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Breads, Blossoms and More with Kea Artisanal

June 30, 2011 by Renee

Breads, Blossoms and More with Kea Artisanal

The next class at Kea Artisanal was one that featured one of my favorite vegetables- garlic! We made a garlic spread called Skordalia. It’s made by combining mashed potatoes, blanched almonds, garlic and yogurt together with olive oil and lemons. It’s a traditional dip used with fried vegetables or as a spread on breads. It’s smooth, garlicky, lemony, tangy and simply delicious. It may be my new favorite condiment. I could easily see this being used instead of horseradish or tartar sauce on fish or meats.

Using the leftover tomato salad from the previous day’s lunch, Aglaia made a type of flat bread based on the traditional Laganes (flat bread) she normally makes. The salad was pureed in the blender and added to the dough instead of water or other liquids. Then, it was topped with cheese, fresh tomatoes and baked. It was very similar to a Ciabatta or Focaccia but was much more dense and crusty.

We also made three other types of Laganes, one with local sausages and cheese and one that was striped with sesame seeds, poppy seeds and red pepper and mahlep and one that was had Za’atar with red pepper flakes.

We then made a delicate batter to coat pieces of vegetables and stuffed beautiful zucchini blossoms with a piece of feta cheese and a sprig of mint to be gently fried and promptly devoured.

Even with all the breads and fried vegetables, it was surprisingly a light lunch, but quite filling!

Of course, the wine was flowing and a nap was definitely in order for the afternoon!  This is a lifestyle I could get used to for certain! Traditionally, Greeks eat their largest meal midday then go home to sleep in the afternoon only to awake and have a light dinner at 10pm. The tavernas don’t fill up until nearly 11pm each night and the kids are just going to clubs at 12 or 1am. It’s a great country for night owls.

In the afternoon, after returning to our hotel for our naps, we were picked up for a hike to the archeological site at Karthaea on the southeast coast of the island.  The scenery was absolutely stunning and the mountain we climbed down to the sea was actually rather steep.

Normally I would say that one climbs up first then down, but our hike was in reverse and we ended the hike with a challenging uphill climb. I confess that I am embarrassingly and woefully out of shape and without the good graciousness of our guide, Costas, I would still be on the beach at the bottom of the mountain. He carried my bag back up, gave me a walking stick and motivated me all the way with encouraging words.  I huffed and puffed all the way up and remarked that when I told Ari I might not return from Greece, I didn’t think it would be because I had died of a heart attack along the way. At the top, I drank nearly a half liter of water in one swallow while Costas was asking who wanted wine! So glad I made it back up that hill!

Then he presented us with a lovely package of what was to be mezze but was really enough to be a full dinner. Legs shaking and catching my breath, I ate heartily a marinated octopus salad, breads we had made earlier and a delicious salad.

The next morning, we were taken to through the Hora, or main town, of Ioulida. Costas guided us through the Archaeological Museum showing us pieces from excavations from around the island, sites such as ancient Karthaea and the prehistoric settlement of Agia Irini were featured.  We then walked up to the ancient “smiling lion” that is resting on a hillside just outside of town. No one seems to know who placed it there or how long it’s actually been there (there are some that say it’s as old as 600 B.C.) and it’s been a source of folklore throughout the island for centuries.

After our excursion, we enjoyed a lunch of mezzes and a flavorful fish soup filled with potatoes, carrots and zucchini at a taverna called Magazes in the main port of Korissia. Aglaia has worked with the owners and chefs at this restaurant to ensure that all the ingredients are fresh and never prepackaged. Everything from stocks to sauces and spreads are made on site and you can tell the quality of the dishes is very high. We really enjoyed our meal there.

We spent a little time afterward shopping in the port town and then making our way back to our hotel.  I had some time before being picked up again so I went to a church and excavation site at Ayia Irini. The church was locked, but I was able to see a bit of the site and rooms that were being dug.

In the afternoon, we were picked up from our hotels and brought back to Aglaia’s kitchen to make Amygdalota, the traditional flour-less almond cookie of the Cyclades.  This delightful cookie has a slight crunch on the outside and is chewy in the middle with the flavor of a macaroon and the texture of an oatmeal cookie. They are addictive and I would suggest making a double recipe!


Our dinner consisted of breads, salads, and vegetables but the highlight of the evening was an olive oil tasting, a cheese tasting, and a red wine tasting! We tasted some everyday olive oils and some oils flavored with lemons and oranges and then some extra virgin oils. Each one was very distinctive in flavor and I loved the Biolea Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil as well as Aglaia’s and Costas’ own pressing.

Greece produces an incredible variety of cheese types and each part of the country has its own recipes and secrets that make their cheese unique and often times, the cheese is made seasonally in small batches for local consumption only.  Surprisingly, Greeks currently have the highest per capita consumption of cheese in the world, estimated at 22 kilos per person annually, edging out even the French.

We were excited to try over 15 different types of cheese beginning with some mild varieties and fetas and moving to heavily flavored cheeses.  Some of my favorites included Graviera that was aged only 1 year from Naxos and a Kaseri, a creamy, mild, mostly sheep’s milk, semi-hard cheese not too unlike a sharp cheddar. Another one I enjoyed was a Nigella seed studded cheese also from Naxos that was dry and crumbly but had a very floral flavor. There were ones that I didn’t particularly like such as a Manoura Sifno Gylomeni, a full fat sheep’s milk hard cheese aged in wine sediments (Lees) from the island of Sifnos that really had an overpowering pungent flavor. There was also a Melipasto, a sea-washed cheese made on the island of Limnos that had been soaked in honey. The sweetness of the honey didn’t even tame the peppery flavor of this hard cheese.  It was really too hot and spicy for my tastes.  Artisanal cheeses aside, one of my favorites was the regular packaged feta cheese that we enjoyed every day, Plataion brand, which can be found in the grocery store. It’s mild, not too salty and perfect for just eating with just about everything.

While we were trying cheeses, the red wine was flowing and some lovely varieties passed through our lips. I especially enjoyed the Paros Moraitis and the Estate Theodorakakos Mavroudi wines. I hope that I will be able to find them here in NYC.

Needless to say, I slept very well that night.

Filed Under: Travel, Kitchen Sink, Featured Posts, Classes, Greece Tagged With: Almonds, Cheese, Cookies, Culinary Vacation, Cyclades, Greece, Kea, Kea Artisanal, Olive Oil, Travel, Wine, Zucchini Blossoms, cooking

Hamantashen Recipe

March 16, 2011 by Renee

Hamantashen Recipe

20110316-SCAN0006Hamantashen is a triangular butter cookie usually filled with jam, fruits or poppy seeds. They are traditionally eaten by Jews on the holiday of Purim which is occuring this weekend.  The shape of the cookies is representive of the tri-corner hat worn by the evil Haman, the villain of the story of Purim. It’s considered a mitzvah, or a good deed, to give ready to eat foods to your friends and neighbors on Purim and Hamantashen are the star treats in every basket.

Growing up, my mother would have to make at least two batches in the days leading up Purim so there would be enough left over to give out to friends and relatives because we would usually eat them all as they came out of the oven.  Later, as my Grandmother got older, my mother would make a double or triple batch of dough and we would all go to my Grandmother’s apartment in Manhattan and make them together.  There we would be, four generations, rolling them out on her dinning room table and baking them with her. I know that it was a very special time for her to be there with her children, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. The cookies were secondary.

After she passed away a few years ago at age 99, the one thing we asked for specifically were her rolling pins. They were very well worn and stained from many years of use. Even though we have other, newer ones, I always seem to pick up one of hers when I need to roll dough, especially the Hamantashen dough that we always made with her, so in a very special way, we know she is still here with us when we make these every year.

 

Ingredients

1 stick butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs honey

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 pinch salt

Filling Options

In my family, we prefer to fill with jellies such as strawberry, raspberry or apricot. We also use chocolate chips, a favorite with Renee and the kids.  Traditionally though you will see Hamentashen filled with prune butter or a poppy seed filling (called Mohn).

Method

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and honey. Blend until smooth with the paddle.

Add the baking powder and the salt. Slowly add the flour.  Mix until it is just incorporated. If the dough is too sticky you can add a bit more flour as needed. It should have a smooth dough consistency. Roll into a large ball and wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator for a half hour to rest.

Flour a countertop or work surface well. Using ¼ of the dough at a time, roll out to a ¼ inch thickness.  With a cookie cutter or a juice glass cut out circles, remove the extra dough and return it to the bowl.

Place about ½ tsp of the filling of your choice in the center of the circle. Pinch two sides together to form two corners and pinch the top together to form the tri-corner “hat”.

Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat mat and bake for 10 -12 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove to a baking rack to cool completely. The jelly gets incredibly hot, so be careful if you can’t resist eating them right away!

Enjoy!

 

Filed Under: Eat, Featured Posts, Desserts Tagged With: Cookie, Cookies, Hamantashen, Kosher, Purim, Recipe

Linzer Cookies Recipe

February 14, 2011 by Renee

Linzer Cookies Recipe

Sometimes, there is nothing better than a delicate jam filled, sugar coated cookie. Don’t get me wrong, chocolate chip or molasses cookies are always welcome, but sometimes, you just want a cookie to enjoy with a cup of tea. And Linzer Cookies fit the bill. These buttery little gems are not overly sweet and they have a nice nutty flavor with a lovely hint cinnamon.  The recipe is quite easy but you do need to take the time to chill the dough, so it’s best to make them a day in advance of when you might want them.

I love that you can find specialty cutters that come with different shapes for the centers. Of course, if you don’t have one of these special cookie cutters you can just use a knife to cut out your design or a cutter that is much smaller than the one you use to cut out the cookie.

In honor of Valentine’s Day (week) I made heart shaped ones.

 

Ingredients

2 ½ cups All Purpose flour

2/3 cup of finely ground almonds

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

Raspberry Preserves or Jam (I use Seeded, but you can use Seedless if you prefer)

Method

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, almonds, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing well.

Divide the dough into two parts and roll into a ball and the press into two discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours up to overnight. The dough should be firm enough to roll out.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a floured surface, roll out one disc until it’s about 1/8” thick. Keep the other disc in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Cut the dough with a cookie cutter dipped in flour. If you are using a knife to cut your design, you can do this now. Cut enough dough to have tops and bottoms.

Transfer the cut outs to a baking tray lined with either parchment paper or a Silpat mat.

Repeat with the remaining dough and the second disc.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until a light golden brown. Cool on the baking tray for five minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

When ready to fill, invert the bottom cookie (so you have a nice bottom) and spread with about ½-1 tsp of jam.  Dust a top cookie with Confectioner’s sugar then gently place on top of the jam making a sandwich cookie.

Store for up to one week, flat and in one layer.  This recipe makes about two dozen cookies if your cookie cutter is about 2”.

 

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Eat, Featured Posts, Desserts Tagged With: Cookies, Kosher, Linzer Cookies, Recipe

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