Htipiti; Zesty Greek Feta Dip

(about 2 1/2 cups)

This zesty Greek cheese dish makes a great party dip.  It's very easy to make and wonderful with cut up vegetables, bread, pita or crackers. I love tossing this spicy hot dip with pasta. It's delicious!

Htipiti typically contains olive oil, but I prefer using a small amount of yogurt instead.

2 red bell peppers
2 jalapeno peppers
3-5 cloves garlic, leave the skins on.
1/4 cup Greek style plain yogurt
1/2 lb feta, drained and cut up
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp ground cumin
grated black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Wash bell peppers and jalapeno peppers. Cut in half and remove the seeds. Place the peppers skin side up onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Add the garlic cloves, keeping everything in one layer. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 20-30  minutes or until the tops are blistered. Remove from oven and cool.

Slip the blistered skins off the peppers and place them into the bowl of a food processor. Remove the skins from the garlic cloves and add those as well. Add the yogurt, feta, lemon juice, paprika, cumin and grated pepper. Process until smooth.

Königsberger Klopse; Meatballs with Caper Sauce

(4 servings)

These delicious meatballs are cooked in salted water or broth like dumplings, then served with a tangy gravy made from the broth they simmered in as well as lemon juice, egg yolk and capers. They contain anchovy paste or minced anchovies and I strongly urge you to use them even if you don't care for them. The anchovy adds a depth of flavour without making these meatballs taste "fishy", something extra salt can't duplicate.

Whenever my mum used to make Königsberger Klopse, she would tell us four or five times while she was making them how delicious they were. I think this was one of her favourite dishes. I'm not sure if my mum made these out of veal or beef or a combination of the two. I looked up the recipe in my German cookbook, Das neue große Kochbuch, and it says a mixture of ground meat, so I used beef and pork. I did look into the history of these and it appears initially they were made only from veal and later on cooks began to mix in or replace the veal entirely with less expensive types of meat. I think lamb would be interesting here and would probably shift this dish from German to Greek.

I decided to use my stand mixer to make the meatballs because I loved the way my Swedish Meatballs turned out using this method, but if you prefer, you can still combine everything with a large spoon or your hands.

This recipe is adapted from an out-of-print German cookbook; Das neue große Kochbuch by Roland Gööck ©1963.

Königsberger Klopse
3-4 slices of sourdough bread or a crusty roll (enough to make about 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs)
small handful fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
2 tbsp milk
1 strip bacon, finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 lb ground veal, beef, pork or a combination of any of these meats
1 large egg
1 large egg white (reserve the yolk for the sauce)
1 tbsp anchovy paste
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cups *beef broth (or salted water)

Sauce
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp flour
reserved broth plus enough water to bring it to 2 cups
up to 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp capers
salt and freshly ground pepper, if needed


To serve
cooked rice or boiled potatoes

Tear up the bread or roll (enough to make about 1 1/2 cups) and place into the bowl of a food processor. Add the parsley and lemon zest. Pulse until you have bread crumbs.

Empty the mixture into the bowl of  stand mixer or a large bowl (if you are mixing the meatballs by hand). Sprinkle the milk over the breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Heat the bacon in a skillet. When it begins to render its fat, add the onions. Adjust the heat to prevent the onions from burning and saute them until they become translucent and begin to brown lightly. Remove them from heat.

To the herbed breadcrumbs and milk, add the ground meat, egg, anchovy paste, salt, pepper and onion mixture. Combine everything on medium speed using the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes, or mix everything with a spoon or your hands until the meatball mixture is smooth and evenly combined.

Heat up the broth in a saucepan. Pinch off a small piece of the meatball mixture and cook it in the broth until it's done, to check and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. I added a bit more salt and ground pepper to mine. Turn off the heat, and cover the pot with a lid while you form the meatballs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The meat mixture will be tacky, if you wet your hands the meatballs will be easier to form.

Turn on the heat and bring the broth to a gentle simmer. Add the meatballs (you might have to do this in batches) and simmer them for about 10 minutes or until done. Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside.

When the meatballs are cooked, strain the broth into a 2 cup measure. Add enough water to bring the amount to 2 cups. Set aside.

Melt the butter and add the flour in your saucepan, then mix until you have a smooth paste. Slowly add the strained broth, stirring or using a whisk until you have a smooth mixture. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about a minute.

Stir in a teaspoon of lemon juice at a time, to taste. I like my sauce lemony, so I end up adding the entire 2 tablespoons.

Whisk a small amount of the hot sauce into the egg yolk, then whisk in a few more spoonfuls of sauce, one at a time. Return the egg yolk mixture to the pot and stir for a few seconds. You want to heat it up, but not bring it to a boil otherwise the yolk might curdle the sauce. Lower the heat and stir in the capers and return the reserved meatballs.

When the meatballs have warmed up a bit, they will be ready to serve.

My mum usually served these with rice, but they can be served with boiled potatoes as well.

*Traditionally Königsberger Klopse are served with a "white" sauce which you won't get if you use beef broth. I'd rather use the broth instead of the salted water because I prefer the richer flavour.

Kalamata Olive Tapenade

This tasty French spread can be used with grilled chicken or fish, vegetables, fruit, salads or slathered on crackers. I've been enjoying it with toast, pears and blue cheese. There are many versions of tapenade depending on where it's made, but it always contains olives, usually black, sometimes green.

The very first time I made this, I didn't have a food processor, so I spent a good 25 minutes or so, pounding it in a mortar with a pestle. Now, I toss everything into the bowl of a food processor and it's ready in minutes.

1 cup pitted kalamata olives, drained
1 tbsp anchovy paste (optional)
2 tsp capers, drained
1/4-1/2 small clove garlic
1/2-1 tsp fresh lemon zest
the leaves from a small sprig of fresh thyme
salt (if not using anchovy paste) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Place the olives, anchovy paste, capers, garlic, lemon zest, thyme and black pepper into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until everything is smooth. Check and adjust the seasoning.

With the motor running, drizzle in the oil until you have a consistency you like.

This will keep refrigerated for about two weeks.

Caesar Salad

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(2-4 servings)

I learned to make this salad in school when I was 13 years old. I still make it the same way, although on occasion I'll change things up a bit. I have been known to add an entire tin of anchovy fillets because I love them so much. I couldn't imagine caesar salad without them, but if you don't care for them, then leave them out and  use a bit of salt in their place.

1 tbsp butter, olive oil or a combination
1-2 cloves *garlic, minced
1 cup 1/2" fresh bread cubes, I made them from a sourdough, kalamata olive loaf
1 coddled egg yolk, or pasteurized egg yolk, (use eggs from cage free, organic feed fed hens)
1 tbsp or more anchovy paste, (if not using, add salt to taste, when checking and adjusting the seasoning)
1-2 tsp capers
2-3 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp mustard
2-4 tbsp olive oil
freshly grated black pepper
1 large head romaine lettuce, washed and spun dry, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/3-1/2 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese 


Melt the butter in a small skillet and add about half of the minced garlic. Stir for a minute or so, then add the bread cubes and saute until they are golden. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add the remaining garlic to a salad bowl. *You might want to experiment a bit with the raw garlic. At times it can be rather strong tasting and might overpower your salad. Start with a small amount and add more later on, if needed.

With the back of a spoon, mash and work the garlic into a paste.

Work in the egg yolk, anchovy paste, capers, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Slowly work in the olive oil a few drops at a time until you have a creamy dressing. Add the black pepper, taste and make any necessary adjustments to the seasoning.

I like my dressing on the salty, tangy side, so I use the greater amounts of anchovy paste, capers and lemon juice, and the lesser amount of olive oil.

Add the romaine lettuce, cheese and reserved toasted bread cubes. Toss and serve immediately.

Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs; Daring Cooks Challenge, March 2012

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The March, 2012 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Carol, a/k/a Poisonive – and she challenged us all to learn the art of Braising! Carol focused on Michael Ruhlman’s technique and shared with us some of his expertise from his book “Ruhlman’s Twenty”.

I was pretty excited by this challenge. I love braised meat, and like trying new recipes. Gremolata was unfamiliar to me and I thought it was a great garnish!

I copied out the recipe we were given below.

Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs:

Servings: 4

The quintessential braise ingredient is short ribs! This is a delicious version adapted from Ruhlman! He discusses short ribs and gremolata in this blog post - http://ruhlman.com/2010/03/gremolatawith-wine-braised-beef-short-rib/ I also used the same recipe to prepare oxtails and it was delicious! I think you could sub any tough cut of meat, including game, and I would stick to a 3 1bs (1-1/3 kg) limit.

Ingredients

Canola oil, for browning the ribs (can use any mild to non-flavored oil)

Plain/all-purpose flour, for dredging

8 beef short ribs* or 3 1bs (1-1/3 kg) of your choice of meat

2 large onion, cut into a large dice

Kosher Salt, to taste

4 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 celery stalks cut into 1 inch (2½ cm) pieces

2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste

3 cups (720 ml) Zinfandel or other fruit-heavy red wine (you may use beef stock or a combo with water)

1 head of garlic, cut horizontally

2 bay leaves

1/3 cup (80 ml) honey (you may substitute 2 tablespoons (30ml) brown sugar)

1 teaspoon (5 ml) (2 gm) cracked peppercorns

1 tablespoon (15 ml) (½ oz/15 gm) butter, for sautéing

1 pound (450 gm) mushrooms, sliced thin

Gremolata

2 tablespoons (30 ml) (1/3 oz/10 gm) minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon (15 ml) (1/3 oz/10 gm) minced garlic

1 tablespoon (15 ml) (3/8 oz/12 gm) grated lemon zest.

*The ribs I used in this braise were 1 ½” (4 cm) thick – my butcher typically cuts a “value-cut”‘ at ¾” (2 cm) for his meat case. I do not think ribs this small would be appropriate for this recipe. I recommend at least 1” (2½ cm).

Directions:

1. In a heavy ovenproof pot, add enough oil to cover the bottom about ¼” (5 mm).

2. Put some flour on a plate and dredge the short ribs (or your choice of meat) on all sides and shake off the excess.

3. When the oil is hot, add the ribs/meat and brown on all sides – you may have to do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan and steam instead of sear. You want to form a nice crust on the beef meat. There is lots of flavor in this.

4. Remove the ribs/meat and drain on paper towel.

5. Preheat the oven to very low 250°F/125°C/gas mark ½.

6. Drain off any remaining oil, and wipe pot clean.

7. Add a little canola oil to coat the bottom of the pot, add half the onions and cook over medium heat until the onions have softened.

8. Add a sprinkle of salt.

9. Add half the carrots and all the celery (refrigerate the onions and carrots for use later). Cook for 5 minutes – the longer you cook the vegetables and they caramelize you develop flavor – so you can brown them up.

10. Add tomato paste and stir around to heat through.

11. Place the ribs/meat in the pot – its ok if they go on top of each other now.

12. Add the wine (or stock/water if using) – 3 cups is just about the entire bottle and if it’s too early to enjoy a glass  then you can add the entire bottle!

13. Add the garlic – its ok for the cloves to be unpeeled but remove the outer layers.

14. Add the bay leaves.

15. Season with a sprinkle of salt.

16. Add the honey and peppercorns.

17. Bring to a simmer.

18. Cover pot with the lid ajar or make a parchment lid to fit.

19. Place in the oven and cook for 4 hours – go shopping, gardening, clean the house, surf the net – but you have 4 hours to enjoy!

20. Remove the pot from the oven and allow cooling. Remove ribs meat and place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

21. Strain the braising liquid and allow chilling - then removing the congealed fat.

22. Sear mushrooms by placing them in a hot dry sauté or frying pan and cook for a minute or two each side, while pressing down with the spatula.

23. Melt butter in your braising pot.

24. Add the remaining onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes.

25. Add ribs and mushrooms.

26. Add the reserved braising liquid and meat.

27. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until carrots a fork tender.

28. For the Gremolata, stir together the parsley, garlic and lemon zest. Don’t skip this part – the Gremolata adds so much to this dish. You can also use orange zest too!

29. Serve ribs with mashed potato, buttered egg noodles or polenta – garnish with the Gremolata.

Roasted Chicken (Marinated in Fish Sauce)

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(2-3 servings)

For many of us there are probably a number of memorable dishes we've tried and will never forget. For me, it's often a trip down memory lane. From the simple and very delicious seasoned meat patties (ćevapčići) I purchased from a street vendor in the former Yugoslavia, to an extravagant four course meal (about 25 years ago) at Le Bernardin in NYC, where I sampled the most amazing sea urchins.

Sprinkled in between are tasty and unusual dishes which have made a huge impression on me.  One such meal was here in Dallas a few years back. The main course of grilled cornish hens had spent a lengthy dip in a savory fish sauce marinade, before hitting the hot grill. They were absolutely wonderful; crispy on the outside and deliciously succulent on the inside. I have thought about them often.

Recently I got in touch with the host about those hens. He remembered the dish but no longer had the recipe. A great shame, as it had been an amazing combination of flavours.

I've tried to recreate that marinade from memory, and used it here on chicken thighs. I roasted them in the oven because it rained the day I planned to grill them. I loved them, although they weren't the same as those cornish hens. Sometimes it's more than the dish itself that makes the meal memorable.


1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp ginger, finely minced
2-3 tsp hot sauce
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken thighs, (about 1.5 lbs)


Combine the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger, hot sauce, honey,chili flakes and black pepper in a non-reactive bowl. Add the chicken, cover with wrap in leave in the refrigerator for 24-36 hours, turning over once or twice.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Lightly oil a baking dish and add the chicken in one layer, skin side up. Bake for about 25-35 minutes, or until the juices run clear from a thigh pierced near the bone. If the skin isn't as dark or crispy as you'd like, then place the chicken underneath the broiler for a couple of minutes.

Serve with a spoonful or two of the juices which have gathered at the bottom of the pan.

Homemade Mayonnaise & Chicken Salad

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On occasion I'll make my own mayonnaise. It's not difficult and it's much tastier and a lot cheaper than anything you can pick up in a jar. I think what holds many people back from giving it a try is the concern about raw eggs. It's sad this seems to have become more of an issue in recent years.

My mum told me my grandmother used to leave her eggs out on the counter, unrefrigerated for weeks. My grandmother's eggs were fine and no one ever got sick.

Nowadays, when it comes to perishable foods, I often toss "brand loyalty" out the window and shop by the best expiration date. The eggs I brought home this week happened to be "pasteurized"; perfect for making mayonnaise. If you can't find any pasteurized eggs, then you can do this yourself.

This basic recipe can be doubled or tripled, but I prefer making a smaller amount and using it up within a week.

All ingredients need to be at room temperature.

Basic Mayonnaise
1 large pasteurized egg yolk
1/2-3/4 cup flavourless vegetable oil
a pinch or two of fine sea salt
1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 

Options
lime juice, vinegar or flavoured vinegar in place of the lemon juice.
1/2-1 tsp plain or hot mustard
1-2 tsp ketchup, (makes a nice pink mayo)
replace part of the oil with sesame or olive oil

I like making my mayonnaise with a hand-held electric beater and a two cup glass measure. You can use a blender, a food processor, an immersion hand blender or even a whisk if you are brave enough, and up to a good workout.

Beat the egg yolk until it lightens in colour. Add one or two drops of oil and continue to beat. Keep beating in one or two drops of oil at a time (very slowly) until you have used up about a tablespoon of oil. The slower you do this, the greater rate of success you will have at creating a smooth emulsion. The yolk mixture will look creamy and *smooth. At this point you can add a small amount of salt and lemon juice or one or two of the options.

Once you have added about a tablespoon or so of the oil successfully, you can add it a bit more quickly; several drops at a time or in a very thin stream until you have used the desired amount of oil. I rarely add more than 1/2 a cup of oil per yolk, but you can add as much as about 3/4 cup of oil, if you prefer. Taste the mayonnaise and beat in more salt and lemon juice as needed.

*If the yolk begins to separate from the oil, then either the oil was added too quickly or the egg and oil were not the same temperature. Put this mixture aside (don't throw it out) and begin again with another yolk. Beat this yolk until it begins to lighten, then beat in a 1/4 tsp of the separated yolk mixture at a time until you have used all of it. At this point, you will need to double the recipe and add twice the amount of the ingredients above to finish your mayonnaise.

This will keep for about 1 week or so, refrigerated. It might keep longer, but I always finish mine before that amount of time passes.

Chicken Salad
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1-2 tsp cider vinegar, to taste
1/2 tsp hot mustard
1/4 tsp honey
1 tsp poppy seeds

2/3 cup leftover cooked chicken, chopped
5-6 grapes, quartered
1 tbsp chopped celery
2 tsp dried cranberries
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, honey and poppy seeds. Mix that in with the chicken, grapes, celery and cranberries.

Check and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.

A Lighter Meyer Lemon Cheesecake

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(8 inch cheesecake)

I've been curious about light Japanese cheesecakes, but almost every recipe I've come across uses half a dozen eggs and requires you to bake it in a bain-marie. The sad thing is that's not even that difficult to set up a water bath, but for some reason an extra step like that will more often than not have me clicking to the next recipe. I ended up making a few adjustments to my go-to recipe based on a couple of things I gleaned from various Japanese cheesecake recipes.

My cheesecake was definitely lighter than a conventional American cheesecake, but denser than a traditional Japanese cheesecake. It was fluffy and creamy. All in all, I was thrilled with how it turned out and ended up using only half the amount of cream cheese! This delicious cheesecake with it's delicate lemon flavour was perfect with a bit of whipped cream and fresh berries. OK, it didn't really need the whipped cream, but I had some! :D

8oz pkg neufchatel or cream cheese, (not the whipped kind)
2/3 cup sour cream
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
fresh zest from 1 Meyer lemon, about 1 tbsp
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 egg whites
1/2 cup fine granulated sugar


freshly whipped cream
fresh berries

Prepare an 8 inch springform by cutting a piece of parchment paper to fit  the bottom and a strip to go along the side of the pan. Set aside.

Place the neufchatel and sour cream into a microwave proof bowl. Microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time to warm everything up just enough so you can whisk the cheese and sour cream together; you just want to soften the ingredients, not heat them up too much.

Whisk in the egg yolks, lemon juice, zest and cornstarch. Set the mixture aside when it's well combined.

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Beat the egg whites until they are frothy, then gradually beat in the sugar. Continue to beat until you get firm peaks.

Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture, and pour into your prepared springform. Smooth out the top, if necessary.

Bake for 1 hour in the middle of the oven, then turn off the heat and allow the cake to *cool for 30 minutes in the oven. Hopefully this will help keep any cracks on the surface to a minimum. Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour or two before serving.

*I use a small counter-top convection oven which cools off faster. If you are using a large conventional oven then pry open the door just a tiny bit with the handle of a wooden spoon.

Serve with whipped cream and berries.