Salmon Avgolemono

Full disclosure: I did not take this picture. But you already knew that.

I did, however, make a very delicious salmon avgolemono. So now glance at that picture again and then imagine a delicious piece of salmon where that roasted chicken is hanging out. That's what I ate for lunch and dinner on Sunday.

This is one of those Greek recipes that sounds more bizarre than it is--trust me when I say that you will never combine lemon, eggs, and rice in a more delicious way.

We are moving into High Holy season here-- the countdown to Greek Easter is on and the final Ferragosto decision has been made (sailing in the Cyclades Islands, thank you very much), so expect an uptick in the number of Greek-related recipes.

In other news: we apparently gain 3 minutes of daylight per day in March. Need I say more?

Salmon Avgolemono
Ingredients

• 2 lbs salmon, skin off
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 3 lemons
• 3 eggs, separated into whites and yolks
• 3/4 c grain of your choice (cous cous, rice, orzo, pasta, whatever)
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried oregano)

Assembly
1.Preheat the oven to broil. In a medium pot, put the salmon and chopped onions in just enough water so that the salmon is covered. Add 1 tsp salt and let water boil. Boil the salmon until it is cooked through--this took me about 8 or 9 minutes, but will depend on the cut of salmon, thickness of pot, etc The key is not to let it boil much longer than necessary. 

2. Take salmon out of pan and put it on a broiler-proof pan (preferably a rimmed one) with the onions (but leave water in pot--don't throw it out!). Mix together in a small bowl juice from 1 lemon, 2 TBS olive oil, 1/2 tsp pepper, half the oregano, and a tsp of salt. Dump this mixture over the salmon/onions--it will seem an excessive amount but you will be glad later that you did. Broil the salmon/onions until the salmon is gold on top, which took me 7 minutes or so (note: I have an extremely small oven so don't be surprised if yours takes longer).
3. While the salmon cooks, add 2 c water and 1 tsp salt to the pot from before and bring it back to a boil.  Add your grain, cook it according to normal instructions and remove pot from heat when finished.
4. Using a standing mixer, hand mixer, or plain-ol whisk, beat the egg whites until a good foam has formed on the top.  One at a time, mix in the egg yolks and juice from remaining two lemons, fully incorporating each before adding the next (I did yolks first, then juice but it probably doesn't matter)
5. When the broth has reached room temp (and not a degree before!), keep whisking and slowly add the broth into the egg mixture.  AGAIN: you should be whisking in its entirety. Keep whisking until the broth gets thick and frothy. Then add remaining oregano and salt/pepper if you feel so inclined.  Serve warm (mine got thicker, creamier, and frothier once I heated it back up in the microwave) either over the salmon/grain or on the side as pictured above. I poured mine right over top, which ruined the chances of getting a good picture but made for a very, very delicious lunch!
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Spanakopita, Deconstructed

I've made no secret about it: spanakopita, practically the national dish of Greece, is no favorite of mine.  This indifference is, in large part, owed to the strong contrarian spirit that dominates at least two-thirds of my opinions ("Oh, you think puppies are cute? Let me tell you why I find that to be misguided...")-- but mostly it's just because I'd rather be eating my Aunt Lena's eggplant pie.  Why eat a spinach/lemon/feta concoction when you could be sinking your teeth into an amazing amalgamation of eggplant, tomato, and onion? I rest my case.

But, alas. Winter is coming and the days of eggplant for $0.99/lb (thank you New Jersey, third-largest eggplant producer in the world) are over. Way over. Seems the only things under $2.49/lb these days are greens. Mustard greens, spinach greens, beet greens. Spinach. Arugula. Kale. It's a slow boat ride back to berry season-- but at least we'll be full of iron.

So what's a good Greek girl to do? Break down and deal with the hand nature deals the Northeast or spend $86/week on groceries? With my hand forced, I turned to spinach.

I came up with this take on creamed spinach--a cornucopia of uber-Greekness. Olive oil, spinach, dill, creamy yogurt... it's almost enough to make me forget about that eggplant pie.

Almost.

Deconstructed Spanakopita, or: "Creamed" Spinach

Pay no attention to the pre-made salmon patty on the left.

Ingredients

•  9 oz spinach, rinsed and dried
• 1 medium-large bunch of kale, rinsed, dried, and shredded from the thick center vein
• 1 bunch dill, bottoms cut off and chopped into thirds
• 1 large onion, chopped roughly
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 TBS olive oil 
• 7 oz Greek yogurt (Fage is best, but you do you)

Assembly  
**I made this with my food processor--if you don't have one, just finely mince the onions/garlic and skip the shredding of the greens. It won't have the same texture but the option's there.**

 1. Puree the onion and garlic together in food processor. Set aside.

2. Throw the kale in a big, deep pot. If you have room, throw the spinach in there too--otherwise, cook separately.  To cook, add a splash of water and cover the pot, heating over med-high heat.  After 2-3 minutes, open the pot and stir thoroughly to distribute the heat. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the greens are wilted (note: the kale will take longer so, if cooking together, make sure it is on the bottom first so it gets most of the heat).

3. Place the greens in a colander to strain the excess water. Use a spatula to press out any additional water.

4. Heat the olive oil and oregano in a saute pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour the onion/garlic puree into the pan and mix with the oil.  Allow to heat over medium until fragrant and slightly carmelized,  6-8 minutes.

5. While the onion mixture cooks, run the spinach, kale, and dill through the food processor until it is a pulp. Set aside.

6. Once fragrant, take about 1/3 of the onion puree (does not have to be exact) and set aside to cool.  Add the pulped greens to the remainder and mix well to combine.  Cook all together for another 3-4 minutes, until spinach is heated as well.

7. While spinach heats, combine cooled onion puree with yogurt and mix well.

8. Once spinach is heated, combine  spinach and yogurt mixture. Enjoy!

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In case you still don't know what kefi means...

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Return of the JetSet Kef

Big Brother Kef is back in town. Usually it is my dear sister who does the dirty work in the kitchen while I keep the water boiling as the Executive Sous Chef of Keftown (see here for more on that).  But, inspired by the post-DNC 2012 "Clinton bump," she's decided to call in the old dogs to teach some new tricks.  During her tenure, two very prominent themes have emerged:

• dishes are meatless
• photos of said meatless dishes range from unappetizing to "...oh, I see how that might actually taste good if that were a better picture." (I love my sister and her food--but seriously, she really could have benefited from the photography class all the "artsy" kids in our high school took junior year.)

So after months of hiatus from this blog, it is with great pleasure that I break one of these trends and bring you today a great MEAT recipe I promise you will come out beautifully...except you'll have to make do with a truly non-illustrative picture in typical CUK style.  I assume by now you are used to this. LebKef and I made this dish together for Greek Easter 2012 in Beirut and it was a show stopper.  Look closely at the picture below and you will find this perfectly-prepared lamb in between lots of other wonderfully-made dishes:

Still don't think this lamb will be the best thing you put in your mouth this week? Ask yourself this: would a man who willingly dresses like this

ever steer you wrong when it comes to some lamb? I don't think so.


LebKef's Lamb Chop

Ingredients

• 3 tbs Dijon Mustard
• 6 tbs Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 medium cloves of garlic
• 1 c extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt (to taste)
• ground black pepper (to taste)
• 3 sprigs rosemary
• 1 double rack lamb rib chops, or 8 lamb loin chops

Assembly  

1. FOR THE VINAIGRETTE: Combine Dijon, balsamic vinegar, and garlic in non reactive metal bowl. Whisk in extra virgin olive oil. Remove rosemary needles from sprig. Chop and add to vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper.

 2. Cut lamb into individual chops by cutting down between the bones (each bone should have a nice round piece of meat attached).In plastic bag with half of the marinade, marinade for 10 minutes (or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator). Reserve half of marinade for finishing chops with sauce for serving.

3. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium to high heat.Remove chops from marinade. Wipe off excess liquid and season chops with salt and pepper.

4. Grill chops for 2 to 3 minutes per side (or until meat is medium rare).

5. Remove chops from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve lamb chops with reserved marinade.

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...And They're Off!

It is truly the most wonderful time of the year!

Every year my brother JetSet Kef and I take off on vacation together, usually in the Augustish part of the summer. Inspired by our Mediterranean brethren, the Italians, we have come to refer to this tradition as Ferragosto.

Below, please find some highlights of Ferragosto through the years:

 2009 was Kanafe and Catastrophe. JSK was living in Ramallah, so I scidaddled over there for some fun in the sun.

We also bid a fond farewell to a dear friend, the Burka of the Beach. May her memory be eternal.

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2010 was the year of the Berry Loop. We met in the Pacific Northwest to explore the finer points of slower, organic American living. Although the food was enough to keep us in that part of the country forever, we grew tired of people asking us to slow down our talking and driving. East Cost for life!

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In 2011 we actually had TWO vacations. First, a trip to the motherland, Greece!

At dinner in this restaurant, Cooking up Kefi was born. Thank you, Lindos!

Later that week, JSK and I got up to our usual shenanigans + wine and traditional Greek dancing. The next morning was less awesome.

After Greece, we jetted off to Mozambique (where else?) for some scuba diving and life-changing scenery.

Just rotate your laptop. It's really a cute pic.

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This year, it's a return to Greece. See you in two weeks, folks!

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Lakis: May His Memory Be Eternal

On this, his name day and anniversary of death, we remember my grandfather. Pictured above enjoying kefi with his lifelong friend Costas and below at the opening of the Fireside Diner. It is undoubtedly his presence in heaven that has kept Barack Obama from successfully staging the modern American military coup. Take it easy, take it easy!

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Quite Possibly the World's Best Cookie

Melomakarona. Mel-o-ma-KAI-ron-a. While you're busy saying that mouthful three times fast, I will have already eaten all 60 cookies this recipe makes.  These are far and beyond my favorite cookies on the planet, as evidenced by the sign they earned at Greek Easter 2012:

Like most of my photos, the above really doesn't do these justice, and I also forgot the ground nuts on top this year-- so check this page out for some great photos, the original recipe, plus the inside scoop on THE event of the Orthodox year here in DC.

These are about an intermediate on the difficulty scale-- the dough itself is a one-bowl batter, and the second step is dunking these little pieces of heaven into a hot honey mixture.  The yield is pretty high, so if you're going to attempt 'em, make sure you have someone else to help you eat them... or, you know, not.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cognac
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 6 to 7 cups flour, or as needed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch ground cloves

For the syrup

• 2 cups honey
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups water

Assembly

1. Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. 

2. For the dough: Combine the oil, sugar, cognac, orange juice and citrus zests in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer; beat on medium speed to dissolve the sugar.

3. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves on a large piece of wax paper. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl until a very soft dough forms.

4. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix in flour as needed until the dough is quite stiff; you should be able to take pinches of it and roll them into walnut-size balls. The balls can be smooth or coarsely shaped. Place them 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. 

5. Bake 2 sheets at a time for a total of 25 minutes; about halfway through the baking, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. The cookies will be barely browned and firm to the touch. Keep them on their baking sheets. Repeat to use all the dough.

6. For the syrup: Combine the honey, sugar and water in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then cook for 5 minutes, using a slotted spoon to skim off and discard the foam that forms on the top. Cook for a few minutes; the syrup will thicken slightly and deepen in color. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting to keep the syrup warm. 

7. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet. Lay a large piece of wax paper on the counter for the finished cookies. Spread the crushed walnuts on a large shallow plate and sprinkle with the cinnamon, stirring to combine. 

8. Place 6 or 7 of the cookies at a time in the saucepan; allow them to sit long enough (2 to 3 minutes) to absorb some of the syrup, turning them as needed to coat evenly. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cookies to the rack for a minute or two, then transfer them to the walnut mixture; roll to coat evenly, then transfer to the wax paper to cool completely. Repeat to coat all the cookies; place the cookies in small paper baking cups. If desired, sprinkle any remaining nut mixture on top of the cookies.

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Greek Easter 2012 Preview

The table, still missing a few dishes

Peep-shaped butter dish, courtesy of Mama Kef.

Sadly, I did not make the cheese. I did make the jam.

I also made a gluten-free version of this- yum and a half.

Spanakopita

The 10 lb pastitsio.

Many, many thanks to everyone who came out and made it a Greek Easter to remember. And the biggest thanks to our host, KefiKathleen, who saved us all from my cramped apartment and provided us with a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy a beautiful spring night.

I'll post specific stories and recipes in the weeks coming, including reports from Beirut, where JetSet Kef held his own Greek Easter feast.

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The Marathon Begins

The first spanakopita of Greek Easter 2012 has just gone into the oven, which gives me a second to pause and think about why I spend an entire weekend every year covered in olive oil and spinach.

There are two main reasons that keep me looking forward to this time each year.  The first is that Orthodox Easter is usually 1-2 weeks behind Roman Easter, which reminds us that Jesus was, in fact, a socialist and that he ascribed to the more relaxed lifestyle of the Southern Mediterranean and took his sweet time rising from the dead (I mean, wouldn't you?). The second (and more legit) reason I so look forward to Greek Easter is that it brings back all the Keftastic memories of the times my family was less scattered across this green earth.

As a kid, we would squeeze into the Camry (JetSet Kef on the driver's side with his GameBoy, BabyKef in the middle annoying the living bejesus out of her siblings, and yours truly trying desperately not to get car sick on the passenger's side) and drive to New Jersey.  There, we would find a diner that had been transformed from a bustling business to an inviting living room--the tables were rearranged to accommodate what seemed like every Greek in New Jersey, and for that one day, traditional Greek music played louder than the Whitney Houston coming from the juke boxes.  It was always nice to see my grandfather's friends and eat something other than the diner's famous "Chicken in a Basket"--but what I REALLY looked forward to was what we called "the red egg game."

You can read more about the game here-- I gotta go get the spanakopita out of the oven.  I leave you with a picture of my grandfather on one of his happiest days, when my brother convened the first KefiFamily Greek Easter in years.  We'll miss my grandfather this year, but I know he is watching with approval and ranting about Barack Obama the Communist from Heaven. Σας αγαπάμε, παππού!

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Introducing... JetSet Kef!

There's a pecking order in the Kefi family.  It developed a few years ago in a drafty New Jersey kitchen with diced onion on the floor and eggplant puree splattered on the walls--my brother had convened the Greek branch of the family, and he and I were about 5 hours into a 48-hour cooking spree running up to the Big Fat Greek Easter.  The hierarchy was clear: I was the Chef, and he was the Sous Chef.  If he valued his place in my kitchen, he would not so much as spread olive oil over a sheet of phyllo without my giving the go ahead.

Since then, we've improved our cooking and he's improved his location and station in life. He now lives in Dubai and has been promoted from Sous Chef Kef to (drum roll please...) JetSet Kef!

He's a man's man, woman's man, man about town-- never in one city (let alone continent) for too long, he'll be reporting on the Greek American life outside America.  

And now...without further ado: JetSet Kef!

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Known in a previously life as ‘Brother Balz’ (subject of a later post), I am the member of the Kefi family who spends the most time globetrotting.  Ostensibly, it’s for work--but really, the travel is all about searching for the best dish combining yogurt, eggplant, leafy greens, cucumber and some sort of tomato situation.  In short: in search of Kefi.

You can find my photo in the embarrassing Kef family photo here  or in the scary  picture above.  If you think the serious face is uncharacteristic for a member of Cult Kefi, you're right:  the beast known as the Greek government (or at least a photography shop with a license from the Interior Ministry) told me I needed to “look serious” for my Greek ID photo.

Given my JetSetKeffing, I have gotten to know the Greeks all over.  First place I met some was Paris (more on that in next post).  Then when I was JetSetKeffing in Egypt, taxi drivers always wanted to be my friend because my mom was Greek.  (Typical conversation: --“Are you Arab?” --“Nope, Greek.” --“Aaaah, you speak Arabic because you’re Greek!” … no response from me to illogical taxi driver.  Repeat same exact scenario 2-4 times per day.)

Dubai being what it is, your personal and professional life ends up looking like a bit like a mafia; everyone groups with his own and then sticks together.  When I joined my office in Dubai, there was one other Greek.  But the state of affairs being what it is, Greeks in Dubai and in my office have steadily increased over the past year (crise economique oblige), and so my own personal Greek mafia in Dubai is now in full effect.

I look forward to exploring the hidden Greekness of every city, from the best baklava in Barcelona to the small souvlaki spot in Seoul. 

PS: please accept my formal and sworn testimony that I rigged the elections for Board Supreme president from 1992-1998.  I hereby forfeit any right I have to run for re-election and assert that my sister, Chef Kef, is the reigning Board Supreme president and all authority associated with the office are hers.

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