Hong Kong was swayed by political chaos, on Wednesday, as
police used "rubber bullets, tear gas, pepper spray and water hoses against
crowds who blocked the central streets and tried to storm the legislature". They were protesting against the Government
in order to annul a session of a bill that would allow suspects and
fugitives to be repatriated to mainland China.
According to Zec news, India. a deep depression over the
Arabian sea, which brewed over the last two days has escalated into a
cyclonic storm, “Vayu”, that might hit the coast of Gujarat on the morning of
the 13th of June.
Conservative MPs vote on Thursday, in the first round of
an administrative competition, with former Foreign Secretary of Britain and Mayor of
London, Boris Johnson, appearing to be the clear winner.
He has promised to take Britain out of the EU by October the 31st
but, he said that he was not seeking a no-deal Brexit, which he described as the
“last resort”. Lady Hermon warned MPs
that taking Britain out of the EU without a deal would have very serious
consequences for Northern Ireland. Inaugurating his campaign on Wednesday, Sajid Javid, compared his
background as the son of a Pakistani bus driver with the advantageous upbringing
of his rivals. Dismissing Mr Johnson as ”yesterday’s news”, he said that the
Conservatives needed "a new kind of leadership".
Sixty-five-year-old, Altaf Hussein, a British citizen and leader
of the Mottahida Oaumi Movement (M.O.M), one of Pakistan’s largest political
parties was arrested, in London, by Scotland Yard for his anti-state speeches in which he had proclaimed that Pakistan was the “epicentre of terrorism” and a “cancer of
the entire world”.
Pro-independence activists plan to assemble giant TV screens
in town squares across Catalonia so that the residents can follow events
taking place in Madrid. These
preparations reflect the enormous interest in the trial of the twelve Catalan
leaders which is coming to an end, after four months, who face accusations of crimes
related to their regions, in 2017. Moreover, this is considered as the
most important political court case in Spain’s modern era.
When the crusading anti-corruption judge, Sergio Moro, accepted
to become Brazil’s justice minister, last November, it was widely considered as a
political coup for the president-elect, Jain Basonaro. The fact that Basonaro is considered one of Brazil’s most
respected public figures indicates that minister Moro is facing the first crisis of his short political carrier.
Russian police suppressed supporters of a detained
journalist, Ivan Gornnov, arresting hundreds of people. The leader of the opposition, Alexei Navalny,
was among the first to be arrested.
The USA decided to send 1000 additional troops to Poland to
qualm fears about Russian aggression in the region.
Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, began a two-day visit
to Iran, on Wednesday, as part of the international effort to reduce the tension
between Tehran and Washington.
According to the New York Times and the BBC, two tankers were struck by torpedoes
and burst into flames in the Gulf of Oman.
One was the US-linked Front Altair and the second ship is the Kokaku-Courageous
a Panama-flagged vessel.
This incident comes as tensions are threatening to reach a peak of great intensity between the USA and Iran and raises serious fears of further
conflict.
At home, the most important issue is the oncoming General
Elections on the 7th of July.
The island of Ikaria has been recently "discovered" by a group of BBC journalists, here is a gist of their report.
The island of Ikaria has been recently "discovered" by a group of BBC journalists, here is a gist of their report.
The Island of Ikaria is a beautiful
island in the Aegean Sea, a nine-hour trip from Piraeus, which is famous for
the longevity of its residents. People
live here at least ten years more than they do in the rest of Europe and
America. According to the BBC, one-third
of the island’s population lives to be more than ninety years old. Ikaria is a “Blue Zone”, one of the five “designated
places where people live the longest and better, healthwise”. The Islanders
have much lower rates of cancer or heart disease and suffer significantly less
depression and senility, maintain a satisfying sex life into deep old age and remain physically
active, well into their nineties. Experts say that a healthy diet and an active
lifestyle are the keys to a long and satisfying life. Also, medical professionals and
anthropologists note the importance of close family ties. Ikarians are closely connected to their
families and neighbours and the elderly pay a significant role in the
community. Grandparents often help to
raise their grandchildren or, successfully, run businesses. Advice from a wise old woman: “Do not want
more than you really need. If you envy
others you only stress yourself.”
A retired doctor, Christodoulos
Xenakis, has another theory about how Ikarians avoid
anxiety. “No one sets appointments here”. Time is an important part of life in
Ikaria.
“It’s more like: See you in the morning or afternoon or evening. We don’t stress”. The doctor said
that the Ikarians spend time with purpose. His was organising
the Ikarian Senior Regatta, for which the qualifying age for captains is 70! “It
is not really a race”, Doctor Xenakis said, "the
regatta, only shows that we are still capable”.
Chinese doctors participated in a ceremony that revived the
Hippocratic Oath on its birthplace, the island of Kos. Hippocrates was the ancient Greek father of western
medicine who lived and practised in Kos.
This year, the Acropolis museum, one of the best in the
world, has its tenth birthday. And what
a marvellous decade it has been with 14.5 million visitors!
 |
| Ancient Mass Grave |
 |
| The Stavros Niarchos Centre |
Greece’s Central Archaeological Council has permitted the
study on a shelter to protect an ancient mass grave, discovered in 2016, during
digging at the Stavros Niarchos Centre at Phaliron Delta, south of Athens.
As this is mainly a cooking blog, here are several recipes for dishes from the countries mentioned above, which I hope you will enjoy.
PSEUDO SWEET AND SOUR
CHICKEN
I call this dish “pseudo” because the real
Chinese recipe requires the chicken pieces to be first fried in a light batter, and, only just before serving, to be covered with sweet and sour sauce.
750 to 1 kg (1½ to 2 lb) chicken breasts
cut into cubes, sautéed in corn oil for 3 minutes on each side and sprinkled
with salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp corn oil
One 567 g (an ample 1 lb 2 oz) tin
pineapple slices in thin syrup
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp vinegar
83.3 ml (1/3 cup) tomato ketchup
62.5 ml (¼ cup) soya sauce
62.5 ml (¼ cup) glucose syrup
250 ml (1 cup) or more hot water
(Mix all the ingredients until well
combined together)
Vegetables:
4 onions, peeled and quartered
2 red peppers, seeded, thickly sliced, each
slice halved
2 yellow peppers, seeded, thickly sliced,
each slice halved
2 orange peppers, seeded, thickly sliced,
each slice halved
1 green pepper, seeded, thickly sliced, each
slice halved
Salt, freshly ground black pepper and
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
A few drops sesame oil
6 slices pineapple cut into small pieces
Sauté the grated ginger and garlic in corn
oil, until soft. Add the vegetables to
the saucepan and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the sautéed chicken pieces, then pour
in the sweet and sour liquid mixture, cover the saucepan and simmer until the
vegetables and chicken and tender.
Taste and add salt, if necessary, pepper,
Cayenne pepper and a few drops of sesame oil for the aroma. Also, add the pineapple pieces and simmer for
4 minutes more. Serve over fried rice.
CHICKEN OR PORK FRIED RICE
A meal in its own.
¾ cup chopped onion
2½ tbsp. oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 drops soy sauce
3 drops sesame oil
240 g (8 oz) cooked chicken or pork, chopped
½ cup, finely chopped carrots
½ frozen peas
4 cups boiled medium grain rice, separated with a fork
4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
2 cups bean sprouts, optional
2 tbsp light soy sauce
Stir-fry the onions in 1 tbsp of oil until golden brown and
remove from the wok also cool the wok a little. Mix the beaten egg with the soy sauce and sesame
oil and reserve.
Pour ½ tbsp. of oil to the wok and add the egg mixture and
swirl. When the egg sets and puffs, flip
it over and cook the other side, briefly, then remove from the wok and chop
into small pieces.
Heat a little oil in the wok, add the chicken or pork along
with the carrots, peas and cooked onion and stir-fry for 2 ½ minutes.
Add the rice, spring onions and bean sprouts, if using, toss
to mix well and stir fry for 3 minutes.
Add 2 tbsp light soy sauce and the chopped egg to the rice
mixture and fold in. Stir fry for 1
minute more and serve.
PRAWN CURRY
This is a recipe for a delicious curry dish.
1 ½ kg (3 lb) prawns, shelled, deveined, thoroughly washed
and patted dry
A little salt mixed with
½ tsp ginger
3 tbsp olive oil and
½ - 1 tsp clarified butter
3 onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
2 heaped medium-hot curry powder
½ tsp ground cardamom seeds
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp Cayenne pepper
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
½ tsp grated nutmeg
1 bay leaf
800 g – 1 kg (1 lb 10 oz – 2 lb) apples or peaches peeled,
cored and thinly sliced
500 ml (2 cups) tasty chicken stock
Salt, sugar or honey to taste
1 pact of desiccated coconut
Boiling water to cover
Sprinkle the prawns with the salt and ginger mixture and sauté them in olive oil and clarified butter until they just changed colour and transfer to a dish with a slotted spoon.
Remove all but 2 tbsp of the oil and butter mixture and add
the onion and a little water and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the
onion is cooked and slightly coloured.
Then add the garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes more.
Mix all the spices together and sprinkle over the onion
mixture and stir for 3-5 minutes, in order to release their aroma. Then
add the fruit, salt and sugar or honey, lower the heat and simmer gently,
covered, stirring occasionally until the fruit resembles a thick purée. Add the
chicken stock and simmer and stir often to prevent sticking.
Remove the ginger slices and blend the sauce until smooth, and taste and
add sugar or honey and salt, if necessary.
Add the prawns to the sauce and simmer gently for 1-2 minutes until the
prawns are tender. Do not overcook. Cover, cool and refrigerate the food until
needed. I usually prepare this dish the
previous day because it really improves with time.
The next day, place the desiccated coconut in a saucepan and
pour boiling water over, to cover and leave for 1-3 hours to infuse. Heat the prawn curry, strain the coconut
milk over and stir. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. It should be perfect.
CATALONIAN PAELLA
Here is the recipe for a delightful celebration dish.
750 g – 1 kg (1 ½ - 2 lb) lobster
6 medium-sized prawns shelled, deveined, thoroughly washed
and patted dry and reserve
6 mussels scrubbed thoroughly, the black rope-like tufts
discarded and set aside
3 chorizo sausages or substitute
250 g (½ lb) any other garlic-scented sausage
750 g – 1 kg (1 ½ - 2 lb) chicken, cut into serving pieces
and thoroughly washed
1 ½ tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 tbsp olive oil
Sofrito:
60 g (1 oz) lean pork, cubed
60 g (2 oz) finely chopped onions
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium-sized sweet, red or green pepper, halved, seeded,
white pith discarded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
750 g (1 ½ lb) medium, long grained or short grain rice
½ tsp ground saffron
1250 ml (5 cups) tasty chicken stock
90 g (3 oz) thoroughly defrosted frozen peas
2 lemons, each cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
In Spain, paella can be plain or festive. According to The Good Cook, one could vary
the combination of chicken, meat and shellfish to suit one’s taste. You could omit the lobster altogether or
replace it with 6-7 additional prawns. “Rabbit
can be used instead of chicken, ham or veal can be used instead of pork or the
sausage and French beans and artichokes can be used instead of peas”. So, besides being delicious, it is a very
convenient dish.
Chop off the tail of the lobster at the point where it joins
the body with a cleaver or a large heavy knife.
Twist or cut off the large claws.
Discard the gelatinous stomach, in the head and the long intestine vein
attached to it.
Without removing the shell, cut the tail, crosswise into
thick slices and split the body of the lobster in half lengthwise. Then cut
again crosswise into quarters and set aside.
Prick the sausages with the prongs of a fork and add enough
cold water to cover and bring to a boil, over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered
for 5 minutes. Then, drain and slice the sausages.
Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and freshly ground
black pepper. Sauté the chicken in 3
tbsp olive oil, skin side down, brown it well all over and transfer to a plate
with a slotted spoon.
Add the lobster to the frying pan and cook over high heat,
turning the pieces frequently until the shell begins to turn pink and reserve on a different plate. Also, sauté the
sausages on both sides and place them on kitchen paper to drain.
For the sofrito, discard all the oil from the frying pan and
in its place, add the remaining olive oil.
Add the pork and sauté quickly, on all sides, over high heat. Add the onions, garlic, peppers and tomato
and cook briskly, stirring constantly until most of the liquid in the pan has
evaporated and the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon. Set
the sofrito aside.
About half an hour before you wish to serve the paella,
preheat the oven to over 200 C (400 F).
Place the sofrito, rice, a little salt and the saffron in a paella
pan or a casserole that will hold it comfortably. Pour in the hot chicken stock and, stirring
constantly bring to a boil, over high heat.
Remove the pan from the heat immediately, taste the liquid for seasoning
and add more salt if necessary. Arrange
the chicken, lobster, sausage, prawns and mussels on top of the rice and
scatter the peas evenly over. Set the
pan or casserole on the floor of the oven and bake, uncovered, for 25-30
minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed, and rice is tender but not too
soft. Do not stir the paella after it's
been put in the oven!
When the paella is done, remove from the oven and cover it
loosely with a tea towel. Let it rest
for 5-8 minutes and serve from the pan or casserole garnished with lemon
wedges.
LONDON BROIL WITH HERB BUTTER
One of the most famous British dishes is roast beef.
London broil is a smaller roast which is first marinated and then cooked
by the high heat method.
1 kg (2 lb) top round London broil
Marinade:
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 beef bouillon cube dissolved in
187.5 ml (¾ cup) hot water and
cooled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp hot pepper flakes
(Mix all the ingredients well
together)
Herb
Butter:
4 tbsp
butter softened
1½ tbsp
finely chopped chives
½ tbsp or
more finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 tbsp
finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp
lemon juice
Salt and pepper
(Mix
everything together until well combined)
1 tbsp
olive oil
Salt
Place the
meat in a flat dish, pour the marinade over, cover and refrigerate overnight,
turning it, 3-4 times, over.
Three
quarters of an hour before roasting, remove the meat from the fridge, dry it
well and bring it to room temperature.
Meanwhile, prepare the herb butter.
Place a
heavy frying pan over high heat. Rub the
steak with 1 tbsp olive oil and insert a thermometer in the thickest part of the
meat. Place it in the sizzling frying
pan and cover with a heavy skillet on top, to weigh it down. Sear for 7-8 minutes, turn the meat over and
sprinkle with salt. Place the weight on
top and cook until the thermometer reads 60 C (140 F) for rare, 70 C (155 F)
for medium.
Transfer
the meat to a cutting board, brush with herb butter, cover with tin foil and
allow it to rest for ten minutes.
Thinly slice the meat against the grain and cover it evenly with the
remaining herb butter and the juices.
Serve with creamed potatoes and vegetables of your choice.
POLISH BEETROOT AND PRAWN
SOUP
This is a recipe for an iced soup that I
remember tasting on M.S. Batory.
500 g (1 lb) tender beetroots, peeled and
thickly grated
1½ litre (6 cups) tasty vegetable stock
1½ tbsp vinegar
1½ tsp sugar
500 g (1 lb) prawns, shelled and deveined
1 sprig fresh rosemary
A little salt
125 ml (½ cup) soured cream
1 cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and diced
1-2 spring onions, trimmed and finely
sliced
Lemon juice to taste
Freshly ground white pepper
Salt, if necessary
Extra sour cream
Extra sour cream
1 tbsp fresh dill, for garnish
Bring the beetroot and the vegetable stock
to a brisk boil and cook for 10 minutes, lower the heat, add the vinegar and
sugar and simmer gently for half an hour.
Strain into a large bowl and let the beetroots and the stock cool,
separately, to room temperature.
Sauté the prawns, with the rosemary sprig
for 2 minutes on each side, until they change colour. Remove the prawn from the heat, cool and chop
into small pieces.
When the stock is completely cold, whip in
the soured cream. Stir in the beetroot,
prawns, diced cucumber and sliced spring onions. Taste and add salt, if necessary, lemon
juice to taste, a little more sugar, and freshly ground white pepper. Cover the bowl with cling-film and
refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Serve in chilled soup bowls, with extra sour cream sprinkled
with chopped dill.
BABA GANOUCH
This is my favourite Middle Eastern sauce.
2 large aubergines
Lemon juice
1 tbsp garlic cream (please see below)
2-3 tbsp or more tarator sauce (please see
below)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt, if necessary and
Freshly ground white pepper
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
¼ tsp ground cumin, optional
Lemon juice
Garnish:
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 cup parsley, chopped
Prick each aubergine with the prongs of a
fork in 3-4 places, then turn each over a gas flame until charred and soft. Otherwise, hold each aubergine over a
gas flame until the skin blisters. Then
place them in a hot oven for about 20 minutes, or until the desired softness
has been achieved, and remove from oven to cool Cut the aubergines in half, scoop out the
flesh and drizzle with lemon juice.
Blend the aubergines with the garlic cream
and the tarator sauce, until smooth. Taste and add more salt and pepper,
Cayenne pepper and cumin if using. Also
add more lemon juice, if necessary.
Pile the baba ganoush in a bowl and serve,
sprinkled with spring onions and parsley.
GARLIC CREAM
Wash and trim off the roots of 2 heads of garlic and wrap
them in tin foil. Place them in an oven,
preheated to 180 C (375 F) and bake 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.
TARATOR SAUCE
A recipe for another sauce that’s very
popular.
150 g (5 oz) bread, soaked and squeezed dry
90 g (3 oz) walnuts or hazelnuts, ground
1 tbsp garlic cream (please see above)
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp Cayenne
Vinegar or lemon juice to taste
Blend the bread, nuts and garlic until well
combined. Add the olive oil and blend until
the sauce has a creamy texture. Season
it with salt, pepper and Cayenne pepper, if using. Finally, stir in the vinegar or lemon juice
by the spoonful in order to reach the preferred acidity. Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
PAO
DE QUEIJO
Cheese bread is a staple across South America.
100 ml (2/5 cup) milk
100 ml (2/5 cup) vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
250 g (8.5 oz) tapioca flour
125 g (4.2 oz) grated Parmesan
1 egg
Bring the milk, the vegetable oil and salt to the boil and
remove from the heat. Put all the tapioca
flour and the grated Parmesan into the saucepan and mix thoroughly. Allow to cool a little and add the egg.
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). When the dough is cool
enough to handle, shape golf-sized balls with oiled hands and place them on a
tin lined with baking parchment, 2 cm apart.
Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve warm.
FISH
STEW WITH ONIONS
Here is a version of a fish stifado.
1 ½ kg (3 lbs) fish (grey mullet or sea bream), scaled, gutted, thoroughly washed and patted dry.
½ kg (1 lb) onions, finely chopped
125 ml (½ cup) olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste, diluted in
250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp paprika or
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ kg (1 lb) shallots, peeled
1 kg (2 lbs) potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp estragon vinegar
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sprinkle the fish with salt and set aside.
In a medium-sized saucepan heat half the olive oil and sauté
the chopped onion for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, the tomato paste diluted in wine,
bay leaf, and season with paprika or Cayenne pepper and freshly ground black
pepper to taste, and simmer for about ½ hour.
Heat the rest of the olive oil in a separate saucepan and
sauté the shallots until half cooked.
Add the sautéed onions, fish and potatoes to the sauce, drizzle with
vinegar and simmer gently for 20 minutes more or until the fish and the
vegetables are cooked. Taste and season accordingly and discard the bay leaf
Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
BRIAM
This is a delicious “Poor Cuisine” vegetable dish which is
made all over the Mediterranean.
2 onions, peeled and cut in sixths or eighths
2 carrots scraped and sliced on a slant
2 red peppers, stalks and seeds discarded, cut into bite-size
pieces
1 large aubergine or two smaller ones, cut into bite-size
pieces
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
2 courgettes, trimmed and thickly sliced on a slant
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp rosemary leaves, chopped
Salt, pepper and Cayenne
pepper
½ cup olive oil
2 large tomatoes, skinned, seeded and cubed
250 ml (1 cup) tomato juice
¼ cup basil leaves or
1 tbsp fresh thyme
Mix the first 10 ingredients well together and place in a
single layer, on a baking dish, double-lined with baking parchment. Roast in an oven pre-heated to 180 C (350 F)
for about 35-40 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked, but still slightly
crunchy.
Then add the tomato cubes, tomato juice and sprinkle with
the basil or thyme. Bake for 12-15
minutes more. Serve warm or cold with
crispy brown bread and tasty feta cheese
TOMATOES
AND PEPPERS STUFFED WITH CRACKED WHEAT
Cracked wheat is used in Eastern
Mediterranean cooking for the last 4000 years. A well-known Greek manufacturer, who produces
cracked wheat, mentions that it has a high nutritional value, as it contains
proteins, vitamins and vegetable fibres.
Cracked wheat is sometimes used in Greek cooking instead of rice.
6 medium tomatoes, ripe but firm
2 medium-sized yellow peppers
2 medium-sized orange peppers
2 medium-sized green peppers
1 medium aubergine, peeled, cubed and sautéed
12-14 tbsp cracked wheat, soaked and drained
2 large onions, finely chopped
3-4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 cup parsley, finely chopped
½ - 1 tbsp mint, finely chopped
Cayenne pepper
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
Water or vegetable stock
Slice the stem part of
each pepper, and reserve. Discard the
seeds and add a pinch of salt in each pepper cup. Proceed in the same way with the tomatoes,
remove and reserve the pulp of the tomatoes and set aside, and sprinkle the
tomatoes shells with salt, pepper and sugar.
In a large bowl cube the tomato flesh and add the onion, aubergine,
cracked wheat, herbs, 2 tbsp olive oil, Cayenne,
salt, pepper and sugar Mix everything very
well together and stuff the peppers and tomatoes with the mixture.
Arrange the stuffed vegetables in a shallow, ovenproof
casserole, add 2 cups water or vegetable stock and the remaining olive oil and cover
with baking parchment and the lid. Simmer
gently until the cracked wheat is almost cooked.
Remove the lid and the baking parchment and bake in a
moderately hot oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for 20-25 minutes, or until the
vegetables are slightly brown.
CUSTARD CREAM PIE
This is a traditional Greek dessert. The custard can be, alternatively, flavoured
with either orange or tangerine peel or a vanilla pod.
10 sheets phyllo pastry
250 ml (1 cup) hot, melted butter
Syrup:
600 g (3 cups) sugar
500 ml (2 cups) water
Custard:
1 litre (4 cups) milk
A piece of lemon peel
5 eggs
200 g (1 cup) sugar
100 g (2/3 cup) finely ground semolina
A little salt
2 tbsp of butter
First, prepare the syrup.
Boil the sugar and water together for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
In a large saucepan, heat the milk with the lemon peel, and
keep warm. Beat the eggs and sugar in a
mixer, until almost doubled in bulk.
Lower the speed, add the semolina and 2 ladlefuls of warm milk, and beat
for 2 minutes more. Pour the egg mixture
into the saucepan with the warm milk and simmer gently, until the custard thickens,
stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
Remove the custard from the heat, stir in 2 tbsp butter, and set aside
to cool completely.
Butter a 32 cm x 20 cm (12 in. x 8 in.) baking tin and line
it with 5 sheets of phyllo pastry, brushing each sheet, liberally, with melted
butter. Pour the cool custard over, trim
the overhanging pastry and fold it over. Cover with the remaining phyllo
sheets, again brushing each sheet generously with hot butter, and tuck them
neatly into the sides of the baking tin.
With a sharp knife make parallel slits on top of the pastry,
to allow the pie to breathe. Heat the remaining butter to the sizzling point and
pour it evenly over the pie, and bake in an oven preheated to 190 C (375 F), for
30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove the hot custard cream pie from the oven and pour the cool syrup
over. Cut into portions, while still
warm, and serve immediately.
This is an excellent Pasta Frolla, as this tart is called in the Ionian islands.
ZENA’S
JAM TART
 |
| Pasta Frolla |
This is an excellent Pasta Frolla, as this tart is called in the Ionian islands.
210 g (7 oz) butter, softened
260 g (2 cups) plain flour
2 level tsp baking powder
1/3 cup semolina
An ample 66 g (1/3 cup) sugar
1 egg
Pinch of salt
62 ½ ml (¼ cup) brandy
500 g (1 lb) jam, preferably apricot
Mix all the ingredients together (except the jam) and knead
until a soft, pliable dough is formed.
Roll out 2/3 of the dough and line a 30 cm (12 in)
buttered tart dish and spread thickly and evenly with jam. Then shape fine pencil-sized cylinders with
the remaining dough and form a lattice pattern on the top of the jam.
Bake in a moderately hot oven, preheated to 180 C (190 F)
for about 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Cut into wedges and serve.
BISCUITS WITH
ALMONDS AND PARMESAN
Lovely crunchy biscuits.
180 g (6 oz) almond powder
180 g (6 oz) grated Parmesan
60 g (2 oz) icing sugar
½ tsp coarse salt
½ 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
The whites of 3 large eggs or more
Extra finely grated Parmesan
Mix the almond powder, grated Parmesan, icing sugar, salt
and pepper, in a large bowl. Add the
egg whites and mix very well together until a soft, pliable dough occurs. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour at
least. Meanwhile preheat oven to 150 C
(302 F).
With the help of finely grated Parmesan, shape 20 g (3/5 oz)
balls and arrange them evenly on a tin lined with baking parchment and bake for
12-14 minutes.
Remove the biscuits on a rack to cool and store in a biscuit tin.
SAVOURY JAM TART
200 g (6 3/5 oz) cold butter, diced
1 egg
150 g (5 oz) finely grated Parmesan
30 g (1 oz) icing sugar
250 g (8 oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
210 g (7 oz) tomato and red pepper marmalade (please see
recipe below)
In a bowl, knead all the ingredients, except the marmalade, well
together until a soft, pliable dough occurs.
Roll out the dough
and line the bottom and sides of a buttered tart dish and spread thickly and
evenly with jam. Then shape
pencil-sized cylinders with the remaining dough and form a lattice pattern on top
of the jam, Bake in an oven, preheated
to 180 C (350 F) for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry turns crisp and
golden. Cut into wedges and serve.
SAVOURY
TOMATO JAM
This jam is between a relish and a chutney.
1 kg (2 lb) tomatoes peeled seeded and roughly chopped
2 medium peaches, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
1 cinnamon stick, toasted
2.5 cm (1 in) ginger, finely grated
62 ½ ml (¼ cup)
cider vinegar
Lemon juice
to taste
Place the spices on a piece of cheesecloth and tie into a
pouch with kitchen string.
Put the tomato, peaches, onion, garlic, the two kinds of
sugar, the grated ginger, the lemon juice and the spice pouch in a saucepan and
bring to a boil. Stir frequently to prevent
the jam from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan and simmer very gently for
about one hour until the jam thickens.
Discard the spice pouch, cool and blend the tomato jam until
smooth. Store in the fridge for about a
week.
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| Kephalari Square By Ylli Haruni |
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