This dish is inspired by the memories of having large family gatherings on Sundays. I mean large when aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents also show up for lunch/dinner and lots of food would be prepared and served to feed the Greek appetites. My dad taught me how to roast Prime Rib but my mom taught me about slow-cooking less tender cuts – pot roast.

One of the tastiest and best cuts for slow-cooking has to be the shoulder or chuck of beef. There’s muscle and fat, which I find ideal for a slow, long cooking method. Braising to be precise. For maximum flavour I first browned the meat on my stovetop then place it in a pre-heated oven to roast uncovered and get a deeper brown colour. After comes the aromatics like onions, carrots and celery, lots of garlic cloves, bay leaves, whole allspice berries and red wine.

Add enough hot water to come halfway up the meat, cover and braise in the oven for anywhere from 3 to 5 hours (depending on the size of the meat). I like the blade shoulder as I can order small or large cut, depending on how many people I aim to feed. The blade shoulder also has some bones in it and that equals more flavour and less chance of your meat drying out.

Carving this cut of met will not give you sliced like a Prime Rib but you’ll get juicy, succulent pieces of meat that need just a spoon or two of jus poured over it and perhaps some fresh ground pepper. Serve with roast vegetables, mashed potatoes and this Sunday roast will fill your home with wonderful aromas and fond memories of roasts of yore.

Let’s bring back the Sunday roast!

Greek Style Sunday Roast

1 beef blade shoulder (bone-in) approx. 10-15lbs.

fine sea salt

fresh ground pepper

garlic powder

dried Greek oregano

approx. 15 allspice berries

6-7 bay leaves

2 cups red wine

3 Tbsp. tomato paste

hot water

2 carrots

2 stalks celery

2 large onions

1 whole head of garlic, smashed

1 small bunch of fresh thyme sprigs

3 cups blanched pearl onions

1. Ensure your beef is patted-dry and free of any moisture. Generously season the whole exterior of the meat with salt, garlic powder, some black peppers and dried Greek oregano. Place the beef in a roasting pan and turn on your stovetop to high heat. Drizzle some vegetable oil nd sear all sides of the meat until just browned. In the meantime, pre-heat your oven to 400F.
2. After your been has been seared, place it in your pre-heated oven and roast for 30 minutes or until the beef has turned to  deep brown. In the meantime, peel and chop your onions, carrots, celery, garlic and when the beef is deep brown, remove the roast and place the vegetables around the meat along with the bay leaves, allspice and thyme.
3. Pour in the wine, tomato paste and enough hot water to come up the beef almost halfway. Cover and place back in the oven and reduce the heat to 350F. You are now braising beef for 3  to 5 hours, depending on the size of the beef. If the beef appears a little dry on the top part, simply flip the meat about halfway through and continue to braise. You may have to add some more water into the pan.
4. About an hour before the roast is done, add some blanched pearl onions around the meat and continue to braise. The meat is ready when the bones can just be twisted our of the meat and it’s fork-tender. Click on the Canadian Beef link for more valuable info on pot roasts.
5. Remove the beef from the pan and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. Remove the vegetables and pour off the liquid, skimmimg/removing the fat. You may make a sauce, gravy or simply mash in veggies to thicken and serve with meat.
6. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes, top with some of the pearl onions and serve with some of the veggies in the roast. Pair with  Ktima Papaioannou Agiorghitiko (St. George) red.

Note: Roasting time vary according to size of meat. Most post roasts are 4-5lbs and still take over two hours braising to become tender. The roast used in this recipe was about 15 lbs. and it took more than 5 hours to cook and serves a party of 15!

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It seems that these Greek Supper Clubs keep getting better and better! I think it’s a combo of getting more comfortable in the kitchen space we’ve been using of late (Aphrodite Cooks Studio) and I am getting the hang of cooking for large parties – not entertaining at home. I do think that many restaurants have forgotten the “hospitality” part of hospitality industry.

If I could entertain/hold these Greek Supper Clubs at my home I would but thankfully, more than a dozen people in Toronto are interested in the dinners I hold. My goal is to show what Greek food is really supposed to taste, look and smell like. I also want my guests to feel like they are being entertained by good friends and each time I hold these Supper Clubs, new friends are made and old friendships are reinforced over dinner, the breaking of bread.

Below are some photos capturing the food and ambiance of the evening. I have no time to take photos but I was lucky to have Thurka Gunaratnam takes some photos throughout the evening. If you need someone to help you with a video/film project or you need some photography done – Thurka’s your gal!

My Supper Clubs begin with trio of appetizers, one being a Kreatopita or meat pie. Ground beef, lots of leeks, chillis, trahana, tomato paste all baked in homemade phyllo pastry.

The second appetizer is a dish I like call Oysters ala Greque…very festive and complimenting the season.

The third appetizer was Acropolis Organics olive oil poached mushrooms with herbs like thyme, bay and rosemary on crostini with a shaving of Graviera cheese.

At this point my guests sat down and it’s cold outside….definitely soup season. I peeled lots of artichokes to make this soup with leeks, potatoes, chicken stock and finished with a dollop of strained Greek yogurt and chopped chives.

The next course was one of my all-time favourites – cabbage rolls with Avgolemono sauce.

Drum roll please…..main course. In Greece it’s very traditional to serve pork for Christmas so I created this dish of butterflied and stuffed pork butt with spinach, roasted red peppers and Kefalotyri cheese. The pork was topped with sour cherry/vissino sauce and served on a bed of mashed potato and celery root.

I also served a Politiki salata of cabbage, red peppers, carrots, celery…all tossed in an apple cider vinaigrette.

Still hungry? I hope so…next up is dessert and I knew this would go over well…Ekmek Kataifi.

Christmas is the time for giving and I brought some more traditional Christmas fare…Melomakarona and Kourabiedes cookies served with Greek coffee and Babatzim Tsipouro (without anise).

I would like to thank Paula Costa for her tireless help and support, the servers Amanda and Thurka and our dishwasher Aaron. Many thanks to Vanessa of Aphrodite Cooks and Steve Kriaris of Kolonaki Group for pairing all the dishes with Greek wines.

An extra-special thank you to Acropolis Organics for supplying the olive oil and Mousto balsamic vinegar for this menu and many of the previous dinners. They help make these dinners economically feasible and definitley delicious.

My next Greek Supper Club is scheduled for Sunday, January 27 with a menu inspired by the cuisine of the Ancient Greeks. I am already in the planning stages for the menu and this dinner is expected to sell really well. Book your seats early!

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Air-opened phyllo, Bantis Bougatsa, Thessaloniki

• Please try and shop Greek and support Greek businesses during this busy shopping month
• “A Greek Journey With a Fork and a Pen”, a new Greek cookbook and travelogue just released
• Greek specialty food items may help lift Greece out of its recession
• Some Greek wines for Ontario residents to consider over the holiday season

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Another favourite vegetable of mine are artichokes. Ancient, Mediterranean, healthy and delicious. Although they can be a pain to clean (remove leaves), it’s more of a tedious task rather than a difficult one.

Regardless, I found a few parcels of artichokes at the market and used them to make a soup for this past Tuesday’s Greek Supper Club. This soup is creamy without the use of any cream (insert strained Greek yogurt) and thickened with potatoes and whizzed-up artichokes. Like any soup, the quality hinges on the products you use, I opt for real stock when making soups.

Beyond peeling/trimming artichokes and straining yogurt, this is a very easy soup to prepare and one that you and your guests will love. A good squeeze of lemon juice and the yogurt swirled in at the end complement the artichokes nicely.

Artichoke Soup (Αγκιναρόσουπα)

18 fresh artichokes

lemon juice

water

1/4 olive oil

6 leeks

9-10 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3 large potatoes. quartered

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 1 lemon

Garnish

blanched artichoke leaves

chopped fresh chives

strained Greek yogurt

1. Peel away the outer leaves of your artichokes and place in acidulated water (instructions on how to peel artichokes here). In the meantime, cut off the green ends of your leeks, cut in half lengthwise and run under cold water while running your fingers back/forth between layers of leeks. Slice your leeks and place in a pot with olive oil, some salt and sweat for about 10 minutes to soften (medium heat).
2. In the meantime, peel some leaves off the artichokes (about 30) and blanche in salted water for about 7 minutes or until just tender, reserve. When your leeks have softened, strain and add the artichokes. potatoes and hot stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to  simmer, season with more salt and pepper and cook down for 40 minutes.
3. Take off the heat and use a hand immersion blender to purée the soup. Add the lemon juice, adjust seasoning with salt and some black pepper. You may add the reserved blanched artichoke leaves now or before plating.
4. Place some artichoke leaves in each soup bowl and ladle in some soup. Top with  spoonful of strained Greek yogurt and top with chopped fresh chives.

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A city in Europe that always caught my interest was Amsterdam. I liked that the Dutch had a historical tie to Canada from WWII, that the Dutch were tolerant and a diverse society, many spoke English and the sheer green beauty of the countryside and the gorgeous canals and steepled buildings of its cities, like Amsterdam. My first visit to Amsterdam was in 1990 and I have fond memories of the walking through the city, drinking my way through the pubs and bruine cafes.

Foodwise, I remember the fries and mayo offered by streetcarts, downing smoked herring with  Jenever chasers, fanstasic shawarma shops near Dam Square and the Indonesian dishes like Rijsttafel. One of the more peculiar food offerings were the fast food offerings found in large vending machines that were found on many Amsterdam streets with warm snacks in these coin operated vending machines (funny, read an article about the Automats in the US).

After  late night of beers, one gets hungry and these wall-sized vending machines would tempt you with snacks, the most famous one being the Dutch Kroketten (croquette). To this day, these croquettes have been my favourite and I’ve long wanted to try my hand at Almost Bourdain’s rendition. The day has come.

The neat thing about these croquettes is that the main binding ingredient is a thick Bechamel that holds up well to frying and the recipe is adaptable to making your own twists. Stick the ratio and you’ll be making an array of croquettes limited only by your imagination.

Today’s twist is Feta & Leek croquettes. Leeks are in season, relative to the onion and a delight with good, crumbled Greek Feta cheese. I’ve added some dried Greek oregano and some chopped parsley for colour and coated in flour, eggwash and some breadcrumbs.

The key to  successful croquette is to allow the bechamel cool before mixing your favoured ingredient (for flavour) and then mixing and chilling then coating and chilling and finally frying your croquettes. A little patience but otherwise and easy recipe offering best croquettes.

Feta & Leek Croquettes (πρασσοκροκέτες)

(makes about  dozen croquettes or 20  balls)

For the Bechamel

3 Tbsp. of butter

3 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1 cup of warm milk

pinch of salt

bit of grated nutmeg

Filling

1 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

1/2 cup blanched or slow-cooked leeks (or scallions)

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Croquette Coating

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup milk

approx. 1 cup all-purpose flour

approx. 2 cups of fine bread crumbs

Vegetable oil for frying

1. Add your butter into a small pot over medium heat and once it melts, add the flour and stir in with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring for  couple of minutes then add the milk in increments – add milk, stir in, add milk and stir in until you’ve attained  thick Bechamel. Add a pinch of salt, stir in and take off the heat and empty into a large bowl to cool.
2. In the meantime, add some olive oil into  skillet and sweat your leeks for about 5-6 minutes or until translucent. Allow to cool and into the bowl with the Bechamel. Add the leeks, oregano, black pepper into the bowl and mix well with a spatula. Cover and place in the fridge to cool for a couple of hours.
3. Prepare your dipping stations – a plate with all-purpose flour, the other with the eggwash and the third plate with breadcrumbs. Take the bowl out the fridge and form the mixture into little logs or balls with your hands (rub your hands with oil if sticky).
4. Dredge in flour followed by the eggwash then a coating of breadcrumbs. Repeat with the remaining mixture and place on a large platter, cover and place in the fridge again for another 30-40 minutes.
5. Pour about 2 inches of oil in  deep pot or deep fryer and heat to 360F. Carefully place 3-4 croquettes in the hot oil and fry for about 4 minutes. Place on  paper-lined platter and fry remaining batches (you may want to reserve in a warm 200F oven).
6. Serve warm with an Ouzo or Tsipouro.

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There’s a Constantinople dish from around 1900 called Gioulbasi. Traditionally, a leg of lamb is studded with garlic and stuffed with pieces of sharp, aged Greek cheese. The meat is wrapped in parchment paper and slowly roasted until the meat is fork-tender, aromatic and about to fall off the bone. In mainland Greece there are many variations on this Constantinople favourite and I’ve also been intrigued by the use of pork for making Gioulbasi. One could use a whole pork loin, just make sure you brine it over night or…use one of pet pork cuts, the butt (shoulder).

The pork butt is a little trickier to butterfly than the loin as it is not as uniform. If your knife skills are good, go for the pork butt as it has more fat and the result is juicy, succulent pork meat. If you’re not too sure of your knife skills, go with  pork loin or ask your butcher to butterfly your pork.

The interior of the pork is rubbed with a paste made of mustard, garlic, orange, finely crushed bay leaves, sage and oregano, some honey, salt and pepper. The stuffing is simple: blanched spinach, roasted red peppers and batons of sharp sheep’s milk Kefalotyri cheese.

Finally, the meat is rolled in parchment paper and aluminum foil and place in the oven to slow cook for just over 2 hours. A meat thermometer is helpful here and once the internal temperature reaches 150F, take out of the oven, remove the foil and parchment and return to the oven get some colour under the broiler.

I served this delicious stuffed pork with a sour cherry sauce made from reducing stock, Mousto Balsamic vinegar, garlic, herbs and finished with Vissino (sour cherry preserve). A bed of garlic mashed potatoes and celery root are the bedding for this dish, a Politiki salad on the side and a Papaioannou Single Estate to pair with your exquisite meal.

Pork Gioulbasi Stuffed Kefalotyri & Sour Cherry Sauce

(serves 6)

Sour Cherry/Vissino Sauce

3/4 cup Acropolis Organics Mousto Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 cup dry red wine

1 medium red onion, minced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

6-7 whole allspice berries

bunch of fresh thyme sprigs

1 cup of pork, veal or chicken stock

Approx. 1/2 cup sour cherry preserve (or to taste)

salt and pepper to taste

One boneless pork butt or pork loin, trimmed of excess fat & butterflied

Rub:

olive oil

coarse sea salt

fresh ground pepper

2 Tbsp. coarsely ground coriander seeds

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

3 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves

3 tsp. fresh sages, finely chopped

Paste for inside the pork

1/4 cup olive oil

zest and juice of 1 orange

1 Tbsp. of honey

1 Tbsp. Dijon style mustard

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 bay leaves, crushed

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

salt and ground black pepper

Filling

approx. 1 cup chopped blanched spinach, try Cookin’ Greens frozen spinach

2 roasted red peppers, skins peeled and seeds removed

about 4 sticks of Kefalotyri cheese

Pre-heated 350F oven

1. In a food processor, add the olive oil, honey, wine vinegar, mustard, sage, oregano, bay leaves, garlic, orange zest and orange juice and process into a paste and set aside. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on your work surface then a similar sized piece of parchment paper. Now crush the coriander seeds and rub the outside of the pork with it along with the minced garlic, some coarse sea salt, fresh ground peppers and fresh thyme. Now place the butterflied pork (seasoned side face down) and empty the paste in the bowl and spread it evenly all over the inside of the pork. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Now place the spinach along the middle of the pork (lengthwise) followed by the roasted red peppers and finally the Kefalotyri batons (sticks). Lift the foil and parchment to roll up the meat, use the foil and parchment to tuck/tighten the meat as it is being rolled up.
3. Twist the ends of the foil to tighten the around the meat and place in a roasting pan with a rack. Pre-heat your oven to 350F and place the roast in the oven for 2 hours or until an internal temp of 150F is achieved. Carefully remove the foil and parchment and return the meat to the oven, crank the heat to broil to brown the outside of the meat (turn the meat often to evenly brown).
4. Remove the meat from the oven, tent with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
5. While the pork is roasting, you can make the sour cherry sauce: pour all the ingredients (except for the sour cherry preserve, salt pepper) and gently bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and reduce to half the amount. Taste, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and strain. Pour back in the saucepan and add the sour cherry preserve 1 tablespoon at a time until you’ve achieved the balance of savory and sweet that you like. Reserve/keep warm.
6. Slice your Pork Gioulbasi into thick slices, serve on a bed of garlic smashed potatoes and celery root and pour some sauce over each portion of meat.

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Old Town, Xanthi

• Gift certificates now available for my Kalofagas Greek Supper Clubs
• The Kaimakstalan ski area and Lake Vegoritida region offer lots of activities during the winter months
• The Bouroume! (We Can) movement in Greece is seeking volunteer and surplus food donations
• Navarino Icons’ specialty products from Messinia can now be found at Harrods and Julius Meinl
• Beginning in April 1213, Ryannair will fly to Chania, Crete

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Another Gioulbasi recipe, Greek man? Why….yes! This recipe comes from a rare, out of print book (only in Greek) that focuses on Rebetika mezedes/small bites and dishes. I love this book and you’ll be seeing more dishes from this fine little book.

Again, Gioulbasi is most commonly known as a leg of lamb dish that’s stuffed with garlic, sharp Kefalotyri cheese, herbs and lemon. I will get to the original Gioulbasi but I think this riff using whole chicken wrapped in parchment will be a winner with your family and friends.

Chicken Gioulbasi is an easy dish: the chicken is rubbed in olive oil, lemon juice then seasoned with sweet paprika, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and dried Greek oregano. Wait, there’s more! The chicken’s cavity is stuffed with cloves of garlic, lemon wedges and cubes of sharp, Kefalotyri cheese (sheep’s milk cheese).

The chicken gets wrapped in parchment paper, tied with butcher twine and placed in the oven. The chicken roasts, the chicken steams, the chicken becomes aromatic, the chicken’s skin renders and in the end, does become golden and crisp – counter to cooking instincts.

The skin is crisp, the meat juicy, aromatic from the Greek oregano, lemon and garlic and a joy to eat with a garnish of the firm Kefalotyri cheese that roasted inside the chicken. Serve with mashed potatoes, some steamed broccoli with olive oil and lemon juice, pour some of the juices from the bottom of the parchment and enjoy this wonderful Greek chicken dish.

Chicken Gioulbasi (Κοτόπουλο γκιούλμπασι)

(serves 4)

1 whole chicken

approx. 3 1/2 lbs.

6-7 cloves of garlic, smashed

3/4 cup cubed Kefalotyri cheese

2 wedges of lemon

1/4 extra-virgin olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp. sweet paprika

2 tsp. dried Greek oregano

fine sea salt

fresh ground pepper

parchment paper

butcher’s twine

pre-heated 400F oven

1. Pre-heat your oven. Rinse your chicken and pat-dry. Lay out two sheets of parchment paper (in a cross pattern) then place your chicken over it.
2. Rub your chicken with olive oil, zest and lemon juice then rub with sweet paprika, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Now fill the cavity with lemon wedges, garlic and Kefalotryi cheese. Seal the chicken’s cavity with a toothpick then fold-up the four corners of the parchment up over the chicken, ensuring the bird is well wrapped.
3. Take a long piece of butcher’s twine and slide under the parchment and tie up in a bundle. Place your parchment wrapped chicken (breast side up) in a roast pan and place in your pre-heated oven for approx. 90-110 minutes or until your chicken reads an internal temperature of 180F (you should also see the chicken turn golden brown).
4. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Snip off the butcher’s twine and unwrap the parchment paper. Cut your chicken into portions, serve with mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli. Top with some cubes of Kefalotyri cheese, roasted garlic, squeeze of lemon juice.
5. Serve with a Skouras Moschofilero.

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I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family, friends and loved ones. Yesterday was one of the most memorable…for the company and of course, the food. Christmas for the Greeks goes beyond Christmas day and the tree at this household does not come down until after Epiphany. One of the mezedes I made yesterday were Tsigarides or deep-fried pork chunks -  a favourite of my Mom & Dad’s as they were growing up in towns in the Prefecture of Florina.

Much talk is made of Mediterranean diet and yes, by and large people of modern Greece like to eat lots of vegetables, legumes, fish & seafood, fruits and nuts and meat for special occasions. What many don’t know is that not all of Greece produces olive oil and even fifty years ago people mostly ate what was produced locally. In regions like Florina, Kastoria, Thrace and parts of Epirus, there are no olive trees.

My parents recall using most animal fat (from the pig) and butter for cooking. These people lived off of what’s local and they lived to tell us about it. I am here to tell you that I love Greek food, I cook using mostly olive oil but I also think there is a place for butter and fats in Greek cuisine. These were ingredients my grandparents used, their grandparents used it and I can with certainty that Yiayia did not cook with BITAM (Greece’s most popular/consumed margarine).

The name of this site is called Kalofagas…literally translated as good feeder, a gourmand. My goal is to feature Greek cuisine in it’s most correct form – what Greeks eat at home, be it in Greece or Diaspora. I showcase food I’ve been exposed to through my many trips to Greece and it’s many regions and I offer up dishes that inspire me through the wonderful Greek chefs of ago and the new wave that are putting Greece cuisine at the forefront of gastronomy.

I am not  doctor, not a dietician nor am I  preacher. I share dishes that look good, taste great and I leave you with the recipes that allow you to recreate these wonderful food memories. Greek cuisine is many things…it’s healthy, it’s balanced, it’s simple and it’s delicious. One thing Greek food IS NOT is boring or bland.

Time to buy some boneless pork butt, cut them into chunks and simmer them until tender then fry them until deep brown and crispy. Tsigarides are associated with another long-time Greek tradition – the slaughter of the pig. An animal that helped so many Greeks survive the winter months. Preserved meats like Kavourma were made, sausages, salamis and of course the good cuts for feast days.

Tsigarides are not something one should eat often but it is the Christmas season and there’s nothing wrong with eating the decadent, fried foods in moderation as well. Yesterday’s tasting panel of my Mother, Father, Aunt, Brother and other relatives love them! So, you ate 2-3 deep-fried pork chunks over the holiday? I doubt you’ll be checking-in for that triple bypass anytime soon.

Tsigarides (Tσιγαριδες)

(meze platter for 4-6)

1 1/2 lbs. of boneless pork butt, cut into 1 inch chunks

coarse sea salt & fresh ground pepper

approx. 2-3 tsp. sweet paprika

water

sunflower oil for frying

fine sea salt and dried Greek oregano for finishing

1. After you’ve cut up your pork, season well with sea salt, ground pepper and sweet paprika and toss to coat well. Place in a large skillet or pot and turn the heat onto medium high. Brown  the meat on ll sides (occasionally stirring) and then add enough hot water to just cover the meat. Cover and reduce  heat to medium and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the meat is fork-tender.
2. Now uncover the meat and continue to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Adjust the seasoning of the meat and allow to cool completely or wait a day or overnight until frying.
3. Once cooled, remove the pork chunks from the fat (discard) and pour about 3 inches of oil in a deep fryer (or deep pot). Once the oil has reached a temperature of 360-370F, add the pork chunks in batches and fry for about 3-4 minutes or until crisp.
4. Reserve on a paper-lined platter, sprinkle with sea salt and dried Greek oregano and served with good crusty bread. Try a Pavlou Estate Xinomavro Rose.

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The most common and well-known cabbage rolls for Greeks are made with an Avgolemono Sauce. The the rest of the world, most of you are more familiar with cabbage rolls with a tomato sauce. Us Greeks have that in our repetoire too!

Today, I introduce you to Kozani Style Cabbage Rolls (lahanodolmades in Greek) with a sauce that’s sweet from onions, tomato paste and fragrant from the local spice harvested every year from the fields in the Kozani region – saffron.

In Greek we call saffron “Krokos Kozanis`` and it is every bit as expensive as any other quality saffron in the market. Saffron is an ancient Greek ingredient and it is wonderful in this cabbage rolls dish today. You will not get the vibrant yellow colour of saffron in this dish but you will get a hint of the aroma and flavour that is indisputably saffron.

The other nice touch with this dish is the filling, which includes finely diced ham. What you`re looking to do is simply dice it to a consistency similar to the ground beef and pork.

If you don`t feel like preparing your own cabbage leaves, there are many quality brands with jarred cabbage leaves in a sour brine. Just be careful  – strain and maybe soak the leaves in water for a bit to rid them of their tartness.

Kozani Style Cabbage Rolls With Tomato & Saffron (λαχανοντολμαδες κοζανης)

(makes approx. 36)

1 large cabbage

Filling

1/2 cup olive oil

6 medium onions, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 heaping Tbsp. of tomato paste

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 lb. lean ground pork

1 lb. of boneless ham, finely chopped (or use food processor)

1 tsp. of dried Greek oregano

pinch of Krokos Kozani (Greek saffron)

2 cups long-grain rice

2-3 tsp. of sea salt

1 1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1- 796ml can of diced tomatoes

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a little salt. Meanwhile, remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and the hard stalk (root) of the cabbage. Wash it and put into the boiling water for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cabbage from the water by using a large fork.
2. Using some tongs, carefully peel away each leaf and unwrap the head of boiled cabbage. Remove the the bottom part of the main rib from each leaf. Repeat this process with all your leaves and reserve.
3. Bring a large saucepan to medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onions and garlic. Simmer to soften the onions for about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stir in and cook for about 2-3 minutes then add parsley, oregano, stir in and take off the heat.
4. Add the ground beef, pork, ham, rice and saffron and mix well with a wooden spoon. Now add 2 tsp. of salt plus 1 tsp of ground pepper and mix well. Form a little meatball and fry and taste-test. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
5. Take a cabbage leaf and place 2  Tablespoons of the meat mixture near the bottom of the leaf. Fold the two ends of the leaf inwards and roll it up into a long narrow shape. (do not roll too tightly as the rice will expand and may break your leaves)
6. Place some spare cabbage leaves on the bottom of your roasting pan and start placing the stuffed cabbage leaves in concentric circles.
7. Place some more loose cabbage leaves over the stuffed cabbage and you may even place a heavy plate on top to prevent them from breaking open.
8. Add the diced tomatoes, 3 cups of low sodium chicken (or vegetable) hot stock into the roasting pan (enough liquid to cover the cabbage by 1 inch), cover with the lid and place into a pre-heated 350F oven (lower rack) for 90 minutes.
9. Take out of the oven, taste a cabbage roll to see if the rice is done – adjust seasoning. If you would like a smoother sauce, carefully tilt the roasting pan and pour out the sauce and purée in a blender and pour back into the pan.
10. Serve the cabbage rolls immediately or reserve for later and simply reheat. Serve with a Voyatzi Estate Xinomavro, Cab. Sauvignon, Merlot blend.

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The winter time in Greece is all about gathering with friends at someone’s home or at a taverna. Bonus points if the taverna has a fireplace…maybe in the center of the room or tucked in one corner. You’re really lucky if you get a table near the fireplace!

My of my favourite wintertime Greek dishes are tiganies (plural for tigania). Tigania comes from the word tigani, a skillet that is used to brown and simmer the meat until fork tender. The usual meat for tigania is pork but I’ve seen variations with chicken, beef, lamb and even versions with mixed meats.

Once again I am using versatile boneless pork butt to make this tigania this version I tasted in my mom’s village of Agios Panteleimon (Florina). The meat was fork-tender, barely any need for a fork and there were some mushrooms in the mix with a delicious sauce ideal for dunking good crusty bread in.

To round out this meze I made a katsamaki or, a cornmeal mash if you will. Most people are familiar with Polenta from northern italy, us northern Greeks have Katsamaki. For introduced this regional dish back in October where I paired stuffed peppers on a bed of Katsamaki. Homemade stock and fresh grated cheese elevates the dish and I’m getting hungry once again thinking about swiping some Katsamaki on some bread then placing a forkful of pork tigania and washing it down with some bold Xinomavro wine.

Complements of the season!

Pork & Mushroom Tigania With Katsamaki

(meze for 4)

1 kg. of pork butt, trimmed of excess fat and cut into fork-sized cubes

2 cups of cremini mushrooms, halved.

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. AP flour

1 355 ml can of lager beer

equal amount of hot water or vegetable/chicken stock

5-6 sprigs of thyme

2 bay leaves

1 small sprig of rosemary leaves

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 1/2 lemon

heavy cream to taste

fresh thyme leaves for garnish

Katsamaki

2 1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup corn meal

grated Kefalotyri cheese (sharp Greek sheep’s milk cheese)

fresh ground pepper

1. Season pork with salt and pepper and place in medium-high heated heavy skillet and lightly brown on all sides. Remove the met then add onions, garlic and sweat for 5 minutes before stirring. Add meat back in, mushrooms, flour and stir for a minute.
2. Add beer, stock, bay, thyme, rosemary and bring up to a boil then cover and reduce to simmer and cook for another 35 minutes. Once thick, add lemon juice and stir in, then cream (optional) and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper
3. For katsamaki, pour your stock into  medium sized pot and heat to the point of almost boiling. Now add a steady stream of cornmeal while whisking. Continue to stir with the whisk to remove any lumps and until you’ve reached a consistency of porridge.
4. Take off the heat and add grated cheese to taste and fresh ground pepper.  Spread a ladle on  plate and top with pork and mushroom tigania. Serve with good crusty bread and pair with a Vaeni Naoussa Xinomavro Grand Reserve.

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I’ve made this pita a few times last month and I am now sharing this festive recipe for a pita containing Pastourma, an air-cured beef with its origins in Caesaria (Cappadocia), Turkey. Greeks have a long history in this area and St. Basil the Great was born here. Yesterday was St. Basil’s day and many many Greeks names after him (Vasillios and Vasilliki) celebrated their nameday.

St. Basil was known to care for the poor and underprivileged and in the Orthodox Christian faith, he is our Father Christmas (St. Nicholas is another dude). Greeks settled in lands far and beyond the borders of today’s Greece and the area of Cappadocia (Caesaria) was one of those regions with many Hellenes and…a food culture.

Pastourma was made and enjoyed by Greeks in Caesaria and those that still make this air-cured meat use old recipes from Cappadocia or from Armenians). Today’s pita contains Pastourma and although it can be made anytime of the year, I think it has more meaning when enjoyed during Christmas, in honour of St. Basil the Great from Caesaria.

You could make Pastourma or you can buy it from some Greek delis, Middle Eastern and Turkish shops have it and some Egyptian stores. The rind on the outside of the meat contains lots of garlic, paprika, cumin, allspice, fenugreek, salt and pepper. The pie I make also contains slices of tomato, a layer of Bechamel sauce and slices of Kefalogravieria cheese. If you can’t find this cheese, the more common Kasseri works wonderfully too!

The final and best component of this pie is the phyllo. I make the Pastourmadopita (Pastourma Pie) using handmade phyllo. Coming from northern Greece, a part of the country with a long and well-known knack for making phyllo pies, I stress that you should use quality melted butter to brush your phyllo sheets with. Phyllo loves butter and when I was given some Stirling Butter to cook with, I knew I had to try it with some homemade phyllo pastry.

Stirling used to only sell their Churn 84 European style (unsalted butter) to restaurants and bakeries but word is out…consumers want Churn 84 and now you can have it!

The inclusion of Bechamel in the filling uses the same cooking philosophy as when making macaroni & cheese. The Bechamel allows the melted cheese to cling onto something. Without it the cheese would melt but also may separate. Bechamel and cheese offer  wonderful creaminess to the filling.

I would serve this as part of a meze/appetizer spread and it would even make a meal with a side salad.

Pastourmadopita (Παστουρμαδόπιτα)

(makes about 24 pieces)

1 recipe for phyllo dough

approx. 1 cup of melted butter

Filling

32-35 slices of Pastourma,

3-4 tomatoes, thinly sliced

3 cups bechamel (3 tbsp. flour, butter, 3 cups warm milk, pinch of salt, fresh grated nutmeg)

1 lb.  sliced kefalograviera cheese (or Kasseri cheese)

a 16″ X 11″ greased baking tray (about 2 inches deep)

1. Make your Bechamel by adding your butter into a medium sized pot over medium heat. Once melted add the flour and stir with  whisk for  minute or so. Now add the warm milk one ladle at a time…whisking each time until the milk has been absorbed by the flour. Keep adding the milk, whisk in and stir until thick. Take off the heat and add a pinch of salt and some fresh grated nutmeg. Place a plastic film over the Bechamel and allow to cool uncovered.
2. Lay your bottom layers of phyllo into the tray, buttering each sheet using a pastry brush then roughly tear the pastourma slices with your hand and spread evenly over the area.
3. Now cover the pastourma with thin slices of tomato then evenly spread the Bechamel over the tomatoes. Finally cover with slices of cheese and cover with the remaining sheets of phllo (again brush each sheet with butter).
4. Brush the top of your pie with melted butter/oil and score the top layer of the pie into your desired size/shape portion. Pre-heat your oven to 350F and place the pita on the middle rack for 50 -60 minutes or until the top is golden and crisp.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before cutting into and serving.

*You could cut the recipe in half and use a box of commercial phyllo or a couple of packages of puff pastry.

** I also sell ready to bake Pastourmadopita

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Last week I had the good fortune of being given two pheasants, just hunted from southern Ontario’s wilderness. The last time I enjoyed pheasant was over 10 years ago and the pheasant was farm-raised, not wild. Farm-raised game birds, boar, venison will be easier to cook than animals from the wild as the animal’s age is monitored (younger animals are more tender) and farm-raised animals aren’t as active as wild game. Wild game are more active = more muscle =less fat= tougher meat.

This past week I also had the pleasure to chat pheasant with Lisa of Pheasant Hill Farms of Owen Sound, Ontario. What I learned about wild pheasant from Lisa is this:

• Hanging wild caught birds (much like beef, lamb, goat) can help soften the meat, add flavour
• Hang the bird for 2-3 days in a cool, dry spot (like your garage) in an environment about 15C
• Leave the feathers and viscera in tact when hanging – oils from the feathers will add flavour to the meat
• Brining the bird will add moisture to the meat
• Braising is ideal for wild game birds like pheasant
• If roasting, sear and finish in a high heat oven to a medium doneness

With this knowledge in mind, farm-raised game birds will be easier to cook with but if you’re fortunate enough to receive wild game from a hunter, accept the honour, challenge of cooking a wild caught bird such as pheasant.

Pheasant is all dark meat, rather lean with a yellow skin when you remove the feathers. On the advice of my mother, we dunked the birds in scalding water to open the birds’ pores and therefore making the task of plucking the pheasant easier. I was given two pheasants and I halved them, brined them, marinated them, seared them and finished them in the oven. While the pheasants roasted in the oven I made a pan sauce with shallots, lots of mushrooms, stock, bay leaves, fresh thyme and heavy cream to thicken the sauce.

Inspiration for this dish comes from the many Greek men who hunt back in Greece, here in Canada and the US, my dearly missed Theio (uncle) Pavlo who loved to hunt,  the George Politis Game & Fish cookbook.

A bed of garlic mashed potatoes, a topping of mushroom cream sauce, serve with 2009 Kir Yanni Ramnista 100% Xinomavro.

Roast Pheasant With Mushroom Cream Sauce

(served 4-6)

2 whole pheasant (wild caught, aged) or farm-raised

sea salt & fresh ground pepper

Brine

water

3/4 cup sea salt

1/4 cup sugar

Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine

6 bay leaves

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, bruised

2 bunches of fresh thyme

zest of 2 lemons

1 medium onion, minced with a box grater

Mushroom Sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, finely diced

3 cups slices mushrooms

2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

4-5 sprigs of thyme

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut your pheasant in half, lengthwise and place in plastic container large enough to hold all halves. Fill with enough water to just cover the meat then remove the pheasant. Now add the salt and sugar and stir until dissolved then return the pheasant halves into the brine, cover and place in the fridge overnight.
2. The next day, remove the pheasant from the brine and set aside. Discard the brine and now make your marinade by adding the olive oil, wine, bay, thyme, rosemary, onion, lemon zest in a deep baking dish and mix well. Now add the pheasant into the marinade and rub all over the meat. Cover and place in the fridge for 4 hours. Return to room temperature before cooking.
3. Pre-heat your oven to 400F and wipe excess marinade off the pheasant and season with salt and pepper. Place a large heavy skillet on your stovetop over medium-high heat and add a couple of turns of olive oil. Sear both sides of the pheasant then place on a baking tray(skin side up) .
4. Place your pheasant in the oven and roast for 2o minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 145F. Remove from the oven, tent with foil and keep warm (on top of the stove).
5. While the pheasant is roasting in the oven, add some more olive oil in the pan along with the diced onions and sweat for five minutes. now add the mushrooms and stir-in (add more oil if needed). Season with salt, pepper and add the flour and stir for another minute.
6. Add the bay, thyme, wine and stock and bring up to a boil then reduce to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. When the sauce has thicknened to the point of coating a wooden spoon, your sauce is done. Add heavy cream to taste, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove thyme sprigs and bay and serve on top of your pheasant with some garlic mashed potatoes.

* Pheasant Facts: Pheasant came to Europe (and eventually US/Canada) from Asia. In particular, it was introduced to Greece by Roman traders and eventually spread throughout the wilds of Europe.

** Today, pheasant is farm-raised all over North America and sold in 1 lb. (young), 2 – 2 1/2 lbs. (adults) and 3-4 lbs. (mature). Mature birds should be braised, not roasted.

***Hank Shaw of Hunter. Angler. Gardener. Cook has some detailed info on hunting pheasant, hanging and of course, cooking.

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You’ve indulged in rich foods over the holidays, perhaps some decadence in the diet? I have too! Now that we’re into January it’s time to look to the vast, delicious and healthy vegetarian Greek dishes that we call Ladera or “oiled”.

The cornerstone of Greek cookery is seasonal ingredients, quality olive oil and prepared in a simple manner that allows the ingredients to shine. Today’s focus is cauliflower, an old dish with its origins said to come from Cyprus, thus adopting the old French name “chou de Chypre” (Cyprus cabbage).

Cauliflower was also introduced to England in 1586 where it was called Cyprus cabbage or colewort. It is a vegetable you likely haven’t seen as most visitors to Cyprus and Greece are there in the summer time, when this is a winter time vegetable!

Here, I am adding cauliflower in a pot with potatoes and onions to make a stew or stifado in Greek. A stifado usually has lots of onions but I’ve toned it down a bit as I still want to taste the cauliflower. Your kitchen will come alive with the aromas of bay, rosemary, onions, Greek oregano and Kalamata olives. Olive oil is the conduit to bring the sauce together and the kale, iron rich kale offers colour and even more taste and health to your dish.

Load the plate, grab some crusty bread and enjoy this delicious, hearty and vegetarian Greek dish.

Culiflower Stifado With Kale & Kalamata Olives (Κουνουπίδι Στιφάδο)

(serves 4)

1 head of cauliflower

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

2-3 bay leaves

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 heaping Tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup of pearl onions, blanched and skins removed

6-7 small potatoes, skin on (skins scrubbed/washed well), cut in half

3-4 cups hot vegetable stock or water

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 cups of wash kale (or other leafy greens), stems removed

1 cup of Kalamata olives

3 Tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

red wine vinegar to taste

1. Remove the leaves of your cauliflower (discard) and wash/trim the head. Turn to the undersides and cut off the florets by turning a paring knife downwards and around the stalk to release the florets.  Add some olive oil into your pot and brown the florets and remove with a slotted spoon. Reserve.
2. Place a large pot on your stovetop and over medium heat add your onions, garlic, bay leaves, red peppers and sweat for 5-6 minutes. Now add the tomato paste, chopped rosemary, pearl onions and potatoes and stir and cook for  minute.
3. Add enough stock/hot water to just cover the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Uncover, add the cauliflower florets (stem side down), the kale and sprinkle some more salt and pepper over the leaves and cover. Simmer for another 10 minutes or until the kale has wilted (the kale will release more water). Now add the olives and cover again and simmer uncovered to thicken the sauce.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, add your dried Greek oregano and red wine vinegar to taste. DO NOT stir but shake the pot back and forth to mix/blend (and not break up your cauliflower).
6. Divide and serve with good crusty bread and serve with a Kir Yanni Akakies Rose.

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Ahhh Moussaka, a dish food historians can’t agree upon who it belongs to or food critics argue about who makes the best one. I can assure you Greeks love Moussaka and our version is usually made with alternating slices of eggplant, meat sauce and topped with a Bechamel sauce. Probably an equal amount of Greek families will add a layer of potato in their Moussaka and then the variations.

I once had an all zucchini version of Moussaka in Mykonos back in the early nineties and I still make this version from time to time. I also like making a Moussaka with one layer of eggplant and the other with zucchini.

Moussaka is very popular and I’m delighted when many friends tell me they love Moussaka. The Turks also make Moussaka, you will find it in the  Levant, Balkans and the name Moussaka itself is Arabic. The Greek version that you and I know has received some massaging and re-tooling over time and Greek Chef Nikos Tselementes can be held largely responsible for this Moussaka shift. Cookbook author & Greek food authority Agalia Kremezi goes into detail about the origins of Moussaka, how in may have been made and how it came to be made in present day Greece.

Today, I am offering up a vegetarian version of Moussaka and one I think you’ll make, especially when you’re looking to skip another meat dish. I am not the first to offer a vegetarian version of Moussaka nor will I be the last. Some will replace the meat with peppers, mushrooms, chick peas, lentils and I’ve even used green beans.

Today I am simply using thicker slices of eggplant and zucchini and substituting the usual topping of Bechamel with a faux version made of mashed potato. You can use leftover mashed potatoes here, there’s some eggs in here to give the potato some lift, grated sharp Greek sheep’s milk cheese we call Kefalotyri and fresh grated nutmeg. The mashed potato makes this vegetarian version of Moussaka filling and you’ll be glad you skipped meat this evening.

If it were Summer I would use ripe, fresh tomatoes and use a box grater to make sauce but alas, it’s January and ripe tomatoes are a distant July memory. So, I encourage you to use a quality jarred sauce as an alternative. Today I am using a jar of Louise Prete Tomato and Basil sauce, just released for sale to the public. Prior, one could only taste this sauce by buying one of Louise Prete’s lasagnas.

Meatless Moussaka

(Serves 4)

2 large eggplants

3 large zucchini

olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

approx. 1 cup breadcrumbs

Sauce

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion

1 jar of Louise Prete tomato sauce

hot water

2 bay leaves

3-4 allspice berries

1/2 tsp. dried Greek oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Topping

4 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

salt to taste

1/4 cup unsalted butter

approx. 1 cup milk

fresh grated nutmeg

1/2 cup grated Kefalotyri cheese (Pecorino Romano if you can’t find it)

1/2 cup plain yogurt (full fat)

2 eggs

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Cut off the stem ends of your eggplants and zucchini and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Brush both sides with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes then flip the vegetables and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the vegetables on paper to absorb excess oil.
2. To make the sauce, place a skillet on your stove and add the olive oil over medium heat and add the diced onions and sweat for 5 minutes. Now add the sauce, bay leaves, allspice plus fill the jar with hot water and pour into the skillet and bring up to  boil then reduce to a simmer. Add some salt and pepper and cook for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is thick. Remove bay leaves and allspice and add the dried Greek oregano. Set aside.
3. In the meantime, place your potatoes in  medium pot and add some salt and cover. Bring to a boil then simmer until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain off the water, add butter and mash your potatoes then add milk while mashing. Add some salt and pepper (remember we are also going to add cheese later, so take it easy). Remove from heat, allow to cool.
4. Once the mashed potato is cooled, add the cracked eggs, yogurt and whip the potatoes with  a hand mixer. Now add the grated cheese and fresh grated nutmeg and mix in.
5. Assemble your Moussaka by first sprinkling breadcrumbs on the bottom of a 10″ x 10″ deep baking dish. Now lay the eggplant down to cover the entire area. Now spread half the sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle more breadcrumbs over the sauce followed by a layer of zucchini slices to once again cover the entire area.
6. Spread the remaining sauce over the zucchini followed by one last sprinkle of bread crumbs. Now spread the cooled mashed potato over the entire area and evenly spread with an offset spatula.
7. Sprinkle some more grated Kefalotyri over the potato and place in your pre-heated 375 oven (middle rack) for 30-40 minutes or until top is just golden.
8. Remove the Moussaka from your oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Pair with an En Oeno Rose from Eklekton.

*For best results, bake your Moussaka earlier in the day and allow to cool completely so you get perfect pieces. Simply reheat at 300F for 15 minutes then cut, slice and serve.

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• Some great Greek wine deals at Ontario’s LCBO
• Acropolis Museum to host art work shops
• Greek food bank struggles to meet demand
• Trash from old Thessaloniki hospital gives us a glimpse of life in Thessloniki during WWI
• Catch the sounds of Imam Baildi at Koo Koo Bar in Gazi (Athens) each Friday in January

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NO…not the boxed one most of us grew up with but a down home, comforting casserole of elbow macaroni tossed in a cheese sauce and baked until just golden and crisp on top.

I’ve always loved macaroni and cheese and today I am going to share the my recipe, which also borrows some inspiration from the legendary Horn & Hardart recipe which many Americans tasted at the famous Automats in/around New York City for almost a century.

Most good macaroni & cheeses begin with a roux (butter and flour), warm milk and grated cheese are added into the mix. This cheezy mixture then gets tossed in parboiled pasta and then baked until just golden on top. That’s the basic version.

Now here’s my version: grated onions are added into the mix, some mustard powder, tomato purée, grated aged cheddar cheese and some grated nutmeg. The tomato addition borrows from the Automat macaroni & cheese and I love it as it adds another dimension to the colour and flavour of the dish.

I used some jarred tomato sauce (passata) but you may use what’s to your tastes. This macaroni cheese is my favourite and I hope it becomes yours too!

THE Macaroni & Cheese

(serves 4-6)

2 1/2 cups elbow macaroni

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 small onion, grated/minced

1 Tbsp. mustard powder

1/4 cup tomato puree/sauce

pinch of sugar

2 cups warm milk

salt and pepper

1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg

2 cups grated aged cheddar cheese

breadcrumbs for topping

Pre-heated 400F oven

1. Place a large pot of water on your stove-top and bring to a boil. Season the water with salt and boil the pasta for 6 minutes. Strain and empty into a deep baking dish/casserole and toss with some butter until well-coated. Reserve.
2. Place a medium sized pot on your stove-top and over medium heat add the butter and grated/minced onion and stir occasionally as it sweats for five minutes. Now add the flour, mustard powder, tomato puree, sugar and stir for a two minutes.
3. Now slowly whisk in the warm milk…in 1/2 cup increments…adding milk after each previous 1/2 cup has thickened the sauce. Add a pinch of salt, some ground pepper and grated nutmeg.
4. Now add your grated cheese in batches and stir in…adding another batch only when the previous has melted into the sauce. Take off the heat and pour into the baking dish with the cooked macaroni and stir well.
5. Top with bread crumbs and bake on the middle rack for approx. 15 minutes or until top is golden. Remove from the oven, allow to cool 15 minutes before serving.

*Go ahead, add some diced ham, cooked sausage or crisp bacon in the mix before baking.

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Old port of Chania, Crete

• Food & Wine of Ancient Greece dinner happening in Toronto on Jan.27th, some seats avaialable
• The Wine Ponce recommends three Greeks wines available here in Ontario (LCBO)
• There’s a Big Fat Greek Dinner cooking up in Buffalo, NY on Feb.24th
• Mountovina is a beverage made of fermented honey and bee wax in Halkidiki
• A well-preserved Byzantine chapel is found under Turkish mud
• Greece vs. Germany – a hilarious video clip with some dining humour

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© 2013, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca 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.

The post Greek Food Gazette 18/01/2013 appeared first on Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond.

I am delighted that my recent recipe for Cauliflower Stifado was very well received and many readers tried out the dish and loved it! I am back today with another cauliflower dish, this time it’s tossed with pasta, green and black olives, capers with a pinch of heat and lots of shaved Greek Graviera cheese.

It is not a complicated dish and the sauce comes together within the time it takes for your pasta to cook. Like most simple dishes, the success and flavour hinges on quality ingredients like extra-virgin olive oil, I love the green olive oils of Halkidiki and of course, Kalamata olives.

Graviera cheese is the Greek Gruyere, made of sheep’s milk and made in many parts of the country. I love Graviera from Crete, it even has big holes in it like a Gruyere! Your choice of pasta is wide open but I chose bow-ties (farfalle) as they mimic the look of my cauliflower, thinly shaved with a vegetable peeler.

Open a glass of Greek wine, try out this simple yet delicious pasta dish and enjoy this simple meal.

Bow-Tie Pasta With Cauliflower, Olives & Graviera Cheese

(serves 4)

500 gr. package of bow-tie pasta

approx. 12 cauliflower florets

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

pinch of Boukovo or chilli flakes

approx. 1 cup hot pasta water

6-7 pitted green olives, sliced

6-7 pitted black olives, sliced

2 Tbsp. chopped capers

salt and pepper to taste

extra olive oil for finishing

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or scallion greens

shavings of Graviera cheese

1. Place a large pot of water on your stovetop and bring to a bowl. Season the water well with sea salt and as soon as the water returns to a boil, add the pasta and cook for approx. 6 minutes. Strain and reserve.
2. In the meantime, with a vegetable peeler, slice your cauliflower into thin slices and reserve. Now place a large skillet on your stove-top and add the olive oil, garlic and chilli flakes and sweat over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
3. Now add the cauliflower, hot water and cover. Allow the cauliflower to steam for 2-3 minutes then uncover and add the sliced olives and capers and reduce for another 3-4 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated.
4. If your pasta is ready, strain and add into the skillet with the sauce and gently toss to incorporate. Add the lemon juice, chives and gently toss and divide and plate. Drizzle more extra-virgin olive oil, another pinch of Boukovo, shavings of Graviera cheese and serve with Skouras white Roditis/Moschofilero blend.

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© 2013, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca 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.

The post Bow-Tie Pasta With Cauliflower, Olives & Graviera Cheese appeared first on Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond.