April 17, 2009
What a glorious Good Friday. Morning dawned to a clear, strong sunshine with the promise of 70' temps. Our entire house has been a bustle for weeks. Clearing brush since 1993, we have finally finished, our woods are now a park.... can't wait to stroll about with a glass of wine on Sunday. The tent, rotisserie and furniture are ready.
Grocery shopping started a few days ago. Recipes, serving ideas and traditions each played a roll in our menu selections for Easter 2009. To enjoy the unusually good weather we plan to gather in the yard while the lamb turns over the coals.
Classic dips, homemade Pea Soup and a huge platter of Feta and Graviera cheeses, Olives and Loukanikos will nourish the group as it gains in momentum.
Spaniko-pizza, a spanikopita style pizza, is back by demand from last years menu.....it will help us transition to the big meal.
Traditional Whole Baby Lamb will be the center of the meal, and a Baked Ham as a side-kick. Our side dishes will include Latheros, a medley of Mediterranean vegetables slowly roasted to marry their flavors and concentrate their juices....an authentic dish made by Jim's mother, Despina. Roasted Potatoes, Pastitsio, Spice-Crusted Butternut Squash and huge bowls of Greek Salad will complement the meal nicely.
I started baking desserts a few days ago, the Barcardi Rum Cake and Harvey Wallbanger Cake were glazed on Wednesday and left to soak and mellow for Sunday. Gallons of traditional Rice Pudding and my favorite Ricotta Pie, from Rao's will satisfy the last sweet tooth.
More updates and photos to come!!!
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April 27, 2008
The day started with a bit of rain. We quickly popped up our tent and the lamb didn't seem to mind a bit. The whole lamb, which weighed in at 32 pounds, started cooking at 8:30am and was finally carved at 2:15pm and served to a very hungry crowd of 25!
Easter dinner was wonderful! A house full of guests and great platters of food kept the holiday festive. Our menu had a few changes at the last minute.
Craving Spanikopita, I made 3 large, crispy flat bread pizzas with a heavy layer of my spanikopita filling. Spinach, feta, parsley, dill, mint, green onion and parmesan generously topped thin-stretched pizza dough, generously brushed with olive oil. In the photo below I call it "Spanikopizza". It was a big favorite.
By late afternoon the weather had started to clear and we were sipping wine and sneaking repeatedly into the fridge for just one more bite of rice pudding... thankfully Easter only comes once a year!
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April 17, 2008
My home is a bustle with preparations for Greek Easter, which is April 27th this year. Only ten days away and I keep finding my
to-do list getting longer each day instead of shorter. I've scheduled Spring Clean-up with the groundsmen, window washings, and a punchlist for the painters. Additional banquet tables, plates and flatware for the ever-growing guestlist is a daily challenge.
The grapevines were heavily pruned yesterday, just in time to beat the sap from running. Lilacs and Irises have buds and the patio furniture is coming out of storage. The last 3 cartons from the kitchen reno (see page 3) were unpacked on Monday, chairs and stools arrived, but still no table. Our kitchen table is coming from Italy - I think on a "slow boat", no really, here is a picture link to the "Enterprise Table" . Can't Wait!
The menu has come full circle too.... Of course the whole baby lamb roasted outdoors on a spit will be the focus of the meal. But for the less carniverous guests there will also be a 12 pound whole ham, slowly roasted with an Allspice-Cherry glaze. (How do you make a ham taste Greek?) Our core side dishes include Pastitsio, Rosemary Red Potatoes, and Greek Salad. Then add Cinnamon-Crusted Baked Butternut Squash Chunks for some color on the plate.... And Latharos, a medley of Mediterranean vegetables slowly roasted to marry their flavors and concentrate their juices....an authentic dish made by Jim's mother, Despina. Sounds like a plan.... but somewhere in the back of my mind I see a large skillet of Green Peas lightly sauteed in olive oil with basil and mint.
I am making Rice Pudding (approx. 8 quarts), Ricotta/Cheese Pies and 1/2 dozen Pineapples sliced and grilled for some contrast, and Despina promised a tray of assorted Greek Cookies! YUM!!!
Here are a few photos of the spit, which we used last year for an old-fashioned family style Pig Roast. Enjoy!
| Greek Easter
Greek Cooking
Williams-Sonoma
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| Crispy and delicious |
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| Whatta Pig |
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Greek Cookies have been made by the hundreds in my kitchen lately. The weddings (3), babies (3) and holidays never seem to end. Cookie lovers all agree that Greek are best, and Greek cookie lovers always favor my Finikia for their unusual texture and flavor! Try these:
Finikia
3/4 cup Sugar 3 teaspoons Cinnamon
3/4 cup Orange Juice 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground Nutmeg
2 cups Vegetable Oil 10 cups Flour (more if needed)
2 sticks Butter, melted 2 cups finely chopped Walnuts
Blend vegetable oil, butter, sugar and spices. Add orange juice. Add flour until a smooth dough is formed, not too wet, not too dry! Knead gently, then add nuts.
Pinch off small portions of dough (ping pong ball size) and roll into little oblong rolls. Place on a lightly greased pan and bake at 350' for 30 minutes or until top is lightly browned. (Watch for burnt bottoms!) When lightly browned, remove from oven. While still warm, dip into syrup for about 45 seconds. I do this in batches of 6-8 with a wire "spider" tool. Drain well and drop into nut mixture. Working on one piece at a time, gently roll to coat and finish by gently tamping extra mixture on the top of oval cookie. Let dry on wire racks then store airtight. These keep for weeks and get better after the first few days!
Syrup:
3 cups Water
3 cups Sugar
1 cup Honey
3 cinnamon sticks
Bring syrup to a low boil in a 3 quart pot (large enough to prevent boil over) for about 15 minutes. Dip cookies as instructed above, keeping syrup warm during the dipping process.
Walnut Coating:
1 pound Walnuts
2 cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
Process all ingredients to a fine, sandy mixture. Taste and adjust with more sugar or cinnamon if desired.
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