Mediterranean

Recipe

This is a spin on the classic Napoleon; ours is “In Love”. The “Love” comes from the pistachio, mastic (Mastiha), and rose flavors, which are some of our favorite Love ingredients. This recipe may seem advanced, but even the novice cook will be able to take it on. You can make some of the recipe ahead of time, so as to distribute the workload in preparation of the big day. However, although there are 3 parts to its preparation, it does not take an excessive amount of time. Read through the recipe ahead of time so as to plan your cooking strategy.

For the Mastiha Pastry Cream:

2 cups half and half

½ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon flour

1 teaspoon Mastiha, ground with a pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon rose water (optional)

For the Pistachio Praline:

1 cup raw shelled pistachios

½ cup sugar + 2 tablespoons water

To Assemble:

1 package store-bought puff pastry

Flour for dusting

¼ cup rose petal jam

1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk, whisked together

A pastry brush

Make the Mastiha pastry cream by heating up the half and half in a small saucepan along with one of the tablespoons of sugar. Just heat until steam rises from the top. Meanwhile, beat the yolks with the sugar until the yolks turn a pale yellow and the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the cornstarch and flour. Slowly pour a few spoonfuls of the milk over the yolk/sugar mixture and whisk to temper. Pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan with milk, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and get it all out. Bring the liquid to a simmer and whisk constantly, so that the mixture doesn’t form clumps, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the powdered Mastiha and rose water. Strain the pastry cream into a bowl set over an ice bath and stir to cool. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and store in the fridge until cold and set. The pastry cream will thicken slightly once it is cold, so keep that in mind when you are cooking it down.

While the pastry cream is cooling, make the Pistachio Praline. Lightly toast the pistachios and allow to cool. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Keep the pistachios close together and evenly distributed, as you will pour caramel over them. Place the sugar in a small saucepan with the 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a simmer and allow the sugar to caramelize. Lightly brush down any sugar that gets stuck on the sides of the pot with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystallization. Once the sugar is a deep, rich brown (you can test this by spooning a small amount on a white plate) pour over the toasted pistachios. It might seem like it takes a long time for the sugar to caramelize, but once it gets dark, it changes very quickly, so you must pay close attention. Once the pistachio/caramel becomes hard, you can either chop it with a sharp knife or grind in a food processor until it is a coarse crumble.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Roll out the store bought pastry dough according to the instructions on the package. You will want it to be about ¼” thick when you bake it.
Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out 8 heart shaped pieces of dough. Set on a slightly greased baking sheet and lightly brush with the egg wash (1 whole egg beat with 1 tablespoon of milk). This is not necessary, but it makes the final result much more attractive. Cover the hearts with a piece of parchment or wax paper and set a baking rack or cooling rack with a ledge over the tray, so that the pastry will only rise to a certain height.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the rack and top layer of paper and return to the oven at 350°F for an additional 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the pastries, because everyone’s oven is different.

Heat the rose petal jam slightly with a tablespoon of water, and strain to remove the petals. Now you have your rose petal glaze. While the glaze is still warm, brush the top of each puff heart with it and sprinkle the pistachio praline over top. Dollop a spoonful or so of mastic pastry cream in the center of four of the hearts, and top with the remaining 4 puff hearts. Lightly press down to distribute the pastry cream, but do not break your hearts (pun intended!). Keep cool until ready to serve.

Makes 4 Napoleons “In Love”.

Note: You can make the mastic pastry cream 1 day ahead and the pistachio praline up to 2 days ahead. Bake the puff pastry the day of, so as to keep it as fresh as possible.
Assemble and serve the day of.

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February 11, 2010 | 1 comments
Tags: Desserts, Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa, Nuts, Rose

Blog entry

Bergamot

Earl Grey was always the tea party tea of choice in my house growing up and it continues to be a favorite. That is part of the reason why I was so excited to discover fresh bergamot at the farmers market here in Xania (one of the bigger cities in Crete). Suddenly everything was about bergamot. I added slices to my plain black tea to make fresh earl grey tea. There is a recipe for chamomile lemon shortbread that I was obsessed with two christmases ago, so I adapted that and used bergamot zest instead of lemon (and skipped the chamomile). Then I stewed some with sugar and took to adding that to plain black tea so it was sweet and flavor all at once. The next day I adapted the shortbread to be more greek-winter friendly and used olive oil instead of butter. This evening we went to a friends house for dinner and I used that same olive oil shortbread for the crust of a lemon-ricotta tart and put some of the candied bergamot on top for decoration. It has a really nice taste, it is a bit bitter but the flavor is lovely. I really can't stop putting it into everything...

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January 19, 2010 | 1 comments
Tags: Food, Mediterranean, Travel, Travel

Recipe

Freekeh Garbanzo Pilaf

This is a very healthy vegetarian dish full of Mediterranean flavor. Freekeh is wheat that has been harvested while still very young, and thus is very high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. It has a slightly smoky flavor due to the way the wheat is processed after harvest, so it pairs well with mellow flavors, such as beans and chicken. This recipe calls for cooking the beans from scratch, but you can also use canned garbanzos for a faster version.

For the Garbanzos:

½ cup dried garbanzo beans, soaked at least 4 hours

1 bay leaf

1 clove garlic

1 sprig thyme

a few black peppercorns

For the Pilaf:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup yellow onion, small dice

¼ cup carrot, peeled, small dice

¼ cup fennel, small dice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

pinch of cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup freekeh, rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes

2 cups vegetable broth

Short Sauce:

1 ½ cups fresh cilantro, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 cup parsley, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 sprig mint, leaves roughly chopped

½ cup pinenuts, lightly toasted

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste (about ¼ teaspoon)

For the Garbanzos:

Drain the garbanzos of their soaking liquid.
Place in a medium sized pot and cover with about 3 cups fresh water. Add the rest of the ingredients (you can place them in a bouquet garni bag if you want) and bring the water up to a boil. Simmer until the garbanzos are cooked through. Drain, remove the aromatics, and set aside.

To Prepare the Pilaf:
Heat up the olive oil in a medium sized pot. Sweat the onion, carrot, fennel, and garlic until the onion and fennel appear translucent. Add the spices and a pinch of salt, and stir for another minute or two. Drain the freekeh of its soaking liquid and add it to the pot. Stir everything together so that the freekeh is well integrated, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring gently. Pour over the broth and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and let cook for 30 minutes. Add the garbanzos and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the wheat is cooked through. Keep in mind that these are wheat berries, so they will have a slightly chewy texture and will not be completely soft.

Make the short sauce by blending all of the ingredients together until coarsely chopped, you do not want a smooth puree. Spoon a bit of the sauce into the pot and stir to combine. Serve while warm.

Serves 4.

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January 19, 2010 | 5 comments
Tags: Beans & Legumes, Entrees, Healthy, high-fiber, Local, Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa, Soups and stews, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole grain, Winter

Recipe

Olive Oil Bergamot Shortbread

If you can't find bergamot you can use the zest of whatever citrus you like.

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup sugar

salt to taste (1/4 tsp or so)

2 tablespoons bergamot zest

2 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the olive oil, sugar, salt and zest until it's all mixed together. Add the flour, stirring until it's all completely integrated. Form into a ball and flatten into your baking tray (it's nice if they are thin- about a 1/2 inch thick). Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the edges become slightly golden brown. Slice the shortbread in whatever shape you like when it's still warm, then you can take them out of the pan when they've cooled a bit.

Discovering bergamot at the farmer's market in Crete, was the beginning of a new obsession and suddenly it became necessary to add it to everything. Since it's the season for fresh olive oil- and we've been on that theme- I used that instead of butter.

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January 19, 2010 | 1 comments
Tags: Cookies, Desserts, Mediterranean

Recipe

Focaccia Sandwiches with Lebne, Olives, and Mint

This sandwich does not have specific instructions, just adhere to the basics: buy a good focaccia bread, use the olive paste sparingly in comparison to the lebne, and just throw in a few mint sprigs.

Focaccia

Lebne (a Lebanese strained yogurt-cheese)

Olive Paste (or sliced black olives)

Fresh mint leaves

Spread a thin layer of olive paste on one slice of the bread. Spread a thick layer of lebne on the other, and top with a few mint leaves. Top with the olive-lined slice and close.

Enjoy!

This sandwich is inspired by one we used to eat in Beirut. The combination of lebne, olives, and mint is simple, yet perfect. This is an easy snack to put together. Slice it in thin strips or squares to serve at a cocktail party.

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January 15, 2010 | 0 comments
Tags: Entrees, Healthy, Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa, Sandwiches, Vegetarian

Recipe

Grilled Polenta Squares with Olive Paste, Red Peppers & Eggplant

These are attractive and light, making them perfect for a healthy weeknight meal. We like the De La Estancia brand of organic polenta, which is made in Argentina. http://delaestancia.net/

3 cups broth + 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup quick cooking polenta

1 baby eggplant

1 jar roasted red peppers

4 tablespoons zeytin ezmesi or another olive tapenade

Olive Oil

a few shards of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

Bring the broth and oil to a boil, and stir in the polenta. Whisk until thick. When the mixture is thick, pour it into a square baking dish, loaf pan, or 2" baking tray lined with wax paper. Smooth over the top to distribute evenly and allow to cool. When completely cool and set, flip onto a cutting board, remove the paper, and slice into squares. The best would be to have 4 thick squares, but you should just make-do with what you have in your kitchen.

Meanwhile, slice the eggplant across horizontally into 1/2" thick rounds. Brush lightly with olive oil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, turning over half way through.

Heat up a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a grill pan (or saute pan if you don't have), and grill the polenta squares on each side. Top each with a thin layer of olive paste, baked eggplant, a layer of roasted pepper, and a couple shards of cheese. You can bake these if you want the cheese melted, but we like them as is also.

Makes 4 polenta squares.

Note: You can buy Turkish olive paste from http://www.kitchencaravan.com/recipe/whole-wheat-rigatoni-olive-paste

These polenta squares make a delicious, healthy, and easy meal any night of the week. You can buy the roasted red peppers from the store, which along with the jar of olive paste, make it less work for you.

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January 15, 2010 | 1 comments
Tags: Entrees, Europe, Healthy, Mediterranean, Vegetarian

Recipe

Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Olive Paste

We came up with this dish one night when all that was in the fridge was a jar of Turkish zeytin ezmesi (olive paste). Its texture seemed similar to that of pesto, and the results were note-worthy. This is not so much a recipe, as it is instructions on how to make this delicious pasta dish. The dark and delicious olive paste is like a poor man's squid ink, but not without being fierce competition.

To put this together, simply boil 100 g of whole wheat rigatoni per person in boiling salted water for the amount of time indicated on the package.

Before you drain the pasta, scoop about 1 cup of cooking water from the pot. Drain the pasta of its water and transfer back into the pot. Slowly moisten with about 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid, and stir in about 1/4 cup of Turkish olive paste (zeytin ezmesi). Stir to combine, adding more liquid or paste to have a nice, smooth sauce, without it being too runny. Season with red pepper flakes and top with Parmesan or Pecorino for serving.

You can purchase Zeytin Ezmesi from http://www.tulumba.com/storeitem.asp?ic=FB248408BE874.

This pasta is so easy to throw together because it involves very few ingredients. The flavor is like an exclamation point. We chose whole wheat rigatoni for its robust texture, but you can use linguine as well.

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January 15, 2010 | 2 comments
Tags: Entrees, Healthy, Mediterranean, Pastas, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole grain

Cooking Show Video

How Olive Oil is Made

Olive season typically runs from October to early January. We catch the tail end of the olives this year... After picking and pruning the olive trees the olives are transported to the local olive press. In ideal circumstances 100 kilos of olives will yield 20 kilos of olive oil. Typically the press will take 10-12% of the oil as their fee.

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January 13, 2010 | 0 comments
Tags: Food Production, Mediterranean, Travel

Cooking Show Video

Quince & Tahini Love Letters

These little free form tarts are made by filling a tahini crust with quince compote. They are tiny and sweet, with a hint of sesame. When you make these tarts, you poach the quince over a long period of time, which leaves you with a beautiful quince scented syrup. You can use this to top yogurts and cheeses, or as a pink-hued syrup to sweeten cocktails.

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December 22, 2009 | 0 comments
Tags: Desserts, Fruit, Mediterranean, Winter

Recipe

Winter Gypsy Salad

This salad is called the Gypsy salad because it is a melange of flavors, textures and ideas from around the world. Blood orange, arugula, and fennel from Europe mix with jalapeno and avocado from Mexico. Cumin, mint, and dates from the Middle East come into play as well. Many of these ingredients, like dates, have traveled from their origin, and are now part of new cultures. It is like us, a gypsy that never stops traveling. The measurements are not exact, we trust that you add how much you want of each ingredient, and enjoy the journey that it takes you on.

Ingredients

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and outer layer removed (if bruised)

1 handful of baby arugula

1 handful of dates, pitted and sliced in quarters

a few kalamata or Moroccan black olives, pitted and sliced

1/4 of a jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 avocado, halved and pitted

1 sprig of mint

Small handful of parsley

a handful of fresh walnuts, roughly chopped

2 blood oranges (you can substitute regular oranges or cara caras here also)

1 lime (kaffir limes welcome!)

1-2 Tablespoons sherry or rice wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of cumin and salt

Slice the fennel in half lengthwise, and then thinly slice each half horizontally. Transfer to a bowl and combine with the arugula.

Add the sliced dates and olives.

Thinly slice the jalapeno. If you are sensitive to heat, finely mince it, but if you like more of a bite, slice it in small horizontal strips. You only need a 1/4 of the pepper or so.

Roughly chop or tear the herbs and add to the bowl.

Keep the avocado meat in the skin and score with a knife in long vertical slices. Use a spoon to get under the meat and scoop out the slices over the salad bowl.

For the dressing, zest the oranges and the limes with a zester or microplane over the salad bowl. You will only need a little bit of the lime zest and about 1/2 of one of the orange's zest. Slice off the top and bottom of the oranges, removing the skin and pith. Next place the oranges, one at a time, on the cutting board and slice off the skin and pith (without going to deep!) to reveal each segment. Working over another small bowl, slice out each orange segment carefully, allowing the juices to fall into the small bowl, and then add the segments to the larger salad bowl. When you have finished slicing the oranges, squeeze out any excess juice into the small bowl. Juice the lime into the bowl as well. Stir in the cumin, vinegar, and olive oil and whisk to combine (you can just do this with a fork).

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.

Add the crumbled walnuts.

Serves 2.

This salad works as an appetizer, but it also goes beautifully on top of grilled fish like tuna or mahi mahi, or atop a grilled chicken breast.

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December 7, 2009 | 1 comments
Tags: Avocado, Chiles, Fruit, Fusion, Gluten-free, Healthy, Latin America, Mediterranean, Mexican, Nuts, Raw, Salads & Dressings, South East Asia, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter

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