I can do this shit... Benihana who?

He's not the best Teppanyaki chef around that's for sure but still impressive.

I used to dabble in flair bartending and I thought I could hold my own against this prick. That is until.... he started doing it with a knife!

Seafood Chowder - Atlantic Style!

Growing up in the Maritimes as a Greek kid wasn't half bad.

I had the chance to taste the best of both worlds.
At home I'd have a delicious Greek meal one night, and the next day I'd be pounding back a cheeseburger platter or a seafood chowder at a local diner or restaurant.

I'm also a sucker for a good "Fish and Chips". Beer battered fish is usually what you find around Southern New Brunswick... but there is one gem in Saint John where they bread their fish nice and lightly and oh-so tasty. Stop by and check it out!
Steamer's Lobster Company

Now back to the 'Chowdah'.

I haven't made one of these in some time. I don't remember the exact amount of fish and other things that you have to put in there. I usually wing it and it turns out okay. You should too. I learned to make chowder from a friends mother when I dropped by as she was getting it started. I hung out and chit chatted, asked a couple of questions and put it to memory.

Give me a foundation and I'll build on it...

Isn't it spelled Biatch or Beyotch?

Anyway enough of that banter. Get cookin'.

Atlantic Seafood Chowder


Seafood! (Whatever you can find... but make sure you have some halibut, scallops, haddock, lobster)
Garlic (Stick with 2 cloves for now unless you are a garlic head. Too much garlic will ruin it though)
Celery
Onions
Diced Bacon (Use around 4-5 slices, cut em up good)
Diced Potatoes (3-4 of them... if you are thinking in cups think 2-3 cups, or more. DO whatever you want, what do I care? I'm tired of your potato-fiendishness!)
2 Cups of Vegetable Broth (Water will do as well... trust me)
1 Cup of heavy cream
1 Cup of 2 %/Homo. Milk
Butter!!!
Thyme
3 Bay Leaves
Mild Paprika


Alright. Sautée your bacon. Some strain off the fat, I don't strain all of it. That's up to you. A little fat adds flavor.
Add some butter,celery and onions to the mix.Cook that for a bit but don't burn it. Take it out of the pan and off to the side when done.  In the same pan sautee your potatoes for a minute or two with the garlic and thyme. While that cooks get a pot ready. In your pot, add your liquids (cream, broth/water, milk) and bring to a simmer. Toss your bay leaves in there.


Add your mix of vegetables and potatoes. Let that cook for a bit... roughly 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and it thickens up a bit.


Now... gently add the seafood. (Fish doesn't take long to cook, you're almost done!)


I'm assuming your lobster is already cooked... toss it in too. Let this all simmer for an extra 5-6 minutes. That should be long enough to cook the delicious bounty from the sea you have going on there.


Add just a touch more butter to finish it off.


Remove it off the heat and serve! Hot and fresh is the best. Eat it with some bread and garnish it with some paprika.

How to Slice a Tomato for Greek Salad

Are you tired of making a Greek Salad and your tomato wedges look like something you'd put in a Corona?

Thanks to the good folks at wikipedia, I found this lovely slice of tomato all set to go.

I've drawn lines to show you the cuts, the first one being the one on the far right side of the tomato from top to bottom.

This tomato is nice and ripe... I like!

I'm better with a knife than I am with Microsoft paint. You get the idea...

Scrambled Eggs With Love

Here's a few tips when cooking scrambled eggs:

1. Don't scramble them until they go into the pan. Keep the heat at medium and fold the egg around. 
2. Always season with salt and pepper near the end of cooking, not at the beginning.
3. Try adding a dab of crème fraiche at the final stage of cooking. It makes for a nice fluffy egg and stops the cooking process in its tracks assuring the eggs are just right.

Do you have any tips to share on breakfast? Don't be shy, share!

Homemade Phyllo Pastry

I am going to take a shot and roll my own Phyllo pastry today to make a tiropita (cheese pie). I usually just buy the store-bought stuff.

I remember walking into my old kitchen where I grew up over the years. Weekly I'd see my grandmother in there rolling her own phyllo. Her rolling pin didn't look like something you'd see out shopping. It looked more like a broom handle only a bit thicker and about the same length. She used it well when rolling out these very thin and large sheets.

Homemade Phyllo Pastry


4-5 Cups of All-purpose Flour (use the good stuff)
2 Tsp. of Salt
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 to 1.5 Cups of Water
Extra Flour for dusting
(some use Corn Starch for Dusting too)

Dust a bowl or baking pan with flour and put it off to the side.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt  in a nice big bowl.
Make a well in the middle of the dry stuff and add some water slowly. Work it!
(Don't be shy to add more water if you need it)
Once you have a nice consistency, shape it into balls. Shape 1 ball per phyllo sheet.
(Make sure you dust each individual ball)
Put these balls back in a bowl and cover them with a damp cloth and let sit for 1-2 hours to rise.

Once these have risen, you can roll out your phyllo with a rolling pin. Make sure you ALWAYS dust the rolling pin, dough and area with a little flour or cornstarch. One ball per sheet of phyllo don't forget.

Roll them fairly thin (but not so thin they'll break). You're not making pizza.

Once you've rolled out a few of these you're on your way!

Now go make a spanakopita or something!

Feta Cheese and Tyropitas in Athens

Feta cheese...

What's not to love? It's salty, delicious in salads, works well with a lot of dishes and is a staple in many homes. At the bottom of this post, I'll release my all-time #1 Feta Cheese which is possibly available in your area. 

I always liked Feta cheese. Growing up, I'd always sneak into the fridge and grab myself a "feta". During my stay in Greece a few years back, I had time to enjoy it in many ways.

One of my favorite ways of having it is in a pastry filled pita. I prefer fresh phyllo but when I usually make any of these at home I take the shortcut and use the store-bought stuff (sorry grandma!). Before I get onto pitas though, here's something you may find interesting...

I remember one day, my aunt and I we're sitting on her balcony on the outskirts of Athens. The concrete jungle below called the City was in its full splendor. It was a wonderful view, a sea of white stretching for miles and miles. White like Feta!

It was brutally hot out.. and it caught me off guard when she brought out a plate of watermelon and feta.

"Try it." I was a little apprehensive considering she made me try sheep intestine in the past with the same two words.

The combination seemed a little odd to me at first, but after a few bites I was transported into a sweet and salty yet refreshing world. It is delicious. Together, along with the help of the feta, we devoured the whole watermelon.

Crazy, I know.

Next time the "heat is on" in your area I recommend trying this. Give a little feta and watermelon a try!

Another delicious little morsel was the different types of feta-filled pastries in the morning at the local bakeries.

Damn, that sesame bread was good too. My father in-law was a picky guy. He made sure we had fresh bread on the table daily and I can't say I blame him. He let it be known that this was my sole purpose in life during my stay there.

"Giorgo, every morning, you're on bread duty."

I was there for nearly six months and before I knew it, this chore of getting bread turned into a pleasant ritual.

"One bread with sesame, one tyropita please."
"One bread with sesame, one lahanopita please."

Walking out of that bakery onto a crowded Athenian street with a deliciously warm tyropita and a coffee at 8 a.m , to me, was heaven. The sun was still low and not torturing your skin. It was very comfortable. I'd grab an English paper at one of the many kiosks and I'd chill out and people watch on a park bench.

I'd bite into that pie and the savory tastes would hit my mouth: the egg , the cheese, the pastry... now this is a breakfast sandwich!

If you ever go to Greece, don't rip yourself off. Make your way to any of these bakeries and grab a tyropita, lahanopita, prassopita, galopita or whatever they're offering. If it has Feta cheese in it, go for it!

____________________________________________________________________________

Now for my favorite Feta.

This is by far the best: Dodoni Feta.

"Having won worldwide recognition for its quality, DODONI Feta is produced exclusively from pasteurized goat's and sheep's milk from the region of Epirus.

Tasty, nutritious, with its white colour and delicate scent, DODONI Feta is well-known for its high , consistent quality that has conquered Greek and foreign consumers and has been awarded by Greek and international institutions many times." 

Is your mouth watering yet? Have you seen this Feta before at your local grocery store? Oh you have? Well aren't you lucky! I am miles and miles away from any Dodoni Feta. If you aren't near an urban center that has Dodoni, then you may be in luck with something similar I found at Costco recently.

It's a Greco-Canadian Feta made by Skotidakis Farms.

"Skotidakis Feta cheese has a crumbly, semi-soft texture and comes immersed in its brine solution to keep it young and fresh. Skotidakis Feta cheese is made from cows' and goats' milk, has distinctively sharp and quite tasty. Since Feta is packed in its brine solution, it often tastes saltier than it should. A simple way to unmask the real flavor of the cheese is to soak it in cold water for 5 minutes to remove the excess salt. It can be used for appetizers, salads, and cooking." 

Notice the difference? Dodoni is made from goat and sheep's milk. The latter is made with cow and sheep's milk.

Skotidakis is also great Feta and good value. One of the Greek restaurants I used to work at in Montreal used to serve both of these: the Dodoni for the Greek salad, and Skotidakis for everything else.

Cheese please!

Can't get enough of Gordon Ramsay?

I know I can't get enough of this guy, Gordon Ramsay. I've seen all of his shows, including the stuff from Britain. From "Boiling Point" to early "Kitchen Nightmares" and beyond, his episodes have shown me what it takes for a restaurant to succeed.

Here's a side of him most of you haven't seen. The star chef is interviewed here by one of the best, George Stroumboulopoulos.