HAS VIOLENCE BECOME ROUTINE?

                      

Two further murders, the one with racist connotations, were committed, last weekend, in Copenhagen.     The Danes and the whole civilised world were horrified.   The following night, a candle lit vigil, with thousands of followers, took place, in order to pay homage to the victims.    Jeg er dansk.

In Libya, twenty-one Egyptian Coptic Christians were beheaded by savage, cowardly jihadists.   How could such barbaric events take place in the twenty-first century?   Our prayers and thoughts go to their families and loved ones. 

In the Ukraine the truce seems fragile and shaky.  What can one say?   A world in paranoia.

At home, we are all extremely anxious as, tomorrow, the Eurogroup is going to decide our  future in the Eurozone.  

  

In defiance of events, I'm giving you below three recipes, three gems, that were given to me by my mother's elder sister, who was an excellent cook.  Please see below her Recipe Book, a cherished possession.

                           ADAMANTIA’S (BABIE’S) PARMESAN BISCUITS

This is a recipe for delicious cheese biscuits. 

100 g (3 oz + ½ cup) Parmesan, finely grated

100 g (3 oz  + 1 tbsp) butter, at ambience temperature

1 egg, beaten with

1 egg yolk (white reserved for further use)

Freshly ground red pepper

120 g (4 oz) or more self raising flour

Extra Parmesan, finely grated

Beat butter and Parmesan for 5 minutes.   Stir in the beaten whole egg and egg yolk, red pepper, and very little salt.   Sift in the flour and stir the batter until well combined.    Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes at least.

Roll out the dough to 0.5 cm ( 0.2 inch) thickness, cut into rounds and arrange on a tin lined with baking parchment.   Brush each round with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan (optional).  Bake in a oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 12 to 15 mnutes.

                                                 FROSTED CHIPS

This is thin butter biscuit topped with a nutty meringue.

120 g (4 oz) butter at room temperature

240 g (8 oz ) self raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

2 egg yolks

Meringue:

2 egg whites

120 g (4 oz) sugar

A pinch of salt

The grated rind of I lemon

3-4 tsp almonds flakes

Mix the flour with the baking powder..   Rub the butter into the flour and salt until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.   Stir in the egg yolks and knead until a soft pliable dough is obtained.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, at least.

Whip the egg whites with the salt to the soft peak stage.   Start adding the sugar by the spoonful, whipping after each addition.   Whip until the egg whites become stiff and glossy and finally, fold in the lemon rind and the almond flakes.

Roll out the dough, thinly, and cut small round shapes and place them on a tin, lined with baking parchment.  Spread each round evenly with the whipped egg whites and bake in al oven preheated to 170 C (325 F) for about 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are crisp.

                                        SPINACH AND LEEK PIE IN A CAKE TIN

This is a pie that my grandchildren love.

Filling:

500 g (1 lb) fresh spinach, chopped

4 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

3 leeks, split lengthwise in four, washed and chopped

2 tbsp chervil, if available, finely chopped

2 tbsp Mediterranean hartwort, if available, finely chopped

1 tbsp dill, finely chopped

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

White Sauce:

1 litre (4 cups) milk

4-5 tbsp flour

1 bay leaf

A little salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup Gruyere, grated

½ cup Parmesan, grated

2 eggs, beaten

210 g (7 oz) bland feta, cubed

500 g (1 lb) phyllo pastry

120 melted butter or more

Sauté the onion in olive oil, until transparent.    Add the garlic, leeks and a little salt and pepper and simmer until the vegetables are soft.   Add the spinach in portions, the herbs a little more salt, and cook gently until the vegetables are cooked and dry.  Then remove from heat to cool.

For the sauce.  Pour the milk in saucepan and simmer over low heat, dilute the flour in a little cold milk and strain it into the milk, stirring all the time. Add the bay leaf, salt pepper and nutmeg.  Keep on stirring until the sauce thickens and bubbles and remove from the fire to cool and discard the bay leaf   Then fold in the grated cheese and the beaten eggs.

Fold the sauce into the spinach mixture, stirring until well combined. Taste and add more salt, pepper and nutmeg, if necessary.

Prepare the cake tin.   Drape ten lavishly buttered phyllo sheets over the sides and base of a buttered cake tin, in order to cover it completely, allowing parts of the pastry hanging over the sides.   Place in half the filling and sprinkle, evenly, with feta cubes.  Then add the remaining filling and fold the phyllo sheets neatly over, brushing, each, with butter.   Finally make two small slashes, crosswise, on  the pastry covering the tube, and buttering each small pastry piece, fold them over.  Drape the last two pastry sheets over the filling, around the tube, brush them with melted butter and bake the pie in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F),  for 40-50 minutes.

Remove from cake tin and serve as a first course or a main dish with a salad of your choice.