Recipes Are Guidelines

Plate Of “Horta”

In Greece (where I’ve been for awhile), I’ve had to improvise with my cooking as there are few written Greek recipes in English and when there are, sometimes I have no clue what the ingredient is that is being called for.

It’s very common here to a lot of “greens” – salad is an absolute everyday thing here, at least with the people in my circle. Many of those greens are actually harvested from “weeds” – wild greens that include “Vlita” (Amaranth Greens) and other stuff I don’t know the name of. There is also something similar to our dandelion in North America that is frequently harvested from fields, boiled, drained, a little salt added along with copious amounts of olive oil, and perhaps a little vinegar as well.

Often, these wild green dishes are simply called “Horta.” Even mallow greens might be added, or when in season, some beet greens as well.

This gets me back to what I’ve always said about recipes – they are “guidelines” most often, and one should feel free to play around with them.

Recipes – When To Follow Them Precisely

When you are trying something out for the first time, it might be a good idea to follow a recipe precisely. Baked bread recipes are a good example, but even those, once you have an idea for how the texture of the dough should feel, you might want to add more water or even more flour than the recipe called for.

If you have a taste for the savoury, don’t worry about a little more salt – although too much might cause a poor interaction with yeast, if you’re using that as an ingredient in yeast leavened bread.

If you want to taste something exactly as the recipe writer intended, then by all means follow the recipe precisely – but be prepared to allow for your own taste adjustments the second time around.

If you’re an amateur cook or baker, it’s a good bet that you should try to follow a recipe as closely as possible.

Add More Garlic?

Luckily most of my companions love garlic, so there’s no problem if I add it even if a recipe does not call for it! And if it does, I’ll generally double the amount! I’ve had no complaints so far – but then, everyone I know and cook for, loves garlic!

What About Salt?

Salt is a tricky and often contentious ingredient. Personally, I’m not afraid of salt – never have been. I use copious amounts of salt and love how it brings out flavour in many foods. Others though are afraid of salt – believing that too much can cause all manner of problems including high blood pressure. That’s what we were all told, right?

Except, it is possible scientists misinterpreted the results of past studies – salt deprivation can also cause all manner of things including fatigue. It seems that maybe salt does not “cause” high-blood pressure, but exacerbates it in those that already have the condition. Salt probably affects people differently.

So, if you enjoy salt – and have no health conditions – add a little more if you want!

Personally, I love to experiment – and often, I don’t bother with any sort of recipe – I just do my best with what I have on hand, and am making constant adjustments.

Eating For Health And Taste

One of the things I have discovered with my time here in Greece is that people tend to enjoy their food – and don’t worry much about dietary considerations. This is generally true, but it is not always – however, there is more of a sense of enjoyment. Want more salt? “Pass the salt shaker!”

Of course, there are awesome herbs here that also have more taste than your regular store-bought varieties back in N. America – fresh or dried real Greek Oregano, Bay Leaves, Saffron, and of course, amazing produce that much of is grown locally. Of course, it’s great to live in a climate where the vegetable garden can be growing something, almost 12 months of the year!

So, with so much healthy, but also tasty food, it’s pretty easy to eat for both health and taste!

Fatigue

One of the things I’ve noticed here is that there seem to be fewer people who feel regularly “fatigued.” Perhaps it is the food – the copious amounts of olive oil, the ability to enjoy some ouzo or tsipouro regularly, while also consuming tasty and healthy food.

North Americans seem to have far more fatigue issues, and while not related to following recipes, one interesting study I came across was about the ability of cannabis to help relieve fatigue. Here in Greece, marijuana is not so widely available but they probably don’t need it, at least for fatigue issues.

Conclusions

Follow recipes if you must and are unsure of yourself.

Feel free to experiment.

Don’t skimp on the salt unless you’ve been personally told to, by a doctor and as a result of tests – beware that even some doctors may not yet be up to date on the latest findings that complicate the old ideas we’ve had about salt.

Add more garlic! Always add more garlic!

Truffles From Passarella, Nea Ionia

Yesterday, I noticed in my feed a post by “TassyBakes” on making hand-rolled truffles. They look absolutely amazing and I’m going to try my own hand at them when I return to Ontario. For now, I’m in Greece – and Tassy’s post reminded me of the amazing “sweets” available here. I am  learning as much as I can about all things Greek when it comes to food (and of course, wine, tsipouro, raki, and ouzo) but don’t cook, bake or prepare much myself.

I mentioned the Greek “sweets.” Honestly, they are the best in the world! If you want to learn how to make the most exquisite pastries, truffles, cakes, and desserts, you need to spend time in Greece with a pastry chef. All of the “sweets” here are just amazing and Greece seems to know how to make them perfectly.

Last week, I was in a pastry shop in Nea Ionia, Attica, called “Passarella.” It’s a larger pastry shop compared to others, and there is often a long line up here. For good reason…

When I went in, I simply could not resist their selection of truffles that were available and decided to get their whole assortment. And I’ll tell you what: For the price and the quality, these are not worth trying to duplicate in your kitchen. Well, at least for me.

The truffles pictured above are the assortment I purchased, and I cannot even tell you how awesome they all were, some filled with rum, cherry liqueur, and other delightful taste orgasms on my tongue.

The texture was just so amazing – silky smooth, yet rich and bursting with flavour!

The price? That box was around .5 kg (1 lb.) and cost me about 8 Euros (although I have to admit I don’t remember the exact price).  Look, I’ve spent three times that on truffles back home that were not half as good!

If you love truffles (or any other “sweet” foods), and you are in Athens, Greece, a trip to Nea Ionia (it’s on the train/Metro line) for a quick visit to Passarella’s is certainly in order. They have a website but it’s in all in Greek: https://www.passarella.gr

Greek Mountain Tea – Have You Ever Tried It?

I’d heard of “Greek Mountain Tea” a few times, but it was not until I went to Greece that I actually tried it.

When I was in Greece, I had forgotten about it, until one day, I came down with cold virus symptoms and was feeling quite miserable. Everyone said I should try drink some tea. They meant of course, Greek Mountain Tea – Sideritis. Apparently, it’s given to almost everyone in Greece if they have a cold.

I was skeptical of the claims made, but my beautiful host brewed me a mug, and with a little honey, I really enjoyed the taste! It’s not like any other herb tea I’ve ever had, and unlike most, you use almost the entire herb – dried flowers, leaves, and stems to make tea. It’s also known as Shepherd’s Tea – as from ancient times, it would be brewed by sheep herders while tending sheep on the slopes of the mountains in the beautiful countryside of Greece.

It’s also been reported that since ancient times, the tea has been known for it’s healing properties – and I’ve recently discovered that now, scientific research can back that up. It does have anti-inflammatory properties and can help people feel better when they are sick and have any type of inflammation in their body.

So, did it help me the first time I drank it? It sure did! A few hours after, I did start to feel better! And again, back in Canada, the last time I felt the symptoms of a cold coming on, it was off to the kitchen to brew some of Greece’s “green tea” – and the next day, it was like nothing was wrong at all.

It’s being imported to Canada by KirIan – and you can give it a try. I understand it will also ship to destinations in the US as well.

KirIan tea comes from Mount Taygetus in South Eastern Greece and is certified “BIO” (Biological, or the same as we say “Organic” here).

My favourite way to enjoy it is with a half teaspoon of honey. The honey really adds a nice depth and just a touch of sweetness to the tea (although I also enjoy it without honey as well).

When I was in Greece, I also discovered that it made a great iced beverage on hot days! So try it both ways – hot and cold. KirIan Greek Mountain Tea is available here.

 

Clark’s Cutting Board Finish – Review

One of these days, I’m going to get myself an awesome top quality John Boos edge-grain cutting board. Personally I prefer maple.

In the meantime, I have what is perhaps a medium quality maple cutting board that is nice, but I wish it was a bit heavier for one thing. Regardless of the quality, it’s important to maintain your wood cutting board. Even inexpensive cutting boards can be made to last if you maintain them properly.

For me, wood is the only way to go. Back when I as much younger and married, my ex-wife at the time had received two college diplomas, one in “Food Safety Supervision” and the other in something that seemed to be “Home Economics.” That last one I might not have the correct name down, but suffice to say, the courses were focused on cooking, preparation, use of kitchen equipment, and the “Food Safety” course was aimed at providing skills in order to supervise and manage a commercial food service area such as a cafeteria.

But she was taught wrong things. Like…. plastic is better than wood. It is a myth that plastic is safer than wood cutting boards in so many ways, including the idea that plastic will harbour less bacteria than wood. Plastic boards have other disadvantages as well in that they are very hard on knives, and their light-weight generally speaking, can be a problem when cutting.

Anyways, let’s just agree that wood cutting boards are the best! And yes, they do require a little maintenance regardless of quality. Up until now, my cutting board maintenance has been a weekly thing where I’ll apply a coating of mineral oil to the board surface, and allow it to sit for several hours, then wipe it off.

Done. Mineral oil is a wonderful oil to use on cutting boards as it is food grade and it also will not go rancid like plant and animal oils. I realize that for centuries, other oils such as olive or even coconut have been used on wooden boards to protect them, but honestly, mineral oil is probably the best for this particular application.

Now, I have an awesome 16  year old son, who knows I like to work around in the kitchen, and that maintaining the board that I have is important. When he asks me what I want for Christmas or my birthday, I’m never really sure how to answer him – who knows how much money he has to spend, right? Sometimes I will just say, “Oh, buy me a small farm. That would be awesome.”

But he’s thoughtful and figures out things, and back in October, it was my birthday and my son showed up with a really awesome gift bag of some neat things in it. One of the neat things included a tub of Clark’s Cutting Board finish (as shown in the photo above).

I’d never really thought about using anything more than mineral oil before, but I opened this up and it had a really nice subtle citrus scent to it. The ingredients include orange & lemon oil, mineral oil, beeswax and carnuba wax. The instructions say to apply to the board directly to the surface, but I thought that it would be a good idea to first do my regular routine of applying mineral oil, letting it soak into the wood, and wiping off.

Then, we applied the Clark’s Cutting Board Finish. And let it sit for about 2 1/2 hours before buffing with a clean cloth.

Wow! The board surface was beautiful with a nice sheen! The Clark’s Finish added a depth to the wood and a thin layer of extra protection. It was not slippery; cutting vegetables and other foods on the board was neither really improved or degraded – but there certainly was some additional protection from some things like garlic that have oils that disperse when chopping or mincing – and made the board easier to clean.

So bottom line? I love this finish! I will absolutely be adding it to my cutting board maintenance routine in the future. The size my son gave me was 10 oz, and I’m pretty sure it will last a good long time. You do not need much to cover the surface of the cutting board.

One small quibble I have with the instructions is that it says to apply and wait 1-2 hours for the wax finish to “harden” before buffing off the excess. It never really did harden, but I buffed the excess off with a cloth anyway. And everything seemed fine.

If  you are someone that knows the importance of, and wants to maintain your wooden cutting boards, I would highly recommend that you give Clark’s finishing wax a try.

You can get it here.

 

Old Fat Guy Reviews KirIan Spices

 

I have mentioned a few times about the amazing Greek Oregano fro KirIan. It truly is a high quality – you could say “gourmet quality” oregano with a bold aroma and a taste that is fresh and full of the essential oils of the compounds that make oregano what it is.

KirIan is introducing new herbs soon, including Greek Thyme, Mediterranean Bay Leaves (Laurel) and Greek Mountain Tea. They have also already added Greek saffron to their offerings – a PDO product known as “Krocus Kozanis.” Many top chefs and cooks rely on the purity of Krocus Kozanis for superb quality saffron that is guaranteed to be pure.

David Farrell, also known as the “Old Fat Guy” is a food blogger and Star Chef of a British Columbia (BC, Canada) cable television cooking show. In BC and Canada, and in fact throughout the world, he has a strong following among food lovers and others who enjoy his teaching style as well as the recipes he comes up with for making tasty, delicious and well-presented dishes.

Recently, the gourmet chef reviewed some of the offerings from KirIan. He compared them directly to what he either grew himself or purchased in the local grocery store. It is obvious that he had not tried the products before doing his video review as you can watch him open the sealed package. So his reactions to the product are spontaneous and not scripted.

He had promised to give an “honest” review – if he was not impressed, he would say so.

So, what did David think of KirIan’s products? You can watch his review here.