Showing posts with label Greek Cuisine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greek Cuisine. Show all posts

Friday, April 27, 2012

TAHINOMELO WITH MAHLAB - TAHINOMELO AU MAHLEB

Lately, while looking out of the window, the following lyrics, sung in 1982 by the mighty Glenn Danzig, leader of my favorite punk formation (The Misfits – Danzig Era only, 1977-1983) constantly popped up in my mind:
Brains for dinner
Brains for lunch
Brains for breakfast
Brains for brunch
Brains at every single meal,
Why can't we have some guts?

OI! OI! OI!

Brains are all we ever get at this rotten fucking place,
brains are all we ever get, why can't we have a change of pace! ]…[
Don’t get me wrong, no brains were involved. As a matter of fact, I was thinking about the rain that had not stopped bugging us on a daily basis since about a month.  After such an extensive period of precipitations, it started to get so boring and frustrating that, very much like the vocalist of that mythic band, I quotidianly prayed for "a change of pace”. Unfortunately, cursing the dark clouds, invoking our brightest star and hoping that it will finally hug us with its warm arms proved unsuccessful until today. I really thought that I'd lose my marbles if the meteorological calamities continued to strike us and the status quo was maintained for another 24 hours!

 Although nature desperately necessitated intense watering considering that the Siberian winter we experienced at the beginning of the year (January and February) left the grounds dry and the vegetation severely dehydrated, the sad, monotonus and dreary weather began to negatively affect my mood.

You see, it can get extremely tedious to wake up every morning to grey blankness. I dearly missed the pure and blinding April light, the birds' ear-tearing cacophony of joy as well as contemplating the rays of the sun play with the lush green leaves on the trees. In lieu of that, all I could observe was an aqua deluge and apart from the sound of thousand of drops hitting hard the concrete and the howls of the semi-cyclonic gusts of winds that shook the whole building, nothing else was to be heard.

When you’ve been looking forward to spring and instead, winter comes back with full force and slaps you in the face with a mighty roar, thus shattering your optimism and scattering it all over the floor like the countless petal confettis that cascaded down from the trees and were dispersed all over the muddy ground, there is absolutely no way this can make you feel enthusiastic. All the contrary.

Much to my dispair, the violent Bise and strong downpours have washed away the marvelous fruit tree blossoms and prevented us from enjoying those iconic flowers as much as we wanted. With such stormy and miserable conditions I’ve had problems gathering enough motivation to go out for walks and brave the deluvial precipitations, crazy gales as well as fresh temperatures. Cocooning was definitively a more adequate option... 
You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.  
- Brian Tracy
That reminds me of an important lesson of acceptance and resignation each one of us should learn as it would spare us a lot of trouble, unhappiness and senseless stress if we understood that we cannot have an authoritative influence over everything.

Nowadays, society is obsessed with controlling and conquering the world and what surrounds it. People hate powerlessness as it makes them incredibly anxious and uncomfortable. They are terrorized by the idea that some elements in our existence are out of our hands and totally depend on fate. 

We all can choose the path we take, our conduct, the attitude we have towards things and the individuals we want to be acquainted with, yet we cannot decide which events or circumstances we’ll come across on our journey as a manifested individual. There is no denying that a supreme principle exists behind them and that our luck as well as misfortune are not always easily explainable.
Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man.
- Henry B. Adams
The more chaos there is, the more science holds on to abstract systems of control, and the more chaos is engendered.
- William Irwin Thompson
None of us is entirely the master of our destiny. We contribute to it, but only to a certain degree. This fundamental force in the universe has always been there and will remain until the end of time. Even modern science recognizes it. Forever, humans have had to deal with chaos and unpredictability. Hence, resisting those incertainties is senseless. One should rather embrace them, make the most of them and recognize the possibilities they offer. Anarchy rules the cosmos. It has a purpose that evades us and the portion of unknown which is thrown into the equation is what makes our life even the more exciting.

Spring Flowers 1 1 bis
Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth.
- Tom Barrett
I have great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift.
- Septima Clark
Creativity in its most meaningful sense renders order out of chaos. True creativity engenders new coherent form from existing patterns or ideas. The creative mind is not subdued by the apparent anarchy of random chaos.
- J.L. Read
In order to be creative, artists need to be organized as well as hectic. No art is born without a little discipline and a good dose of unbounded wackiness. Those components are complementary and if you seek to generate craft exclusively with either one of them, then you’ll get nowhere. In the kitchen, the same theory can be applied. No chef can cook like a beserker unless he/she incorporates a certain amount of method to his/her deliriousness. 

It is beautiful to see that there is a hidden plan behind everything and that even the most crazy phenomenon has a reason of being and a deeper meaning behind its apparent randomeness. This is why I believe that door’s will open for you when the stars are aligned and the right moment has arrived.

So, when life hands you lemons, don't dispair and "say oh yeah I love lemons, what else you got?" (quote by
Henry Rollins). Remember that this is the result of your actions combined to a higher pattern (equation composed of controllable & uncontrollable factors: actions + attitude+ place + time + character + unpredictability = fate). You are not getting what you want because you have engaged yourself in the wrong direction and you are lost (not morally speaking). Thus, if you want to influence your kismet in a more positive manner, then it is essential to rethink your doings and turn bad situations to your advantage by adjusting your karma (every action or manifestation marks a rupture of equilibrium, so to counterbalance that, a corresponding reaction is demanded - concordant actions and reactions). In one word, never give up as you have some cards in hands and can still alter the course of your route... 

Since my photography "studio" is situated on my balcony, the unfriendly climate and lack of light of the last four weeks have greatly compromised my photoshoot projects. Seing my projects fizzle out has upset me immensely, yet I refused to let that discourage me and annihilate my cheerfulness or sap my energy, hence I decided that it was indeed a good excuse to relax a bit.


An auspicious contretemps and message from the sky which I greeted with open arms as I'm suffering from a photographer's and writer's block at the moment. I have the impression of turning in circles and inspiration just fails me. Anyway, I'm am pretty sure my readers don't mind if I occasionnaly publish a "simple" recipe and slightly slow up my posting rythm in order to regain my strength and not develop a bad case of blogging burnout (we wouldn't want that to occur, would we?).

Hence, the speciality I am presenting today is uncomplicated. Nonetheless, it is far from being uninteresting or ordinary. "Tahinomelo" (ταχινόμελο, pronounced tah-hee-NO-meh-loh) is a luscious Greek sweet sesame spread made with tahini and honey which is without a doubt foreign to the majority of my non Hellenic or Middle Eastern readers.

Not only is it easy to make as it requires only three ingredients, but it is also delicious, refined, very healthy, nourishing and is a great alternative to other industrial pastes that are far more calorific and less wholesome in comparison with that 100% natural treat. A perfect breakfast, brunch or snack indulgence!

Tahinomelo 2 1 bis
Tahinomelo With Mahlab
Recipe by Rosa Mayland, April 2012.

Makes about a cup of tahinomelo.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Tahini
3/8 Cup (1/4 + 1/8 Cups) Runny honey
1/8 Cup Water
1/2 Tsp Mahlab (optional)

Method:
1. In a medium bowl, add the tahini and whisk together mith the water until you get a solid mass.
2. Incorporate the honey and and mahlab. Whisk hard until you get a smooth and pale spread that has the consistency of Nutella.
3. Serve.

Remarks:
If the paste is too thick or not sweet enough for your taste, then add a little more honey.
Tahinomelo can be stored unrefrigerated for several days, well covered.
Before every use, stir it well.

Serving suggestions:
Spread on bread (whole grain preferably), toast or crackers.
It is also perfect for making banana sandwiches.

Tahinomelo 1 5 bis
Tahinomelo Au Mahleb
Recette par Rosa Mayland, Avril 2012.

Pour environ 1 tasse de tahinomelo.

Ingrédients:
1/2 Tasse de Tahini
3/8 de Tasse (1/4 + 1/8 de tasse) de Miel liquide
1/8 de Tasse d'Eau
1/2 de CC de Mahlep (optionel)

Méthode:
1. Dans un bol moyen, foutter ensemble le tahini et l'eau afin d'obtenir une masse solide.
2. Incorporer le miel et le mahleb tout en fouettant énergiquement jusquà obtention d'une pâte étalable et ayant la consistance du Nutella.
3. Servir.


Spring Flowers 7 9 bis
Remarques:
Si la pâte est trop épaisse et pas assez sucrée à votre goût, alors vous pouvez ajouter un peu plus de miel.
Le tahinomelo peut être conservé à température ambiante pendant plusieurs jours.
Bien mélanger avant chaque utilisation.

Idées de présentations:
Tartiner sur du pain (pain complet aux graines de préférence), des toasts ou des crackers.
Cette pâte à tartiner est parfaite pour faire des sandwich à la banane.

Tahinomelo 4 6 bis

Friday, October 28, 2011

DRIED FIG TORTE - A GUEST POST BY PETER FROM "SOUVLAKI FOR THE SOUL"

Today, I have decided to interrupt my little holiday hiatus in order to present to you a Australian blogger who lives in the inner city of Sydney (New South wales) and whom I admire a lot. Peter Georgakopulos is of Greek descent and is the talented man behind the uniquely amazing blog "Souvlaki For The Soul".

I have been a big fan of his since a quite a while (a few years at least) and have seen how he developped his skills in order to become the accomplished cook and photographer that he is now. Peter's pictures are perfectly staged, full of personality and sensitivity, mindblowingly beautiful as well as gorgeously moody, and the Greek-inspired recipes are always refined in their apparent simplicity and homeliness, absolutely tempting and straight-forward. There is a certain sincerity, brilliance, zenitude and peacefulness behind his magazine-like creations.

Needless to say that I am extremely thrilled by the prospect of sharing one of his lovely posts on Rosa's Yummy Yums as it is a real honor as well as pleasure for me to introduce him to you, dear readers and to be able to host his remarkable work here.

Thank you so much, Peter!
As usual, you have outdone yourself. This irresistible torte is fabulous and your clicks are just out-of-this-world.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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I’m very excited and honoured to be doing a guest post on Rosa’s blog today! I know it's been said like a million times but the Internet really has the power to connect people in the most unusual ways. Here I am-an Australian of Greek descent writing for a blog colleague and friend of Swiss/Anglo descent in Switzerland! You’ve got to love the times we live in!

pic2
However, I'm not here to ramble on about social media and the like. I'm here to share a recipe with Rosa and all her wonderful readers. I know Rosa loves Middle Eastern and Turkish foods. And I also know how she loves a sweet treat every know and then. Just take a look at her stunning recipe for "Viennese Sachertorte" or her delightful "Spicy Dasmson Plum Roly Poly! So, I thought I'd make myself comfortable in her blog and share with you a recipe for my dried fig torte.

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There's something quite magical and even sensual about eating figs. Every time I bite into one, it's like I'm biting into a piece of honeycomb. I adore their natural, sweet taste. What I enjoy even more are dried figs. Once these morsels have been kissed by the sun they take on a stronger, caramelised flavour. It's this intensity that drives my taste buds crazy. They're great to snack on, fantastic with yoghurt for breakfast and they provide a great ending to a dinner party when presented with a cheese platter. You gotta love their versatility!

pic4
I have to admit I'm a bit of a “cake man”. Give me a slice of cake with a little whipped cream and I'm a happy camper. This "Dried Fig Torte" is just perfect with a nice “cuppa” in the afternoon. The batter uses a little almond meal to make it moist and the part I love the most is taking a bite and finding bits of dried figs in the mix. Pair it up with some whipped cream that has been blended with ground cinnamon, serve it with a good drop of muscatel dessert wine and you have nirvana!

Just a note: I used “Greek” dried figs for this recipe (I sourced these at a local shop). If you can't use dried figs then use fresh ones or some other dried fruit. The cake itself is quite accommodating to any flavour. That's the beauty of it. Hope you enjoy the cake Rosa!

Recipe has been adapted from
here.

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

KOULOURAKIA - GREEK COOKIES

A few days ago, Zarpandit at "Cikolota & Istanbul" from Turkey kindla sent me a packet with lots of wonderful gifts from Turkey. I received loukoumi (Turkish delight), two dainty coffee cups, a traditional coffee pot (cevze), some Turkish coffee and a spice called mahlep (or mahleb). It really made my day and filled me with joy. What great items.Thanks so much dear friend!

So, as I had been dy
ing to try mahlep since a long while, I thought that it would be a good idea if I baked something with that special spice. I was really eager to try it out and wanted to make cookies for Christmas so I baked a batch of "Koulourakia" cookies (pronounced: koo-loo-RAHK-yah).

Those traditional sesame topped Greek cookies are generally made at Easter time. Mostly shaped like a twisted rope, these cookies are also often shaped into figure eights, braids or twisted wreaths. They are a kind of shortbread, a bit crunchy, buttery but not too sweet.

"Koulourakia" are maybe simple cookies, but they taste heavenly nonetheless. The mahlep spice which is made from black cherry kernels somewhat tastes like cherries and almonds. It adds a very unique, distinctive and delicate flavor that is uncomparable, thus making those cookies irresistible.

~ Koulourakia ~
Recipe found on the blog "World In Our Oven" (India).

Makes about 30 cookies.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup (120g) Unsalted butter
1/2 Cup (105g) Caster sugar
3 Egg yolks
1/4 Cup (60g) Half and half (light cream/see remarks)
2 1/4 Cup (287g) All purpose flour
1 Tsp Baking powder
1/4 Tsp Sea salt
1 Tsp Ground mahlep
2 to 3 Tbsp Sesame seeds

Method:
1. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar till creamy.
2. Beat in 2 of the egg yolks, one at a time.
3. Mix in 3 tbsps of the half and half.
4. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and Mahlep powder; gradually add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly.
5. To shape the cookies, pinch off 1-inch balls of dough; roll each into a 7-inch strand. Bring the ends together and twist (or form into a pretzel shape, if preferred).
6. Place slightly apart on a greased baking sheet.
7. Beat remaining egg yolk with remaining half and half; brush lightly over the cookies and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
8. Bake in a 180° C (350° F) oven for 15 minutes till golden.
9. Transfer to racks and cool completely.
10. Store in airtight tins.

Remarks:
I you have any half and half, whisk together half cream (25% fat) and half milk (3% fat).
You can leave out the ground mahlep if you want.
You can also roll those cookies and cut them out with cookie cu
tters.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with a cup of Turkish coffee.

More festive recipes over here...
***************

~ Koulourakia ~
Recette trouvée sur le blog "World In Our Oven" (Inde).

Pour environ 30 biscuits.

Ingrédients:
120g de Beurre non-salé
105g de Sucre cristallisé
3 Jaunes d'oeufs
60g de Crème à café (voir remarques)
287g de Farine blanche
1 CC de Poudre à lever
1/4 se CC de Sel marin
1 CC de Mahleb en poudre
2 à 3 CS de Graines de sésame

Méthode:
1. A l'aide d'un mixer, battre le beurre avec le sucre afin d'obtenir un mélange mousseux.
2. Incorporer 2 jaunes d'oeufs, l'un après l'autre.
3. Incorporer 3 CS de crème à café.
4. Dans un autre bol mélanger ensemble le farine, la poudre à lever, le sel et le mahleb, puis ajouter au mélange au beurre. Bien incorporer afin d'obtenir une pâte.
5. Former des boules de la taille d'une noix, puis confectionner de minces lanières de 18cm de longueur. Pliez chaque lanière en deux et tournez les pour former une torsade.
6. Mettre sur une plaque recouverte de papier sulurisé en laissant un espace entre chaque biscuit.
7. Battre le jaune d'oeuf restant avec le reste de crème à café et badigeonner les biscuits avec ce mélange. Saupoudrer avec les graines de sésame.
8. Cuire à 180° C pendant 15 minutes jusqu'à ce que les biscuits soient dorés.
9. Mettre les biscuits sur une grille afin qu'ils refroidissent.
10. Conserver dans des boites en métal.

Remarques:
Si vous n'avez pas de crème à café, alors mélanger une moitié de lait avec une moitié de crème à 25%.
Le mahlep n'est pas obligatoire dans cett
e recette.
Ces cookies peuvent être découpés à l'aide d'emporte-pièces une fois la pâte étalée.

Idées de présentation:
Servir ces biscuits aved du café turc.

Pour plus de recettes festives, suivez le lien, merci.

Monday, November 17, 2008

MEETING IVY OF "KOPIASTE"

~ Ivy and yours truely ~
What a surprise I had when I opened my e-mail box on Thursday the 6th of November and discovered a message from Ivy of "Kopiaste...To Greek Hospitality" from Greece telling me that she had finally decided to visit Switzerland with her husband...

~ Kourabiedes Cookies ~
As their son works in Geneva at the CERN and lives in neighboring France (see her post 1 & Post 2), Ivy wanted to know if I'd be willing to meet her somewhere in town in order to have a chat over a cup of coffee. How exciting! As you can imagine, it didn't take me long to accept her invitation!

~ Saganotyri Cheese & Spartan Country Sausages ~
So, on Tuesday of the following week, we (Ivy, her friendly husband and I/see her post here) spent the whole afternoon talking about this and that (mainly about food, food, food and again food, as you can imagine!), had coffee and a delicious cake, and went shopping in food stores.

~ Quince Gliko, Cookie Box & Kourabiedes ~
On top of that, they spoilt me with wonderfully scrumptious Greek food gifts such as homemade "Quince Gliko (Spoon Sweets)", "Mastic Gum", "Spartan Country Sausages", "Saganotyri Cheese (similar to Halloumi Cheese)" and "Almond Cookies (Kourabiedes)". Wow!

Thanks for everything, Ivy!
You are so sweet!

Monday, August 13, 2007

GREEK LEMON ROASTED POTATOES

In 1996, I visited Greece with my college class. We travelled all the way from Geneva to the Peloponnese by bus (with an 18 hours ferry trip across the Adriatic, from Ancona in Italy to Patras). During ten gorgeous days we went through parts of Boeotia, most of the Peloponnese and the Attica. The trip was fabulous and I will always remember that wonderful country for it's beautiful landscapes, welcoming as well as generous inhabitants and delicious food!

Since that very day, I have been very keen on testing Greece's various recipes and informing myself on it's antique, humble yet rich and unique cuisine/culinary traditions. In that place, there's areal philosophy behind eating as it's considered a big pleasure...

Although I discovered many different dishes, there's one speciality (alo
ng with "Moussaka") I ate a lot when i was still at home and loved long before going to Greece: "Lemon Roasted Potatoes". As it is a recipe that is very dear to my heart, I thought that I must share it with you as it would be a "crime" to keep it all for myself...

Those "Greek lemon Roasted Potatoes (Ellinikos Lemoni Patatas)" are maybe simple and basic, but they are nonetheless succulent, mind-blowing, very summery and tasty! They are so deliciously lemony, delicately herby, perfectly aromatised with olive oil and scrumptiously garlicky that it's hard to resist them...

If you want to invite the sun at your table, then that's the right dish to prepare!

~ Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums


Serves 4 people.

Mani, Peloponnese.
Ingredients:
1kg (2 pounds) waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 6 or 8 wedges
1/3 Cup Olive oil
The juice of 1 or 2 lemons (or more to taste)
3-4 Cloves garlic, crushed
Dried oregano, to taste
A hint of paprika (optional)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F).
2. In an ovenproof dish, add all ingredients and stir well.
3. Bake the potatoes for 1 to 1 1/4 hours and
stir every now and then during cooking to coat with the herby oil/sauce.
4.
Serve when the potatoes are cooked through.

Remarks:
You can add more lemon or olive oil. It all depends you, therefore I recommend you to taste the sauce first and then, correct the seasonings if needed.
The potatoes are ready when cooked through (test with a knife), golden and crispy.

Serving suggestions:
Eat this as a main course with a salad or use it as a side dish to accompany roasted/grilled meat like lamb, chicken or pork.
You can also serve with feta cheese...

(Lemeni Village/Mani - Pic by Nikolaos Sotirios Koumaris www.trekearth.com)