SUPER BLUE BLOOD MOON

The Phases of the Super Blue Blood Moon

 Utter Beauty 

Tonight, the 31st January 2018,  a celestial phenomenon, known as the Super Blue Blood Moon, takes place, that has not occurred since 1866, 152 years ago.

A Super Moon is when the moon is closest to the earth making it appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than usual.

A Blue Moon is when two full moons occur during the same month, therefore, the adage "once in a Blue Moon" refers to an event that rarely happens.

A Blood Moon is when the earth, being between the sun and the moon, allows the moon to be tinted with a reddish hue from the sun, during the phases of the total eclipse.   A scene of total beauty.




Let us celebrate this rare celestial event with a light but gourmet supper.



                                   SUPER BLUE BLOOD MOON COCKTAIL

Eis Ygiean!

Here are a few recipes for cocktails, fit for the occasion.


Pour into each iced glass:
125 ml (1/2 cup) sweetened strawberry pulp, strained
1 liqueur glass or more Cognac (I use Metaxa brandy)
1/2 tsp lemon juice to accentuate  the taste
Stir well and top with
Lemonade, add
1 tbsp crushed ice and garnish with
1 mint leaf


Pour into each iced glass:
1 liqueur glass or more Creme de Cassis
1 tsp lemon juice
Stir well and top with either
Ginger beer or
Orangeade
Garnish with a twist of orange or lemon peel




                                            SMOKED SALMON TART

A Delicious First  Dish

'

Pastry:
250 g (1/2 lb) butter, cubed
200 g (1 small tub) Greek yogurt
1 pinch of  salt
500 g (10 oz) self-rising flour + extra for rolling out
1 knob of butter for the dish
(This amount of pastry is for three 30 cm/12 inches tarts)

Filling:
200  g  (almost 7 oz) smoked salmon cut into small pieces
3 spring onions trimmed and finely sliced
2 tbsp finely chopped dill
1/2 cup grated graviera from Crete or Gruyere mixed with
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

250 ml (1 cup) cream
3 eggs
A little salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 slice smoked salmon for garnish, optional


First, make the pastry. Blend all the ingredients together until just mixed into a soft dough.  Shape into a ball, flatten it out slightly, cover with cling film and ice for 30 minutes at least.

Roll out 1/3 of  the dough and line a buttered tart dish with the pastry sheet and trim the excess.  Cover with baking parchment and two cups of beans and bake for 12 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F).  Discard the parchment and beans and bake for ten minutes more.  Remove from the oven and cool.

Sprinkle the grated cheese mixture over the cold pastry shell and scatter the smoked salmon pieces, chopped spring onions and dill evenly over.

Whip the eggs with cream until just mixed, season with freshly ground black pepper and pour over the filling.  Bake in an oven preheated to180 C (350 F) for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and the filling puffed and golden.  Garnish with smoked salmon, if using.  Serve with a rocket salad and warm brown bread.

                                                         

                                 

                     CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS IN MUSTARD SAUCE

This light dish is very tasty and easy to prepare.

4 chicken breasts, skinned and sliced

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

A little nutmeg, optional

1 medium onion, grated

4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

250 g (½ lb) fresh mushrooms, sliced

A little salt

The leaves of 4 sprigs of tarragon, chopped or
Parsley leaves only, chopped

2 tbsp mustard of your choice or more

300 ml (10 oz) light cream

2 tbsp good quality dry white wine

Sauté the chicken slices in butter and olive oil, on both sides, until cooked, sprinkle with salt, freshly ground white pepper and a little nutmeg, if using, and place in a dish and keep hot.

In the same utensil, place the onion, spring onions and the garlic and cook until soft. Add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Transfer the chicken back into the saucepan and add the tarragon.   Mix the cream with the mustard and the wine, pour over the chicken and simmer for 3-4  minutes more.  Serve with the same wine you used for the cooking.  

 

                                  CHOCOLATE COFFEE AND CHILLI CAKE

A Decadent Chocolate Dessert

I urge you to prepare this cake!  It will become one of your favourite desserts,


250 g (1/2 lb) dark chocolate, chopped, I use Ygeias Pavlidou, an excellent Greek dark eating chocolate
250 g (1/2 lb) butter, cubed + 1 knob extra for  the cake tin
1 tsp instant coffee kernels
1/8 or 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

3 tbsp self-raising flour mixed with
3 tbsp ground almonds and
1 tsp baking powder

6 eggs, separated whites whipped stiff with 1 pinch salt and 2 tbsp of the white sugar

175 g (8 oz + 1 heaped tbsp) white sugar
4 tbsp brown sugar

Ganache:
200  g (almost 7 oz) dark chocolate
200 ml (4/5 cup) cream
2 tsp Greek honey

Chocolate roses for garnishing


Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F), grease the cake tin with butter and line the base with buttered baking parchment.

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat, add the instant coffee kernels and the Cayenne pepper, mix well together until smooth and set aside to cool.

Whip the eggs with the remaining sugars, until thick and pale.  Pour the chocolate mixture into the beaten eggs yolk and sugar and gently mix together until smooth...



  Then add the flour, almonds and the baking powder and mix until well combined.   Fold the egg whites gently but thoroughly into the chocolate batter, until no streaks of white are visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin, even the surface and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin and run a flexible knife around the edges of the tin to loosen it.   Reverse the cool cake on a pretty dish.  pour the ganache evenly over and garnish with chocolate roses.



                         
                                        MODELLING CHOCOLATE

Delightful  Garnishes

This is a wonderful recipe for preparing chocolate garnishes such as roses.


250 g (1/2 lb) semisweet, dark chocolate
125 ml - 187.5 ml (1/2  to  3/4 cup) corn syrup


Melt chocolate over simmering water, remove from the heat and allow to cool,  stirring often  as it cools.

Add 1/2 cup corn syrup into the chocolate and stir until just combined.   Then pour on a marble or granite worktop surface and knead the chocolate, adding small amounts of corn syrup until soft and pliable.  Allow the modelling chocolate  to rest for 15 minutes before using it to shape garnishes.