Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Regional recipes





I am never punctual when it comes to my blog (or life in general, for that matter), but I come through in the end. So here I am with some traditional recipes, from the island of Lesvos or Agiasos in particular.




Cabbage rolls filled with cod





makes 4 average-sized portions


Ingredients:


  • 1/2 cod (here we sell each piece of fish individually, they are really salty and you need to put them in cold water from the night before, in order to get them ready to use. Change the water 3-4 times.)
  • 1 big cabbage, separated into cabbage leaves
  • 1 cup white rice
  • 2 onions, minced
  • 1 tomato, grated (made into tomato pulp)
  • a handful of fresh parsley and spearmint
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • pepper to your liking


Preparation:
  1. Cut the cod into tiny pieces and place it in a bowl.
  2. Add the rice, onions, tomato, parsley, spearmint, pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the bowl and mix well with a spoon.
  3. Boil some water into a large pot and dip the cabbage leaves in it, for about 2 minutes. Drain.
  4. Take each cabbage leave, fill it with some of the bowl mixture and close it, forming a roll.
  5. Place your rolls into a large pot, add the olive oil, enough water so that all are covered, and cover the pot with a dish, turned upside down. Cook for about an hour, in low temperature.

Sfougato (oven-baked zucchini omelet)







Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 kg grated zucchini
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 1/2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 1/2 cup hard cheese (like parmesan, for example), grated
  • a bunch of fresh parsley or dill, chopped
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
  • 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
  • salt and pepper to your liking

Preparation:

  1. Place the grated zucchini in a colander, add salt and let them drain for about an hour, occasionally pressing them with a spoon.
  2. Place them in a bowl and add the feta cheese, the parmesan, the parsley/dill, 2 tablespoons flour and some pepper.
  3. Beat 5 eggs with heavy cream/evaporated milk and gradually add them to the bowl too.
  4. Butter a medium-sized pan and add the bread crumbs at the bottom.
  5. In a small pot, melt the rest of the butter with the olive oil and combine it with the yolk of the 6th egg.
  6. Put the bowl mixture into the pan, top it with the butter/olive oil/egg yolk mixture, sprinkle with some water and bake at 360 F for approximately 50 minutes.


Bon apetit!



So... now that you know the procedure, what do you say? Does it seem easy or hard? What hit you as weird/unfamiliar? I have to add that the Greeks are generally non-measure cooks, but I tried to be as precise as possible, when it came to ingredient amounts.

In my next post, I will be posting the recipe for giouzlemedes and anthoi. Until then, eat well and have fun!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Mmmm... what are we having?

Hello, hello! It is time for a new post today. And since you asked for regional recipes last time, you're gonna get some authentic ones.
But first, a quick introduction (or revision) on what people from the island of Mytilene usually eat. As all Greeks, they love fresh vegetables, herbs, olive oil and fish. But in order to honour their own beloved drink "ouzo", they have it with a lot of appetizers, or "mezedes", as they are called here. Sometimes, there is no main course that follows, and dinner consists merely of an assortment of those yummy mezedes.

In order to give you a better idea on what we Greeks eat, I will provide you with a menu that you would be likely to find in a typical restaurant here. So grab your (virtual) forks and let's go! Beware: Major drooling ahead!




Mezedes

  • Giouzlemedes: Little cheese pies, fried.


  • Anthoi: Zucchini flowers stuffed with zucchini filling, cheese and herbs.



  • Bourekakia: Fried rolls, stuffed with cheese and ham.





  • Sfougato: Zucchini omelet, oven-baked.





  • Tzatziki: Classic appetizer consisting of Greek yoghurt, cucumber, garlic and (sometimes) dill.



  • Kavourosalata: Crab salad with mayo.

  • Taramosalata: Appetizer usually eaten during Lent, consisting of mashed fish eggs (sounds weird, but tastes delicious).




  • Patatokeftedes: Fried potato-cheese balls.


Salads

  • Greek salad / Horiatiki: Another classic, made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, feta cheese, and an olive oil-vinegar-oregano dressing.



  • Green salad: Various "green" stuff, usually "wild" ones, aka collected from mountain slopes and not gardens.



  • Beet salad: With a vinegar and mashed garlic dressing.

Main courses

  • Grilled octopus



  • Fresh fish, fried or grilled

  • Fried calamari


  • Grilled sausages


  • Kopsidia: Grilled pork pieces.

  • Fried meatballs

Desserts

  • Greek yoghurt with honey and nuts

  • Halvas




  • "Spoon" dessert: Made with boiled fruit and sugar.



Bon apetit!



So, that was it... I'll give you some time to dream about all this delicious food, and I will come back with some recipes! I hope you liked it!