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Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts by Aglaia Kremezi

November 29, 2014 by Renee

Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts
Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts may be Aglaia Kremezi’s best cookbook yet. Or, at least it’s my favorite! I’ve been taking this book to bed with me each night this week, devouring every word and making lists of ingredients to add to my pantry and recipes to try.

The book, a collection of simple, fresh vegetarian dishes comes from Aglaia’s home kitchen on the island of Kea and features beautifully shot photos by one of my favorite photographers, Penny De Los Santos. I love looking through the pages and seeing familiar dishes we made, places we visited and people that I met during my weeklong stay on Kea at the culinary school run by Aglaia and her husband, Costas. It brought back many wonderful memories.

A few weeks ago I was honored to be invited to Aglaia’s book launch luncheon at Bustan, a pan-Mediterranean restaurant here in NYC. It was so lovely to see her again.  The chef, Israeli native Efraim (Efi) Nahon, recreated several dishes from Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts as well as introduced us to some items on their menu. It was a truly fabulous meal.

Bustan Menu

Bustan

Bustan Lunch

Aglaia tells us that she is not really a vegetarian but she ate very little meat growing up as it was saved for once or twice a week and for special occasions due to its price and availability. She mainly ate vegetables that were grown in her family’s garden. These recipes that she shares are the same ones she grew up with. They aren’t new, faddish or in style. They are the traditional, regional dishes that have been around for years and they correspond to the healthy, vegetarian cooking that is now popular.

The book provides detailed ingredient descriptions and preparation techniques that will make the most of your garden or farmers’ market fare so there will be as little waste as possible. She also provides wonderful head notes with stories about each recipe and alternative variations for several. There are even menus to help you plan seasonal dishes and an extensive sourcing listing. It’s an invaluable resource for Mediterranean cooking.

At Bustan, one of the dishes we tried was the Pseudo- Moussaka with Spicy Tomato Sauce, Walnuts and Feta. This dish, with the warm rich flavors is perfectly balanced with sweet and spice. I loved this flavorful dish and I had to made this recipe first. It was just as good as the one at the restaurant and although there are several steps to follow, it was quite easy and now that I’ve made it once, it can be easily recreated. Half of the walnuts could easily be replaced with chopped meat to make a non-vegetarian version.

Medirerranean Vege Feasts -1

Medirerranean Vege Feasts -3

I also made the Roasted Cauliflower with Musa’s Zahter Relish. Roasting cauliflower is such a great technique as it maintains a slight crunch and intensifies the nutty flavor. The Zahter Relish is like a dressing or sauce that you drizzle over the cooked vegetable. It’s incredibly bright and savory and we decided it was quite like a Chimichurri sauce and would also be delicious over a steak and other grilled or roasted vegetables. Aglaia also suggests adding a bit of white wine to it and serving it over fish. How wonderfully versatile!

Medirerranean Vege Feasts -4

For the mezze course, I made the Grilled Feta, Tomato, and Pepper with Olive Oil and Oregano (Bouyourdi) and the Garlic Spread known as Skordalia. I was quite generous with the garlic cloves and certainly warded off evil for at least several hours. They made great accompaniments to the roasted red pepper sauce, olives, and fresh hunks of country bread that we ate with them.

Medirerranean Vege Feasts -7

Medirerranean Vege Feasts -6

For lunch on Thanksgiving day, I also made the Crispy Cheese Pie (Lazy Woman’s Pie) a variation to the cheese pie made by Balkan women in their wood ovens. We needed something while cooking the traditional fare and this was a quick and easy preparation of feta, ricotta and herbs in a phyllo crust. It’s such a great lunch that I’ve frozen half to take slices with me to work next week with a side of salad greens.

Lazy Womens Pie- Crispy Cheese Pie

There are so many more recipes in the book that I am looking forward to making. Some, I’ve made before, like the Flourless Almond Cookies from Kea and the Spinach and Cheese Pie and a version of the Stuffed Summer Vegetables with Rice, Farro and Pine Nuts. But there are so many that I need to try. I’m excited for each of them.

I see Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts as one of my favorite cookbooks and plan to use it often and I’d recommend it to anyone vegetarian or not.

 

*This post includes my affiliate links to Amazon where you may buy the book.

Filed Under: Kitchen Sink, Cookbooks Tagged With: Aglaia Kremezi, Cookbook, Vegan, Vegetarian

David Lebovitz’s new book, My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories Giveaway

May 14, 2014 by Renee


My Paris Kitchen ImageAh, Paris! What can I say? It’s my favorite city -sorry New York, I love you too, but Paris is my home away from home- and one of my favorite people lives there- he’s a fabulous (and famous) cookbook author, blogger and pastry chef.  In his newly released book, My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories, David Lebovitz transports us all to his Paris and the Paris that I love.

David is a brilliant and humorous storyteller who uses his very vivid and descriptive writing to take you along on his journey. You feel as though you are with him as he goes in search of the perfect kitchen sink during his new flat renovation or as he ventures to the local market to choose fresh produce for the day.

You’ll travel all around the beautiful city and end up back in his kitchen where he creates the recipes themselves, though not strictly Classic French cuisine, but wonderful international renditions including a Moroccan Lamb Shank Tagine, Spiced Meatballs with Sriracha Sauce and even Tabbouleh. There are some classics too, not to worry- duck fat is never far away (duck fat cookies? Hello!), but, this cookbook is as much a cultural experience as it is a culinary one. As David explains, cuisine in Paris isn’t just classic bistros, although there are an abundance of those too, but the landscape is changing and cuisines such a Mexican or Pizza are taking hold as well. Some of the best hamburgers I have ever eaten were actually in Paris. The book highlights many of these changes and features a wonderful collection of recipes spanning his ten year residence.

Filled with beautiful photographs and wonderful stories, My Paris Kitchen is both memoir and a cookbook. Much like David’s blog, the writing is conversational and light hearted. One of my favorite pages in the book describes his concept of “cooking ou pif” or cooking by the nose. It’s not supposed to be strict and stringent, it’s okay to change up recipes and try new things.  Like I always say, cooking should be fun, it’s not a mystery! Just enjoy it!

Tasting Table NYC held a cocktail party Monday night to celebrate the release of David Lebovitz’s new book, My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories and I was so honored to be invited to attend.

While David signed books and met with guests, trays of canapés were passed and a small buffet comprised of dishes and desserts inspired by the book were served. There were several delicious bites to be had; my favorite among them were the mini Croque-monsiers (pg.137) (Fried ham and cheese sandwiches) and the Terrine de canard aux figues (pg. 113)  (Duck terrine with figs).  The Vietnamese caramel ribs (pg.187) were also incredible, but I think they are best eaten with people you know because they are a bit messy and they make you want to lick your fingers clean!

In addition to David’s wonderful company, the guests were also granted a special treat- tastes of an extremely high quality Comté ‘Cru des Sapins’ by Marcel Petite, an affineur in Jura, France.  This cheese was so good I had to stop myself from eating too much. It was perfectly balanced, with a strong but not aggressive taste- rich like caramel and butter with toasted nuts but also slightly sweet and fruity on the finish. The texture was creamy but firm and it went perfectly with the raw vegetables and Le grand aioli (pg. 145) on the table. It is a cheese that I will certainly attempt to track down as I’d love to have a bit more!

The cocktails and Champagne flowed and I definitely ate too much, but it was well worth it! Everything Tasting Table NYC prepared was delicious and a true testament to David’s wonderful recipes.

Now for the fun part- the Giveaway!

Each guest also received a book to take home (after being signed, of course!) which means that I now have two copies. As much as I love his cookbooks, it makes no sense for me to hoard two copies.  So, I am giving away my original copy to one lucky Kitchen Conundrum reader.

All you have to do is comment below as to why you’d love the book and one winner will be chosen by random.org on Wednesday, May 21, 2014. You have until 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 to enter.

Good Luck!

The Small Print (BE SURE TO READ IT!)

Open to U.S. residents over the age of 18. Winners will be contacted by email and/or twitter after the giveaway ends. Winner has 48 hours to contact me with shipping information. If winner doesn’t leave twitter or email address or if the winner does not contact me with shipping info, winner will forfeit and another winner will be chosen. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send me an email!

Filed Under: Kitchen Sink, Contests, Cookbooks Tagged With: Contest, Cookbook, David Lebovitz, Giveaway, My Paris Kitchen

Mac and Cheese Chile Rellenos Recipe from Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook

January 23, 2014 by Renee

Dan Whalen, dubbed the mad scientist of all things comfort food and the man behind the wildly popular blog, The Food In My Beard ,released his debut book, Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook this month.  It is unlike any comfort food recipe collection I have come across.  This book features recipes for pumped up comfort foods that have all have been stuffed and transformed into new and different, and ultimately better, versions of their former selves.

I’ve teamed up with several bloggers on a Book Recipe Tour for Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook to recreate one of the ultimate stuffed recipes found in the book. Be sure to keep an eye out for the other blogs below to find a fabulous version of a stuffed recipe from now through mid- February.

The book is divided into 5 main chapters, split up by what is being stuffed- Stuffed Breads, Stuffed Pasta and Rice, Stuffed Veggies and Fruit, Stuffed Meats, and Stuffed Sweets. Some of the mouthwatering 112 recipes include Lobster Stuffed Fried Mac and Cheese Balls, Cheeseburger Ravioli Burger, Chicken Tikka Masala Ravioli, Cheesesteak Stuffed Soft Pretzel Calzones, Lamb Vindaloo Stuffed Onions, Avocado Eclairs, and a Giant Peanut Butter Cup.

Each recipe features a heat number and pig-out number. The pig-out number is a fun measure for your “stuffed” gluttony (vs. a calorie counter!) and the  heat number tells you just how hot the peppers and spices are- so you can prepare for what you can handle. There are fun photos throughout along with clear instructions for each recipe.

Tonight we made the Mac and Cheese Chile Rellenos. Traditionally, rellenos are stuffed with cheese, but Dan thought to actually stuff them with Mac and Cheese for this brilliant twist on an old favorite. They were just the right amount of heat combined with gooey cheesy goodness and I could see these being very addictive! Serve these up at your next party with a pint of beer and you’ll have some happy guests! I’d make more than this recipe calls for and slice in half so everyone can see the filling.  They are a bit time consuming, but each step makes the end result well worth the effort!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Mac and Cheese Chile Rellenos Recipe from Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook
 
Print
Makes: 8 stuffed peppers Heat: 5.5 Pig-Out Scale: 7.9
Author: Dan Whalen
Ingredients
Mac and Cheese
  • 2 slices bacon
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ¼ cup (35 g) pickled nacho jalapenos
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cherry peppers, diced
  • ½ pound (225 g) elbow macaroni
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
  • 1 ½ tablespoons (21 g) flour
  • 1 ½ cups (355 ml) milk
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • 5 ounces (140 g) Cheddar cheese
  • 5 ounces (140 g) Monterey Jack cheese
  • Vegetable oil
  • Salt
Peppers
  • 8 poblano peppers
  • 2 cups (240 g) flour
  • 2 cups (230 g) breadcrumbs
  • 3 eggs, beaten
Method
  1. Make the Mac and Cheese: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Chop the bacon into ½-inch (1.3-cm) squares. Mince the garlic. Roughly chop the jalapeños and tomatoes.
  2. In a Dutch oven with just a splash of olive oil, cook the bacon until crispy, about 7 minutes, and remove it from the pot. Let drain on paper towels. In the remaining bacon fat, cook the onion and peppers for about 5 minutes, until they start to brown. While the veggies cook, be sure to continually scrape the bottom of the pot to keep the browned bits incorporated with the food and not stuck to the pot. This would be a good time to get your pasta cooking. Add the minced garlic and butter to the onions and peppers and cook for about 2 minutes, until the butter is melted. Mix in the flour and cook, stirring often, until the roux is slightly darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Pour in the milk, whisking until smooth, and bring to a light simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard powder. Strain the pasta and put it directly into the milk mixture. Slowly add the cheeses and stir well until melted. Add the tomatoes, bacon and jalapeños and stir. Cool the pasta down to at least room temperature before stuffing the peppers.
  3. Prepare the Peppers: Turn your broiler to high heat and position the oven rack right below it. Lightly oil and salt the poblano peppers and place them on a sheet pan. Broil on all sides until the skin is lightly charred and blistered. Put the peppers into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, set up your breading station by putting the flour, breadcrumbs and beaten eggs into 3 separate shallow bowls. Take the poblanos out of the bowl and gently peel them. Remove the tops and scrape the insides out with a fork.
  4. Stuff It!: Stuff the peppers with the cooled pasta mixture. We want extra breading on the peppers to help hold them together, so we are going to do a triple layer. Start by coating the pepper in the flour and shaking the excess off. Then dip it into the egg and again let the excess drip off. Repeat these steps in the flour and the egg 2 more times. Finally, coat very well in the breadcrumbs.
  5. Cook It: Shallow-fry the peppers in 1 inch (2.5 cm) of vegetable oil to brown on all sides.
Notes
Recipe from Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook by Dan Whalen, Page Street Publishing; August 2013, Printed with permission.
3.2.1275

 

Mac and Cheese Chile Rellenos-6485

Click the cover or the title to get your copy of Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook today!

Stuffed Book

Be sure to check out some of the other recipes and blogs on this deliciously Stuffed tour-

January:

22  http://www.mangotomato.com/– Tuna Nicoise Stuffed Olives

24  http://www.realthekitchenandbeyond.com/ – Fried Dough Mozzarella Bites

27 http://www.macheesmo.com –  Cheeseburger Slider Steamed Bun

28  http://megan-deliciousdishings.blogspot.com/ – Meatball Wellington

29  http://gigglesgobblesandgulps.com  – Mac and Cheese Chile Rellenos

30  http://pastrychefonline.com – Cuban Empanada

31 http://www.cravingsofalunatic.com – Cheeseburger Ravioli Burger

February:

3  http://soufflebombay.blogspot.com – Giant Peanut Butter Cup

4  http://asianinamericamag.com – Korean Burritos

5  http://www.karenskitchenstories.com – Chorizo Kale and Chicken Stuffed Poblanos

6 http://www.confessionsofachocoholic.com – Cherry Pie Stuffed Chocolate Cake

7 http://girlinthelittleredkitchen.com – Chicken Pretzington

17 http://www.thisamericanbite.com/ – Caprese Summer Rolls

 

Disclosure: I was asked to join the blog tour and recreate a recipe from Dan Whalen’s book and will receive a review copy for my efforts. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains links to my Amazon store- so if you purchase the book through my site, I’ll also make a little something from the sale and will be forever thankful!

 

Filed Under: Eat, Kitchen Sink, Appetizers, Cookbooks Tagged With: Chile, Cookbook Review, Dan Whalen, Mac and Cheese, Rellenos, Stuffed

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Chicken Parm… a nice family dinner. Can’t beat Chicken Parm… a nice family dinner. Can’t beat comfort food! #dinner #family #familystyle
Totally forgot to post the cut of my soap here. It Totally forgot to post the cut of my soap here. Its been very busy and I’m like a whirling dervish in all different directions. On the food front we made some favorites-Chicken Marbella that sustained us for a week and also a Corned Beef and Cabbage dish because it is March after all. But it was good to have the comfort foods we love and old standards as they provide the most contentment when it’s chaos everywhere else. Regular work and then some wholesale orders and getting the line poured for our Spring/Summer scents. And helping others with a few website issues. And kids. Thankfully, it seems to all be under control now and I’m really happy to be busy. All good things! 

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Braised short ribs with polenta. Sunday dinner is Braised short ribs with polenta. Sunday dinner is served. #polenta #shortribs #dinner #delicious
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