establishments in Manhattan. Do not think in any way think that quality or portions are compromised.

Remember, this is a Michael Psilakis joint...the dishes were traditional but offered wonderful Greek twists with the ingredients. One dish after another was relished by Konstantine and I and a highlight of the night was the braised pulled rabbit meat tossed in hand-made pasta with a sauce reminiscent of a Rabbit (or hare) Stifado.

The first dish to arrive was the fried sweetbreads in creamy wine sauce with spinach, sage and crispy fried onions. The sweetbreads were paired wonderfully with one of Konstantine's new brands...a Vatistas Malagouzia from Monemvasia. Malagouzia is another grape varietal that's unique to Greece and I'll be touching upon this wine in a future post (it was awesome).

Next up was the grilled octopus on a bed of warm chickpea salad.

We sampled the Pork Sofrito medallions with shaved fennel, capers, olives and some orange slices.

Grilled lamb chops were ordered on the insistence of our server and boy was I glad he recommended these!

The crowning glory had to be the Pulled Braised Rabbit on a bed of homemade pasta which turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to our Pavlou P62 red.

This Syrah/Xinomavro took on a whole new aroma and taste when paired with the rabbit in a aromatic, spicy Stifado sauce. A stifado's has a noticeable presence of cinnamon and when paired with the P62, for the first time I was smelling notes of chocolate and black cherry in the wine...remarkable experience!

My evening at Kefi was a smash...wonderful food, good conversation at the table (and with the table beside us), unforgetable wine pairings with the food and laid-back but prompt and cheerful service from the staff.

This week, I had to re-experience that zen-moment when I ate the Braised Pulled Rabbit and sipped on the Pavlou Estate P62. I've recreated a dish that packs much of the flavours I experienced in Kefi's version but I used a whole chicken to make a Stifado.

A Stifado is a Greek stew that is tomato based, has the presence of red wine, an array of spices that almost always includes cinnamon and the usual suspect in the dish is rabbit or hare. Other popular stifados are made with rooster, beef or veal and octopus.

The other dominant ingredient is onions...plenty of onions which play very well when slow cooked with the meat of choice, blending with the spices to perfume your kitchen & home into something remarkably intoxicating and transporting you and your home to a Greek kitchen.

The dish I'm about to show you is usually made with a rooster but I'm no where near a farm and Stouffville Market is only open on weekends. This dish is inspired by my evening at Kefi and it's also reminiscent of a popular dish from the Greek island of Folengandros called "Matsata".

Imagine trying this dish on the island...farm fresh rooster, wild thyme from the mountains of the island, Greek red wine and spices that entered Greek cuisine from the time that Greek mariners ruled the Mediterranean and the spice trade in the area.

Finally, this may sound cliched but the pasta in this dish was homemade by myself after finally splurging on my own pasta machine. After fumbling the first few times with the machine, I finally was able to produce long, elastic ribbons of fresh egg pasta that cooked in minutes and truly heightened the dish. I may become a pasta snob!

Matsata (Ματσάτα)
(serves 4)

1/3 cup olive oil
1 whole chicken (or rooster), cut into pieces
1/2 onion, grated
1 cup of pearl onions
2 large onions, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 some grated nutmeg
1 heaping Tbsp. of tomato paste
2 cups of pureed plum tomatoes
1 cup of dry red wine
2 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
fresh made broad pasta
grated Kefalotyri cheese (Romano is fine)

1. In a large skillet, add your olive oil to medium high heat. Add your pearl onions and quickly saute until they have slighted caramelized. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Now season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown off your meat over medium heat and then reserve.
2. Now grate add your grated onion, sliced onions and garlic and saute over medium-low hea for about 7-10 minutes or until softened. Now add the balsamic vinegar and stir to lift up the brown bits and coat all the onions. Reduce for a minute or two.
3. Now add the bay leaves, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, tomato paste and red wine over medium heat. Now bring up to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add your tomato paste, pureed plum tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add your fresh thyme and your reserved chicken pieces, pearl onions and reduce heat, cover (slightly ajar) and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, sitrring occasionally.
   
4. At this point, you should have a thick, aromatic sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, grate some fresh nutmeg and set aside and keep warm.
5. Boil some fresh, broad pasta and when cooked to al dente, strain toss with some of the tomato sauce, tear some meat off the bone and mix in with the pasta and the sauce.
6. Place a mound of dressed pasta on each plate, place a piece of chicken on top and grate some fresh Kefalotyri cheese on top.
   
7. Serve this warm, aromatic dish with a Pavlou P62 Xinomavro-Syrah.