corky octopus

My spoon came home yesterday with not one but THREE pretty big fresh OCTOPUS' ... Kills me. I guess since it is such a nice day out there that the best thing to do is to grill them. But first to tenderize them you must steam them with cork (wine corks will do I am told).. So into a pot of steaming water they went with corks, bay leaves, garlic cloves, and crushed red pepper flakes, a splash or two of white wine. After about 30 minutes, when the corks were kinda 'soft' I guessed the octopus' were ready to take out. So after cooling, I cut them (tentacles) into reasonable pieces I brushed them with olive oil and grilled. Spoon said real good and tender, I personally don't eat octopus, squid I can tolerate somewhat but octopus no... don't know why I guess it is the way the look at me........oh so sorry........I have the same reaction with lobster...oh boy......... hope spoon doesn't bring octopus home any time soon........

here comes the gas

2 weeks ago a new green grocer shop opened and I was instantly in love with it. All fresh veggies and fruits all the time... you would think that is not a rarity but it is because what most green grocers do here is they don't restock until all is sold which means wilted greens and ready to be buried fruits stay on the shelves …yuck! Anyway, so of course I overbought (roka, broccoli, eggplant, cukes, carrots, etc) and so found myself overeating in order not to waste anything. But I was still left with one hearty huge ball of red cabbage… what to do with it? Now 2 weeks later and it is starring me in the face… screaming at me … eat this … eat this… so bravely I decided that today is the day I will cook red cabbage (not just use it raw in a salad), (but how and why?)After looking through many recipes in the cookbooks I have on the shelf and what I found online I really could not find one I liked because most were the pickled or sweet types of recipes. I remembered that my mom use to fry r/cabbage with tomatoes and onions so I decided to give that a try. My biggest Dilemma was what spices of course besides garlic, salt and pepper? I decided to give it a north African twist and used some crushed Coriander seeds... not bad ...not bad at all... now we have to eat it for days and days .... here comes the gas..........

FIG SEASON IS HERE

I absolutely love fresh figs, so of course when in the local farmers market yesterday I saw them bathed in a beautiful color purple I just had to gather some up for that nights desert. Once home I found I had a tub of Mascarpone cheese that just had to be used before it expired so I decided to use it along with these beautifully just picked figs. You could easily replace the Mascarpone with cream cheese. Don't be afraid of the flower flavored waters they are just so wonderful with soft cheeses as well as in cookies and can be found in most supermarkets or make your own!

FIGS WITH MASCARPONE CHEESE

INGREDIENTS :

6 black figs
25g unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoons of almond flavored liquor or any liquor you desire
1/2 teaspoon of honey
2 teaspoons of rosewater or orange flower water
250 grams of mascarpone cheese
slivered almonds

1. Preheat a broiler or oven to the hottest temp it will go.
2. Quarter the figs, so that they open like flowers, taking care not to cut them all the way through. Place them in a heatproof dish into which they fit comfortably.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the cinnamon, vanilla, honey and flower water. Stir to combine and pour onto the figs, save some to serve over the cheese.
4. grill under the broiler or bake in the oven for a few minutes and then serve with some mascarpone or cream cheese over which you drizzle some of the left over syrup.
5. sprinkle with the slivered almonds (pistachio or pine nuts can also be used.

Enjoy!

grilled Ratatouille

It has been since mid June too hot (over 100f) here in Cyprus therefore haven't been hanging out in the kitchen unless you call opening watermelon and tuna cans an abstract form of cooking.
But sadly in my fridge there lies, calling out, a lonely eggplant, some half dead cherry tomatoes, red peppers and a very lonely limp yellow squash. Found a great grilled ratatouille recipe by Bobby Flay, served it over angel hair pasta... it was delightful! All done on the barbecue outside! (I cheated and cut my vegetables first, worked fine)

Here is the recipe from his website:
Grilled Ratatouille
Directions

2 zucchini, cut into quarters lengthwise

2 yellow squash, cut into quarters lengthwise

2 Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise

2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and quartered

2 yellow bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and quartered

2 red onions, quartered

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves

1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Place all cut vegetables and the tomatoes in a large shallow baking dish, add the 1/2 cup of olive oil, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the vegetables on the grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time. Remove the tomatoes, cover grill, and cook the remaining vegetables for 2 minutes, or until almost cooked through. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and coarsely chop (leave tomatoes whole). Place the chopped vegetables and tomatoes in a large bowl, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, oregano and parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Champagne Risotto

I finally figured out what to do with that leftover champagne taking space in my fridge from last New Years Eve. CHAMPAGNE RISOTTO What else?

EASY Champagne Risotto

3 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
2 SMALL FRENCH SHALLOTS, finely chopped
1 lb of ARBORIO RICE
21 fl oz of CHAMPAGNE
4 cups of hot water
2 oz of PARMESAN CHEESE, grated, plus extra, for serving
3 oz of SCARMOZA CHEESE, grated
1.5 oz of Butter


Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan with high sides. Sauté the shallots for
5 minutes until they are softened and slightly golden. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds (or so, until it is well coated with the oil)
Add 10.5 fl oz. of the Champagne and stir until absorbed.
Add one ladleful of hot water stirring continuously to prevent the risotto sticking. Continue this way; making sure the water is absorbed before the next ladleful is added.
After 20 minutes you should have added about 4 cups of water.
When the rice has absorbed all the water, add the remaining Champagne. Stir well and then stir in the cheeses and butter. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper and extra grated parmesan.

Wonderful Maple Syrup

I was jumping for joy when I spotted organic maple syrup on the shelf in our neighborhood supermarket, it is an unusual find. Ran home and couldn't wait to open it up and pour some of this wonderful gooey amber colored gel onto my fingertips for licking. Yummy... I remember once when searching for pancake recipes I found a great one by Emeril but never gave it a try. Since now I have the one missing ingredient it is on the menu for supper tonight! (maybe I will leave out the banana and serve baked sweet potatoes on the side with it???)
Emeril's Cornmeal Pancakes
Ingredients
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup of yogurt (plain or flavored)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 ripe banana, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Vegetable oil or Margarine for cast iron skillet
Garnish:
• Unsalted butter, softened
• Maple syrup
Directions
Heat a cast iron pan over low heat to warm up for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the cornmeal and flour. Stir the cinnamon, baking soda and brown sugar together and add to the bowl. Add a pinch of salt. In another bowl combine the yogurt, vanilla and milk. Using a wooden spoon, stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Lightly fold in the bananas and melted butter. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the egg whites.
Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the skillet and add 1 tablespoon of batter to the pan, spreading the batter to form even 2-inch pancakes. Cook until bubbles cover the surface, flip and cook until golden underneath, about 30-40 seconds. Continue with the remaining batter. Serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Cardamom buns!

I just love cardamom and I am always happy to find new recipes to use it in. I haven't actually prepared this yet but the following recipe, which is from "Falling Cloudberries" by Tessa Kiros, is my newest cookbook that I am just in love with, it just "smelt" so good I will surely be making it this weekend.

Cinnamon and cardamom buns

bun dough

250 ml (I cup) TEPID MILK
100 g (3'/z oz) CASTER SUGAR 25 g (I oz) FRESH YEAST
1 EGG, lightly beaten
125 g (4'/z oz) BUTTER, softened
2 TEASPOONS Freshly GROUND CARDAMOM seeds
1 TEASPOON SALT


Cinnamon Butter:
2 TEASPOONS GROUND CINNAMON
50 g (13/-1 oz) CASTER SUGAR, PLUS 1 TABLESPOON for sprinkling
80 g (23/-1 oz) BUTTER, softened
1 EGG, lightly beaten

CINNAMON & CARDAMOM BUNS

Put the milk and sugar in a bowl and crumble in the yeast. Leave for 10 minutes, or until the yeast begins to activate. Add the egg, butter, cardamom and salt and mix in. Add the flour, bit it, mixing it in with a wooden spoon until you need to use your hands, and then turn it onto the work surface to knead. It may seem a little too sticky initially, but will become compact and beautifully soft after about 5 minutes. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with clean cloth and then a heavy towel or blanket, and leave in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

To make the cinnamon butter, mix together the cinnamon and sugar then divide the butter into portions and keep on one side.

Put the dough on a floured work surface and divide it into four portions. Begin with one portion, covering the others with a cloth so they don't dry out. Using a rolling pin, roll out a rectangle, roughly about 30 x 25 cm (12 x 10 inches) and 2-3 mm (1/8 inch) thick. Spread one portion of butter over the surface of the dough with a palette knife or blunt knife. Sprinkle with about 3 teaspoon the cinnamon mix, covering the whole surface with quick shaking movements of your wrists. R, L to make a long dough sausage. Set aside while you finish rolling out and buttering the rest of the dough, so that you can cut them all together.

Line two large baking trays with baking paper, or bake in two lots if you only have one tray. Line the dough sausages in front of you and cut them slightly on the diagonal, alternating up and down so that the slices are fat 'v' shapes, with the point of the 'v' about 2 cm (3/4 inch) and the base about 5 cm (2 inches). Turn them so they are all the right way up, sitting on their fatter bases. Press down on the top of each one with two fingers until you think you will almost go through to your work surface. Along the sides you will see the cinnamon stripes oozing outwards. Put the buns on the baking tray, leaving space for them to puff and rise while they bake. Brush lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle a little sugar over the top.

Leave the buns to rise for half an hour and preheat your oven to 350°F (180C). Bake them about 20 minutes or until they are golden. Check that they are lightly golden underneath as well before you take them out of the oven. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature and, when they a cool, you may keep them in an airtight container so they don't harden.

Butter Beans!

My spoon loves beans, all beans. Since butter beans (lima) were available in the market fresh this week, I thought to be productive in the kitchen and make one of my fav bean recipes.
Baked Butter Beans with onions, tomatoes, red onions, celery, garlic and parsley

Soak the beans overnight. Drain them put them in a pot of cold water with a bay leaf. Cook for about 1-2 hours, until tender. Add salt near the end of the cooking time.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Drain the beans but keep some of the water to use later as a thickener. Place the beans in a baking dish.

In a frying pan with some olive oil, saute red onions until they are translucent. Add them to the beans along with sliced celery stalks, chopped ripe tomatoes, chopped garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Add some of the reserved bean water and mix all together. Cover the dish and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove the cover and stir the mixture adding more of the bean water if the dish seems too dry. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and return to the oven uncovered, for another 20-30 minutes. Serve with an extra drizzling of olive oil on top if you so desire.
Yummy with any meat dish or alone with rice and even a plain pasta.

Finnochio!

Moncef, my spoon, just loves raw fresh Fennel, me I like it roasted with oil and garlic, cooking it seems to give it a less intense flavor, which personally I prefer. Since it was Val Day yesterday, I thought it appropriate to make something different and exotic (somewhat) with Fennel in hand and some nice local shrimp this delicious dish satisfied our valentine urges........
Shrimp with Fennel (amounts depend on your liking, I had almost equal amounts, maybe 10 medium shrimp to one whole fennel bulb)
prepare shrimp (if fresh, shell and clean)
Slice Fennel as you like.
Put all together in cast iron frying pan with garlic, oil, coriander seeds smashed, hot pepper flakes, white wine, and if you like onion. Cook until shrimp are pink and fennel are tender.
Serve with a simple pasta (use the sauce adding some butter to pasta for a richer taste) or rice or even a simple couscous... heavenly...........
if you like a crunchier fennel stir fry separately, then ad to dish nearly the last few minutes. Really it is up to you.

not so lazy halloumi sandwiches

As Em from the Insomniacs Kitchen noted it has been a low kitchen energy couple of weeks. So I lazily, and still not convinced, went food shopping. I spotted some beautiful red peppers and purple eggplant in the market. Along with some local fresh Halloumi cheese. Therefore, I allowed myself to be lazy with distinction. Halloumi (greek) or Hellim (turkish) is a local Cypriot cheese, similar in someways to mozzarella, but much saltier, usually made from goat's and sheep's milk and it has a high melting point so you can grill or fry it in a oil free pan and it will become crispy on the outside and smooth and creamy inside. First I had to prepare the peppers and eggplant so I turned up the oven on high grilling the eggplant on a baking sheet (prick the eggplants with a fork cook until soft to the touch), I also placed the peppers in the oven, as is, turning them from time to time. When the peppers were burnt-like I tumbled them in a plastic bag while hot waiting for them to cool off a bit then I was able to gently removed the skin. Also, I dug out the eggplant pulp from its shell removing some of the bitter seeds. Coarsely chopped both vegetables placing them together in a shallow bowl drenching them with virgin olive oil (I also added a infused olive oil with garlic and chili peppers) some chopped roasted garlic, sliced red onion, bay leaf, hot red pepper flakes, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a spritz of lemon and a splash or balsamic vinegar in which to marinate. In a frying pan (Teflon works best but cast iron is fine as well) I sliced and grilled the cheese until crispy on both sides. Since I had a great fresh loaf of local village bread I just slit it open placed the marinated vegetables and topped with the crunchy cheese, and then grilled the bread so that the cheese melted even more onto the vegetables. It was a nice melting of Italian and Cypriot flavors! I also complimented it with a simple salad with an oil and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Found we still had some left over champagne from new years eve, still bubbly so it was a nice compliment to this easy lazy winter delight.

winter baked cherry tomatoes

While tomato season may be finished, cherry tomatoes are showing up on the grocers shelves here. Obvious use for them would be in salads etc. but being that it has been pretty cold outside I like warm stuff to fill my belly. I thought to mix my love of tomatoes with the love of warmth and made as a side dish, to this weeks leftovers, 'baked cherry tomatoes' The lovely ruby red color that the tomatoes turn will entice you. Best is that it is easy easy easy yet sooooooo tasty, I found myself licking my fingers after each bite. ( I bet it would go nice with couscous)

Ingredients:
red cherry tomatoes
red onion sliced thin
olive oil (you can used a flavored oil like garlic and chili)
spring onions around 2
basil leaves finely chopped
crushed garlic at least 2 cloves
splash of balsamic vinegar
splash of white wine
salt, pepper, hot chili flakes to taste

Prepare
Preheat oven to 350f which is 200c
toss tomatoes, red onions, oil, and salt, pepper and if you like a touch of heat some chili flakes.
place in baking pan and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Mix in spring onions, basil, garlic, wine and vinegar.
Continue cooking for about 5-10 minutes longer until the tomatoes have softened but keep their shape.
Dig In with some crusty bread and cheese of your choice!

Bow Tie Carbonara

Waking up to the New year I was greeted by the sound of the wind-whipped waves of the Mediterranean crashing into our garden wall. Don't ask me why but this made me think of cooking something warm and creamy for lunch. Taking a peak to see what was in the 'tomb' of the fridge I pulled out an open package of strip bacon, and some left over whipping cream. Now I knew there was a nice chunk of Italian grating cheese hiding in one of the darken corners behind leftovers, so I grabbed that. Having no real plan in mind in what way I was going to use these 3 ingredients. But it seems Nuba's vet was reading my mind because in came Moncef bringing 4 farm fresh eggs sent to us by him. At that moment I just new what lunch would be, wonderful oozing Carbonara. Now most people use fettuccine or spaghetti but I like to use bow-ties because they hold their firmness while allowing the carbonara sauce to ooze between the twisted parts. Here is a simplified recipe, easy to make. I know some people worry about eating raw eggs, but if you don't have eggs then it isn't carbonara! Since I knew what I was using was farm fresh I had no worries, I guess one could coddle them if need be. (like they do for Caesar salad)
ok so here we go Bow-tie Carbonara in honor of my bow-tie wearing dad! (even to bed)

Bacon Slices (4-8)
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 cup cream
1/2 (or more) cup of Parmesan/Romano cheese
4 large egg yolks
1 box of farfalla (bow-tie) pasta
Salt, Pepper, Red Hot chilli flakes, Garlic and Parsley to taste

cook bacon until crispy in butter. Reserve drippings. Transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Whisk cream , cheese and egg yolks to blend. Whisk in no more than 2 tablespoons of drippings from skillet.
Cook pasta until just tender, in boiling salted water. Drain and return to pot. Add cream mixture to pasta. Toss over low heat until sauce cooks through and coats pasta thickly but do not boil. (about 2-4 minutes). Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes, finely chopped fresh garlic and of course Parsley. Serve while hot adding additional grated cheese on top. Oh yes now this is the way to start the new year, simple, easy and fun to eat!