Greek Cuisine

There is a Greek restaurant in Bologna, De Logo, which we absolutely love and  eat at quite often. So because we had already had a taste of good greek food, we were looking forward to enjoying greek food in Greece. 

Luca was hoping to eat some delicious fresh seafood, however all the seafood restaurants were too expensive and the one time we did splurge a bit and got grilled shrimp, and seafood pasta it was extremely disappointing. Actually, it was the worst food we ate the whole trip. 

The first day we were in Paros, it was our anniversary. We found a smaller, quaint restaurant Yemeni Taverna. The menu is based on local products and full of traditional recipes. We got a beet root truffle risotto and pork tenderloin dish. It was absolutely delicious and reasonably priced. 

We decided to go back to eat here again since we knew it was good quality food worth the price.  Our second dining experience at Yemeni, we went with the more traditional dishes. 

Dolmades- vine leaves filled with rice

Octopus - sweet greek wine and honey sauce 

Mousaka - eggplant, potato lasagna 

    

                            We ate a ton of greek yogurt, and tzatziki and also got in a couple of gyros. 

But our favorite meal was probably at a restaurant in Oia, Santorini. We had gone to watch the sunrise and after we went looking for a restaurant that wasn't too expensive. We choose the first place that offered different dishes with a normal price. Unfortunately I don't even know the name of the restaurant. 

There was only space on the  rooftop terrace, which at first seemed great, but it quickly got cold because of the wind. In July in Santorini the days are extremely hot, but the evenings are windy and cold. So we gobbled up some tzatziki, fried haloumi cheese with honey and black sesame seeds, and pork and ran down the stairs to pay and escape the wind.

 We didn't stay in hotels that offered breakfast, so we had to be creative since from what we saw Greece doesn't have a typical breakfast. Places offered eggs and bacon and pancakes but we didn't want to spend 20€ for breakfast. So we usually grabbed a prepackaged croissant from a small grocers but then got coffee from a cafe so we could use the internet. 

All over the place people were walking around the take away iced coffees. They looked yummy and refreshing so at first when I saw a frappé on a menu I thought that was the popular drink. But after trying a frappe, iced espresso, and cold cappuccino I think everyone was ordering the freddo cappucinos. However, every morning we were disappointed with our caffeine fix. Greek coffee and espresso is nothing compared to what Italy has to offer. Boy are we spoiled! 

I'm pretty sure that in the near future we'll back for more Greek food from our favorite place in Bologna! 

The Bread Project #4 - Guest Post

I thought it would be a good idea to have a guest post from none other than the woman who taught me how to make bread- my mother! 

She is the bread maker master. And the following recipe is delicious and amazing! We always wake up on Easter and Christmas morning to the smell of these delicious buns coming out of the oven. 

Enjoy! 

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” 
James Beard

There are very few things in life that have the power to directly connect you to your
ancestral history. Every time I make “Three Day Buns” I can’t help but think that I am
doing the same thing my foremothers and forefathers did hundreds of years ago. Well,
maybe not exactly the same thing, for today I have the convenience of pre-packaged
yeast. My Norwegian ancestors didn’t have that luxury, thus the name “Three Day” buns.
My Grandmother Inez claims that it really did take three days to make these amazingly
tender and slightly sweet, rolls. 

Day 1 - the starter was made. I’m assuming this was similar to a sourdough starter – a
way to cultivate yeast when you couldn’t go to the store and buy it.
Day 2 – use the starter to make the dough, and let it rise. Because it was organically
cultivated yeast, it took a lot longer to rise than present-day dough.
Day 3 – Form the dough into rolls, let them rise again. Then bake them and enjoy the
fruit of your hands and your patience!

I love the thought that I am carrying on a tradition that is centuries old. Three day buns
have been a special treat for our family – made only three or four times a year – mostly
on holidays. They are best eaten right from the oven and slathered with real butter.
Leftover buns can be sliced in half, toasted, and topped with butter, honey, or jam for a
tasty treat. They keep for several days if wrapped in a plastic bag, and they freeze well. 

As I made Three Day Buns today, I was reminded that I am the keeper of the rare gift

of an ancient bread recipe - A recipe representing a long line of bakers symbolizing the

value of life, hearth, and home. As I dream about the day I will teach my grandchildren

how to make Three Day Buns, my hope is that this tradition will continue on for several

more centuries!

Because this recipe has been passed down through the family and is a cherished treasure we prefer to keep it within the family for now, so there isn't the recipe listed. We can't share our best kept secrets! 

The Bread Project #3

This time, my attempt at making bread failed. It's not so fun to write about something that didn't turn out, but hey, it happens. I went for pretzel bread. It seemed simple enough and I love pretzels. During the school year when I have a break I walk to the closest bakery and get a pretzel stick. I always thought that making pretzels was difficult but it's really not... if you do it right! 

"With bread all sorrows are less” - Sancho Panza, Don Quixote 

I associate pretzels with Germany even though I've never been, however I imagine that if I were to go to Germany I would eat a lot of brats and pretzels. So I did a little research. Some accounts say that pretzels originated in Italy, others in France and Germany. The only place though that has historical documentation is Germany from 1111 ! 

Do you see the pretzel? 

Hortus Delicarum- 1185 from an abby manuscript in Alsace

The pretzel is considered a very spiritual type of bread. Many records of pretzel making come from monasteries and in the traditional looking pretzel the  knot is like folded hands praying and the three holes represent the Holy Trinity. 

I didn't roll out the dough and make traditional pretzels, instead I found a recipe that was for a loaf of bread. 

 This recipe also called for the KitchenAid and some kneading. 

The problem was that my dough didn't rise. I used some yeast which I think is supposed to be instant. It needs to be kept in the refrigerator. The recipe said not to dissolve the yeast, so I didn't. However this, having been in the fridge and not dissolved I don't think it mixed well or had the right properties to do what yeast does. 

 But since I had already made the dough and waited at least 4 hours to see if it would rise, I thought I might as well finish the process and see how it turns out. What's interesting about pretzels is that they are "cooked" in a baking soda solution for 2 minutes to create the Maillard Reaction. This is what gives it that tough, thick, brown outer coating.

 So I baked my two tiny little pretzel loaves, but not having risen they were heavy, dense, and felt like rocks. The taste wasn't so bad, but it definitely isn't how a pretzel should be. It was easy enough to make and now I know I'll either use dry yeast or try to dissolve the refrigerated kind the next time I attempt pretzels!  

I looked around for a few recipes and this one from Allrecipes seemed to give the smallest quantity and the most simple. I didn't have Fleischmann's RapidRise yeast and so that might explain why it didn't rise....

Pretzel Bread

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 27 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour 49 Minutes Servings: 12

INGREDIENTS:

Dough: 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 envelope Fleischmann's® RapidRise Yeast 2 teaspoons salt 3 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed

Boiling Solution: 3 quarts water 3/4 cup baking soda Egg Wash: 1 egg 1 teaspoon water

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat milk and butter until warm (100 degrees to 110 degrees F); the butter will not completely melt. Combine with undissolved yeast and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl. Stir in salt and 2 cups flour, beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
2.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3.	Combine boiling solution and bring to a boil. Punch dough down and divide into 2 equal pieces. Form each piece into a tight, smooth ball. Boil each loaf in the solution for 2 minutes, turning after 1 minute. Remove loaves from pot using a slotted spoon and place on a greased baking sheet.
4.	Brush with egg wash and cut a cross in the top. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes until the loaves are evenly browned. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Alce Nero- Berberè - Pizza

We discovered our new favorite place to grab a pizza. 

Of course, in Italy, you can find a pizzeria on practically every corner and sometimes pizzas can be more or less the same. 

We of course have our favorite "pakistani" pizza shop that only does take-out/delivery. We are very loyal to this pizzeria and without fail, if we order a pizza in, we will call them. So much so that they recognize us on the telephone, have added Luca on facebook, and sometimes we get  some extra perks. 

But ordering in pizza is different than going out for pizza. You are willing to spend more in order to get a better tasting and higher quality pizza. 

If anyone knows about pizza- it's definitely an Italian. Every time we go out Luca has a critique to make about the dough, the tomato sauce, the toppings, and how well cooked it is. 

Since he has recently changed cities for work, he and his colleagues decided to go out for lunch at a new place. They went to Alce Nero Berberè and ordered pizza. Luca came home that night raving about how good it was. 

So the following day we went to their other location in the city center- Via Petroni 9. 

We ordered 2 pizzas- and sure enough it is definitely one of the best I have ever had in Italy. 

Bacon / Pecorino Cheese/ Balsamic Vinegar

Sausage / fiordilatte cheese / sweet onions

First of all, the whole restaurant is organic and promote and use local ingredients. The topping combinations are unique, flavorful, and all very savory. And the crust is light, soft and crispy (just like Punch Pizza  if you're familiar the famous Minnesota pizza chain).  You also have the choice of changing the dough for a more digestible one, or with different kinds of flour such as kamut. 

We liked this place so much that we went back just 4 days later! However the only down side is the price, but you definitely pay for what you get. 

Check out their website to learn about their philosophy and definitely stop by to eat a pizza sometime!
                                 
    

Festa In Collina

Last weekend we headed down into the heart of Tuscany for the "Festa in Collina", a whole town barbecue. 

We drove about another 30 minutes south of Siena until we arrived at this small, rustic, picturesque town- Casciano di Murlo, up in the hills. 

The whole center was lined with tables, ready for the hundreds of people that would come and gobble down sausage, steak, ribs, pasta, and drink local wine and artisan beer.  

In one of the piazzas there was huge grill set up, with raw meat handing down from the ceiling ready to be grilled up. 

 When your food is hot off the grill, they'd serve it on this big wooden tray and you'd go and find a picnic table open to enjoy the delicious food with live music in the background and the smell of meat wafting through the air. Mmmm! 

Festival della Lasagna

Today Luca and I unexpectedly went to a Lasagna festival. It is the first year this festival was held in Bologna and it may just be the first of many.  Lasagna is one of the typical dishes from the Emilia Romagna region made with the classic and famous ragù.

The festival was held in Piazza del Mello on the North side of Bologna. We had to decide between 1 plate for 3 euros or 6 plates for 15 euros. We went with my friend Giulia and her boyfriend Brais and we decided to split the 6 plate option between the 4 of us. However we very quickly realized that it wouldn't be sufficient and so had to go back for seconds. 

There were some of the better known Osterias from Bologna with pans and pans upon pans full of lasagna being swapped in and out of the portable ovens behind them. There were great options like Pesto Lasagna, Traditional Lasagna, Octopus Lasagna, Mussel/Anchovy Lasagna, Red Lasagna, Green Lasagna, and even Dessert Lasagna! 

     This week is the first week that it truly feels like Spring in Bologna. So it was perfect being outside,   

                                   enjoying the sun, 65º weather, and eating great food.

Holiday Festivities Have Begun

It has been quite the start to the month of December. Luca and I put up our first Christmas tree together just a few days ago. We went to the large local grocery store just outside of town to get a nice big fake plastic tree ( a tree is better than no tree). His parents were kind and lent us some of their old decorations  and they remind me of my mom's old ornaments that were passed down to her. We stuck to my family's tradition of having pizza and putting the tree. Luca tackled making a deep dish pizza by hand, and I have to say it turned out delicious enough for seconds! 

Then this weekend we had the annual "Cooking Contest." A fun contest between friends, however taken quite seriously. This year there were two categories, has everyone had decided it was just too easy to win a whole contest with a dessert. You could make an "antipasto"(appetizer) "primo piatto" (first dish such as pasta or risotto) or a "secondo piatto" (second dish of meat) and of course a dessert. 

Luca and I both participated in both categories.

 Luca made Paccheri Rusticano, large round noodles stuffed with a leek, sausage, ricotta filling topped with beschemel and placed in the oven to make a delicious pasta bake. I made gorgonzola chicken cooked up with some white wine, rosemary, and olive oil, tossed in melted sweet gorgonzola and sprinkled with green peppercorns. For dessert Luca made molten chocolate cakes, and I attempted my first cheesecake ever- brownie cheesecake with a chocolate ganache. 

There were 15 people at the contest, however 8 people were there just to judge, because we couldn't have those cooking voting with biased opinions ;) 

Appetizers 

Matteo introduced Corn Dogs with French Fries to Italians
homemade and delicious!

The picture may not be the best but Barbar's "Sformato"
of potatoes, bacon, and cheese

Not pictured: Giani's Pastry Puffs filled with prosciutto cotto, zucchini, and cheese.
Primi Piatti 

"Paccheri Rusticano" Luca's pasta bake, the picture doesn't
give it justice  

"Orecchiette broccoli e bacon" 

Lorenzo's "Pasta Risottato" pasta prepared like risotto
with heavy cream and spinach

Not Pictured: Leopoldo's Vegetarian Cannoli with cauliflower , nutmeg, and cream
Secondi Piatti 

"Spezzatino di Pollo alla Gorgonzola" - My chicken 

"Triple Chicken" - Vittoria made three types of chicken
Curry, Almond, and Mint

Desserts

Matteo's Classic Italian Tiramisù

The 4 German girls who were visiting made a Macedonia
Fruit Salad

Brownie cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

Not Pictured: Luca's Chocolate Molten Cakes, the German girls Apple Crumble, and Vin Brûlée. 

And there was the judging. The guests who took part of the jury were each given a piece of paper with all the listed dishes. They had to wait until the very end to vote. Once handed in Paola sat down and added up all the votes and it was announced that Luca won first place for the  Main Dish category which also means a very nice dinner out at Osteria Broccaindosso, and my cheesecake won first place for the Dessert category! Luca and I both won and are becoming one exceptionally culinary family!