Truffled Feta Pies.

I guess this is a spin on Greek Cheese Pies (Tiropites) and a Broiled Feta appetizer called "Feta Fotias" which I tried a few years ago in Astoria, Queens.  First I grabbed my puff pastry (I made it from scratch, but the any puff pastry you find in the super market is ok) and rolled it out to about a quarter of an inch thick.  then I grabbed a round object to use as a stencil which in this case was a soup bowl almost 5 inches in diameter.  I then took my pairing knife and carefully cut out each piece of pastry, lightly floured each side and stacked each piece on top of each other.

-FETA CHEESE

-DRIED FIGS

-CREMINI MUSHROOMS

-SOPRESSATA

-TRUFFLE OIL

-fresh PARSLEY

-PAPRikA

-2 EGGS

I didn't really measure everything exactly on this one but I guess that's why I like it...you can't really mess it up.  If you want it a little cheesier, add more cheese...a little sweeter, add more figs...and so on.  One thing that I should mention is be careful with the amount of Truffle Oil that you use because it is very strong stuff, a little goes a very long way.  I thinly sliced the mushrooms and sopressata, and gave a rough chop to the feta, figs and parsley.  I mixed everything up in a large bowl tossing everything for a few minutes.

First I scrambled the eggs and grabbed my pastry brush. Then I brushed some egg onto one side of the pastry circles (you can easily do up to 3 at a time).  Next I placed a small handful of the mixture on the bottom half of the circle leaving a little border of egg wash untouched.  Folding the top part over with both hands while I pinch the ends closed making a half circle.  Finally, I transferred each onto a lightly buttered baking sheet leaving one inch in between each pie, and brushed a little egg wash on the top.  Then into the oven at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes.  

How To Make Baklava!

Today was a pastry day, my Thia Amalia taught me how to make baklava!

-5 cups Chopped Walnuts

-1/2 cup Sugar

-1 tsp Ground Clove Spice

-1 tsp Cinnamon

-1/4 tsp Nutmeg

-1 lb. Unsalted/Sweet Butter

-2 boxes Phyllo Dough #4 weight

This recipe is pretty easy if your accustomed to working with phyllo...if not, it takes a little getting used to.  Grab a mixing bowl and through in your chopped walnuts (if you can buy them chopped great, if not just throw them into a food processor), sugar, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg all together and mix well.  That's about it for the filling...Easy so far, right?

Next we get to the more complicated part...working with the dough.  Luckily I made a video to make it a little easier!  ENJOY My Baklava Youtube Video

Tartar Sauce...

-2 EGG YOLKS

-1 EGG

-1 tbsp SALT

-1 tbsp PEPPER

-1 tbsp DIJON MUSTARD

-2 cups high quality OIL (salad or olive)

-1 KOSHER DILL PICKLE minced

-2 tbsp CAPERS minced

-2 tbsp PARSLEY chopped
-2 tbsp SUGAR

-pinch of CAJON SPICE

-LEMON JUICE or WHITE VINEGAR to taste

All in All I have to say this isn't one of my favorites, but this is supposed to be a journal of everything that I make so here it goes.  I started with the Egg and the Egg Yolks blending them together for about 1 minute with my hand mixer.  Having all of my ingredients within hands reach I grabbed the Salt, Pepper and Dijon Mustard and tossed them all in together.

With the mixer still working I poured in the Oil.  I used a measuring cup with the pouring spout so that I could pour the oil in very slowly with my left hand while still mixing with my right.  It helps to put a towel under your bowl so that it doesn't slide all over the place.  I kept mixing till the "mayonnaise" at this point became really thick.  Do not over mix or the oil and the eggs will separate.

Next I chopped up the pickle, capers and parsley and tossed them in along with the cajon spice and lemon juice and mixed them all together.

If your feeling up to the challenge and really feel like the jarred tartar sauce isn't cutting it...give this a try...or if you have another recipe, send it my way.

update...my buddy Rich suggested I add a couple tablespoons of sugar...well he was right, the sugar definitely brought the sauce to another level.

The Madeleine

 -3 EGGS
-1/4 tsp SALT
-1 cup SUGAR

-1/3 of a VANILLA BEAN

-1 cup ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

-1/4 lb BUTTER

The first time I ever heard about these cookies was in the movie "Transporter", and I've wanted to make them ever since.  All in all it turned out to be a very easy recipe, but first I needed to go buy a madeleine baking sheet.  It was about twenty bucks form Bed Bath & Beyond.

First I melted the butter and let it cool down until it almost became solid again.  Then I preheated my oven to 375 degrees and lightly buttered and floured the baking sheet.  Next I grabbed my mixing bowl and my handheld mixer and blended the Eggs, Salt and Sugar together until the mixture became thick.  At that point it started to resemble pancake batter.  Then I grabbed the flour and started to fold it in to the egg mixture, a rapid but gentle fold.  After all the flour was mixed in I grabbed the congealed butter and repeated the previous process of folding rapidly.

All that was left to do was grab a soup spoon and drop the mixture into the moldings of the baking sheet.  One at a time I filled them almost 3/4 of the way up allowing some room for the cookies to rise.

Into the oven they went for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Once on the cooling rack I finished them off with a little powdered sugar.

Awesome cookies!  I highly recommend giving this recipe a go!

How to Make Greek Stuffed Peppers.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers:

Today I learned how to make Stuffed Peppers.  This is broken down into three sections:

1.  PREPPING THE PEPPERS.

-16 Large GREEN BELL PEPPERS

We were gonna make enough for 8 orders so I grabbed 16 Green Bell Peppers, a pairing knife and got to work.  I cut the tops off of the peppers leaving just a little rim so that the stuffing won't pour out in the oven.  Then I cleaned them out removing the seeds and the excess white rhine, doing the same for the severed tops.  Once I finished with the cutting and gutting I brought them over the sink and thoroughly washed them all.

2. GROUND BEEF & RICE STUFFING.

-2 minced ONIONS

-5 cloves of minced GARLIC

-1/2 cup chopped PARSLEY

-3 tbsp EVOO

-2 tbsp CHICKEN BASE

I started by prepping all of my vegetables and put my large stock pot on the stove.  I add the Olive Oil, then the Onions and Garlic.  I let those cook partially covered and stir them frequently until they're cooked.  I add the parley, and the chicken base and stir it all together before adding the ground beef.

-5 lbs GROUND BEEF 85% lean

-3 tbsp SALT

-2 tsp PEPPER

-2 tsp CUMIN

-3 cups TOMATO SAUCE

-1 cup WATER

Once I put the beef and the spices in I grab my potato masher and start breaking down the beef.  I do this for about 10 minutes pretty frequently, then I stir everything with my wooden spoon.  Once the meat is cooked halfway I added the tomato sauce and water and let the meat cooked almost all the way through and then add my rice.  Once I add the rice I have to stir frequently so it doesn't stick to the pot.  Continue for about 10 minutes until the rice is just a touch undercooked.  Off the stove and allow to cool dowon for about 15 minutes so the mixture is easy to work with.

Once cool enough to work with, we start stuffing the peppers.  One tablespoon at a time until each pepper is filled to the top.  Then I grabbed the tops of the peppers which I placed to the side earlier and capped of the peppers.

3. SAUCE

-1 cup TOMATO SAUCE

-1 cup WATER

-1/2 cup chopped PARSLEY

-1 tsp SALT

-1 tsp PEPPER

-1/2 cup OLIVE OIL

Throwing all the above ingredients into a measuring cup, I grabbed a whisk and blended everything together.  Then I poured the sauce onto the peppers which I laid out in a deep baking tray.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and put them into the oven @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the aluminum foil and cook for another 20 minutes to brown the peppers.

They are traditionally served with potatoes which you can quarter and cook in the same tray with the peppers.

pictures coming soon...

My First Go @ Baguettes.

Today I'm taking on the task of learning how to form a traditional baguette.  I will be using as my reference "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child.  For this first trial I will be using the recipe from my previous post "Baking the Perfect Loaf" with a different technique in rising.

So with our dough mixed with our kitchen aid, and kneaded for a good 10 minutes, I place the dough back into the mixing bowl and cover with my lint free towel.  I let the dough rise initially for 2-3 hours and it pretty much tripled in size. (see photo)  I removed the dough onto my lightly floured counter top and punched it down to release all of the air bubbles.  All punched down the dough resembled an enormous pizza.  Now I folded the dough over itself starting with the left side, then repeated with the right side to form a round pillow shape.  I threw the dough back into the mixing bowl and set it to rest for another 2 hours.

Next, I pushed out all of the air bubbles from the dough for the second time and then cut the dough into 8 equal portions.  I folded each portion in half over itself and place them aside on a lightly floured section of my counter, covered them with plastic wrap and let them sit for 5 minutes.  This gave me enough time to get my tray and floured table cloth ready.  I grabbed my full size baking tray and placed a table cloth over it covered with flour that I rubbed in by hand.  This part can get a little messy!

This is where the loaves start to take their form.  This technique is broken down by Julia Child into 7 steps.

Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand.

Fold the dough over itself and pinch it closed with your thumb.

Rotate the loaf so that the seam is point up towards the ceiling.

Flatten the dough again.

Make a crease down the center of the dough (the long way) with the Karate chop part of your hand.

Fold the dough over itself and pinch it closed again with your thumb.

Roll out the loaf to form your baguette.

My ends seemed to be sliding all over the place on this last step not allowing me to make the ends pointy enough...I guess I had to much flour on them...so I lifted each end up of the table one at a time and rolled them in between my hands until I got the points I was looking for.  As soon as I have it rolled out to the length that I want, I picked it up gently and placed it on the floured table cloth.  Repeating the same steps for the next loaves.

Almost time for these babies to go into the oven but first I have to cover them with a few towels and let them rise for another 1-2 hours.  I let about an hour and a half go by until I pre-heated my oven to 450F.  I also took this time to get another baking tray buttered and ready to go.  For the next step I had to get a little creative.  It called for a flat long wooden board..of which I had none.  So I cut a piece of cardboard as long as my loaves and covered it with aluminum foil.  This acts basically like a transfer sheet from your floured table cloth to your lightly butter baking tray where they are then baked off.  It seemed to do the trick.  Transferring each loaf one at a time over to the buttered tray (the side that was laying on the floured table cloth facing up at the ceiling) leaving a good 3 inches between each loaf.

This is where I get a quarter cup of milk and lightly brush the tops of my loaves.  Next I made three long gashes vertically down each loaf less than a quarter inch deep, and Finally they're ready to go into the oven!  About 20-25 minutes until golden brown and they make a nice hollow thud when tapped with your knuckle.  I was amazed at how light these loaves came out...and overall very happy with my first go @ Baguettes.  Let me know how yours come out.

How to Roll Grape Leaves

Today I learned how to Roll Grape Leaves ...aka... Dolmades.  Normally you would prepare the stuffing first but this journal isn't meant to be in any particular order.  I will get to the rest of the recipe soon, but for now...just Rolling.

So with that out of the way, here is what I've learned.

First we get our grape leaves out of the jar and rinse them off under some cold water.

Next I grabbed my pair of poultry shears to clip off the stems.  Give a quick reference to see that I made sure not to clip to much off to prevent the leaf from tearing.

Once I've got them all clipped it's time to start rolling.  I grab about a tablespoon at a time of the filling and roll it into an oval meatball shape.  Take one leaf and lay it flat on its back, and place the "meatball" towards the bottom flaps of the leaf.

Now, fold over the bottom flaps...Then the side flaps...Holding it all together firmly, roll forward.

This technique is very similar to how we fold our spinach pies, so it was pretty easy for me to pick up.  After three or four you should be able to do it with your eyes closed.  Repeat the process you run out of stuffing, and be carefull not to use up all of your leaves 'cause you will need enough extra leaves to line the bottom of the pot.  Again, we'll save that for next time...

Trying to Bake the Perfect Loaf.

-2 cups WARM WATER

-1 cup WARM MILK

-1 tbsp SUGAR
-1 tbsp DRY YEAST
-6+cups ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

-2 tbsp SALT
-1/4 cup MILK (to brush your loaves)

...Add the Water, Milk, Sugar and Yeast into your mixer bowl and whisk them together until the yeast and sugar have dissolved.  Can be made without milk...Although it seems to give the crust better color.


...Then, add the Flour and Salt to you yeast mixture, and start mixing.  Mix for 3-5 minutes.  Dough texture should be a little sticky but firm.


I use a regular kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook attachment.  Start on low so your flour doesn't end up everywhere, and gradually turn up the speed when you see there is no more loose flour.  Most kitchen aid's tell you no to go past level 3 on you mixer with heavier doughs, so I would listen to them.


After the dough is mixed I place it on a lightly floured table and start to gold and knead for 5-10 minutes...adding a little flour when the dough starts to stick.  The more you knead your dough, the lighter your loaf will be resulting in bigger air pockets inside the bread.


Place your dough back into your mixer bowl and cover with a clean lint free cloth.  Let rise for an hour or more till the dough has doubled and you start to see little bubbles forming on the surface of the dough.  For a deeper flavor allow to rise over night in the refrigerator.  You can also store the dough at this point in the fridge with a loosely covered container for up to a week, possibly longer if you don't use any milk in your recipe.

At this point I usually get my baking trays ready. I use semolina to powder the trays so that the bread doesn't stick, this also adds a nice layer of crunch to the bottom crust.
Now it's time to form the loaves, but It takes a little time to get comfortable working with dough. Just keep your working area and your hands lightly floured and start by folding a small grapefruit size piece of dough around itself to make a ball shape. Then roll the ball firmly with the cup of your hand in a circular motion on your table. It's best to use a spot on your table with no flour...a little friction on the table makes the ball shape better. You can stop there and just bake them off as dinner rolls or roll them out as I did.

Once you have them all laid out on your tray, ( make sure to leave a good 3 inch gap between each loaf so they don't join together during the proof ) grab your brush and a 1/4 cup of milk and lightly brush the tops of the loaves. This is where I get a little anxious and I wanna just throw them in the oven. But the longer the bread proofs ( second rise ) the lighter and better your bread will come out. I'd say about 2 hours is a good amount of time. Right before you pop them in the oven grab a serrated edge knife ( the rounded edge ones work best...the pointier the edge on the knife the more it seems to pull the dough making uneven cuts ) and make 3 semi-deep slashes on the top crust of the bread.

They're now ready to go into the pre-heated oven at 375-400 F and bake till golden brown...normally around 30-40 minutes.

ENJOY!