End Of Summer - Celebration Dinner

          Although the temperature is still quite high, the last days of August are, somehow, connected with the end of summer.   Theoretically, it is the last month of summer, the days become smaller, the sun’s rays more oblique, but at the back of our mind we refuse contemplating the inevitable, winter’s approach.

  

         For our family it’s celebration time.  We have two birthdays in August, and on the 30^th August, we always had a party in honour of our three Alexanders.

        Here are some choice recipes for a dinner party.

CUCUMBER SALAD

       This is a lovely salad to complement the gravadlax.  

2 cucumbers, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed, thinly sliced

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp salt

          Combine the sugar, vinegar and salt and mix well together and pour over the cucumber slices.  Cover, ice and forget about them for at least an hour.  Just before serving, drain off the liquid and pat dry.   Garnish with chopped dill.

GRAVADLAX

           I was given this recipe by Myrto Xenakis-Petreas. I met Myrto when she first came from Egypt, with her parents, George and Mary Xenakis and her brother Aris, to settle down in Greece. Myrto now lives in San Fransisco with her husband, Andrew Petreas and she is an esteemed chemist, a loving mother, a remarkable person and a very good cook.

One 2 kg (4 lb) fresh salmon, filleted, pin boned, skin left on

Combine, and mix well together:

3-4 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp coarse salt

2 tbsp peppercorns, crushed

½ bunch fresh dill, washed and dried

         Place a large piece of baking parchment on a working surface and sprinkle 1/3 of the sugar-salt mixture evenly over.   Place half the fish, skin down, sprinkle another third of the mixture over and cover with the dill. Lay the second half of the salmon, skin up, and with the thick side over the thin side below.  Sprinkle with the remaining sugar/salt mixture and wrap the baking parchment firmly around the fish, to seal. Then wrap the packet in two sheets of newspaper, in order to absorb the liquid resulting from the cure, and cover with a  plastic bag.    Place the packet in a deep container, in the fridge, with weights over, for three days.  Turn the packet around, daily, removing and replacing the weight, each time.

          

       When the gravadlax is ready, discard the dill, scrape away all the seasonings thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper.  Chill and slice thinly, detaching each slice from the skin, arrange attractively on a serving dish and garnish with lemon slices. This lovely dish is traditionally served with dill sauce, cucumber salad and mustard sauce. 

          

 DILL SAUCE

        This is one of the sauces that you have to season according to taste.  

125 ml (1/2 cup) cooked mayonnaise or use a good commercial brand

½ tsp hot mustard or more

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 heaped tbsp spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp or more dill, finely chopped

½ tsp or more grated lemon rind

1 ½ tbsp lemon juice, or according to taste

300 g (10 oz) strained yoghurt, low fat if preferred

        Combine the mayonnaise with the mustard, spring onion, dill, grated lemon rind and   mix well together. Finally stir in the yoghurt, taste and season with salt pepper and lemon juice, if necessary.

FRESH SALMON MOUSSE

                                                 

          Fresh salmon is abundant and cheap in Greece.   Here is a recipe for a basic mousse, which could be covered with aspic and garnished with prawns or served plain with a zesty dill sauce.

800 g (about 1 lb 10oz) salmon, skinned and boned

187.5 ml (3/4 cup) dry white wine

62.5 ml (1/4 cup) water

1 carrot, sliced

½ onion, sliced

1 leek, white part only, sliced

1 tender celery stalk, finely sliced

1 bay leaf

A little salt

2 – 3 thin lemon slices, halved

Salt

5-6 peppercorns

Sauce

4 tbsp butter

5 tbsp cornflour

500 ml (2 cups) or more, hot milk

½ large onion

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

5 sheets gelatine steeped in iced water for 5-7 minutes

125 ml (1/2 cup) mayonnaise, low fat if preferred

2 tbsp lemon juice, or according to taste

2 tbsp finely chopped dill, or more if preferred

1-2 spring onions, very finely chopped

1-2 tsp Dijon mustard

250 ml (1 cup) cream, low fat if preferred, whipped into soft peaks

Salt and pepper, to taste

          Pour wine and water in a shallow saucepan and add the onion, sliced vegetables, peppercorns, salt, bay leaf and simmer for about 7 minutes.   Place the salmon in the stock, spoon a few vegetables over, and spread the lemon slices on top.   Cover the saucepan, and poach for 12-15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.  Remove the salmon and leave to cool.  Reduce the cooking liquid to 2-3 tablespoonfuls, strain and reserve

          In the meantime, bring the milk to the boil, with the onion and bay leaf.   Remove from the heat and leave to infuse, for at least 10 minutes.

         To prepare the mousse, melt the butter, add the cornflour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.  Strain the milk and add it gradually to the roux, stirring constantly.  Simmer the sauce until it thickens, stirring, and cook for 3-4 minutes more.  Squeeze the gelatine sheets and stir very well into the hot sauce, until completely combined.   Add the sauce and the cooking liquid to the poached salmon and blend until quite smooth.   

          Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, chopped dill, spring onions and mix well together.  Fold in the whipped cream and, then, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, lemon juice, white pepper and chopped dill, if necessary.  Finally spoon the mixture into a soufflé dish, lined with cling-film, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.   You could line the soufflé dish with smoked salmon slices, if you wish.

  

                                                    

PEPPER STEAKS

          This was my husband’s favourite meat dish.

 1½ kg (3 lbs) beef fillet, cut into 5 cm (2 inch) slices

2-3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp peppercorns, coarsely crushed

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

Coarse salt

2 tbsp shallots or spring onions, chopped

2 liqueur glasses brandy

1 tbsp butter, cut into bits

250 ml (1 cup) beef stock

125 ml (½ cup) double cream

Place the fillet slices, in one layer in a Pyrex dish and sprinkle with olive oil all over.  Cover the dish with cling-film and let the meat marinate for two hours, at room temperature.

When ready to cook, press the peppercorns firmly all over the fillet slices, so that the pepper clings.

 Place 2-3 slices of meat at a time into a sizzling frying pan and sear for one or two minutes on each side.  Season with coarse salt, add butter, olive oil and the shallots, lower the heat slightly and cook for 6-8 minutes more or less, in order to reach the meat’s preferred doneness.   Flame with brandy and place the steaks in a pre-heated dish, adding a piece of butter on each stake.  

Pour the beef stock into the frying pan, bring to boil and reduce the gravy, stirring continuously.   Remove the pan from the stove, stir in the cream, taste for seasoning and adjust with a little salt if necessary.  Simmer the sauce, over low heat, for 1-2 minutes, until it thickens 

Carve the steaks, pour the sauce over and serve with chips and the vegetables you prefer.   

                                   

ICE-CREAM ROLL WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

This is an easy and popular iced dessert.

Sponge cake:

5 eggs, separated, whites whipped stiffly with a pinch of salt

5 tbsp sugar

Vanilla

5 tbsp self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

Ice-cream:

One 397g (13 ¼ oz) tin sweet condensed milk

250 g (1 cup) fresh milk

A pinch of salt

Vanilla

400 ml (an ample 1½ cup) thick cream

Chocolate Sauce:

200 g (almost 7 oz) dark chocolate, melted au bain Marie with

2 tbsp hot water

4-5 tbsp sweet condensed milk or more,if preferred

Just mix everything well together, over very low heat, and bring to room temperature before using

First make the ice-cram.  Mix everything well together and place in a covered container, in the freezer.   After 1½ hours remove from the freezer and whip vigorously, cover and place it in the freezer   Repeat the procedure twice more.

For the cake beat the egg yolks with the sugar and the vanilla until light and creamy.  Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix lightly together. Finally fold in the whipped egg whites, until no streaks are visible.  Pour into a shallow baking tin, lined with buttered baking  parchment, and bake in a pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes.   Take out from the oven, remove the baking parchment carefully and roll into a cylinder.  Cover with a clean piece of parchment and let it cool completely before using.

Open out the sponge roll and spread some ice-cream thickly over.  Roll up the cake once more, cover with baking parchment and freeze for about two hours before using.

Serve sliced, with chocolate sauce and stewed Morello cherries.

 

Patmos

                                                 

 My daughter-in-law Elpida and my son Yiannis invited me to their beautiful home on the island of Patmos.

The main communities in Patmos are the capital Chora, the main port Skala, Grikos and Campos.  In 1999 the historic centre Chora, the Monastery of St. John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse were declared by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

Driving up the Scala road one suddenly comes across the fortified Castle and Chora.  

 Crowned by the castle the houses seem unreal, as if ingeniously placed there, by a master stage-designer.  The Monastery is imposing and peaceful. A monk told us that it has ten chapels. The main chapel has a beautifully carved wooden iconostasis, a real masterpiece, that leaves one speachless.   I was particularly impressed and moved by the Treasury (the museum) the largest in the Aegean, we were told.   It has an amazing collection of beautiful manuscripts, icons, vestments, Abbots’ thrones, silver and gold ecclesiastical objects, the finest examples of Byzantine and post-Byzantine Art. But one can also see classical and early-Christian antiquities and Ottoman and Slavic collections of documents and works of art.

In Chora we visited Freddy Constandinides  house, which is a real jewel, and her five-year-old son Nicolas proudly showed us around.

Halfway down the road to Skala we went to the Cave of the Apocalypse, where St John the Theologian received his visions.   We were very lucky because a service, Orthros (Matins) was taking place. It was incredible, as the biblical appearance of the priests and the soft, mellow chanting, brought us right back to 95 A.D., the year that the Book of the Revelation was written.

Yiannis insisted that we eat out every evening.  I must mention “Loza” in Chora, where Sophia invents and cooks the most fabulous gourmet dishes.   My grandchildren's favourite is Fillet with Coumandaria.  Also “Veggera”, where the "gold toque" chef prepares his excellent creations.  “Benetos” offers the tastiest of fish and meat dishes with vegetables and herbs freshly picked from his garden.  We also enjoyed “Pappou’s Souvlakia” run by Maria Canario and the hors-d’oeuvres at “Pleusis” attached to the Aktis Hotel. We really loved feeding the melanouria at “Kyma”, a restaurant which specializes in delectable seafood dishes.  And last but not least is “Gelato De Santis” which prepares real Italian ice cream.

 I loved the island. The sea is clear and greenish blue and the arid fiords create a fascinating antithesis. The towns are full of interesting boutiques, cafés, bars and art galleries.   The people are friendly and generous.   On the whole, Patmos was literally a revelation to me.

 ICED WATERMELON SOUP

           “Veggera” was the first to prepare iced watermelon soup, this is Elpida’s  version.

One 390 g (13 oz) tin tomato juice

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

1 garlic clove

1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + a sprig of thyme + a sprig of parsley)

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

¼ tsp or less Cayenne pepper

1 tsp honey or sugar

1 kg (2 lbs) watermelon, peeled, de-seeded and cubed

1 shot vodka or brandy, optional

Mint leaves or sprigs for garnish  

       Simmer the first six ingredients for 20 minutes, discard the bouquet garni, cool and sieve.   Meanwhile blend the watermelon and combine it with the tomato juice mixture. Sieve once more and add the honey or sugar and stir well together.  Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or honey, if necessary, and place in the refrigerator.   Add the liquor, if using and serve iced, in tall glasses, garnished with mint.

 

  

FILLET COOKED WITH MUSHROOMS, HERBS AND WINE

                                       

You could also cook this dish successfully, using chicken or veal cutlets

1 ¼ kg (2.5 lb) fillet, trimmed, cut into slices and flattened

Salt and pepper or mustard powder if preferred

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

500 g (1 lb) fresh white mushrooms, stalks removed, chopped and reserved, caps cut into chunks

1½ tbsp flour

4 tbsp brandy

125 ml (1/2 cup) good quality sweet wine (Coumandaria for my grandsons!)

250 ml (1 cup) or more, chicken stock or more

4-5 sage leaves, or a small rosemary sprig

125 ml (½ cup) cream

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

           Season the meat with pepper (or mustard powder).   Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy frying pan and cook the steaks in batches, for 2 minutes on each side, over very high heat. Sprinkle with salt   Then lower the heat and cook for 2 minutes more on each side.   Arrange them on a dish, and keep hot.

 

          Pour off any oil left in the frying pan.   Add the remaining olive oil and butter, then the onion and garlic and simmer, stirring, until soft but not brown.   Then stir in the mushroom stalks, chopped, and simmer for a minute or two.  Add the mushroom caps and cook briskly until almost dry.  Sprinkle the flour over and stir.  Pour in the brandy and ignite. When the flame dies out, douse with the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes more.   Then add the chicken stock and sage, or rosemary, and simmer gently, until the sauce thickens.   It might need some extra liquid (stock or water).   Return the meat to the pan and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove the rosemary sprig and stir in the cream and simmer for a minute or two. Taste the sauce and adjust accordingly.  Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and parsley and serve with smashed potatoes or chips.

(Serves 6-8)

SATCHELS FROM PATMOS

 Πουγγιά από την Πάτμο

 Τhe following recipe from Patmos is very old.  "Pounghia’ are offered at weddings up to this day, together with the traditional sugar almonds.

Pastry:

250 g (½ lb) butter

110 (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) sugar

The yolk of 1 egg

Vanilla

1 ½ tsp baking powder

500 g (1 lb) about 3 1/3 cups flour

A pinch of salt

120ml (½ cup) water

Filling:

250 g (2 ½ cups) almonds, blanched and ground

125 g (about 1 cup) walnuts, coarsely chopped

75 g (3/4 cup) dry breadcrumbs

1 tsp grated nutmeg

Syrup:

1 cup water

250 g (1 ¼ cup) sugar

125 g (1/3 cup) honey

About ½ kg (1 lb) icing sugar, for coating the pounghia

     First make the syrup.  Boil the water and sugar for 5 minutes, then add the honey and simmer 2 minutes more.   Set aside to cool

     To make the pastry:  Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together. Cream the butter and sugar, then stir in the egg yolk, vanilla, the flour mixture, and finally add the water and knead (adding more water if necessary) to form a pliable dough.   Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for about an hour. 

     In the meantime prepare the filling:  In a bowl, combine the nuts with the breadcrumbs and the nutmeg and mix well together.   Then add the syrup and stir thoroughly.

      Take a piece of dough, the size of a small walnut, roll it out thinly and shape it  into a small circle.  Spoon a teaspoon of the filling in the centre.   Press the opposite sides of the dough together to seal in the filling.   Repeat, until all the dough is used. 

     Arrange the satchels on a tin, lined with baking parchment, and bake in a moderately hot oven, preheated to 190 C (375 F) for about 15-20 minutes, until just lightly browned.    Let the satchels cool, brush them lightly with water and sprinkle lavishly with icing sugar. (Makes about 50 pieces)

  

VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

This is a very easy ice cream, very popular with both children and grownups.

A vanilla pod

500 g (2 cups) full milk

200 g (1 cup) sugar

A good pinch of salt

500 g (2 cups) thick cream

Chocolate Sauce

120 g (4 oz) dark chocolate, melted mixed with

4-5 tbsp sweet condensed milk

Split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the milk.  Heat the milk, sugar and salt, stirring until the sugar melts, and cool.   Stir in the cream, pour into a covered container and place in the freezer.   After 1½ hours beat the cream, cover and return it quickly to the freezer.  Repeat the procedure twice more.

 Serve the ice cream in bowls and pour 1-2 tbsp chocolate sauce on top. 

          

    

COOKENJOY’S First Birthday

Four days ago my blog was a year old.  Throughout the year, I really enjoyed introducing my recipes and remembering events in my life that were connected with them.  I think I grasped the know-how of a blog but I haven’t followed the savoir-faire, such as coming in contact with other cooking bloggers, and listening to their criticism or praise. I intend to improve my blog, this coming year, to publish more photographs, to improve my texts, making them more interesting and, perhaps, even to change style.

Θάνος Χρήστου

                           

We were all shocked and deeply grieved to hear of dear Thanos’ death.   Devoted husband of Maria, adored father of Katerina, Chryssa and Spiros, precious son of Chrysanthos and Katerina, beloved brother of our Yianna and brother-in-law of Spiros, much loved son-in-law and brother-in-law of Spiros and Chryssa,  Andie and Angelos, he will be greatly missed by his family, friends, students and colleagues.

Thanos was an Art Historian, son of the famous Art Historian, Crysanthos Cristou.   In the nineties he successfully reorganised the Municipal Art Gallery in Corfu and also introduced and made many visual artists familiar to the greater public. In 2001 he published a study titled “Sculpture of the Ionian Islands”.  He was an associate art professor of Art History at the University of Ioannina and he recently organized the “Foundation of Printmaking Aria Komianou” in Corfu.

We send our deepest condolences, to his loved ones.   May the fact that Thanos produced such invaluable work, in so short a time, and that he was so highly esteemed by his students, colleagues and the people of Corfu, be a shadow of comfort to them, in their profound sorrow.