Your Dreams Coming True In The Kitchen

 Above left: skin on cuttlefish / above right skin taken off, cleaned and washed  C uttlefish, Calamari, and similar can be eaten during Christian Orthodox Lent and any other time of the year. When they are well cleaned as the two on the picture to left it is very easy  to cook them.  They are treated just like any other protein but need some extra time cooking. I usually cook this dish with tomato sauce, tomato paste, sun dried tomatoes lots of garlic, sliced olives, capers, origano, white wine and..... CHILI  peppers (or one Habanero pepper).

Semi conventional wok with front handle. Cost: 7 Euro Fancy wok with Grid and Cover Cost:  115 Euro      Two tier Chinese bamboo steamer

T oday is "T s i k n o  -  P e m p t y" in Greece. Tsikno means meat grilling over hot charcoal with the aroma and smoke filling the air, and Pempty mean Thursday. So, today, Thursday, according to the Greek Orthodox Church, all who follow the religious traditions (even those who don't), can eat as much meat as they want due to the coming 40 day abstinence from eating anything alive before Easter. We, as a family do not follow this tradition.  We intend to follow the Jamie Oliver Greek inspired spinach pie and feta cheese. I found his way of preparing the spinach pie more interesting compared to mine. (My recipe dated December 16th 2010). However I would like to share with you a typically Enlish Sunday meal called Roast Beef with Yorkshire pudding. Fix this meal today if you have time or some Sunday.

Fig.1 Meat Syringe to pump brine/cure  into meat Fig.3 Pot with brine cure and pickle Fig.2  Equipment used  to hold herbs attached to meat. Fig.6 Meat after curing fat side down   Fig.4 Curing meat in pot refrigerated for a few days at a temperature between 0 - 4 degrees C. Fig.7 Rosemary - Thyme - Sage from my terrace.      Fig.5 Meat after curing fat side up Fig.8 Herbs attached to meat by special net.  Fig.11 Cooking the ham. Fig.9 Waiting for water to reach 75 degrees C.         Fig.10 Cooking the ham keeping temperature at around 75 degrees C M y friends today I would like to share with you an experiment I did. I am trying make a cured and boiled ham at home.  Of course it is far from being the boiled ham you buy at the store but it is home made and I know what I used.  The outcome though was delicious ...

I like my omelet juicy and fluffy. This means that I don't like it to be dry, flat and overcooked. I will share with you my way of cooking an omelet.  Mind you a good omelet is difficult to prepare. When preparing an omelet for someone you do not know you should always ask how he/she would like it :runny or dry. Any additions to an omelet, except cheese, must be precooked, dry, ready and warm. You don't want any juices running into your omelet. You will need: Serves 2 -  6 big fresh eggs -  100 gms of wild mushrooms roughly chopped. -  30 gms of good fresh butter. -  1/2 tsp. of baking soda. -  2 Tbsp. fresh parsley very finely chopped. -  Salt and pepper to taste. Method -  In a small non stick frying pan melt half of the butter over medium heat, add the mushrooms and some parsley and stir until all liquids are expelled, strain, keep the liquid and freeze for futur...

S ometimes it is great to cook something very quickly and not to have to hassle around for a long time in the kitchen. Skillet cooked swordfish slices is quick and easy. The slices of this fish are usually roundish and big so it really depends on your appetite. Fish in general cooks quickly, is very light, and full of water.

A rnaki Kleftiko means the Robber's way of cooking lamb.