Greek Fare with a little help

Have you heard of Groupon? If you live in the United States you should certainly sign up, the website has amazing daily deals for a multitude of services, stores and restaurants where you get discounted stuff. You pay up front at the 50% rate and have a certain time to use your purchase. I've used it for many different services and was very very pleased.

This weekend I decided to use my Groupon for Thalassa Greek Restaurant down in TriBeCa my review in one word.. 'Spectacular' and in two words 'worth it'! The restaurant is a little hidden by all the well known restaurants in the area, they are also repaving the main road in front of it so it is not as visible to the public.
I walked in not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised! The restaurant has earned some great awards and the atmosphere if very inviting!

My first exciting moment was when I saw the icy mountain with fish, shellfish and gorgeous fresh vegetables displayed for all to see. You can literally pick your dinner!
We went with the prix fix 4 course menu with the perfect portion sizes.

To start us off we had a little amuse bouche of phyllo and cheese. It was crunchy and not saturated in butter. It was our first introduction to this restaurant and it left us craving for more!

There was also an assortment of 4 breads to chose from, served with hummus, olive oil and some marinated olives. The focaccia was slightly sweetened by caramelized onions and tasted a little like cornbread too. It was delicious! Their olive bread was also, as expected, delicious!

The best dish was this first appetizer, the most perfect and most amazing scallop I have ever eaten in my life. I dare any chef to make one better! I've eaten many scallops before but never one so perfectly cooked. It was wrapped in hair thin strands of phyllo and drizzled with an amazing refreshing sauce.  10+ points on this one!

The next appetizer was the rice and meat stuffed grape leaves. the flavor was much milder than the first appetizer. Still tasty, not overly vinegary like most grape leaves. I loved the kale in this dish too it made it different!

The main courses were filet mignon or fish. The filet mignon was cooked perfectly and was moist. The mushrooms were also a great side dish to it.

As for the fish, it tasted farmed to me. It laked flavor and the capers overpowered it a little. The spinach was also plain and the meager portion of baked potato was undercooked. This was the only complaint I had with this meal. But the meat dish was top notch.

And my favorite part as always, dessert. We had a little assortment of desserts on our plate, a pistachio Kataifi and Ekmek (Traditionally, the dessert Ekmek is made with a base of ‘Kataifi’ pastry. This pastry resembles angel's hair pasta or vermicelli as it is cut into very thin strands.) Cream ball covered in valrhona chocolate, with a small piece of baklava (to my delight, not overly sweet as most), and a little dollop of yogurt cream. It was another 10 score!

And I loved the little cookie box they gave us on our way out. I devoured it on the steps of the restaurant, why wait?

Do check out the restaurant's website. They also post a recipe of the month. Here is this month's. Lavraki Tartare. Lavraki is a Mediterranean sea bass.

Lavraki Tartare
Ingredients
2 thin slices of lavraki (Mediterranean sea bass) approx. 4oz.
1 tbsp Scordalia (garlic almond mousse)*
¼ inch thick sliced of a peeled cucumber
¼ inch thick slice of a roasted red pepper
¼ inch thick slice of a roasted beet
6 pcs poached grape leaves
½ tsp lemon and orange zest (mixed)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Lay out the poached grape leaves, to form a square, and spread the scordalia on one side. Place the lavraki about one third in from the edge and on top of the grape leaves covering the entire length. Place cucumber, pepper and beet over the lavraki. Add zest and salt and pepper to taste. Take hold of the grape leaves and roll the entire length gently, but tight enough to avoid spillage.
Mise en Plate
Cut into 1 inch pieces, and place on serving dish.
Top each piece with tobiko caviar.

*Ingredients & Preparation for Garlic Almond Mousse
Makes enough for four cups, which and be refrigerated and used in other dishes, or as a garnish for almost any grilled fish.
1 oz fresh garlic
½ cup blanched almonds
1/3 cup vinegar
½ tsp white pepper
1 tsp sea salt
½ lb Country loaf (crust removed), soaked in cold water and squeezed dry
3 oz extra virgin olive oil
4 oz cold water
Add all ingredients (except the olive oil) to a food processor and blend for 3-4 minutes. Continue to blend while adding the oil in a slow stream. After completely blended, store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Daring Baker's April Challenge: Edible Container and Maple Mousse

The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container. Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at http://thedaringkitchen.com/!

I chose to make my edible container a Pumpkin Tuille. Maple syrup is something fall-ish to me so it seemed to go well with pumpkin.

I am not a fan of Maple syrup but since it was the challenge, I went out and bought my first jar of Maple Syrup. That stuff is a lot runnier than I thought! When it came to the mousse, I didn't want to use all that heavy cream for fear of not being able to eat it so I substituted it with Greek yogurt. It was great because it gave the mousse a tangy taste that contrasted the sweetness of the maple.

Maple Mousse:


Ingredients:

• 1 cup (240 ml/ 8 fluid oz.) pure maple syrup (not maple-flavoured syrup)

• 4 large egg yolks

• 3 sheets unflavoured gelatin(bloomed in ice water)

• 2 cups greek yogurt (substituted for 360 ml. whipping cream)


Directions:
1. Bring maple syrup to a boil then remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and pour a little bit of the maple syrup in while whisking (this is to temper your egg yolks so they don’t curdle).

3. Add warmed egg yolks to hot maple syrup until well mixed.

4. Add bloomed gelatin leaves and whisk till dissolved.

5. Allow mixture to cool and whisk the yogurt ( or 1/3 of the heavy cream, if using) into the maple syrup mixture.

6. Pour into a large bowl and allow to set in fridge if using yogurt, if not, whip the remaining cream and fold it into  the mixture and refrigerate until set.

Pumpkin Tuille Container:

Ingredients

1 can pumpkin

1/4 C corn syrup

1. Whisk two ingredients together.
2. Using a spatula place a thin layer of puree on a silpat. (try to make this as even as possible so it all cooks the same)

3. Bake at 350F until the puree is dry. 30-40 minutes
4. As soon as it comes out of the oven cut and curl into desired shape. (Do this very fast, as the pumpkin sheet cools, it will harden)

To assemble dessert, do so right before serving. Place mousse in a piping bag and pipe into your cylinder or container.
The container will soften with time so make sure to do this right before serving.

Hot Cross Buns

In many historically Christian countries, Hot Cross buns are traditionally eaten hot or toasted on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of The Crucifixion of Christ.

They are a delicious sweet bread with candied fruit and raisins, best served the day they are made.

I went all out this easter and made all the traditional foods, not what we would eat in  Portugal since we have Folares de Pasqua, but this British tradition is pretty tasty too!

I adapted my recipe from King Arthur Flour's Easy Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Buns

• 2 ounces rum
• 2 3/4 ounces mixed dried fruit
• 2 3/4 ounces raisins or dried currants
• 10 ounces milk, room temperature
• 3 large eggs, 1 separated
• 3 ounces butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 7/8 ounces light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 21 ounces flour (plus more as needed)

Topping

1 egg white (Saved from above)
1/2 ounce milk

Icing

• 4 1/2 ounces confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 4 teaspoons milk, or enough to make a thick, pipeable icing
Directions
1)      Lightly grease a 10" square pan or 9" x 13" pan.
2) Mix the rum or apple juice with the dried fruit and raisins, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave briefly, just till the fruit and liquid are very warm, and the plastic starts to "shrink wrap" itself over the top of the bowl. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Note: If you worry about using plastic wrap in your microwave, simply cover the bowl with a glass lid. 3) When the fruit is cool, mix together all of the dough ingredients except the fruit, and knead, using an electric mixer or bread machine, till the dough is soft and elastic. Mix in the fruit and any liquid not absorbed. 4) Let the dough rise for 1-2 hours, covered. It should become puffy, though may not double in bulk.

5) Divide the dough into billiard ball-sized pieces, about 3 3/4 ounces each. A heaped muffin scoop (about 1/3 cup) makes about the right portion. You'll make 12 to 14 buns. Use your greased hands to round them into balls. Arrange them in the prepared pan.  6) Cover the pan, and let the buns rise for 1 hour, or until they've puffed up and are touching one another. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F. 7) Whisk together the reserved egg white and milk, and brush it over the buns. 8) Bake the buns for 20 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool. 9) Mix together the icing ingredients, and when the buns are completely cool, pipe it in a cross shape atop each bun. OR you can just do what I did and drizzle the delicious topping all over! Yum!

Lamb of God

Have you ever wondered why we eat lamb during Easter Sunday? If you are a regular at mass you will recall hearing  "Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world." The Christians often refer to Jesus as The Lamb of God, the lamb that fell to save the sheep, so it seems appropriate that we celebrate Easter with this special meal.

This year I cooked my first leg of lamb (no joke- I had never done it before) and I have to say it was delicious. I adapted a recipe from The Flavor Lab  and it was the most amazing lamb ever! Scroll down for this succulent Easter meal.

For Crust:

1 slice of bread

2 TBS Oregano

1 bunch of fresh parsley

3 TBS Dijon mustard
50g Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup walnuts
3 TBS olive oil

2 TBS minced garlic

1. Blend all these ingredients in a food processor untill it looks like crumbs.

Lamb Ingredients:

Crust recipe above

1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper

1 leg of lamb

1. Place the leg of lamb in a deep cooking dish. Cook the sides of the lamb to seal it, just a few minutes.

2. Rub the crust all over the lamb and leave it in the fridge (lid closed or wrapped in plastic) for 2 days.

3. When ready to cook the lamb, pour the white wine in the dish and bake in the oven with the lid on top at 220F until the meat is cooked and no longer red, you want the eat to be slightly pink. (1.5-2 hours).

Enjoy with some Israeli couscous for a final Mediterranean touch.

Tiki Cake

Name: Tiki Cake

Personality: Moist Yellow Vanilla cake with chocolate buttercream, fenced with hazelnut pirouette cookies.

Thomas the Tank Engine is More Popular

Name: Thomas the Tank for 70

Personality: Moist vanilla cake with silky vanilla frosting, coated with a shiny fondant layer. Bottom layer filled with vanilal pastry cream and fresh strawberries.

 

Daring Cook's Challenge April: Edible Savoury Containers

Renata of Testado, Provado & Aprovado! was our Daring Cooks’ April 2011 hostess. Renata challenged us to think “outside the plate” and create our own edible containers! Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 17th to May 16th at http://thedaringkitchen.com/!

I wanted to make something difficult and time consuming for this challenge. Crazy right? And I had this idea of making a bread bowl.. and then I started thinking about all the things I loved to dip in bread. And my husband's favorite pasta dish came to mind. It's a Portuguese dish that my mother used to create for me as a child and I loved it, and when I made it for my husband he devoured it!

Then I started to worry about the sauce seeping through the bread and making it fall apart. So I needed a back up plan, and I created a delicious salad to go in the basket.

The bread basket is what you are probably the most curious about so here it is.. I made a basic pizza crust and weaved it into a lattice pattern.

Basic Pizza Crust

Ingredients.
15 oz all purpose flour
5 oz whole wheat flour
0.5 oz salt
1 tsp instant yeast
2 oz olive oil
14 oz water

1.First you mix all the ingredients in a bowl except for the water.

2. Then you add half of the water. Never add all the water in at once, Chances are you will not need the full amount. Mix on first speed with  a dough hook. You can also make this dough by hand by kneading it. It will take a few minutes longer but it works just as well.

3. When the dough feels hydrated and not slippery wet, that's when you stop adding water. But do it at minute intervals as it takes a while for the starch to absorb the water. If you add it all in at once the chances are you over wet the dough. If this happens, add more flour gradually until the dough is not slippery wet.
4. When the dough starts to rise up the hook and peel off the sides you are in very good shape.

5. Poke the dough. If it springs back up then you are done and ready to rest the dough. Rest it until it doubles in size (covered with plastic wrap so the dough doesn't dry).

6. When the dough has rested, portion it into small uniform falls and rest for 5 minutes (covered with plastic wrap so the dough doesn't dry).

7. Roll the balls into long serpent-like shapes and allow the dough to rest another 5 minutes, covered, before you begin to weave it.

8. Once weaved into a basket, allow the dough to rest, covered, for another 30 minutes.

9. Bake for 15 minutes, on until done, in a preheated 500 degree oven.

Now for the Pasta Dish:

1 lb stew meat

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbsp Olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp Tomato Paste

1 can diced tomatoes

2 buillon cubes

1/2 C white wine

Water as needed

salt

pepper

1 lb pasta

Directions:

1. Sautee onions, garlic, bay leaf and a little pepper in the Olive oil.

2. When golden brown, add the tomato paste and tomatoes. Sautee 3 minutes.

3. Add meat and cook for 3 minutes.

4. Add wine, buillon cube and just enough water to cover the meat. Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours until the meat is tender. You may need to add water as the meat cooks.

5. When the meat is done add some water to the pot and cook the pasta in it. The pasta will absorb much of the water.

6. Season with Salt and Pepper and pour over the bread bowl.

7. Devour!!