Mediterranean Cooking

Mushroom Meatballs (Greece)

2012-01-11T10:49:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from the island of Lesbos. The original name is Μανιταροκεφτέδες which consists of two words: manitaro, which is the Greek name for mushrooms and keftedes, which means meatball. It is very easy to make and very healthy since all the protein comes from the mushrooms, not meat or dairy products.

INGREDIENTS:

14 oz of mushrooms
1 large onion
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable broth
6 slices of french bread (about 3.5 oz of bread)
Ground black pepper
Salt
Oregano
Cumin (optional but recommended because it makes meatball taste very "Eastern")
Extra virgin olive oil
Wheat flour
Fried tomato sauce (optional)
Bread flour (optional)

Wash well and chop very fine the mushrooms. Then dry mushrooms using a centrifuge or by placing them on absorbent paper towels. Meanwhile soak the bread in the vegetable broth to soften. The best thing is to fill half of a soup bowl and place the bread to soak. The bread should be wet, not "drunk". Now put the mushrooms in a bowl with the bread, chopped onion, a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of cumin, pepper and the three eggs. Knead with hands until everything is well mixed. The result is a rather loose dough so we can do two things: the first isto "dry" gradually adding bread flour so that we can work smoothly or (recommended) form a ball with a spoon to quickly cover it with wheat flour and then throw in plenty of olive oil until is well fried.
It is usually served covered with tomato sauce. It is curious to try them with different types of mushrooms. Is like to eat a different recipe with each type.

The magpie, the pregnant, vampires and the buffet restaurant

2012-01-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

Through this blog I contacted a little over a year with a guy who is dedicated to the restoration business for many years. In particular his specialty, if you can call it in this way, was to open buffet restaurants.

Of all the possible restoration business, the one based on the buffet has always seemed to me the most risky. The ambition of the client is usually larger than its stomach and much of the food they put on their plate is never going to go through their mouth. It's like cooking directly for the trash can. I explained him my doubts about this kind of restaurant and to my surprise he was very surprised in turn at my misgivings.

He had opened a total of seven free buffets during last thirty years and they all worked in relative prosperity. It was true that a percentage of the food was wasted but not so much as it seems. Then I commented that it seemed to me extremely difficult to arrange the purchase and choose the recipes without knowing exactly how much food would be choosen by the clientes. Once again he surprised me. He said that the free buffets regular customer, in the long run, use to tend to eat a balanced diet. Maybe in the first visits they abused of meat and fat, but gradually client consumes many more vegetables, salads and fruits. Never mind that the buffet would serve truckers or students of a school, cause in decreasing order, the products most consumed were carbohydrates, legumes, vegetables, dairy, fruits and meats. Indeed it was relatively easy to organize supplies and recipes. There was no need to make any educational effort to convince anyone. Healthy meals were more common than we use to think. My friend had a surprising theory about it: our body knows what foods to eat to get the necessary nutrients. Expressed in a more blunt: the body needs a certain nutrient and our brain "orders" that we get a particular food because it knows that contains that nutrient. To assert such a strange theory the man asked me if I had not felt at some point in my life the urgent need to consume a food that might not be regular in my diet. It was true. Such a thing had happened. Sometimes I need red meat or nuts - both I do not like - which, according to this man, would respond to a very specific need in my body. Probably if I had done an analysis of "before" and "after" would have found the lack of a nutrient and how it was corrected by eating an specific food.

The truth is that I did not think about this theory for a long time, probably because it seemed too strong to say that our body is able to determine that lacks zinc, selenium, vitamin, b6, whatever and then transmit the alarm to the brain that result in us the desire to eat a particular food.

Until one day, watching "Rosemary's Baby" by Roman Polanski, I was struck by a scene in which Mia Farrow, pregnant with the Prince of Darkness, assaulted the fridge to devour raw meat. The intent of the scene was to highlight the monstruous character of the fruit of her womb that was necessary to give raw meat to relieve anxiety. Well, a "craving" as is manifested by the character is perfectly possible in pregnant women. The real reason lies behind the so-called pregnant cravings are still unclear. For most gynecologists is to increase the amount of calories and thus "respond" to the needs of the mother and fetus. This does not explain why pregnant women often want little calorie meals. And do not explain neither why pregnants need particular foods, often undesirable or even unusual in their diet, which once again are hated once the body seems satisfied. In certain cases some doctors admit the possibility that the intake concerned to alleviate vitamin deficiencies or minerals in the body of the pregnant woman and fetus. If a pregnant woman expresses a clear desire to eat red meat or sausages made with blood is likely to have iron deficiency. If instead they want some fruit or vegetables is almost certainly to solve a problem about vitamin or mineral. All this taken carefully because as I said many experts see no clear cause and effect.

Of course things get complicated when the pregnant wants to eat dirt, suck chalk or swallow. Things are not really edible.

The magpie is a bird of black and white feather, very common in Europe, Asia and West North America. Its Latin name is Pica pica, which refers to its interest in stones, golden and silver things and indeed in swallowing inedible objects used in situations of courtship and mating. Well, if a person swallows inedible substances this is a syndrome of Pica. It can occur to anyone but is most common among pregnant women and young children. The variety of non-foods you can eat is long. I will omit most of them not to hurt sensibilities. The ingestion of soil, for example, can occur when the individual has a zinc deficiency. In fact some have been fixed Pica syndrom providing doses of zinc or other minerals. Other cases, like individuals who swallow coins or washing machine detergent, are harder to understand. It's hard to know why the brain sends the order to compulsive eating nonfood substances, even knowing that you can not extract from them the nutrient that the body lacks. This behavior is not unique to the human species: many animals do in the same way, although it is true that no one goes to the extremes of the human being, capable of filling the stomach with hair pins until cause death.

The need to take seemingly strange substances is also related to certain diseases. Vampires are believed to represent the myth of patients with porphyria. Sufferers of porphyria have some characteristics that we associate with vampires (pallor, sensitivity to light). It seems that some porphyria patients resorted to drink the blood of other animals or humans to try in vain to cure their disease. This is particularly interesting when one considers that the treatment today is through venous infusions.

Although there is a potential field of research on the brain's ability to control what we eat wisely, the truth is that I find little literature on it. Find the next article about Pica in Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pica_disorder

but little or nothing about a comprehensive study done on the selection of buffet food restaurants (although I think there is a study in England which unfortunately I could find). If this were true it would open new possibilities for the potential of our brain to diagnose the needs of our body and why not, on the diseases that plague us.

Indeed, I say disease because it is not the first time that a dream - a product of our brains - have been alerted about an individual suffering from a disease without knowing it.

David Janssen was a popular actor of television, especially for interpreting Dr. Kimble in the series "The Fugitive". While filming a movie he had a strange dream. He dreamt he was in a coffin and around it developed its own funeral. He could hear the conversation between two of those present. One of them explained to someone that he had died of a heart attack. When waking up Janssen suspected that the dream was a warning sent by his mind about a heart problem that so far had not been revealed. He went to the hospital and did a check. Doctors did not detect anything. Twenty-four hours later the actor died of a heart attack.
So if your "body" asks you meat with cream and strawberries, pay it attention ...

Agua de Valencia

2012-01-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

This is a really popular drink in the South East of Spain. If you like Sangria, probably you will love Agua de Valencia (Water of Valencia) as well. No need to say that its name "water" is a funny sarcasm...

INGREDIENTS:

2 pt of orange juice

1 bottle of champagne (brut or medium dry)

3 tablespoons Cointreau (or other orange liqueur)

3 teaspoons of sugar

Mix all ingredients in a jar or pot. Serve cold or very cold.

Why do spaniards eat so late?

2012-01-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

The meal times of the spaniards are viewed with incredulity, if not clear misunderstanding by the rest of Europeans. When a German is going to eat at 12 noon, a Spanish can do it at two or three in the afternoon. Contrary to what many think, this is not an ancestral custom. It's actually a fairly recent practice. Traditionally lunch took place in Spain around one o'clock. However after the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the economic situation of families heavily worsened and forced to householders to take a minimum of two jobs. Usually the base or main job was an 8 to 10 hours last. Since the salary earned was not enough to sustain family, men were forced - cause women was rarely allowed to work outside home - to take a second job, usually shorter. Also saturday was a working day. Because the issue was to maximize the morning, workers had a solid block of at least eight hours non-stop that shifted the timing of the meal a couple of hours laters. As an example, a worker X worked in a factory from 6 am to 2 pm, took luch at 3 pm, and at four in the afternoon incorporated to a small machine shop where spent four more hours. If you look closely at the prevailing meal times for the last twenty or thirty years, showed a clear tendency towards early times for lunch. For example, in 1975 it was normal to eat at 3 pm and take dinner at 10 pm. Currently the luch is around two in the afternoon and dinner use to be before 9 pm, as latest. Probably in next years the meal times in Spain and the rest of western countries will match a lot more.

The meal times are not really a major issue. The important thing is to make five meals a day of decreasing importance. If we sleep 8 hours - that's what we should sleep - we have 16 hours of "activity". If we divide the 16 hours between five meals we find that we should eat every 3 hours and 12 minutes. All this of course is up to hours of business, school, etc. If breakfast is at 7 am, we should eat something around 10 h, take luch at 1 pm, lighter snack at 16 pm and dinner at 7 pm, as light as possible.

Dulce de Leche, argentinian typical sweet

2012-01-09T07:58:00.000-08:00

Dulce de leche is originally from Argentina but very popular in almost all of South America. Its preparation is very simple but its high sugar content is not recommended for people with weight or health related problems.

INGREDIENTS:

1.06 pt of milk

4.41 oz of sugar

1 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in half a glass of water

Add the milk and sugar in a saucepan over low heat stirring to mix well. Add while stirring the water with sodium bicarbonate. Sodium bicarbonate serves to accelerate the process of caramelization. Continue stirring until thicken. Optionally you can add vanilla essence.

Let it cool but do not put in refrigerator. Just keep in room temperature.

Dulce de Leche can be served as is or as a crepe filling, spread on bread or toast and so on. It's delicious !

Cold Tuna Cake

2012-01-09T03:46:00.000-08:00

Tuna pie requires a short preparation time but you have to eat the result 24 hours after its preparation to allow bread get perfectly the shape of the mold.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large loaf of bread without crust
1 can of tuna in olive oil
5 ripe tomatoes
1 lettuce
1 can of red pepper
1 pot of mayonnaise

Pickles
Pitted olives

You also need a disposable baking pan, round or rectangular.

We take the mold and fill the bottom with sliced bread. We try to cut small pieces of bread to fill the entire bottom, leaving not empty space and thus making round or rectangular form as accurate as possible.

We peel the tomatoes, remove seeds and then pass through the blender. The resulting juice mix with flaked tuna and with the aid of a spoon we will extend over the first layer of bread. Add a little salt (canned tuna usually has a lot of salt so be careful when adding).

Then mount the second layer of bread over the first one once again taking care to do not leave empty spaces. Spread over the surface with the mixture of tomato and tuna. Proceed on until the last layer of bread reaches the edge of the mold. When this happens place someting heavy over it (a dish, for example) and put in the refrigerator protected a transparent film overnight.

Unmold the cake carefully one hour before to eat. Cover the entire surface with mayonnaise and extend with the help of a spatula or broad knife.

Adorn the cake with olives, pickles and red pepper strips. Finally cut the lettuce into small pieces that we will be spreading across the surface of the cake or just around. Thel ways to decorate the pie and even the ingredients depend on individual taste.

This recipe is very simple to prepare and the result is a very tender cake with awesome taste. Kids use to love it.

Fillet of beef with caramelized onions

2012-01-06T03:18:00.000-08:00

Red meats are not too healthy but they provide proteins, vitamins and minerals that are not negligible and should therefore be included very occasionally in our diets. Of all the red meats beef tenderloin is the one has less fat and is also very rich in protein.

INGREDIENTS:

About 3.5 oz of tenderloin per guest (or more)
2 large onions
1 cup red or white wine (optional)
Sugar (optional)
Parsley
Garlic
Black pepper
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil

First we are going to caramelize the onions. It can be done in the traditional way, which is undoubtedly the best, or take a shortcut to significantly reduce the cooking time. If we do the traditional method we will take the onion and cut it into strips. We'll put in a small clay pot with olive oil to cover it and we'll put the low heat stirring every ten minutes. With the slow heat the sugar of the same onion goes out and turns its color to a very dark purple almost black. Only near the end of the process add a pinch of salt. The problem is that to get a complete browning can take as long as we want as it depends on firepower, but 4, 6 and 12 hours could be gastronomically logical. As we do not usually have as much time there is another way that produces acceptable results. Cut the onion into strips also and we cover just with virgin olive oil. Incorporate a couple of lumps of brown sugar to dissolve in half a glass of red wine or white wine. Stir constantly over medium heat and in half an hour the onions are caramelized.

If we did a good caramelized onion is compact whole, only very obscured. For this particular recipe is our interest that does not get too brown, so remove it when it is still a bit white. This may mean something less than twenty minutes of the rapid method.

Meanwhile cut the tenderloin into medallions and season, sprinkle with chopped parsley. Then fry slowly in a clay pot until only the heart is pink. Pour onions to be baked with the meat juices. Therefore we do not incorporate all the oil, just the half. Preheat oven to 356 F and cook until the onion becomes dark tone desired. 20 minutes should be enough.

The dish is visually very strong, and the contrast between sweet onion and sirloin provides a very pleasant feeling. You have to constantly watch the final stage of baking as it is very easy to burn the onion before reaching the desired point. Do not suffer about the meat, cause tenderloin is very soft, just watch the onion. Too much oven can spoil the recipe.

Milk with cinnamon and lemon

2012-01-06T02:57:00.000-08:00

This is a drink that can be done very easily. It is recommended to use semi-skimmed milk cause the taste of fat can hide the one of the cinnamon. It is a good substitute for milk - still being milk - for those children who are not very fond of it. Do not use sugar, no need at all !

INGREDIENTS:
2 pt of semi-skimmed milk
Peel of 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick

We peel the lemon to get a strip being careful not to take the whites of the same as it is bitter. The peel should be slightly transparent (cause no white in it)

Add the skin and cinnamon sticks in milk and put it to heat, stirring until it boils. Check the milk all the time to avoid it overflows the pan and immediately reduce heat. In this way the cinnamon and lemon provide their scent to the liquid. Remove from fire and keep the mixture stirring for ten minutes.

Once the mix is cold, take away the cinnamon stick and the lemon peel, put in jar and set at the refrigerator until very cold. Serve at any time like refresh, kids love it !

Grilled Lobster

2012-01-06T02:37:00.000-08:00

This is a simple and original way to prepare lobster, whether you buy it fresh (live) or frozen.

If you buy alive lobster you will have to boil it in water (water should be cold when introducing the animal) and use about 6pt. The time for boiling is calculated considering 10 minutes per every 2.2 lb. If the lobster is NOT alive but is fresh, even though cooking is not recommended in this conditions, it should be cast into water when it boils and keep according to the weight as you would do with the living ones.
In the event that you will have to buy some frozen lobster determine if previously cooked or raw. In both cases it should always thaw slowly leaving the day before at the top of the refrigerator. Once thawed, cooked as if it was a fresh lobster but dead.
The usual way to consume it is boiled with a sauce such as mayonnaise, dutch sauce...
If you want to prepare on the grill do the following:

INGREDIENTS:

Lobsters (one piece for one or two guests, according size)
Clarified butter
Oregano (optional)
Lemon
Chopped fresh parsley
Salt

First boil the lobsters following the indications we have seen at the beginning of this blog entry. In this case we will stop boiling a bit before the recommended cooking time. That is, if we have to boil a lobster of 2.2 lb, boil just for five or six minutes instead of 10 minutes recommended.

We place the lobster with the flat side resting on a flat surface and with the help of a sharp knife make a cross section from head to tip of tail. We will not split into two halves, but almost. Carefull we open the halves while ensuring that they are not separated.

Now let's clarify the butter. We cast about 3.5 oz in a small saucepan over low heat and let stand. After a few minutes to melt, the butter "orders" itself in three layers. The outer half is discarded removed by a skimmer. The following is what interests us (clarified butter) and separated by simple decantation. The last off-white (whey) is eliminated. With clarified butter paint the visible part of the lobster meat. Squeeze as well the juice of half a lemon over the meat and finally sprinkle a little chopped parsley and oregano (if you do not like oregano do not use). Incorporate a pinch of salt.

We put the lobsters on an electric grill or even on the barbecue with the opening downwards. Then roast until the meat begins to take some color, but not for long because if we do wrong the meat will become like chewing gum. With five or six minutes should be more than enough. They are really tasty.

Myths and Facts about yogurt

2012-01-05T02:15:00.000-08:00

The yogurt can be consumed beyond its expiration date. TRUE. People often forget that yogurt is a way to preserve milk. The ancient inhabitants of the Asian steppes realized that when the milk is fermented could be drunk much longer than if they had only provided like fresh milk. The bacteria consumes the lactose in yogurt, which is the 'sugar' in milk, and convert it into lactic acid. This acidification of milk is not conducive for the development of harmful bacteria. Therefore, the yogurt that has passed the expiration date can still be consumed with guarantees as acid remains the same and therefore self-preserving. This 'extra' conservation is not infinite, of course, because sooner or later yogurt bacteria will die from lack of food - they have already consumed all the lactose - lowering acidity, facilitating the entry of harmful bacteria that will destroy the product. It is difficult to dictate how long we can consume yogurt with guarantees after its expiration has passed, but the EU is working to provide a regulated response to the question. In fact, experts say that certain products, after the expiration date, are still in perfect use and throw away means billions of losses per year that could be averted. Yogurt is one of them.
The lactose intolerant can eat yogurt. Half-truth. The bacteria responsible for fermentation consume lactose milk but do not entirely. The more acidic, more thick is the yogurt, denoting long process of fermentation, and thus the lower amount of lactose present. However, many industrial products still contain lactose cause yogurt has been mixed with other dairy products for several reasons. So those who suffer from mild lactose intolerance is preferable to manufacture your own yogurt to ensure the purity of the ferment obtained. Another milk product, kefir, combined result of fermentation by bacteria and a yeast, is more efficient by eliminating the lactose in milk.
Eat yogurt and drink milk is the same. TRUE. Yogurt is similar to milk but the original milk is richer in vitamin B, being low in B12 and C. As for minerals, the composition of yogurt is practically equal to that of milk. Despite these small differences, we can say roughly that milk and yogurt can be exchanged, which also happens with the cheese.
Everything is sold and seems yogurt is yogurt. Half-truth. In Spain, with similar laws to the European Union, the Royal Decree 179/2003 that deals with the yogurt, speaks basically of two main groups: natural yoghurt that must contain mandatory lactobacillus thermophilus bulgaricu streptoccocus s (responsible for fermentation) among other things and pasteurized yoghurt, which has eliminated all bacteria - good and bad - through the pasteurization process and therefore is not required to be kept cold. Among the lactobacillus bulgaricus can find the aforementioned, the casei and bifidus. Much has been said about the benefits of using one or another type of bacteria. For the main promoter of the benefits of this product, the russian Mechnikov, the lactobacillus bulgaricus was responsible for the high longevity observed between the Bulgarian peasantry (which nowdays we now know is not true). The really controversial for many producers is to have called "yogurt" to a pasteurized product because yogurt bacteria does no longer exist (a view I share with producers). I also challenge you to go to your supermarket and try to find a clean, no additives, no sugar, no cereals container of this product where you can just read the word "yoghurt" : it will be impossible. Sometimes yo do not know what are you really eating hidden under so many additives.
The "water" covering the yogurt is a symptom of its poor condition and must be removed before consumption. FALSE. This "water" is actually very rich about quality proteins. The milk fermentation process makes solid part of the proteins, separating the heaviest of the lightest. Latest become part of the "water" what is really named "serum". If left unrefrigerated yogurt fermentation process restarts and more serum is produced, but that does not mean that yogurt is spoiled. Serum can also be generated, and therefore acidified yogurt, if we have the fridge for more than 41 F. It is best to take the serum mixed with the remaining yogurt if you feel uncomfortable with it.
The yogurt has "miracle" properties. FALSE. It is true that to eat yogurt is very healthy because it contains protein, calcium, vitamins B6, B12 and other compounds necessary for our body. On the other hand its use helps maintain intestinal flora especially when it has been damaged by the use of antibiotics. It is also noteworthy that eating yogurt helps moderate obesity since calcium prevents fat absorption. On the other hand it is not true that the consumption of yogurt helps to prolong life nor has it been proven to prevent certain types of cancer or be effective against certain infections.
Yogurt can be stored outside the refrigerator. TRUE. As already stated, the fermentation process will restart and the yogurt will become very acid, but is perfectly edible if not open, containing no additives or other added substances.
It is good that the child used to eat yogurt. TRUE. For apart from the above properties, it can be consumed without sugar in its less acidic form and that's always good compared to other dairy desserts.
Soy yogurt is yogurt. FALSE. Soy does not contain lactose and therefore does not react with bacteria the same as standard milk. Yes it is possible to coagulate soy protein by parallel means and add bacteria after the process, although they must be free of milk proteins if they are aimed for intolerant lactose people.
The frozen yogurt has the same properties of yogurt. Half-truth. Again we find something that will depend on the manufacturer. Some of them provide to the ice cream tastes like yogurt, but does not contain bacteria or yogurt properties. Others manufacturers make ice cream with frozen yogurt or a large proportion of it. There is evidence that bacteria can live up to three months at 0 F, recovering after its functionality at room temperature.

"Travelling through desserts", new free book

2010-08-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

"Travelling through desserts" is the new book of Xavier Molina collecting the best desserts from Europe and the Middle East. Written in english and with weight, volume and temperature units according american standard. You will find recipes from France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Turkey, Lebanon, England well explained and easy to make. And the best : the book is free if you download it.

Apple pie

2008-11-06T14:42:00.000-08:00

There are hundreds of recipes for apple pie. The one I submit here is made with a base of puff pastry, custard and a sliced apple surface. Regarding the puff pastry I assume that you buy it already made.

INGREDIENTS:

Mass of frozen puff pastry (1 sheet)
4 apples
Unsalted butter

For the pastry cream:

2 pints of milk
4 / 5 egg yolks
5.3 ounces of sugar
Corn starch
1 branch of cinnamon or vanilla
1 scrape lemon peel

1.Making the custard

The pastry custard is made as the conventional custard but adding starch to make it thicker. If we're going to bake the custard we will always put less sugar compared with the one to be used to fill in cold or to decorate a cake. For example, in this recipe we use 5.3 ounces. If we would use the same custard in cold we should use instead 8.8 ounces.

First we separate one cup of milk and we reserve. We boil the rest of the milk with the branch of cinnamon or vanilla (according to your taste), the peeling of lemon without the white part (that is bitter) and sugar. As we have added sugar from the beginning we will have to stir continuously to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot as well as for to dissolve it well. When the milk boils remove from the fire.

While we will have separated a cup of milk we will mix it with 3.5 ounces of corn starch and the yolks, beating vigorously so that everything is well dissolved.

We remove the branch of cinnamon and scrape of lemon skin and slowly we add to the bowl of yolks and cornstarch mixture, stirring. Beat vigorously with the whisk to leave no lump and let stand until cool.

2.Making the cake

In a mold that can be baked, preferably metal with the shape of the sheet of puff pastry, grease the bottom with a little butter. Above that we will extend the puff pastry according to manufacturer's instructions. The pasta should go up the sides of the mold to hold the pastry cream. With a spoon cover the breadth of the puff pastry with the cold cream. Peel the apples and remove the core to cut into thin slices with the shape of half a moon. Place in order over the custard and let them to overlap a bit in between. Put some shavings of butter above the apples (with 4 or 5 will be more than enough). Preheat oven to 350 F degrees and with half an hour should be sufficient or until the apple puff pastry and the apples are made at sight.

Difficulty: Medium

Souvlakia (Greece)

2008-08-04T00:57:00.001-07:00

This is a meal in great demand by tourists who visit Greece, together with the moussaka and Greek salad (horiatiki). It is so typical and topical that I had so far resisted offer the recipe but in order to complete the Greek cookbook for this blog let me comment on it. Visiting Greece and just feed oneself with the three recipes mentioned is a very poor background for a country that has a remarkable cuisine. If you have the opportunity to go to Greece, do not leave to dive in restaurant menus and in case of hesitation the best option is to ask mezze and get surprise with the variety of foods.

Ingredients:

Beef and lamb leg as number of diners (calculated 3.5-7 ounces per person)

Extra virgin olive oil

Lemon juice

Salt

Ground black pepper

Oregan

You can find recipes that use pork but is more orthodox to use lamb and specifically the leg. Should be cut in a square dices and put it aside to marinate as follows : get a casserole wide enough to allow deposited in the fund all dices of meat (not crowded). Poud oil until dices are covered, the juice of half a lemon, one teaspoon salt and a half or whole teaspoon black pepper, according to taste. Maintain the marinated meat in a couple of hours at room temperature unless it is summer and be advisable to place it in the refrigerator. After the time we puncture meat in metal spikes if we are going to make it grilled over charcoal (barbecue) or wooden skewers if we are going to cook over the grill pan. I recommend make souvlakia on coal if possible. Now it is simply to make fire and to give it back when we see that the exposed side is already cooked ( not burned!). It is usually served with tsatsiki sauce (see recipe in this blog) or lemon slices. Under no circumstances dice are inserted between pieces of meat onion or pepper.

Pesto (Italy)

2008-07-31T06:29:00.000-07:00

I also feel that the summer is not the best time to cook but salads and cold soups. Sometimes I have real problems to lead a balanced diet that includes legumes, vegetables, cereals, milk, blue fish, some meat and fruit. If we think that during the summer we pass more time with our children the composition of the menus, light, nutritious and varied is paramount.

The pasta in summer is well accepted by everyone and the way to spend few hours in the kitchen. The carbohydrates provide energy that is consumed very quickly. If after eating children like to go to the beach or pool a single pasta dish can be sufficient, reserving for dinner more caloric recipes. Since on holiday children use to go to bed much later, there is no danger that digestion is overlapping with the sleep. A very light and healthy 'decoration' of pasta is achieved using the pesto sauce. The pesto is native of Genoa, at the north of Italy, and its composition is one hundred percent Mediterranean diet. It uses as a basis garlic, olive oil and basil. It is very important to use fresh basil leaves, if possible planted in some pot that we have at home. The basil is deteriorating rapidly and if not fresh will cost us more to digest and even have digestive problems, a situation completely contrary to the expected since the fresh basil is a great help for intestinal problems.

INGREDIENTS:

Half cup grated parmesan cheese

Around 30-40 fresh basil leaves

1 garlic clove 2 tablespoons pine nuts

Half cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Optional: 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Vegetable broth or water for cooking pasta

The preparation of traditional pesto is to use a mortar but is almost equally well using the electric mixer. Just throw all the ingredients in the mixing glass and beat until well fine. If a paste is too compact you must dilute with vegetable broth or even water of the cooked pasta. If you like strong sauces you can add a little ground black pepper. Now you can cook any type of pasta (macaroni, noodles, spirali etc.) according to the manufacturer tell us at the indications and once and al dente, quickly adding pesto sauce (usually cold but you can temper with hot water bath or the microwave) mixing with force. The amounts expressed above would be appropriate for 4 servings so double for more rations. Someone has commented that pesto can make large quantities and freeze. It freezes into small units and reused if desired. I have not tested the issue of freezing so I leave it up to the most experimenter readers. Too often in restaurants or buying pesto at the market we have noticed that the dough flavored became heavy and somewhat indigestible. Left clear that if that happens is because oil is not of good quality or not is fresh basil. The pesto sauce is very real healthy and refreshing, something else is that manufacturers and restaurateurs exploit the worst of the pantry to make their sauces.

Kamut

2008-07-31T00:48:00.001-07:00

I am going to explain a curious story about a basic ingredient, wheat.

The wheat was first cultivated about 9,000 years ago in today's Irak. For some reason, probably by chance, there was a hybridization in a plant grass that grew wild. Such hybridization caused on the ground that the grains were larger and the flour could be obtained from it also became larger, so it was profitable for the local economies. At that time also start the introduction of livestock in local economies which would allow a contribution of protein that so far could only be obtained from the hunt. The success was so great that populations grew significantly and the pair agriculture and livestock was extended by Middle East in a relatively short time. It happened that the great civilizations of Mesopotamos, settled in its agricultural wealth, developed further with large irrigation works and pipes carrying water from the Tigris and Euphrates over long distances. Unfortunately, the irrigation water carries certain amounts of salts that are deposited on the floor and finish by its salinization. For this reason, a few thousand years later it became difficult in Mesopotamia cultivating wheat as it supports bad salt in the soil, so the most tolerant barley cereal that became predominant. Egypt became the largest producer of wheat World's old and remained until relatively recent times. In fact the word in turkish names to Egypt at present is still "Misir" which literally means "corn".

The wheat we consume at present has little to do with the wheat consumed by the ancient Egyptians. Already at the time was hybridization of semi-natural way to get large numbers of different varieties. The former did not know the mechanism of selection but perceived that certain species were more suitable for some types of terrain and climate and without knowing exactly what was happening they started to selecte varieties. Perhaps they grew simultaneously two or three varieties of wheat because their qualities and eventually obtained, since the species were related, a single variety bringing together the best of the three. These hybridzations naturally occurring over thousands of years. It is a situation not unlike the use of genetics is being done now. With genetics we get species with enhanced features in a given period of time rather small but not "suffer" a process of selection by Nature. And therein lies one of its dangers. Nobody is quite sure about what happens when a DNA laboratory is hybridization with natural DNAs and even how the new species will behave in the long run. The so-called kamut wheat is a natural wheat whose owners - in fact, have owners so that should write "kamut (r)" as a trademark - argue comes from ancient Egypt. The beautiful story is that the original grains were found in a tomb of Dashare. These grains came to the United States and came after an eventful experience to grow demonstrating his great qualities and even in 1990 the U.S. agriculture department recognized kamut as protected variety called technically as QK-77. With this subtle novel story they come to say that this is wheat "original" as there are 4000 years of the current wheat, a lifetime of hybridizations, simply do not exist for kamut. Wheat is "pure". The story, no matter how beautiful it sounds - a plant of the past returning to present - can not be true. The main reason is that the wheat grain is not able to endure thousands of years without deteriorating. It is true that some seeds of the past have been able to germinate in the present, but its structure was significantly different from that of wheat. Most likely, the kamut (r) comes from existing plants and is almost certain that this is a hybridization between the species, durum and triticum polonicum, two species easily found on Egyptian soil at the moment and certainly nothing exotic (but it is true that much less hybridizing). To doubt about this theory is also damaging to one's own name kamut, because it is a word that would mean Egyptian wheat or grain. The word kamut was elected as a trademark, not as scientific name of the plant, mainly because it is a word from one language into disuse already extinct: there were no complaints of any kind (unless Ramses was lifted from the grave, and still can not say anything because he never saw such grain in life). In the seventh century Egyptians changed their original language in Arabic and that only preserves, significantly altered, in the Coptic liturgy. As curiosity is true that our language retains a word of ancient Egyptian and this gave them that Ramses similarly: oases. Not needed so big fable to invent a product that by itself is already very interesting. Kamut has a fairly larger grain than the usual grain which in itself makes it very attractive economically. On the other hand has far less water than similar grains which makes it less easy it rots and more resistant to attacks by insects. This is very important because if anti-insects means that we can grow with fewer or no pesticides and this makes the kamut is ideal for organic farming. Nutritionally speaking provides a greater contribution of complex carbohydrates that the conventional wheat. Almost 70% are amino acids, being lysine the most important. The contribution of minerals is also much higher but mainly provides plenty of vitamin E, about 30% over conventional grains. Despite that allergic to gluten appear to show much less rejection of the grain kamut it still contains gluten so that its intake is still discouraged, at least for more severe allergies. The grain kamut has less fiber than the grain of conventional wheat. Because of its qualities and the fact preferably organic farming as we have seen is that we can find in stores kamut dietetics, naturalists or vegetarian. Usually comes in a holistic manner but it is also possible to find in any format, from flour, pasta, bread (in fact now is not so strange spelt bread, another variety of wheat very healthy) until the grains to make inflated breakfast cereal. As long as we deal with these products that have already been aligned in the side of food or vegetarian diet (such as tofu, wheat gluten, algae etc.) we should not stop taking them, whatever our usual diet. A good way would take a muesli with kamut every morning, for example. As we have seen the kamut is a registered trademark in the United States and is considered a protected variety. The United States is the main producer in the world while other countries such as Argentina and Australia also produce it in significant quantities. It is worth noting that this is not a variety or transgenic genetically treated. Nothing about that. In fact the kamut would be the antithesis of a transgenic. For a product can be considered kamut is necessary to comply with some parameters that can be found on the official website http://www.kamut.com/ Among other qualities must contain between 400 and 1000 ppm (parts per million) of selenium, between 12 and 18% of protein, be free in 99% of hybridizations with modern varieties of wheat.

The kamut is a good and healthy option of taking wheat nearly identical to what our ancestors took, although not the same as taking the ancient Egyptians.

Bolognesa sauce

2008-01-22T00:10:00.000-08:00

Bolognese sauce is frequently used with pasta recipes, whether noodles, espaguetti, macaroni or any other kind. Generally, the pasta is cooked 'al dente' and the Bolognese sauce is served diner to taste.

INGREDIENTS:

7 ounces of minced beef

7 ounces of meat minced pork

4 ounces of ham (optional)

1 carrot

1 large onion

4 lb ripe tomatoes (or 2 lb can of tomatoe sauce not fried)

1 cup red wine

Salt

Ground black pepper

Oregano

Virgin olive oil

In a cooking pan we fry very minced onion and grated carrot. When the onion is golden color we add the minced meat and with a wooden spoon we crush to prevent lumps. We salt and pepper and dust with oregano. When the meat has lost the pink color my method is to add about 4 ounces of ham cut in very small dices or grated (if dry enough ). We add the glass of red wine and let it cook until it evaporates completely. As soon as the meat is beginning to darken add tomatoes without skin and seeds. We are salt and pepper again. Cover and leave to simmer for about 30 minutes or until sauce is thick but still remaining relatively liquid.

Constipation and diet

2008-01-17T01:59:00.000-08:00

Constipation is a major inconvenience suffered by a large percentage of the population. If the disease has been diagnosed properly by a doctor and it is clear that is caused by problems in feeding this blog entry can be helpful.

Constipation caused by deficiencies in the diet is directly linked to insufficient intake of fiber. The dietary fiber is present only in plants and can not be digested by human beings. This does not mean that it is not useful. One of its major benefits is to increase the volume and consistency of the stool facilitating intestinal transit. It is advisable to eat about 1 ounce of fiber per day. The major contributions of fiber are coming from fruits, nuts, dried fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. One habit we should acquire is to substitute milky desserts for fruits. The most desirable are the fruits of the forest - cranberries, strawberries - with almost 0.3 ounces of fiber per 4 ounces of flesh, oranges contributing about 0.25 ounces of fiber per 4 ounces and kiwi. If these are not fruits of your liking include anyone cause it would provide in worst case slightly less than 0.01 ounces per 4 ounces, in average. If you prefer juice to fruit, drink orange juice unfiltered, with all the flesh to seize as much fiber as possible. Another pattern to be healthy is the inclusion of vegetables in the diet on a daily basis and legumes at least three times a week. The most effective vegetable is artichoke while a course of legumes - lentils, for example - contributing almost 0.3 ounces of fiber. Select always whole versions of pasta - macaroni, espaguetti and so on - and bread, biscuits, of the same kind. It is a simple change of habit since they are not more expensive and can be found easily. For a treatment of shock, when the problem is there and needs to be solved right now, it is best to consume nuts and dried fruit, especially plum. About 4 ounces of dried plum means 0.5 ounces of fiber, while 4 ounces of nuts are about 0.4 ounces. This treatment is only for desperate cases because plum and nuts provide too much calories and should not be abused.

A good diet, whether looking for fiber effects or not, might be:

Breakfast:

A bowl of whole corn flakes with red fruit and milk or yogurt

Glass of freshly squeezed orange juice with pulp

Half morning:

Whole bread sandwich with any inside (cheese, sausage)

Lunch:

Lentil's soup

Beef or chicken with vegetables garnish

Whole bread

Kiwi fruit for dessert

Dinner:

Boiled vegetables (spinach, broccoli, carrot...)

Fish

Yogur like dessert

Regarding food that incorporates added fiber I am not very much in favour of them because they reflect deficiencies in the diet easily remedied in a natural way. Commercially may work but not fix other defects that have many diets that could be fixed simply eating in a natural way. The same applies to supplements rich in fiber that should also be supervised by professionals. Constipation is fixed with changing dietary habits and at medium-long term, not through magic solutions.

Gazpacho

2007-11-27T07:19:00.001-08:00

There is a hard fight between paella and gazpacho to become the national meal of Spain. While for foreigners it's quite clear paella wins the race, for spaniards probably gazpacho is the winner, specially in summer time. Gazpacho is a cold soup of mixed vegetables with an intense red or orange color, really healthy and source of wonderful vitamins since no vegetable has been cooked in its preparation. Sometimes this soup is called "tomatoe cold soup". That's a bad translation since heavy part of its taste is due to the cucumber and the red pepper.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Lb of red tomatoes

1 large red pepper

1 large green pepper

1 large onion

1 cucumber

Hard bread

Lemon (optional)

Salt

Vinegar

Olive oil

First let's peel tomatoes and peppers. Wash well vegetables and make some not very deep cuts in the skin. With a couple of cuts will be more than enough. We set fire to a large pan with water and bring to boil. In another saucepan we put cold water with ice cubes. First place into the boiling water the tomatoes for 10 seconds at most. Then we withdrawn and immediately carry to the ice water. If everything has been smooth, skin is wrinkled and lifted separation of meat by made cutting. Easily remove the skin. With red and green peppers do the same while maintaining the vegetables one minute at least. It is very important to remove the skins, please do not jump this step. If you do not you do the gazpacho would be bitter. Once we have removed the skins proceed to remove the seeds and leave only the meat. We also peel the cucumber with a knife. We soak in cold water the hard bread just to make it soft. Now take the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, wet bread , onions, a jet of olive oil and garlic clove (do not put garlic if you feel disturb with the taste) to the glass of the mixer and crush until they are very thin. With ice water begin to dilute the cream resulting from the crushing and occasionally we pouring a little salt, a teaspoon of vinegar and a little lemon instead if we are not so keen on vinegar. Taste from time to time while mixing to rectify salt. Soup should be liquid but still a bit thick, that's the right point. Needless to say, served cold or very cold.

Keskul

2007-11-27T06:37:00.000-08:00

The keskul is a very typical dessert of Turkey (written in turkish Keskül) based on the almond although its preparation reminds us slightly to Muhallebi (a dessert made with milk and rice flour). It is very simple to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:

4 ounces of raw almonds

2 pt of milk

5 ounces of sugar

2 ounces of rice flour

1/2 cup of water

Grenada (optional)

Pistachios (optional)

Crushed almonds (optional)

With the blender we crush almonds in milk. Place result in a pan and bring to boil. Once the mix have boiled reduce heat and add sugar, flour of rice and half a glass of water. We move constantly the mix for 20 minutes and then just simply let it cool to room temperature within a single pot or several pots to be cooled in the refrigerator. Served cold optionally garnished with pistachios and crushed almonds and even grains of grenade.

Spaghetti with prawns

2007-11-14T15:53:00.000-08:00

Again a simple recipe that can be prepared in a few minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Spaghettis dried or fresh

14 ounces of peeled shrimp

Parsley

Oregano

3 ripe tomatoes

Garlic

1 glass of white wine or brandy / cognac

Grated cheese

Onion

Black Pepper

Olive oil

If we use dry spaghetti pick an adequate quantity to the number of people should eat. We must think that the weight of pasta once cooked approximately doubles the original weight so that 9 ounces generate 18 ounces of pasta. We place spaghetti in slightly salty boiling water reading carefully the advise of the packet to obtain soft pasta or al dente, according to our taste. Meanwhile in a pan we will fry with two tablespoons of olive oil a clove of garlic and a bit of chopped parsley fresh or dried. Then we put the peeled shrimps and dust all over with oregano. Then we spreay with a glass of white wine or a cup of cognac and let reduce to low heat. The broth at the end of the process should be enough to keep the shrimp a bit moist. Now pick tomatoes, peel them and remove the seeds to fry in chunks in a separate pan with a little salt, minced onion and black pepper too. Reserve. Once the pasta is cooked-between 7 and 10 minutes - we will move it quickly to the pan of prawns and with a wooden spoon we will mix all ingredients, adding a little more of salt. Then we add the fried tomato, mix again, and then withdraw from fire and eat immediately, optionally with grated cheese.

Floating island

2007-11-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

To better understand this dessert we must say that this is a pudding made with egg white that "floats" on a cream brule somewhat diluted. Or meringue on custard, as desired.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pt of milk

6 eggs

18 ounces of sugar

Essence of vanilla or branch

1 pinch of salt

First we will make the cream. We warm up the milk. We will beat the yolks with 4 ounces of sugar, incorporating then to the hot milk and vanilla. Remove for about 10 minutes without ever leaving boiling. Take from fire and allow to cool. Now will beat the egg whites that we have separated before with 7 ounces of sugar and a pinch of salt until peaks. Prepare now a caramel with another 7 ounces of sugar and a glass of water. With the caramel still hot paint inside a proper pot. Now we will put the egg whites with sugar inside the pot trying not to leave air inside. Then we put the pote bath inside another cassole with water - in order hot distributes regularly - and all this within the oven for about 45 minutes (or until the touch of the cream does not show sticky) at 356 F. We take and remove from the pot. We cool at the refrigerator. When the cream and meringue are cold proceed to mount the dish. It's called floating island because we make the meringue, which is very light, afloat on the cream. So at least use a bowl of soup that we will fill in its 3 / 4 parts with cream. Then cut a piece of meringue and we will put in the center. You can garnish with chocolate shavings, if wished.

Salad of tomato and cucumber with yogurt sauce

2007-11-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

A nice salad 'dressed' with a nutritious sauce very easy to do.

INGREDIENTS (1 / 2 servings):

1 cucumber

2 ripe tomatoes

1 onion

Parsley

1 yoghurt without sugar

Olive oil

Vinegar

Juice of 1 / 2 lemon

Salt

Black pepper

We peel and remove the seeds of the two tomatoes, cutting in slices. We cut onion very thin and cast on tomatoes. We peel the cucumber and cut into slices and we incorporate to the bowl with salt, a tablespoon of olive oil and a splash of vinegar (you can substitute with lemon if you dislike vinegar). Mix well. Now let's make the yogurt sauce. Mix yogurt with the juice of 1 / 2 lemon, a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of oil, black pepper and very small chopped parsley. You can pass through the blender or leave as it is, only mixed with a spoon. If you want a more liquid sauce you can use all the juice of a lemon. We dump the sauce over the salad and ready to be eaten.

Cream of carrots

2007-11-12T17:27:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS :

4 or 5 carrots

1 onion

1 cup milk

Grated cheese

Water

Salt

In about 2 pts of water we incorporate carrots and the onion peeled, the glass of milk and a handful of grated creamy cheese (Parmesan or similar). We boil until carrots are soft. We pass through the blender rectifying salt and is now ready to be served.

Mashed potatoes

2007-11-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

The much popular mashed potatoes is the ideal companion for many dishes. Mashed potatoes are so easy to prepare that amazes me, I am not wise to understand, why lyophilisated bags are so popular. Indeed to complete this recipe would take less than 10 minutes, specially if we take care to cut the potatoes in small dices that would cook much more faster. Someone should explain me how much time do we gain by using those pre-cooked bags.

INGREDIENTS:

3 / 4 potatoes medium sized
Two tablespoons milk
Salt

We boil peeled potatoes in water. If we are short in time we cut potato in dices and boil in enough water just to cover. When we nail easily a fork in the potato would mean the potato is cooked. We move the boiled potatoes to the pot of the blender along with half a cup of the cooking water, two tablespoons of milk and salt. We crush the mixture and the result should be thick, with no extra water. If unfortunately the result is too wet you can cook a bit till water evaporates. In the other hand if the result is too thick you can add either a bit of water of the cooking or milk. .

You can also add a bit of sweet paprika for flavor and color, or even create a bicolor mashed potatoe alternating white and tomatoe colored strips in order to make it more attractive to children. Using a simple sleeve pastry we can create nice accompaniments that helps us a lot to create attractive presentations of the course. Or grate some cheese on the mashed potatoe or anything your imagination could create to make it better.

Halloumi and Saganaki (Greek-Cypriot grilled or fried cheese)

2007-11-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

The Halloumi is a white native cheese of Cyprus. Comprised of sheep's and goat's milk now can be found made from cow's milk, although its characteristics differ from the original. The flavor is similar to the mozzarella though more accentuated by being considerably more salty. The Halloumi can be cooked because of its high melting point. This makes Halloumi very attractive to many dishes because even it can be done to the grid. When cooked in this way to the mouth shows more nuances than the standard cheese, is more salty and has a cracking characteristic bite. Personally, I like Halloumi to accompany a dish of grilled meat (lamb, pork or rabbit), but is also a feast in a warm sandwich accompanying bacon or sausage.

The first time I ate halloumi was on the Greek side of Nicosia city in Cyprus, in a small restaurant within the fortress and I remember myself quite impressed by its flavor. The Halloumi or substitutes are very popular in the Middle East and therefore there are many recipes available. Above all the recipes outstands the most famous called saganaki. The saganaki is very popular in Greece and it is very easy to prepare. Probably you will see this recipe elsewhere prepared with kefalotyri cheese instead of Halloumi. The kefalotyri is the Greek version of halloumi of Cyprus and has similar characteristics (at least in the ingredients and the melting point).

INGREDIENTS:
Cheese halloumi cut thick (0.2 in is the right thing)
Olive oil (1 cup)
Egg Water
(1 / 4-cup)
Wheat flour (1 / 4-cup)

First we make a kind of sauce with the egg, water and flour. It should be no lumps. If flour makes sauce too dry simply add a little more of water. We soak the Halloumi in the sauce though it's advisable to leave there for a while. Do not put salt because, as I mentioned earlier the halloumi is quite salty for itself. In a deep cooking pan heat oil and fry the halloumi, being enough to brown one side to turn immediately to the other. This frying should be fast and with lots of "bubbles" because the cheese is made immediately. Then move it out and leave on a paper towel to remove excess of oil. The saganaki is served spraying thoroughly with lemon juice.

Mezze

2007-11-02T01:14:00.000-07:00

Mezze is a word of Persian origin who comes to mean "taste" and that is exactly what it is: a tasting of a large number of dishes that leads or replace meals. In a restaurant where you can order Mezze they serve lot of dishes similar to Spanish tapas and likely to cover the entire table. The Mezze are very popular in Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Lebanon and generally can be found throughout the Middle East. In Greece and Cyprus when we order mezze waiters are serving dishes and filling the table until the guests feel enough and order to stop. The dishes that we will find in most of the cases are the eggplant, turkish sucuk (say shushuk) which is a kind of very spiced sausage fried sliced, dolmades (fig leaves to wrap rice or meat), labneh (a kind of not-cheese-not-yoghurt more typical of Lebanon), taramosalata (carp roe, very typical in Greece), kibbeh (a kind of meat dumplings and couscous), tabouleh (salad of couscous), and so a very long list. Traditionally mezze is served with an alcohol aniseed which is called Ouzo in Greece, Raki in Turkey and Arak in Lebanon (being all of them more or less the same). This liquor is mixed with water and occasionally with ice but because of its high alcohol content can be replaced by any other refreshing drink. The Mezze let know in few minutes the cuisine of an Eastern country since they are always based on the most popular traditional recipes. The image of a restaurant table covered with dishes that make up a mezze is truly fantastic and is one of the greatest pleasures of the kitchen of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Tsatsiki (Greek cucumber and yoghurt sauce)

2007-11-02T00:54:00.000-07:00

The tsatsiki is a typical Greek recipe that can be a cream or a sauce, but also can be a drink simply disolving in water. The latter option is more common in Turkey where tsatsiki word becomes "çaçik" (say shashik) The tsatsiki either like cream or sauce is very suitable for seasoning salads but also can grease a toast, support a course of meat...

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 yoghurt type "Greek"

1 cucumber

Half clove garlic

Salt

Olive oil

Peel the cucumber and cut into very fine strips. Take a bowl and pour in the yogurt blended with a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of salt and medium clove garlic crushed. We must vigorously whisking by hand until get a compact exempt of water as much as possible. It is desirable to make the mixture stand at least one hour in the refrigerator before consume, but is not essential.

Rice with Milk

2007-11-02T00:38:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

½ liter of semi skimmed milk (around 2 pints)

50 grams of rice (aprox 0.11 lb)

50 grams sugar (aprox 0.11 lb)

1 lemon peel

1 branch of cinnamon

Cinnamon powder

We peel the lemon to get a strip of skin taking care not to catch the white part of the same as it is bitter. Hence the peeling will be slightly transparent. Add cinnamon branch to the milk and we heat while stirring until it boils. Watch the milk will not overflow and when there is risk this happens immediately reduce the fire. Add rice and sugar, stirring constantly so they do not stick to the bottom. Occasionally try some grain of rice to check that it is getting soft. When the rice is done remove from fire and let stand until gets cooler. Then we will poud the content in small containers for individual take or in large bowl. We place at the refrigerator. When rice is cold is ready for consumption by adding a bit of cinnamon powder over the surface.

Some people likes to eat rice with milk hot, but we have to warn it becomes really heavy.

Spanish Sangria

2007-11-02T00:13:00.000-07:00

Sangria is a very tipycal spanish drink based in the mix of wine and fruits which results in a delicious drink always served very cold. Though the low wine graduation can confuse someone it is important to stress about sangria heavy effects due to the fact taste is really refreshing - thus you drink more - and the adding of sugar that strenghs the effects of alcohol.

There are hundreds of recipes of sangria. Some include high graduation liquors and even cinnamon. The next one is the classical one.

INGREDIENTS:

1 liter of red wine (around 2 pints or 1 bottle) of quality

two oranges (the ones used to get juice)

two peaches

sugar

The wine and the juice of the two oranges are mixed in a jar. The peaches are cut in dices and placed inside the jar. We taste the mixture and we add sugar until obtaining the flavor that pleases to us. If we have problems in dissolving the sugar we can use a liquid sweetener. We keep in the refrigerator at least during six hours before to drink so we maintain the maceration and wine is therefore flavored of naturally with the fruits.

By the way, the word 'Sangria' means 'related with blood' cause in ancient times they were thinking wine and specially sangria helped to produce the blood of the human body.

Carpaccio of codfish

2007-11-01T23:40:00.000-07:00

You can find many recipes of carpaccio of codfish. Basically all of them differ slightly just about the ingredients of the seasoning. This is one recipe between many but we encourage you to adapt it according your personal taste.

INGREDIENTS:

1 back of desalted codfish

lemon juice

vinegar of modena

virgin olive oil

black pepper

salt

We desalt the back of the codfish in a pot with tap water that we introduce in the refrigerator during 24 hours. We will change the water at least couple of times during this period. When we have finished to desalt the fish we will place at the freezer so it becomes hard enough to make easier to cut in very fine fillets. A complete freezing is not necessary of course, this is just a trick to allow a very sharp knife to find enough resistance to cut the thin laminae. We will be depositing semitransparent laminae in a plate until covering the surface completely. We will water the fillets with the juice of one lemon taking care just to soak, not to create 'broth'. We will do the same with a teaspoon of a mixture of modena vinegar and olive oil and, if the flavor is more tempting to us, we will even replace completely the juice of lemon by vinegar. We will use the windlass to dust black pepper in a very moderate way. We left to our criterion to know if we must or not to add salt. In general the content in salt of the codfish still desalted is enough and it would not be necessary, but cooker is the one has to decide about that tasting one or two fillets. Once we have prepared carpaccio is recommendable to maintain it at least one hour in the refrigerator before serving so that turns slightly macerated.

Kabak Tatlisi (Sweet Pumpkin)

2007-11-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

The Kabak Tatlisi is a Turkish typical dessert that has the pumpkin like main ingredient. It is really easy to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:

What it is left of the pumpkin of Halloween

0.33 pounds of sugar

0.33 pounds of nuts

We peel and cut the pumpkin in large chunks. We put the chunks in a mud casserole of flat type and we dust them with the sugar. We set water just to cover the pumpkin. We must leave like this during 24 hours so the sugar impregnates the fruit. After the 24 hours we must put the casserole to the fire until it begins to boil. Then we reduce and we left to the low fire during 1 hour or until the pumpkin is tender. We separate from the fire until it takes the room temperature. We crush the nuts in a mortar to dust over... and then in ready to serve. Simple, isn't?