Our family also always had plenty of food on the table and I never sensed that we were lacking in this area. Bountiful spreads at the dinner table, seconds (and thirds) could be had and there was always enough food if someone dropped-in unannounced (no, Greeks aren’t expected to call in before arriving). Even though food was never an issue in our home we also never were wasteful with food – eating leftovers or reinventing them into new dishes.

One such leftover that we’ve all experienced is mashed potatoes. One can reheat the leftovers and serve as a side to another dish but that can become an issue if there isn’t enough leftover mash to serve the whole family. Do only two people get mashed potatoes or does everyone get a miniscule portion (unlikely) or make some more (maybe).

The other way is to simply turn them into another dish and my solution is to turn mashed potatoes into croquettes – little cheezy potato balls. You can turn leftovers into croquettes or simply make a batch of mashed potatoes, allow them to cool and then form into balls and fry them. The potato croquettes are simply mashed potatoes spiked with some Greek oregano and they are mixed with a Smoked Metsovone cheese. This cheese comes from the town of Metsovo, located in Greece’s northerwestern province of Epirus.

There’s more to Greek cheese than just Feta and one of my favourites has to this Smoked Metsovone (from Metsovo). This town is a food haven with its long tradition of making sausages, wine, phyllo pies and its Metsovone cheese (smoked). I remember my mom bringing back from of the smoked variety from Greece years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. Metsovone appears in a long cylindrical shape with a thin wax rind and the smoked Metsovone has a visible brown hue on the outside and an intoxicating smoked aroma that most can’t resist.

Metsovone is made with 90% cow’s milk and the remaining 10% coming from goat’s milk, it’s aged for a minimum of 3 months and naturally smoked from natural local woods. Metsovone is sold in 1.5, 2.5 and 4.5kg sizes. Metsovone is nowhere to be found here in Toronto but some shops in the northeast US do sell it and even offer mail-order! I brought a sizeable piece of Metsovone back from my shopping spree at Ergon but it’s going fast. If you can’t find Metsovone a smoked Gouda will work just fine.

These potato croquettes are simply rolled into balls, dipped in eggwash then rolled in cornmeal (another traditional ingredient of Epirus and neighboring Thessaly that specialize in making a savory pie with cornmeal). The croquettes are shallow-fried in oil and served warm as part of a meze/appetizer array. These potato croquettes are a perfect excuse to pour some Ouzo, add ice or water and watch as the Ouzo turns milky white and beckons you to take a sip, tell stories or reminisce.

Potato Croquettes “Metsovone” (Πατατοκροκέτες “Μετσοβονε”

4 Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes

4 cloves of garlic

4 Tbsp. of unsalted butter

1 cup of warm milk

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh chives (or scallions)

1 cup of grated Smoked Metsovone cheese (smoked Gouda works well)

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

1 egg beaten with 2-3 Tbsp. of milk

1/2 cup corn meal

vegetable oil for frying

1. Peel your potatoes and cut into smaller pieces and place in a pot with tap water and the whole cloves of garlic. Bring to a boil and season lightly with salt. Lower to a simmer and boil until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain well and return the potatoes (and garlic) back into the pot along with the butter and mash Gradually add milk until desired consistency achieved and then add the chives, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mashed potatoes to cool or place in the fridge to cool faster.
2. When the mashed potatoes have cooled, add the grated smoked Metsovone and mix well. Form the mashed potatoes into balls and place on a platter. Mix your egg and milk in a small bowl and fill a concave plate with cornmeal. Coat your croquettes in the eggwash then roll then in thee cornmeal.
3. Place a large skillet on your stove-top over medium-high heat and add about 1 inch of oil into it. When the oil gets to about 350F, add the croquettes and fry until golden (fry in batches if necessary). Transfer to a paper-lined plate to blot excess oil then transfer to a serving platter or smaller meze/appetizer plates and serve warm.*

* Fry until just golden – over-fry them an they may burst.

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© 2011, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

I didn’t always eat calamari (squid) but the deep-fried variety is what converted me. However, grilled squid (or calamari) is what cemented my love for this cheap, easy and delicious seafood dish.

Squid can be found at practically every fish & seafood store and most of what’s available has been frozen at some point. Buying frozen is perfectly fine. Just buy from a fish monger that has a good trade and of course, a high turnover to ensure the freshest supply.

Grilled calamari makes for a wonderful first course, it’s great as a shared appetizer, I’ve made calamari souvlaki or it can be served on a bed of seasonal greens as a salad and made into a light dinner.

Wine pairings are pretty straight-forward…a crisp white with some acidity plays best against the seafood and the “ladolemono” or oil and lemon sauce. This past week at the all-day tasting of Greek wines, I had the pleasure of enjoying some wines from all over Greece. One of the whites that I sampled comes from the Glinavos Winery, located in Zitsa, Epirus (north-western Greece).

I tasted the Primus Zitsa 2008 white which is made from another indigenous Greek varietal, called the Debina grape. This light, fruity wine would go very well with grilled calamari and there’s just enough acidity to hold up to the lemon juice.

Let’s get on with the squid. Before one can eat it – one must clean it. I took the time to take snaps of each of the steps to follow when cleaning squid.

1. Pull apart the tentacles from the main body.
2. Cut off the part of the tentacles section from the eyes and part that was attached to the main body. Discard and reserve the tentacles.
3. From the tubular body, pull out the thin, transparent spine of the squid and discard. Stick your finger in to fish out any remaining guts and any broken spine pieces.
4. Snip the small end of the squid tube, peel and rub the purple skin of the body and now run under cold water to remove any remaining residue inside the tube. The water should pass through the tube freely once you’ve removed everything.
5. Now, if you want your squid to have that accordion-like look with the rings still all miraculously attached to the same squid body, take the handle end of a wooden spoon or spatula and slide it inside the tube.
6. Now using a sharp knife, slice your squid horizontally and when done, take the wooden spoon/spatula out. The wooden handle inside the squid tube prevented that part of the squid from being sliced – this keeping your calamari in tact.
7. Give your squid tubes and tentacles one more rinse under cold water and pat dry. Now you’re ready to grill your squid.

Grilled Calamari

(makes 1 appetizer serving)

2 medium-sized squid (tubes and tentacles), cleaned

sea salt

ground black pepper

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/4 lemon

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

1. Pre-heat your gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Drizzle your squid with some olive oil, add the minced garlic and sprinkle some sea salt and black pepper. Toss to coat all the squid.
2. Place the tentacles on wooden skewers (little chance of losing this part of the squid through the grill). Ensure your grill surface has been brushed to remove any residue and wipe the grill with some kitchen towel that’s been dipped in vegetable oil.
3. Place your calamari tubes and skewered tentacles on the hot grill and cook for a couple of minutes a side.
4. Remove from the grill and blend your olive oil with the lemon juice and Greek oregano. Adjust seasoning and drizzle over your warm calamari. Sprinkle the calamari with sea salt and some more Greek oregano and garnish with a lemon wedge. Serve with some good, crusty bread.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at  http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

© 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

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© 2009, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

Photo courtesy of Mike of www.fun2fly.com

This dish comes from  one of the most striking areas of Greece and we’re not talking about a Greek island or drop-dead gorgeous beach. I’m speaking of the Vikos Gorge, located in the northwestern province of Epirus.

Photo Courtesy of Jan Bergtun

The first time I passed through this part of Greece was in 1988, on my way to the island of Corfu, on the Ionian coast. I recall roads that hugged steep cliffs, a region lush in green and forests, a dramatic vista of Greek nature. The Vikos Gorge lies in the North Pindos mountains and the area is called Zagori and the some-forty villages are called “Zagorohoria”.

The Vikos gorge attracts Greek and foreign hikers and of partiular focus today are those who have an interest in hunting for wild mushrooms. I recently watched and enjoyed an Australian-produced series called “Feast Greece” and in one episode, the Vikos Gorge and the Zagorohoria were featured.

A cooking segment was also inclueded in the segment which featured this meze of mushrooms. Vassilis Katsoupas returned to his home of Epirus after coming to Canada to study and attain his MBA from York University. Some twenty odd years in Canada were enough for him and at long last, he’s back in the Zagori Gorge, providing educational and culinary treks seeking mild mushrooms.

Vasilli also owns & operates a taverna called “Kanella & Garifalo” (Cinnamon & Clove) and that is where many weary and hungry hikers can stop off to relax, enjoy and dine on a menu made solely from local ingredients.

This dish is inspired by Vassili’s mushroom dish. I used a combo of white button mushrooms, Cremini and King Oysters. This is a sample dish to prepare and the addition of Ouzo (anise-flavoured Greek aperatif) is subtle. If you cannot find Ouzo, anise seeds, Pernod or some Sambuca will do the trick!

Before I get to the recipe, I’m sending this dish out to Mary of the blog, “En Direct D’Athenes”. Mary is a French woman who’s resettled in Athens. Her blog is in French but with the help of online translation services and French school teachings here in Canada, I can read and enjoy Mary’s wonderful dishes.

Mary’s blog proves that food transcends borders and language, the senses we all rely upon to enjoy food being the only language. Please do visit Mary’s blog. She has a Google translator on her site and she would be delighted to hear from you in either French, Greek or English.

Vasilli’s Mushrooms With Ouzo

(one appetizer portion)

About 2 cups of assorted mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter

4-5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 shot of Ouzo

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup of creme fraiche

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. In a large skillet or cast-iron pan, add your olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add your mushrooms and toss to coat them well. Season with a little salt and stir occasionally for about 3 minutes (add some more oil if needed).
2. Cover, reduce to medium and allow to simmer and release their juices for another 5-7 minutes. Add the Ouzo, stir in and reduce for about a minute.
3. Lower the heat to medium-low, add your creme fraiche and and stir in to heat through and coat your mushrooms. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and add the chopped fresh parsley.
4. Serve warm as an appeetizer/meze with some toasted homemade bread.

NOTE: Can’t find creme fraiche in your neck of the woods, this recipe has come in handy many times.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at  http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

© 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

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© 2009, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.