Greek Salad
If you've ever been to Greece this is something you can order at almost every little restaurant you come across and it's Good! Here's the basic ingredients from Mediterrasian.com. Then I'll tell you what I did.
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic—minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and extra for garnish
3 tomatoes—cut into wedges
¼ red onion—sliced into rings
½ cucumber—sliced into thick half-moons
½ green pepper (capsicum)—julienned
4 oz (120g) feta cheese—cut into small cubes
16 kalamata olives
First: when I had this salad any number of times in Greece it was literally swimming in fine quality olive oil. It is up to you how much you want to put in the 'dressing.' I tend to the lighter side.
I changed this up only slightly:
I used a seedless 'English; cucumber
Fresh peppers from my garden -- mild banana and colored bells
Vidalia Onions because they were in season
Few tablespoons of red wine vinegar
Fresh oregano and Fresh basil from my herb garden
Otherwise, cut/chop ingredients, mix well, let set in refrigerator for a half hour (or more) and serve chilled.
Lemon-Lime Granita (Glace, Ices)
Palate cleansers are a great invention. Not so much because we absolutely have to have our palates cleansed, but because they are quite tasty and relatively easy to make. Here's what I used:
Fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice (3-4 of each)
Lemoncello
Vanilla Vodka
Mix to taste -- I leaned heavily on the fresh juices this time and the result was a bit tart. Add sugar or a bit more of the liquors to sweeten.
[Hint: Adding alcohol of any kind is optional. If you don't want any, you will need to add some water and sugar to this recipe, otherwise you will really pucker everyone's lips! PLUS! The booze helps keep the granitas from freezing really hard.]
Method: Blend all ingredients and -- well I do this one of two ways -- In this case, since I added the liquors, I poured the mixture into several different candy molds for medium sized 'candies' (plastic molds). Place in freezer and let it freeze until ready to serve. Take out, dip bottom of mold for literally only a second in hot water and drop the little 'candy-shaped' ices into serving dishes (I like to use medium-sized cordial glasses of different shapes and colors). Serve.
Traditional method (which I also use occasionally): pour mixture into a pan or container so that it spreads out to about an inch or less thickness. Place in freezer. Every half hour or so open freezer and stir up the granita. It will slowly freeze (from edges in). Be sure to stir the frozen parts into the non-frozen middle. Keep this up until the mixture is basically a frozen melange of ice crystals. Spoon into serving dishes and enjoy.
Both these methods work, but the first only works well with a granita that has alcohol in it. Otherwise the only advantage is that the shapes are cute and look nice in the cordial glasses.
Enjoy.
Best,
Joe Koob
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Lisa's Birthday Dinner: Duck daktulos Messinia
Duck daktulos Messinia
I love duck -- one of my most favorite things to eat. Unfortunately domestic duck is quite fatty, so I don't eat it as often as I would like. This recipe I made up, using Mediterranean spices and homemade Greek Messinia noodles. I'll try to remember what I put into this --
1 whole duckling
1 cup pitless dates
Herbs and Spices to taste: coriander,cardamon,garlic,dash of cinnamon,dash of powdered ginger, salt and black pepper
Tablespoon or two of wine (a bold white or medium red)
Stock -- 1/4 to 1/2 a cup (chicken or duck - I made stock from wings of duck, neck, and liver/gizzards/heart)
Scallions finely chopped -- several tablespoons.
For noodles:
cup of flour
one egg
water if needed
1/4 tsp salt
I rubbed the duck with salt and pepper and a bit of cardamon and coriander, then roasted it slowly for four hours or so on a charcoal grill (coals on the side, duck in the center, add more coals as necessary until done). Cook until the duck is almost falling off the bone, but don't let it dry out. I also added a couple of small pieces of apple wood chips at beginning of the roasting for a hint of smokey flavor.
Take duck and cool slightly, then strip meat from legs, thighs, and any other parts of the duck except the breasts and chop into medium-small pieces(if you are cooking for more people, use the breasts as well, but we only had six and these were portions for a tasting menu). [Hint: you can include a bit of the roasted skin in the duck mixture or not. It tends to be quite fatty, and thus adds some nice moisture, but its not good for the old ticker.]
Place dates in boiling water and let steep for fifteen minutes or a half hour. Skins should begin to peel back from meat of date. Drain and then when cool peel off the skins of the dates with your fingers, chop into small pieces (date meats, not your fingers!). Place scallions, a bit of minced garlic (half a clove), spices listed above to taste (don't overpower the duck -- a pinch here and there will do)and saute for a few minutes in butter, add duck, wine, stock, and dates. Cook over medium-low heat until everything blends together -- half hour to an hour. [Can be made ahead and reheated.]
Noodles: Messinia noodles are broad and flat. I made my own:
Put flour, egg, salt in a food processor and blend until you have a nice (not wet) ball of dough. If you need to add a touch of water, do so until the flour begins to ball up. Remove and roll out as thinly as possible on a board (or use a pasta machine). Cut into inch-wide or so strips. I cut mine approxinately an inch wide and 3-4 inches long with a pasta wheel.
Put it all together:
Cook noodles in boiling water until just done (soft al dente, or to taste). Place noodles on plate (four or five strips piled on top of each other in no particular arrangement) -- spoon duck mixture on top,serve warm -- very, very yummy.
Enjoy!
Joe Koob
I love duck -- one of my most favorite things to eat. Unfortunately domestic duck is quite fatty, so I don't eat it as often as I would like. This recipe I made up, using Mediterranean spices and homemade Greek Messinia noodles. I'll try to remember what I put into this --
1 whole duckling
1 cup pitless dates
Herbs and Spices to taste: coriander,cardamon,garlic,dash of cinnamon,dash of powdered ginger, salt and black pepper
Tablespoon or two of wine (a bold white or medium red)
Stock -- 1/4 to 1/2 a cup (chicken or duck - I made stock from wings of duck, neck, and liver/gizzards/heart)
Scallions finely chopped -- several tablespoons.
For noodles:
cup of flour
one egg
water if needed
1/4 tsp salt
I rubbed the duck with salt and pepper and a bit of cardamon and coriander, then roasted it slowly for four hours or so on a charcoal grill (coals on the side, duck in the center, add more coals as necessary until done). Cook until the duck is almost falling off the bone, but don't let it dry out. I also added a couple of small pieces of apple wood chips at beginning of the roasting for a hint of smokey flavor.
Take duck and cool slightly, then strip meat from legs, thighs, and any other parts of the duck except the breasts and chop into medium-small pieces(if you are cooking for more people, use the breasts as well, but we only had six and these were portions for a tasting menu). [Hint: you can include a bit of the roasted skin in the duck mixture or not. It tends to be quite fatty, and thus adds some nice moisture, but its not good for the old ticker.]
Place dates in boiling water and let steep for fifteen minutes or a half hour. Skins should begin to peel back from meat of date. Drain and then when cool peel off the skins of the dates with your fingers, chop into small pieces (date meats, not your fingers!). Place scallions, a bit of minced garlic (half a clove), spices listed above to taste (don't overpower the duck -- a pinch here and there will do)and saute for a few minutes in butter, add duck, wine, stock, and dates. Cook over medium-low heat until everything blends together -- half hour to an hour. [Can be made ahead and reheated.]
Noodles: Messinia noodles are broad and flat. I made my own:
Put flour, egg, salt in a food processor and blend until you have a nice (not wet) ball of dough. If you need to add a touch of water, do so until the flour begins to ball up. Remove and roll out as thinly as possible on a board (or use a pasta machine). Cut into inch-wide or so strips. I cut mine approxinately an inch wide and 3-4 inches long with a pasta wheel.
Put it all together:
Cook noodles in boiling water until just done (soft al dente, or to taste). Place noodles on plate (four or five strips piled on top of each other in no particular arrangement) -- spoon duck mixture on top,serve warm -- very, very yummy.
Enjoy!
Joe Koob
Monday, July 12, 2010
Birthday Dinner Part II: Garlic-Sage-Cheese Bisque
Mediterranean Fusion
I do consult recipes on occasion and for this dinner I got a number of ideas from: "Mediterranean, The Beautiful Cookbook." This recipe hails from Provence, and of course I couldn't leave it well-enough alone, I had to tweak it a bit.
Garlic-Sage-Cheese Bisque
6-8 large cloves garlic
3 large fresh sage leaves
large pinch of fresh thyme leaves
chicken stock (about 4 cups for 6 people) [Keep in mind this was a Tasting Menu so portions were small to medium).
1/4 cup or so of cooked long grain rice
3 egg yolks
salt and freshly ground pepper
Butter and/or Olive oil
Freshly grated cheese to taste -- I used Aged Romano -- maybe a 1/4 cup
Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon
Place the garlic, sage, thyme, lemon juice in with the chicken stock and simmer until flavors are well-blended, a good half hour or more. I did this a day ahead. Remove sage leaves,add rice and cook until rice is mushy (serves as the thickener with the egg yolks added later). Cool down a bit and blend all of this and then put through a medium-fine sieve. Put this thick stock back in rinsed out pan and on medium-low heat whisk in the three egg yolks and finally the cheese. Add a dollop of butter (or olive oil). Simmer until everything is well incorporated. Serve warm.
Recipe in cookbook calls for vermicelli left as whole pieces in soup. I wanted more of a bisque effect, hence the change to rice. Also, one can put a crust of French Bread in bowl and ladle soup over. But since we had many courses yet to come, I chose discretion at this stage.
Excellent light bisque!
Enjoy.
Joe Koob
I do consult recipes on occasion and for this dinner I got a number of ideas from: "Mediterranean, The Beautiful Cookbook." This recipe hails from Provence, and of course I couldn't leave it well-enough alone, I had to tweak it a bit.
Garlic-Sage-Cheese Bisque
6-8 large cloves garlic
3 large fresh sage leaves
large pinch of fresh thyme leaves
chicken stock (about 4 cups for 6 people) [Keep in mind this was a Tasting Menu so portions were small to medium).
1/4 cup or so of cooked long grain rice
3 egg yolks
salt and freshly ground pepper
Butter and/or Olive oil
Freshly grated cheese to taste -- I used Aged Romano -- maybe a 1/4 cup
Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon
Place the garlic, sage, thyme, lemon juice in with the chicken stock and simmer until flavors are well-blended, a good half hour or more. I did this a day ahead. Remove sage leaves,add rice and cook until rice is mushy (serves as the thickener with the egg yolks added later). Cool down a bit and blend all of this and then put through a medium-fine sieve. Put this thick stock back in rinsed out pan and on medium-low heat whisk in the three egg yolks and finally the cheese. Add a dollop of butter (or olive oil). Simmer until everything is well incorporated. Serve warm.
Recipe in cookbook calls for vermicelli left as whole pieces in soup. I wanted more of a bisque effect, hence the change to rice. Also, one can put a crust of French Bread in bowl and ladle soup over. But since we had many courses yet to come, I chose discretion at this stage.
Excellent light bisque!
Enjoy.
Joe Koob
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Mediterranean Fusion Dinner: Part I -- Bisteeya
Bisteeya -- Pidgeon Pie
Traditionally this dish used pidgeon's, but today we are a bit more mundane and select chicken. This is a recipe that was the first dish (if I remember correctly) of our first gourmet dinner of the now ancient history Northern State University (then College) Gourmet Club started by Susan Stahl. That first group of eight players remained together cooking meals together 8-10 times a year for a decade or more and then with slight changes for another 3 or 4 years and continued for a few years after I and my first wife left. Not bad, for a bunch of college profs and an idea!
The recipe was a great start because it was incredibly yummy and I pledged to recreate it in individual portions -- it only took me 20 some years to do that, but now that I have, it won't last anywhere near that length of time until the next version. Who wou'dve thought some chicken and cinnamon could be so good -- or, well, as you'll see its a bit of a monster of a recipe, but well worth the effrort.
I'm going to give you my recent version, which became individual 'Bisteeyas' served as appetizers. The original version I was, and what seems to be traditional from the recipes I viewed, a large baked 'pie' that one eats with one's fingers in a community 'dig in.' If you want the 'large' version, the ingredients remain the same -- you can look on the web or in a Moroccan cookbook for the amounts.
Ingredients: Four stages -- this recipe was for six adults
One whole chicken dismembered (I cooked the whole thing, but only used the meat from the thighs and legs and whatever I could clean elsewhere about the cooked carcass. Saved the breasts for something else).
1/2 cup fresh parsley
sprig of fresh coriander
large pinch of tumeric
small grated (Cuisnarted) onion
scant half teaspoon of ground black pepper
scant 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
2 small cinnamon sticks (or one broken in pieces)
butter (I used a couple of tablespoons, original recipe called for a lot!)
Simmer all of the above in just enough water to cover in a pot just the right size for all to fit snugly until very tender -- hour and a half or so. [Hint: I did this part a day ahead in a crock pot -- really let the spices, etc., blend.] Remove from heat, cool, remove meat from bones -- medium chop chicken and place in container aside, remove cinnamon sticks from broth and save (reduce a bit if you have a lot, you don't need much, but the rest will make a great gravy).
Stage 2:
3/4 to 1 cup blanched almonds [I did my own -- to blanch heat water to boiling, toss in almonds and let them sit for awhile -- ten minutes or so -- cool off and then pinch off the skins. They should just come popping off in your fingers when you pinch the end of the almond. If not, you can reheat some water and try again.]
1 tablespoons mild olive oil or other vegetable oil (Canola?)
tablespoon or so confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp or so ground cinnamon
2-3 tablespoons of butter (less for less fat)
Brown almonds lightly in oil. Pat dry and then grind to a medium meal -- err on the coarse side, does not have to be minced. Blend in sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Set aside.
Stage 3: eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 extra-large eggs
Beat eggs and then curdle over medium-low heat in lemon juice. This makes a very light type of scrambled eggs in a sense. Cook until just done and lemon juice incorporated, don't overcook.
Stage Four: Assemble
About half a pound of Phyllo dough
melted butter (about a 1/4 cup)
I haven't used phyllo dough much in my cooking. Not sure why, but I thought very briefly about whether it would be feasible to make my own from scratch -- didn't. I I know I can't get things anywhere near that thin. Even though I make my own puff pastry, I purchased the phyllo dough -- usually in the freezer section and, according to the store manager I spoke to, almost always found near the Cool Whip -- go figure?
Here's how I worked the phyllo dough: Take one sheet (handle carefully, even the best of us break it a bit, it is very delicate). Place it on a cookie sheet, buttered the whole thing, take another sheet and laid it on top. Butter half the top sheet and then fold the two sheets in half together. Butter the top (now remaining half, fold over to make a quarter of the original size -- same direction, you should now have a long rectangle; butter top of this and then with a very sharp knife cut it in two across the length. This left me with two approximately 5X6 inch rectangles eight sheets thick. Did this twice more for a total of six.
Putting it all together:
I used some one-inch deep small (slanted and fluted) tart pans with removable bottoms. Butter them thoroughly. Center the phyllo dough in each and press down to form a cavity for all those nice ingredients you just slaved over. Press in a layer of chopped checken mixed with a bit of the broth to moisten on the bottom of each mold, then but in a layer of the almonds, and finally the eggs. Fold over each side of the dough brushing melted butter liberally to help seal and make the whole thing that more moist and womderful.
When the are all ready, pop in a medium overn (325-350) on center rack and bake for 8-ten minutes or until exposed dough is beginning to brown. Remove, carefully, (don't burn yourself) the pastries from the tart pans and flip up upside down onto baking sheet to finish off (the chicken should be on top now)and the pastries should hold together without the tins. Cook about 6-8 minutes more, brush with more butter and sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Serve. Could do this in a large muffin tin, I suppose.
Sounds like a bit of work, but boy is it worth it. Very, very yummy -- the Moroccans must have listened at some point to the French -- all that butter!
Best,
Joe Koob
Traditionally this dish used pidgeon's, but today we are a bit more mundane and select chicken. This is a recipe that was the first dish (if I remember correctly) of our first gourmet dinner of the now ancient history Northern State University (then College) Gourmet Club started by Susan Stahl. That first group of eight players remained together cooking meals together 8-10 times a year for a decade or more and then with slight changes for another 3 or 4 years and continued for a few years after I and my first wife left. Not bad, for a bunch of college profs and an idea!
The recipe was a great start because it was incredibly yummy and I pledged to recreate it in individual portions -- it only took me 20 some years to do that, but now that I have, it won't last anywhere near that length of time until the next version. Who wou'dve thought some chicken and cinnamon could be so good -- or, well, as you'll see its a bit of a monster of a recipe, but well worth the effrort.
I'm going to give you my recent version, which became individual 'Bisteeyas' served as appetizers. The original version I was, and what seems to be traditional from the recipes I viewed, a large baked 'pie' that one eats with one's fingers in a community 'dig in.' If you want the 'large' version, the ingredients remain the same -- you can look on the web or in a Moroccan cookbook for the amounts.
Ingredients: Four stages -- this recipe was for six adults
One whole chicken dismembered (I cooked the whole thing, but only used the meat from the thighs and legs and whatever I could clean elsewhere about the cooked carcass. Saved the breasts for something else).
1/2 cup fresh parsley
sprig of fresh coriander
large pinch of tumeric
small grated (Cuisnarted) onion
scant half teaspoon of ground black pepper
scant 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
2 small cinnamon sticks (or one broken in pieces)
butter (I used a couple of tablespoons, original recipe called for a lot!)
Simmer all of the above in just enough water to cover in a pot just the right size for all to fit snugly until very tender -- hour and a half or so. [Hint: I did this part a day ahead in a crock pot -- really let the spices, etc., blend.] Remove from heat, cool, remove meat from bones -- medium chop chicken and place in container aside, remove cinnamon sticks from broth and save (reduce a bit if you have a lot, you don't need much, but the rest will make a great gravy).
Stage 2:
3/4 to 1 cup blanched almonds [I did my own -- to blanch heat water to boiling, toss in almonds and let them sit for awhile -- ten minutes or so -- cool off and then pinch off the skins. They should just come popping off in your fingers when you pinch the end of the almond. If not, you can reheat some water and try again.]
1 tablespoons mild olive oil or other vegetable oil (Canola?)
tablespoon or so confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp or so ground cinnamon
2-3 tablespoons of butter (less for less fat)
Brown almonds lightly in oil. Pat dry and then grind to a medium meal -- err on the coarse side, does not have to be minced. Blend in sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Set aside.
Stage 3: eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 extra-large eggs
Beat eggs and then curdle over medium-low heat in lemon juice. This makes a very light type of scrambled eggs in a sense. Cook until just done and lemon juice incorporated, don't overcook.
Stage Four: Assemble
About half a pound of Phyllo dough
melted butter (about a 1/4 cup)
I haven't used phyllo dough much in my cooking. Not sure why, but I thought very briefly about whether it would be feasible to make my own from scratch -- didn't. I I know I can't get things anywhere near that thin. Even though I make my own puff pastry, I purchased the phyllo dough -- usually in the freezer section and, according to the store manager I spoke to, almost always found near the Cool Whip -- go figure?
Here's how I worked the phyllo dough: Take one sheet (handle carefully, even the best of us break it a bit, it is very delicate). Place it on a cookie sheet, buttered the whole thing, take another sheet and laid it on top. Butter half the top sheet and then fold the two sheets in half together. Butter the top (now remaining half, fold over to make a quarter of the original size -- same direction, you should now have a long rectangle; butter top of this and then with a very sharp knife cut it in two across the length. This left me with two approximately 5X6 inch rectangles eight sheets thick. Did this twice more for a total of six.
Putting it all together:
I used some one-inch deep small (slanted and fluted) tart pans with removable bottoms. Butter them thoroughly. Center the phyllo dough in each and press down to form a cavity for all those nice ingredients you just slaved over. Press in a layer of chopped checken mixed with a bit of the broth to moisten on the bottom of each mold, then but in a layer of the almonds, and finally the eggs. Fold over each side of the dough brushing melted butter liberally to help seal and make the whole thing that more moist and womderful.
When the are all ready, pop in a medium overn (325-350) on center rack and bake for 8-ten minutes or until exposed dough is beginning to brown. Remove, carefully, (don't burn yourself) the pastries from the tart pans and flip up upside down onto baking sheet to finish off (the chicken should be on top now)and the pastries should hold together without the tins. Cook about 6-8 minutes more, brush with more butter and sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Serve. Could do this in a large muffin tin, I suppose.
Sounds like a bit of work, but boy is it worth it. Very, very yummy -- the Moroccans must have listened at some point to the French -- all that butter!
Best,
Joe Koob
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