Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two, then mash.
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]]>Pasta has always been part and parcel of the Greek larder. It seems more likely that pasta may not have come from any one place but from several, including ancient Greece. Greeks for many millenia prepared a kind of primitive pasta in the form of a grilled batter they called laganum. The word may be the etymological root of what the Italians now call lasagna. Even the word for macaroni might have Greek origins, from the makaria, as in funerary dish. Wheat-based foods, usually sweetened, are highly symbolic of rebirth and regeneration and thus have always been associated with the foods served in honor of the dead.
To each his own (pasta)
Anyhow, Greeks are a nation of bread eaters and subsequently there is a vast diversity of regional pasta throughout the country. There are at least dozens, if not more, different traditional Greek pastas and certainly hundreds of ways to cook them.
Before the advent of refrigeration, pasta was a necessity in every household kitchen. For one, it was a way to preserve eggs, although not all Greek pasta contains eggs; it was also a way to ensure that there was always something, however simple, ready to cook and an easy solution to feeding a large, hungry family.
Chylopites, kofto macaronaki, kritharaki, trachanas… Greek words that may sound weird, but refer to types of Greek pasta used in everyday recipes around the country. Greek dough miracles. In the past, women used to make their own homemade pasta, usually during the summer months (after harvesting), when plenty of raw materials was available. They made the dough, worked it, cut or rubbed it by hand into small pieces and then laid it out in the sun to dry. Then, the pasta was put away in fabric pouches in their cellars to keep throughout the year.
Passing the torch
Nowadays, grandmothers’ tradition has passed on to small family businesses and women’s cooperatives that craft the fine high quality pasta as it used to be, using only the best and purest of ingredients. One of those bearers of tradition is “Thracian Pasta”, the brandname of a family company from Thrace, the northeastern-most part of Greece, established in 2004 in the Aigeiros area of Komotini. The company produces mainly chilopites, couscous and trachanas, which they export in Germany and Italy (oh, the irony!), while also having grasped a sizeable part of the domestic market.
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]]>The post Cheeselover’s Guide To The “Old World” appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .
]]>At the same time, all available data points to continuous growth for the sector due to increasing global demand in the coming years. Resilience and sustainability are key words for the future of producers, which can be achieved by combining tradition and innovation, as a way to reconcile the need for farmers/cheese makers to earn a decent living, consumer demand for affordable and quality dairy products, and in order to meet environmental/animal health requirements.
Strong points
The biggest advantage that European cheese makers could always rely on was tradition, either in the way they made their cheese or in preserving local recipes, which results in a staggering variety of cheeses, not only among different counties, but also from region to region.
Cheese making for traditional producers brings together their love for pure ingredients, their respect for quality and their passion in creating unique flavours. Inspired by recipes of the past, Europeans create exceptional artisan cheese, always preserving the traditional elements that guarantee high quality and unique taste. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, as the saying goes, and it certainly holds true in this case. What is essential moving forward is a way to incorporate innovation and new ways of introducing these fine products to the global food market.
Our choices
Naturally, it is not possible to present a full guide of every traditional cheese maker in Europe. There are, however, a few that we would like to point your attention at; and for good reason. Let’s find out why…
Verginis. Satisfaction guaranteed
Kefalotyri or kefalotiri is a hard, salty cheese made from sheep’s milk or goat’s milk, or even both, in Greece and Cyprus. Depending on the mixture of milk used in the process, the color can vary between yellow and white. A very hard salted cheese, kefalotyri is refined for at least three months and can be consumed as is, fried in olive oil for a dish called “saganaki”, i.e. “small pan cheese”, or added to foods such as pasta dishes, meat, or cooked vegetables, and is especially suited for grating. It is also used along with feta cheese in the vast majority of recipes for traditional Greek pies. It is a popular and well-known cheese, made in Greece since the Byzantine era. “Verginis Kefalotiri Cheese From Kastoria” in western Greek Macedonia is a table cheese of long maturation, produced in the traditional way from “Eurofood Quality”.
Quinta dos Ingleses. Uplifting cheese
“Quinta dos Ingleses” is an agro-livestock company, whose shareholders are not “like family”, they are literally family. Their business came to be after they acquired a large property in the region of Lousada in Portugal, a rural area beloved by British who frequented there enough in the distant past, so as to have the estate named after them.
Their dairy farm produces cheese as a mixture of the best local cow and sheep milk and the curing process takes at least 20 days. Its flavor is pleasant and aromatic. The milk processing plant’s existing capacity reaches 20,000 liters per day. This unit produces four main types of cheese. First and foremost, “Fifth of British”, a cheese of soft pulp and semi-square shape, matured for three weeks. Also, “Flemish” Cheese Ball and Junior, a cheese of very specific qualities. Finally, it produces a semi-handmade small speciality cheese “dish” which offers unique quality. The annual production of Quinta dos Ingleses is 300 tons of cheese.
To Niotiko. Recipe for success
When a cheese from a small, family-run dairy plant in one of the picturesque Aegean islands of Greece becomes a critically acclaimed best-seller in European food markets, then they must be doing something right. That product is a graviera, a Greek gruyere-like cheese usually made with goat and sheep milk, from the island of Ios. “Homer’s Trilogy” is a semi-hard cheese of “To Niotiko” family business, with rich aromatic flavour and sweetish taste. The mellow taste and refined aroma come as a result of mixing three types of locally produced milk, goat, sheep and cow, hence the name “trilogy” and the distinguishing factor among other Greek graviera cheeses. Ingredients also include: rennet, culture blend and salt. It serves as a great escort to red wine, but is equally appreciated as grated cheese over salads or pasta.
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]]>Pierogi From Granny
- Prep Time1 hr
- Cook Time45 min
- Total Time1 hr 45 min
- Yield50 Pieces
Ingredients
For the Pierogi
- 3 large potatoes - peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 slices bacon, finely chopped
- 3 onions, finely chopped
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 (8 ounce) package mushrooms, minced
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 3 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup water, or as needed
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup butter
Method
Step 1
1
Step 2
2
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon, and cook until the fat begins to render, and the bacon begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion, and continue cooking until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ground beef and ground pork; continue cooking until crumbly and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Finally, stir in the minced mushrooms, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, and dill. Cover and cook until the mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the mashed potatoes, then set the filling aside to cool.
Step 3
3
Whisk the all-purpose flour and self-rising flour together in a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Add the 2 beaten eggs, salt, and enough water to form a soft dough. Knead on a well floured work surface until smooth and pliable. Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thick, then cut into 5 inch circles.
Step 4
4
Spoon the filling onto one side of each of the dough rounds, then moisten the edges with the remaining beaten egg, and fold to create half circles. Press the edges together firmly to seal.
Step 5
5
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop the pierogi in a few at a time, and boil until they float to the surface, about 2 minutes. Once the pierogi have cooked, remove with a slotted spoon, and rinse until cold; set aside.
Step 6
6
Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the boiled pierogi, and cook on both sides until hot and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
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]]>Murg Makhani: Indian Butter Chicken
Butter chicken was born in the kitchens of the Moti Mahal hotel in Delhi in the 1950s. Today, it is among India's best-known foods the world over.
Many restaurants around the globe have versions of it that are not authentic at all. So before you learn what authentic butter chicken should look and taste like, you should know what it shouldn't be like—sweet, loaded with food coloring, full of raisins or tomato ketchup.
Butter chicken is of North Indian origin, Punjabi to be precise. It gets its lovely, distinctive flavors from the tangy tomatoes, yogurt, and smoky kasuri methi (dried fenugreek) added to its gravy. This can be made as hot or mild as you like so it suits most palates. Also commonly known as murg makhani, butter chicken tastes great with kaali daal (black lentils), naan (flatbread), and a green salad.
This recipe for butter chicken is the real deal. If it feels like the list of ingredients is exhaustive, please don't allow that to deter you—they are all just commonly used ingredients in Indian cooking. We suggest making the spice powder from scratch (as in the recipe) since this will give you the best results.
- Prep Time1 hr
- Cook Time45 min
- Total Time1 hr 45 min
- Yield6 Servings
Ingredients
For the First Marinade
- 2 1/4 pounds boneless chicken (skin removed)
- 1 lime (or lemon, juiced)
- Salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to suit your taste)
For the Second Marinade
- 1 cup fresh unsweetened yogurt (must not be sour)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
For Cooking
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola or sunflower cooking oil)
- 2 onions (chopped finely)
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes (ground into a smooth paste in a food processor)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Garnish: coriander (cilantro) leaves
For the Spice Powder
- 6 cloves
- 8 to 10 peppercorns
- 1-inch stick cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 to 10 almonds
- Seeds from 3 to 4 pods cardamom
Method
Marinate the Chicken for the First Time
1
Mix the chicken, lime juice, salt, and red chili powder in a large, nonmetallic bowl.
2
Cover and allow to marinate for 1 hour.
Make the Spice Powder
3
Heat a flat pan or griddle over medium heat and gently roast (stirring frequently) the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves, and almonds until they darken slightly. Cool and add the cardamom seeds.
4
Now grind into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
Marinate the Chicken for the Second Time
5
Mix the yogurt, spice powder (from the previous step), ground coriander, cumin, and turmeric and add them to the marinated chicken.
6
Cover and allow to marinate for 1 more hour.
Cook the Chicken
7
Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onions. Fry until pale golden brown in color and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for another minute.
8
Add the chicken (reserving the marinade) and fry until chicken turns opaque and the flesh goes from pink to whitish in color.
9
Now add the ground tomatoes, chicken stock, kasuri methi, and the reserved yogurt-spice marinade to the chicken.
10
Cook until the chicken is tender and the gravy is reduced to half its original volume.
11
Melt the butter in another small pan and then pour it over the chicken.
12
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with naan and kaali daal.
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]]>Traditional Spanish Gazpacho
Traditional Spanish gazpacho is easy to make, super healthy, and delicious! It’s usually served as an appetizer or even as a drink.
- Prep Time10 min
- Cook Time5 min
- Total Time15 min
- Yield4 Persons
Ingredients
For the Gazpacho
- 6-7 medium tomatoes (the quality of the tomatoes is one of the most important factors in the taste, use vine ripened when possible and don’t use the green salad tomatoes!)
- 1 green Italian pepper (the long type, not a bell pepper)
- 1 cucumber
- ½ of a small white onion
- 1 clove of garlic (not too big)
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (again, quality is important)
- A splash of Sherry vinegar (Vinagre de Jerez, although red or white wine vinegar can be substituted)
- A pinch (or two) of salt
- Optional toppings: Diced cucumber, diced green apple, diced onion, diced pepper, croutons, & hard boiled eggs
Method
1
Wash and dry all of the vegetables very well—if you prefer to peel the tomatoes you can, although I usually leave the skin on.
2
Cut the tomatoes into 4 slices (leaving the core behind) and put into your blender.
3
Halve, core, and de-seed the pepper. Cut it into a few slices and add to the blender.
4
Peel the garlic and slice it in half. Remove the core (which often results in bitterness when not cooked).
5
Cut the onion into a few slices and add it to the blender too.
6
Peel the cucumber and cut it in half. Add half to the blender and save the other half for a topping.
7
Blend the vegetables at a high speed until it is completely pureed.
8
Add the salt and vinegar and, while blending on a slow speed, slowly add the olive oil.
9
Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. If the texture is too thick for your liking add some cold water.
10
Refrigerate and serve VERY cold! Add as many (or as few) toppings as you like.
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]]>Next-Level Croque Monsieur
We went all out with our new Croque Monsieur; it's a triple cheese threat made with Fontina in the sandwich, Parmesan in the bechamel sauce, and grated Gruyere on top.
- Prep Time10 min
- Cook Time10 min
- Total Time20 min
- Yield4 Sandwiches
- Serving Size4 Person
Ingredients
For Croque Monsieur
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fig jam
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 8 ounces sliced ham
- 1/4 cup grated Gruyere
- Coarse salt
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 8 slices best-quality white bread
- 8 ounces fontina, thinly sliced
- Unsalted butter, room temperature, for brushing
- Parmesan Bechamel
Method
1
Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in bottom third. Blanch broccoli rabe in batches in a pot of salted boiling water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain.
2
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Season with salt. Let cool slightly, then finely chop.
3
For each sandwich, spread 2 teaspoons jam on one bread slice and 1 teaspoon mustard on another. Layer one slice with cheese, broccoli rabe, and ham, dividing evenly. Close sandwich; brush each side with butter.
4
Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet, top with 2 tablespoons bechamel and 1/4 cup grated Gruyere. Broil until golden brown and bubbling, about 10 minutes.
For a Croque Madame, top each sandwich with a fried egg.
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]]>Greek Pastitsio: Baked Pasta With Meat and Bechamel
When teaching others to make this dish, some cooks tease that the word pastitsio translates to 'messy kitchen' in Greek. Although just a joke, there is a hint of truth to that statement. The Greek word pastitsio is derived from the Italian pasticcio, which loosely translates to a mess or a hodgepodge.
Three essential components make up this dish-pasta, meat filling, and a creamy bechamel sauce-which are layered in a pan and baked to a golden brown. Each stage will require dirtying some pots and pans, but the end result is well worth the cleanup!
- Prep Time45 min
- Cook Time45 min
- Total Time1 hr 30 min
- Yield24 Services
Ingredients
For the Meat Filling
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 lbs. ground beef (or ground lamb, or a mixture of both)
- 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 (14-oz.) can tomato puree (or sauce)
- 3 tbsp. fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp. breadcrumbs
For the Pasta:
- 1 (500-g.) pkg. No. 2 Macaroni for pastitsio (available at Greek or ethnic groceries)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 4 egg whites (reserve the yolks for béchamel sauce)
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese or Kefalotyri, (grated, divided)
For the Béchamel Sauce:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 quart milk (warmed)
- 8 egg yolks (beaten lightly)
- A pinch of ground nutmeg
Method
Make the Meat Filling
1
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan.
2
Add ground beef and cook over medium-high heat until the pink color disappears about 5 minutes.
3
Add onions and cook until they are translucent, about 5 minutes more.
4
Add wine, tomato sauce, parsley, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
5
Stir breadcrumbs into meat sauce to absorb excess liquid. Remove from heat.
Make the Noodles
6
While sauce is simmering, put water on to boil for pasta. Cook pasta noodles according to package directions and drain well.
7
Rinse noodles in a colander under cold water to cool them slightly.
8
Melt butter in pasta pot and return the cooked noodles to the pot.
9
Stir in beaten egg whites and 1 cup of grated cheese and toss lightly, being careful not to break the noodles.
Assemble the Pastitsio
10
Brush the bottom and sides of a lasagna pan with olive oil. Layer the bottom with half the pasta noodles and press down so that they are somewhat flat.
11
Add the meat filling in an even layer.
12
Top with remaining pasta noodles and flatten top layer as best you can.
13
Preheat the oven to 350 F while you prepare the béchamel sauce.
Prepare the Béchamel Sauce
14
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
15
Using a whisk, add flour to melted butter whisking continuously to make a smooth paste (called a roux). Allow the flour-butter mixture to cook for a minute, but do not let it brown.
16
Add warmed milk to mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously. Simmer over low heat until it thickens but does not boil.
17
Remove from heat and stir in beaten egg yolks and a pinch of nutmeg.
18
If sauce still needs to thicken, return to stove and cook over very low heat while continuing to stir. Béchamel is thicker than gravy, but not quite as thick as pudding; it should be somewhere in between. One way to tell if it is thick enough is to dip your wooden spoon in the sauce and draw your finger across the back of the spoon; if the sauce holds a visible line then it is ready.
Bake the Pastitsio
19
Pour the béchamel over the pasta noodles making sure to pour sauce down into the corners as well.
20
Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
21
Bake in 350 F (175°C) oven for approximately 45 minutes or until the top is a nice golden color.
22
Serve and enjoy!
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]]>Pasta and Beans (Pasta e Fagioli)
- Prep Time5 min
- Cook Time20 min
- Total Time25 min
- YieldServes 4
Ingredients
For the Pasta and Beans
- 1 Pack of Tubetti, Small Shells, Broken Spaghetti, Linguine etc. can all be used
- 1 cup cooked Beans (any kind of beans)
- 1/2 cup pasta sauce (prefer homemade but anything else will do too)
- Parmezan grated
Method
Prepare Pasta and Beans
1
Cook the pasta until it is almost al dente (a little hard, not completely cooked) making sure there is plenty of water in the pot. Remove some water, but reserve to use later, if needed. I usually try to make the water level with the pasta. Add the beans, and stir to heat through (keep the burner on).
Add sauce
2
Next, add the pasta sauce. If it’s too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.
Let it boil
3
Stir thoroughly, and just let the pasta start to come to a boil, then remove from heat. Ladle the pasta and beans into serving bowls, add grated Parmesan cheese and dinner is served!
The post Pasta and Beans (Pasta e Fagioli) appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .
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