GREECE (Continued)

Eurobank - Kefalari

A Kifissia Garden

Flowers at the Kifissia Flower Show

Part of Our Garden

In my post called GREECE (Continued), dated the 26th September 2018, I had written:



"The years went by, and the boys started attending secondary schools.   Spyro went to the German School in Athens and Yiannis went to Zirides, a Greek private school right next door.

I started working at Aleco's office and was eager to learn the rules of the trade, like pacifying the customers when deliveries were delayed and trying to convince them that our goods were better and cheaper than the competitors', without pressing too much.   I worked for many happy and successful years at the office."

Time passed by, the boys grew up into handsome young men in their late teens and had their first serious romantic relationships with two very nice young girls.

In 1977, Spiro left for Germany to study Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich.   We missed him terribly, and although I knew that he was studying in one of the best universities in Europe, in the beginning, each time I passed in front of his room, I burst out crying.    In Munich, he met Yianna the love of his life.

Yiannis went to the American University of Greece and studied Business Administration for four years and later he took a master’s degree at the London School of Economics.  His girlfriend was Olga, a charming Greek girl, who was, then, studying biology in Paris.

Aleco and I worked very hard and we also kept an eye on my parents, who lived in a flat near our house.  My father was strong and active in his nineties,  and my mother was in her seventies and still attractive and a fabulous hostess.  It was a satisfying and very happy period of our lives, we were pleased with the boys’ progress, we were very fond of their girlfriends and we thoroughly enjoyed working at our office, which was doing rather well and achieving considerable profits.

Here are a few recipes of dishes and desserts, that our family and friends liked.

                          CREAM CHEESE AND SMOKED SALMON LOAF

This is a delicious first dish.

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600 g (1 lb 3.3 oz) smoked salmon, thinly sliced

Cream Cheese Mixture:

600 g (1lb 3.3 oz) cream cheese

6 sheets gelatin, soaked in iced water for 5 minutes and squeezed dry

60 ml (2 liquid oz) cream

The juice of 1 lemon and

The grated rind of ½ a lemon

6 tbsp finely snipped chives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tiny pinch of Cayenne pepper, optional

First, cover the bottom and sides of a dispensable aluminium loaf tin with cling film allowing the surplus to hang over the sides of the tin.

Bring the cream to a gentle simmer and remove from the heat.  After 1 minute, add the squeezed gelatin sheets to the cream and mix until thoroughly dissolved.

Place the cream cheese in a bowl and stir in the cream/gelatin mixture, add the lemon juice and grated rind, the snipped chives, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Also add a tiny pinch of Cayenne pepper, if using, and mix everything well together.

Spoon 1/3 of the cheese mixture into the loaf tin and level the surface.  Cover generously with smoked salmon.   Repeat the procedure one more and finally, spoon the remaining cream cheese evenly over.  Cover with the overhanging cling film and ice for 4 hours at least.

Reverse the loaf on a platter and discard the cling film, Cut into slices and serve with a green salad and a glass of dry white wine.

                                         FISH MOUSSE WITH PRAWNS

This is another interesting starter.  Naturally, one can also prepare delightful small bites with fish mousse. 

500 g (1 lb) prawns, shelled and deveined, slightly cooked with a twig of rosemary, and sprinkled with a little salt

800 g (1 lb 10 oz) fillets of sole, boned washed and dried

1 large onion cut into chunks

3 cloves garlic

5 large eggs

180 ml (6 fl oz) full cream

3-4 heaped tbsp dried breadcrumbs

3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Melted butter

Garnish

A few prawns cooked through, fresh parsley leaves

1 thinly sliced lemon.

Blend the sole with the onion and garlic cloves until smooth.   Add the eggs, cream and dried breadcrumbs and blend until a light homogenous consistency is obtained.   Fold in the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste, it should be very tasty.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).  Line a loaf tin with lavishly buttered baking parchment, leaving enough hanging over.   Spoon in half the fish mixture, level the surface and arrange a layer of half-cooked prawns, on top.   Cover with the remaining fish mousse, even the top, brush lightly with melted butter and cover with the baking parchment that is hanging over.  Cover the top of the tin with foil.   Place it in a deep baking tin, pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the loaf tin and bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer, inserted in the middle of the mousse, comes out clean.

 Remove the loaf tin from the oven, unfold the parchment that is covering the mousse and reverse it on a pretty dish.  Garnish with the reserved prawns, lemon slices and parsley and serve with a flavoursome green salad.

                               MEATBALLS WITH EGG AND LEMON SAUCE   

     

                                             

 If you use more stock, you can serve a very satisfying soup.

500 g (1 lb) ground beef

4 tbsp short grain rice

1 large onion, grated

2 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped (1 tbsp reserved for garnish)

1 tbsp dill, finely chopped

1 tbsp mint, finely chopped (optional)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 egg whites

Salt and pepper, to taste

Flour

750 ml (3 cups) stock or water

2 egg yolks

1 lemon, juice only

         

Knead the first 9 or10 ingredients well together, shape into meatballs the size of a walnut, and roll in flour.

 

Boil the stock or water.   If cooking in plain water, add a little salt and 1 tbsp butter to the saucepan.   Shake each meatball between your fingers to remove the excess flour, add them to the stock and simmer for 35 minutes or until they are thoroughly cooked, and remove the saucepan from the heat.

Whisk the egg yolks until pale and fluffy and add the lemon juice.  Very slowly beat in 1½ -2 cups hot stock and pour the mixture slowly back over the meatballs. Gently swirl the saucepan, return it to the fire and bring to a bare simmer, until the sauce thickens slightly. Do not boil!

Serve sprinkled with the reserved parsley and freshly ground black pepper.

                                         CREAMY AU GRATIN POTATOES

This is certainly my favourite potato dish.  Traditionally this dish is prepared with raw potatoes, sliced with a mandolin.  I boil them to save time.

1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, boiled in salted water with

A twig of sage and

1 chopped garlic clove

1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half

A knob of butter, for greasing the baking dish

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Freshly ground white pepper

1 heaped teaspoon fresh, chopped thyme, leaves only

300 g (10 oz) kasseri or graviera from Crete or Gruyere or Cheddar, grated

3 tbsp San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated

250 ml (1 cup) full milk mixed with

250 ml (1 cup) thick cream

And season with a pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).

Rub the base and sides of the baking dish with garlic and brush it, lavishly, with butter.

Peel and slice the potatoes and place them in the baking dish in a row, slightly overlapping each other.   Sprinkle the first layer of potatoes with 1/2 of the grated softer cheese and season with freshly grated nutmeg, freshly ground white pepper and thyme.   Place another layer of boiled potatoes over the cheese and repeat the same procedure with the cheese and spices and thyme.   Sprinkle the last layer of potatoes with grated San Mihalis or Parmesan and pour the milk/cream mixture evenly over. 

Clean the sides of the baking dish with a damp cloth, if necessary, and bake for 30 - 35 minutes until the top is slightly golden and bubbly.   Serve immediately.

   

                        

                                      CHICKEN WITH WALNUT SAUCE

                                               CIRCASSIAN CHICKEN

Try preparing this fantastic Arabian dish.

6 chicken breasts, skinned

6 chicken wings

For the stock:

Two onions, each stuck with a clove

2 celery stalks trimmed

2 carrots peeled

1 slice ginger

1 very thin lemon slice

Salt

1 tsp peppercorns

1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf -1 sprig thyme - 1 sprig tarragon)

For the sauce:

250 g (½ lb) dry bread, crusts removed

Chicken stock

330 g (11 oz) walnuts, coarsely ground

1 tsp garlic cream *(please see recipe below)

Freshly ground black pepper

Paprika

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp sweet paprika

Cover the chicken breasts and wings with water and bring to the boil, skimming the surface thoroughly.   Then add all the ingredients for the stock, bring to the boil once more.    Simmer for about half an hour or more, until the chicken breasts are tender. Remove the saucepan from the stove and cool.   Remove the chicken and strain the stock. Reserve the wings for another dish.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.   Soak the bread in a little chicken stock and blend with the walnuts.   Place the mixture into a saucepan and pour more stock over.  Simmer very gently until the sauce thickens.   Stir in the garlic cream and paprika, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and more paprika if necessary.

Heat the olive oil, add the paprika, and cook very gently for about 2 minutes.

Shred the chicken into small pieces and mix with half the sauce.   Place the mixture on a serving dish and cover with remaining sauce.   Dribble the olive oil and paprika over and serve cold.   I like it sprinkled with chopped parsley.

 Here is the recipe for:

                                                GARLIC CREAM

When garlic is roasted it loses it sharpness and becomes very tasty quite delicious.

Wash and trim off the roots of 2 heads of garlic and wrap them separately in tin foil.  Place them in an oven, preheated to 180 C (375 F) and roast for 40 - 45 minutes or until soft.

When cold, press each garlic clove to extract the pulp and place it in a sterilised jar.    Cover with olive oil and refrigerate.

                                                                                                 

     

              CHOCOLATE ROLL WITH CHESNUTS AND WHIPPED CREAM

This is a very popular winter dessert.

Chocolate roll:

5 medium-sized eggs, separated, whites whipped to soft peaks with a pinch of salt

5 tbsp sugar

Vanilla

4 heaped tbsp self-raising flour sifted with

1 tbsp cocoa

9 tbsp water mixed with

1 tbsp Jamaican rum

Fillings:

1^st    Sweet chestnut cream

        (6 chestnuts in rum and syrup (please see recipe below)*, blended with

        2 heaped tbsp whipped cream, until spreadable)

2^nd   500 ml (2 cups) double cream, whipped with

        2 tbsp icing sugar

Extra icing sugar for dusting over the roll or

Dark chocolate ganache, to cover

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).

Whip the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla until light and doubled in bulk.   Sift the flour/cocoa mixture over, in three portions, alternately with the water and Jamaican rum.   Mix very well, after each addition, before adding the next.   Finally fold in the whipped egg whites, until no traces of white are evident.   Pour the batter, evenly, into a Swiss roll tin, lined with buttered baking parchment, and bake for 15 – 20 minutes and remove from the oven.   

Peel off the baking parchment, cover with a clean sheet of a parchment and roll up like a Swiss roll until the cake is cold.    Un-roll the cake and spread it first, with the chestnut filling, then cover with 3-4 tbsp whipped cream, gently roll it up again, cover with baking parchment and refrigerate.

One hour before serving, remove the dessert from the fridge, discard the baking parchment and sprinkle with icing sugar and chocolate curls or cover with ganache*. (Please see recipe below).    Serve with the remaining whipped cream.

*Ganache:

• Heat 250 ml (1 cup) full cream and pour over
•          250 g (½ lb) dark chocolate, finely chopped and
•         1-2 tsp honey.  Stir with a hand blender until smooth and glossy.

 

                                *CHESTNUTS IN SYRUP AND RUM

Zena Patelis, a dear friend gave me this lovely recipe.  

1½ kg (3 lbs) chestnuts, parboiled with a tsp of salt and a twist of lemon peel and peeled

330 g (11 oz) sugar

2½ cups water

1 vanilla bean

½ tsp salt

1 cup dark Jamaican rum

 In a large saucepan place the sugar and water and simmer stirring until the sugar melts.   Add the parboiled chestnuts, slit the vanilla pod and place it over the chestnuts.   Gently simmer for about 15 minutes, then remove from the fire, cover the saucepan and set aside for 12 hours, at least.

 The next day, remove the chestnuts with a slotted spoon and simmer the syrup for 10-15 until it thickens.  Place the chestnuts back into the saucepan and simmer very, very gently for 12 minutes more.  Check a chestnut. It should be quite soft, but not falling apart.  Remove from the fire, cover the saucepan and set aside overnight.

Finally, on the third day remove the chestnuts with a slotted spoon, and place them into sterilised jars.   Divide the rum, and pour over the chestnuts and then cover them completely with syrup.  Seal the jars tightly and refrigerate.

A Vase of Daisies and Poppies by Van Gogh

      

Summer Flowers by Barbara Couse Wilson

A Vase of Flowers by Pierre August Renoir