It's all Greek to Me!

Over the past few weeks, I have become inspired to mix up a LOT of Greek food. Greek salads, Greek frittatas, and EVEN started compiling Baklava recipes. My recent interest in Greek food and preparation styles comes from a blogging opportunity I've been given via Foodbuzz. Since I'm part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher community, Foodbuzz is offering an opportunity for a blogger to win a trip to Greece (!!!) sponsored by FAGE.

Greece has been on my wish list of travel destinations since I was a young girl. France, Italy, and Greece, because life along the Mediterranean has always appealed to me. Sun, sea, lemon trees, beautiful weather...the good life. Additionally, my boyfriend's cousin and his new wife honeymooned in Greece two years ago, and I barely knew them (having just met them at their wedding) but ogled over every last epicurean photograph from their honeymoon. I vowed that one day, I, too, would be eating gyros and octopus along the Mediterranean coast of beautiful Greece.

It wasn't until this opportunity, though, that prompted me to start exploring Mediterranean cuisine. I pored over way too many food blogs and maxed out my library card, wiping out my neighborhood library's Greek cookbook section in the process. I scoured FAGE's great website and searched their treasure trove of delectable recipes which highlight living "the good life" through Greek cuisine. At home, library cookbooks piled up on either side of the kitchen table, I began the journey into Greek flavor. In my quest for traditional Greek recipes with a modern twist, I started reading about old-style Greek foods. Fried Grasshoppers, anyone?

What I discovered was an abundance of organic, healthy cooking, with most dishes lavishly featuring fresh vegetables, simply prepared to keep all the vital nutrients preserved. Which made me think further: wouldn't it be great to start incorporating some of these ingredients into my daily life, thereby developing a more organic lifestyle? To me, adding lemon zest and feta cheese into my life can only be a good thing. Lemons, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese? Yes, please!

Equipped with a handful of Greek-inspired recipes, off to the grocery store I went. If a recipe calls for lemon, usually I will just buy a bottle of lemon juice. But for Greece, this simply will not do. So I purchased a bag of lemons instead. Where I may ordinarily get my cucumber fix through kosher dill pickles, this time I bought a couple whole cucumbers. And I don't think I've EVER considered feta cheese. Cheddar? Parmesan? A dairy staple in our refrigerator. Inspired by a list of traditional Greek Salad recipes and Greek Frittata recipes, I gathered all the tastes of the Mediterranean and some great olive oil and headed back to my Capitol Hill home kitchen, far from the Greek islands, to test them out.

Since a Greek salad is the heart of any Greek meal, I started with a Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad. Do you ever eat something and just feel immediately...healthy? Like you're filling your body with GOOD and bounty? This is how I felt, with one bite of the salad. The plus side? It TASTES amazing, too. Not only are you loading your body with fiber and feeling fuller than you would by consuming processed foods, it tastes like a day on the Mediterranean (or so I would imagine) with flavors like lemon and feta melding together perfectly, satisfying the taste buds with a tangy, tart, delicious snack, side dish, or full meal (my boyfriend happily devoured the entire bowl when he got home). It's not too acidic, not too salty, not bland at all. It's juuuust right.

Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad (adapted from this recipe):

2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
2 cucumbers, halved lengthwise and finely sliced
15 grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
2 scallions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced
5 oz crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup vinaigrette dressing
1 teaspoon fresh Greek oregano, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in order listed. Toss together and refrigerate 2 hours. Serve chilled.

A few days later, I was craving some more Greek flavor. So, I tweaked 2 frittata recipes and came up with this eggy delight, perfect for an afternoon in, curled up with The Iliad.

Ok, maybe not. Maybe My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but the thought was still there...

Greek Frittata (adapted from here and here):

3 Tablespoons olive oil
10 large eggs
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 oz baby spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 small onion, diced
4 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
1 bunch fresh chives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh Greek oregano, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
8 oz feta, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add olive oil to a 2-quart casserole and transfer to oven for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together eggs, salt and pepper until foamy. Add the spinach, tomatoes, onion, scallions, chives, Greek oregano and thyme and mix together. Gently stir in the crumbled feta. Remove casserole from oven. Pour the egg mixture into casserole. Bake until the frittata is browned around the edges and slightly puffed and a knife comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve.


The Heart of the Artichoke

I was thrilled to find out that the steamed artichoke, a recent favorite snack of mine since discovering fresh artichokes last Spring, is quite popular in Greece. I like to steam a whole artichoke, then peel back the leaves (I like to call them petals) one by one, dipping each petal into a ramekin of freshly-drawn butter with a squeeze of lemon, pulling the earthy flesh of the petals through my teeth, whittling the artichoke down and delicately removing the choke until only the heart remains. This is the best part, worth the wait and work of removing each and every petal. In the heart of the artichoke you find one of the greatest gastronomical pleasures- a most tender, flavorful piece of meaty vegetable with a soft texture. I like to dip this final delicacy into the hot, lemony butter, then sprinkle a dash of sea salt and an additional squeeze of fresh lemon right overtop, then pop the whole heart into my mouth. One of the best food experiences I've recently found. I love this aspect of life; the small yet significant joys of a fresh vegetable, simply prepared, enjoyed down to the last bite.

How To Steam An Artichoke:

1 artichoke
1 lemon
1 bay leaf
1/2 stick unsalted butter
sea salt, to taste

Rinse artichoke. Leave whole. Cut outer leaves. Cut off 1 inch of tip. Cut 1/4 inch of bottom stem. Snip tops of leaves. Place in steaming pot with 1/2 inch water, lemon wedge, and bay leaf. Steam 30-40 minutes, until leaves peel off with ease.

Melt 1/2 stick unsalted butter until just melted, still with white foam (the Greeks like to use brown butter, but I like mine drawn with white foam), add salt to taste, squeeze of fresh lemon.

To eat, see above description, and prepare yourself for the most scrumptious vegetable feast of your life.


As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway/

Crabbing in Wildwood

For the past 3 years I have had the pleasure and privilege of spending the 2nd week of August with Jeremy's family at Wildwood Crest, a vacation spot along the Jersey Shore. I have really come to love Wildwood, and the best part for me is family all being together, spending time at the large hotel pool and at the beach, walking the boardwalk at night, eating lots of pork roll during the day and corn dogs come night, watching boardwalk trends change from year to year (this year it was Angry Birds paraphernalia and fried Kool-Aid), and getting to take part in activities never experienced before.

Last year, the big adventure was going deep sea fishing. Unfortunately, we didn't catch any fish that were "of size" to take back to the hotel, but it was an unforgettable experience for all parties involved (Jeremy, his younger brother and two good friends, who we call "the three amigos", and myself). This year, the great adventure was CRABBING, something that I had never done before, and couldn't wait to try.

One fine afternoon when the sun was just setting, the three amigos and Jeremy's older brother set out for the essential supplies to ensure a successful crabbing experience. Items required for crabbing include: raw chicken used as bait, crab "nets" which act as traps, line, hooks to attach bait, plenty of beer (my boyfriend's donation) and a lot of patience.

Jeremy came up with the brilliant idea to ride our bikes over to the bay where blue crabs are known to hang, just before the bridge to Cape May, assuring me that it was "like a mile" from the hotel. There we would meet the rest of the crabbing crew. "What in the world am I getting myself into?!" is the G-rated version of the words hurling out of my mouth while bicycling at top speed, pedaling as fast as my feet could go, the wind slapping my face, beach mobiles whizzing past me, and my boyfriend at least a mile ahead. Eventually, Jeremy did turn around to see the blonde dot in the distance, wait for me to catch up, and probably wish he hadn't...what can I say, sometimes my Irish temper just has to come unleashed.

After threatening to never come to Wildwood again, never go crabbing again, never go bicycling again, never speak to Jeremy again (all things I couldn't live without, if we're honest), and literally spewing every four-letter word in the book, Jeremy turned back around, pumped his pedals a few times, and said, "Hey babe, I think we're here!"

Enthusiasm aside, I was relieved to see some familiarity in Jeremy's brother's car. Even more settled, to see the three amigos and Jeremy's older brother standing silently, knee-deep in murky waters, their hands tightly gripping a long line of string which ended about ten feet in front of them, awaiting the elusive blue crab.

At first I was a little skeptical. I can understand using little metal nets with long strings attached, but using raw chicken as bait kinda freaked me out. No way was I touching any. Lord knows with my luck (of getting sick about every 15 minutes), I'd get salmonella just by sight. So I cracked open a Bud Light, forgetting that I don't drink beer nor like the taste, sat on a little wooden ledge, and watched the boys at work. Ever want to see 5 early/mid-20s men keep quiet for hours on end? Just give them a net and a bay and voila! A perfect silence, and dinner, too.

"We" ended up with a haul of about 15 crabs that day before heading back...and only because it was turning dusk and Jeremy and I had a 6 hour bike ride ahead (ok not really but it felt like it and ask my dad, I am the queen of exaggeration). We set off on our bikes, at a leisurely pace this time thank God, and headed back to the hotel.

But 15 crabs wasn't enough for the boys. They were hooked. Pun intended. Yes, I'm corny and so what?

The next morning I awoke to Andrew, Jeremy's younger brother, coming into the room and summoning Michael, who was sleeping on the floor below me, to come with him to the store for another crabbing excursion. All I really remember from the conversation between the two was Michael slurring, "raw chicken and old bay, lots of it" over and over again, with Andrew repeating it each time. After about three times of saying "old bay Andrew, lots of it, lots of old bay" Andrew turned around and headed out. Man, we're gonna have a freaking feast! Is all that was going through my head, when Michael catapults from his makeshift bed on the floor to hastily getting dressed (I would assume, I was still sleeping, or feigning sleep so as not to be recruited into the early morning crabbing mission). Jeremy had long since been gone (for some reason when we're at the beach he becomes a morning person), I think it might have been my birthday (turning 28 this year was pretty rough for me and I kinda blocked it out) and I just wanted to sleep now, eat crab later.

The boys arrived a few hours later with an impressive fresh catch. 15+ blue crabs, to be teamed up with the catch from the night before...to become a seafood extravaganza for all who were up for it.

The process of cooking fresh, snapping crabs is fairly humorous. Grown men (namely my boyfriend) grab any tool handy and clutch the tool, forcing it in direction of crab, whose claws are snapping open and closed so fast that it's difficult to latch on. Once they do latch onto the tool, in this case Jeremy's knife, they are then clawing around with the full force of their tiny yet fierce bodies so frenetically, that all you can do is throw them in the direction of the big pot of boiling, Old Bay-seasoned water, and hope they make it in.

Once one crab makes it into the pot, you gain a little more confidence. You may go to grab a crab with your bare fingers, but the inch long slash on your (Jeremy's, I wouldn't touch those suckers) hand from the day before reminds you to practice a little discretion. Confidence can come later, when the crabs are boiled up and ready to crack open (also an adventure).

Once each and every last crab goes from fresh blue crab to boiled (red) crab, it's time to lay out the newspaper, grab some crab crackers and mallets-in this case, the bottom of Jeremy's huge knife, and get to work. Now, there is a very meticulous, intelligent way to eat a blue crab properly. In fact, if I can find the hilarious video I found on one of my favorite food blogs, I'll post. But honestly, who really cares? If you're hungry, and anxious to see what your toil and trouble produced, at the end of the day all you really care about is getting to the meat, any which way you can.

Which is what we did. It was messy. It was kinda gruesome. But the taste of the bay soon took care of any hygiene concerns, and that meat sure was sweet!

Reminisce

Delicate little lettuces laced in a light mustard vinaigrette...

Petite Syrah robustly paired with a lamb birria. The mouthwatering spice of guajillo chile and ancho chile. Spicy savoriness characteristic of this Mexican stew...

Rich, creamy chocolate espresso pot au creme paired with Port. Heavy cream, silky Swiss chocolate. A rich finale...

One unforgettable meal...

C&O Restaurant
Easter 2011

C&O Restaurant
515 East Water Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902

Details:
House salad- local Boston lettuce salad with Pommery mustard vinaigrette
Chocolate pot au creme topped with fresh whipped cream

Inspired

I had a dinner tonight that inspired me to start blogging again.

.....the refreshing crispness of a cool California Vermentino.

.....the sweet mousse of chicken liver toast and pickled ramps, impeccably finished off with the most tender of braised lamb shoulders and pappardelle pasta.

Firefly, my muse, thank you.

Firefly at Hotel Madera
1310 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036

Dupont Circle neighborhood

Details:

Vermentino, Uvaggio, Lodi, CA, 2009
Chicken Liver Toast- grilled baguette, chopped organic chicken liver, pickled ramps
Braised lamb shoulder and fresh pappardelle pasta- warm olives, sorrel, mascarpone


Reflections:

Standouts included:

Recycled wine bottles used as water glasses
Menus made from cork (!!!) and bamboo
Large tree in center of restaurant full of hanging lanterns and firefly ornaments
Gluten-free menu with a wide selection of items
Supporting local farmers and purveyors (especially happy about Cowgirl Creamery)
20% Kimpton employee discount
Sous-chef, Shane Graybeal, jovially greeted us after our meal, and chatting with Jeremy for a good 5 minutes all things Poste, Firefly, Kimpton, and delicious braised lamb shoulder.
(It is not every day that you receive such specialized treatment from a sous-chef of a fine dining restaurant in DC.)

Very impressive experience overall. No stuffiness. Great ambience. Natural decor. Love the trees.

Oh, and the check came wrapped up in the bottom of a lit-up Mason jar. Firefly, indeed!