One can also make their own egg nog but most households just buy the stuff from the supermarket, as I have done. I found some extra egg nog in the fridge and I was craving ice cream. This recipe is really easy, your only prerequisite being to own an ice cream maker. Perhaps you received one for Christmas? If you’re thinking of splurging on an ice cream maker, I recommend this Cuisinart model.

Ice cream usually has dairy, eggs and flavouring – egg nog already has all those components in the carton so all I’m doing here is accentuating what I like in egg nog: creamyness, nutmeg, sweetness and the booze! I’ve add some cream, grated nutmeg, honey and some rum-soaked raisins (borrowing from rum & raisin ice cream). This recipe is easy, pragmatic as you can adjust the ingredients to your tastes but i insist you make the salted caramel rum sauce as I’ve laid-out for you below. I add the coarse sea salt to the warm caramel sauce at the end so that I get that crunch and burst of salt that goes so well with caramel.

Egg Nog Ice Cream With Salted Caramel Rum Sauce

3 1/2 cups of good egg nog

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup honey

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup raisins

rum

Salted Caramel Rum Sauce

1 1/2 cups plain white sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

coarse sea salt

1. Place your raisins in a cup and fill with enough water to just cover them and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Strain the water and place back in a mug and pour a just enough rum to cover the raisins. Allow to steep in the rum for at least 1 hour, reserve.  In a bowl, add the egg nog, cream, honey and nutmeg and stir. Adjust flavours with  nutmeg and honey. Pour into your ice cream maker and churn for 25 minutes then add the rum-soaked raisins (plus rum) into the mixture and churn for an extra 5 minutes.
2. Empty your ice cream into a tub a freeze overnight. To make the caramel rum sauce, place the sugar in a medium pot with some water and melt the sugar over medium heat. Continue to simmer the sugar until a copper-toned colour has been achieved then take away from the heat and pour in the cream and stir, followed by the vanilla, cinnamon, butter and corn syrup. Allow to cool to warm before serving or reserve and gently reheat for future use.
3. The next day, serve with a drizzle of slightly warmed caramel sauce and sprinkle some coarse sea salt on top.

* I don’t use corn syrup that much and its presence in this recipe is to keep the sauce from hardening. You may omit but I’m keeping it in to keep the smooth texture of the sauce. It’s only 2 Tbsp. for a whole tub of ice cream!

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Pork belly can be brined (much like bacon) before being cooked, it can be finessed into being cooked quickly when you slice it thin and grill it or it can be braised until tender then given a blast of heat to crisp-up the skin giving pork belly the envious texture combo of both tender and crispy in one bite. Pork belly is one of those marvelous cuts of both meat and fat – not something to eat everyday but it should be eaten by everyone – in moderation.

Another summer has passed and unfortunately our quinces trees have not beared fruit as yet. Last I wasn’t able to find quinces in the markets and I had to rely on slim pickins’ given by friends of the family with their own trees. I found some quinces in early Summer at a Korean grocer stocking quinces shipped from Chile (it would have been Autumn there) and I really have no use for quinces when I’m in shorts and thinking of juicy watermelon and backyard barbecues.

ripe quinces fruit

At last, I see some more markets carrying quinces  – an extremely fragrant fruit that looks like a large lumpy pear/apple hybrid and although astringent and tough raw, it comes to life when poached, boiled or roasted – the latter use of quinces today. In Greek cooking, this Autumn fruit is often used to make jams, preserves, spoon sweets, desserts and much like in other food cultures – it’s paired with pork, the meat that’s a natural with many fruits.

My approach here was to make the dish as simple as possible, simple ingredients that would complement each other rather than confuse. The pork belly is first given a short period to absorb some sweet and savory flavours – honey and salt, fennel and garlic, rosemary and pepper. After a quick marinate, the pork belly enters the comforts of a warm oven with a homemade stock and some booze: try a bottle of beer, some hard cider or a dry white wine. It’s braised under the meat’s fork-tender then quinces join the party with some potatoes and they get roasted until just crisp and tender and finally a blast of heat is applied so the pork’s rind/skin crisps up – giving you a textural delight in your mouth that you’ll dream of long after the pork is gone. Your welcome!

Pork Belly & Quinces (Πανσετα με Κυδωνια)

(serves 4-6)

1 boneless pork belly, approx. 2 kg.

Marinade

2 Tbsp. mustard

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. ground fennel

2 tsp. thyme leaves

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves

coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper

2 cups chicken/vegetable stock

1 – 355ml can/bottle of beer or hard cider

1/4 cup mustard

3 bay leaves

2 medium onions, sliced

1/2 bulb of fennel, roughly chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic, smashed

zest of 1 lemon

handful of fresh thyme sprigs

2 quinces, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

4 large Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes, quartered (cut quinces and potatoes approx. same size)

Pre-heated 350F oven

1. In a bowl, mix the honey, mustard, rosemary, thyme, garlic and fennel and set aside. Score the fat side (rind) of your pork belly in a criss-cross fashion and rub the marinade deep into the meat then season (all sides) with coarse side and fresh ground pepper. Store in a cool place for 1 hour.
2. Turn your stovetop to medium-high heat and drizzle a little bit of olive oil in a large skillet (cut the pork belly in two if you don’t have a large skillet and sear in two batches) and sear the fat side of your pork belly until it just golden and place in a deep baking vessel (large enough to contain your pork belly, quinces and potatoes). Pre-heat your oven to 350F
3. Drain-off excess fat and in the same skillet, add the beer (or hard cider), the stock, mustard, lemon zest, bay leaves, thyme, onions, garlic, fennel and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings until the flavours are to your liking then pour the braising liquid around your pork belly in the vessel. Place in your pre-heated oven (uncovered) for 2  hours or until the pork belly is fork tender (the meat should flake-off with a fork).
4. Remove from the oven and carefully take out the pork belly, raise the heat to 450F and add the quinces and potatoes into the braising liquid and toss to coat. Adjust seasonings (you may want to add some lemon juice or mustard) and place the pork belly on top of the vegetables. Bake for another 40 minutes or until the potatoes and quince are fork-tender.
5. Remove from the oven and transfer the pork belly to a roasting pan and set the oven to broil setting. Reserve/keep your potatoes/quinces warm and place the pork belly back in the oven (middle rack) to crisp up. Remove from the oven and allow the pork to rest 4 minutes then place on a cutting board skin-side down and cut into portions. Divide the pork and quinces and place a serving of pork belly on top with some pan juices poured on top. Serve with a lager beer, hard cider or chardonnay.

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As always, I stayed at my family’s summer home in Halkidiki (near Thessaloniki) where I swim twice a day, tan until I resemble a gypsy, spend time with my parents, relatives and friends I’ve known since the 80′s! There were the day trips to Thessaloniki, some trips to more exotic beaches in Halkdiki and taverna-hopping at night.

Lefkada

I traveled to the island of Lefkada for the first time – an island that doesn’t require a ferry boat to travel to – just a causeway that connects it to the mainland. Lefkada is an island rife with greenery, olives trees. One side of the island is relatively flat and most of the hotels are located facing mainland Greece and the center of the island is mountainous. A car is needed on Lefkada as most of the island’s popular and beautiful beaches are included on the side of the island facing Italy ( on the Ionian Sea). Some of Greece’s best beaches are on Lefkada and Egremni and Porto Katsiki often get mentioned in “best beaches” lists.

Porto Katsiki, Lefkada

I also attended a Greek wedding (yes it was BIG and FAT) and even reconnected with a former Greek amabassador to Canada who now spends his retirement in a nearby town in Halkidiki. While in Halkidiki I also traveled to the third peninsula to explore and taste the underappreciated Mount Athos area. Most of the third peninsula is enclosed by a border and home to several Greek-Orthodox monasteries. One can only travel to Ouranoupoli and from there one must enter only if carrying a visa (pre-arranged) into Agio Oros…the name for the entire territory governed by monks and clergy. Sorry, no women are allowed on Agio Oros but crusies are available from Ouranoupoli that tour along the coast.

My weekend in the Athos area was spent in Arnaia with it’s well-preserved old architecture, a couple of wineries, a Feta cheese facility, the tiny islet of Amouliani and to visit a lady who “opens” her own phyllo and made two delicious phyllo pies right before our eyes!

I also wanted to visit Constantinople (Istanbul) once again this year but days were running out and schedules with my travel partner and friend made this an impossibility this year (there’s always next year). Instead, I took the advice of friends to head towards the Greek/Turkish border to visit the city of Xanthi. I went during the city’s Old City Festival to revel with others in this picturesque old town with both Greeks and Muslim minority living side by side peacefully. Xanthi is known for its extraordinary desserts and exotic dishes with a near-east flare. Xanthi’s “pazari” is Greece’s largest and I was fortunate to shop there on the Saturday morning I was there.

Upon my return to our summer home in Halkidiki (where our Greek home is) I was hoping for some milder daytime temps to arrive but not to be so. This September was one of the hottest I remember with the thermometer hitting 36C – more beach action! September is a wonderful month to visit Greece and airfares have dropped, the summer crowds have left and the days are sill hot for a pleasant swim in the sea followed by comfortable warm evenings taking a stroll and dining outdoors at a taverna.

I spent some days (and nights) exploring more of my favourite city in Greece – Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki iss Greece’s 2nd largest city and Greek’s often call it the “co-capital” alongside Athens. Thessaloniki’s history sees many people come and go: Turks, Romans, Byzantines, Slavs. The city was also home to a significant Jewish population and one can even visit a museum dedicated to this important facet of Thessaloniiki.

White Tower, Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is one Europe’s oldest cities and it’s also considered one of the earliest examples of a multicultural city. Today, the majority of Thessaloniki’s population in Greek but the population is made up of natives of the province of Macedonia, Vlachs, Asian Minor Greeks forced to leave Turkey in a series of population exchanges and Pontian Greeks who (not to be confused with Asia Minor Greeks) came back to resettle in Greece after many generations of living around the Black Sea.

The Pontian Greeks have their own dialect, they are a tight-knit community and they have there very own unique cuisine. Pontian Greeks can be found in Athens as well but the majority live in Thessaloniki and towns in Macedonia and Thrace. Some Greek towns and villages were born with the influx of Pontian Greeks who came to resettle on the Greek mainland.

Back in Xanthi, my friend (and chef) Stella Spanou was kind enough to show around the area and on one afternoon I spent at a “Ksenona” or rural hostel just outside of Xanthi. Situated in an old abandoned Turkish village was this family-run type of “bed & breakfast” by a family of Pontian roots. Stella and Eleni prepared dinner, we ate and drank and delightfully (first time in awhile) did not speak of or discuss the Greek economy. We spoke about the wine harvest that I just witness, the region of Xanthi and the delicious food before us. Two of Eleni’s brothers took turns playing the Pontiako Lyra (a kind of viol) played upright and help between one’s thighs after our meal. It was a moving moment with their father keeping rhythm by clapping and everyone reflecting on how wonderful a day we just had.

View from rural hostel near Xanthi

One of the dishes at the table was of Pontian origin and I’m going to share that dish with you in the coming days but in the meantime, I thought to share another Pontian dish, a sweet one that embodies my sweet Greek vacation and all the memories of the wonderful food enjoyed with old friends and new. We’re now into Autumn and many of this summer’s fruits are a memory and we await for the long winter to pass and another cycle of Spring and Summer will warm our souls and fill us with more memories.

The Pontians have a dish called Hosafi which is a compote made of mixed dried fruit and often some nuts are included in the mix. The ladies of the household with gather fruit as they came into season and dried them for consumption in the winter. Turning dried fruits into a compote is simple genius born out of necessity and ideal as a Lent-friend dessert. I couldn’t think of a more ideal recipe to offer than one with fruits preserved from the warm months and used to tide us through the winter. A compote is usually made with fresh, ripe fruit and preserved in a syrup but here, the main ingredients are dried fruit.

The dried fruits are re-hydrated in warm water then simmered in a simple syrup of water and sugar and spices of your choice. I decided to go with star anise, reminiscent of a compote I ate earlier in my vacation while on Lefkada. This is a really easy recipe using dried figs, apricots, prunes, raisins and almonds. There’s water, there’s sugar and star anise and what the heck…some Greek honey to add some richness to the syrup.

Hosafi is wonderful served on some strained Greek yogurt or ice cream or simply on its own. I make a small batch as we’re using dried fruits which are available all year ’round – no need to make large batches here. Make a batch, store in a container and keep in your fridge.

Hosafi (Χοσάφι)  – Compote of Dried Fruit

(makes enough to fill 2 large jars)

1/2 cup of dried apricots

1/2 cup dried figs

1/4 cup sultana raisins

1/4 cup dark raisins

1/2 cup pitted prunes

1/2 cup almonds

water

approx. 1 cup sugar

3-4 whole star anise

1/4 cup Greek honey

1. Place all the dried fruit in a bowl and cover with hot water. Place a cover on the bowl and allow the fruit to rehydrate for about an hour. Pour the water and dried fruit into a medium-sized pot and if need be, add more water ( to cover by an inch). Add the sugar and star anise and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Once almost aboil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for an hour. Add the honey, stir in and take off the heat and allow to cool. You maty add the almonds while the compote is still warm.
3. Pour the compote into a jar/glass container and keep in your fridge for up to 3 months. Serve on some strained Greek yogurt or ice cream.

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Greece has an a wealth of greens in Spring and now the first salad greens begin to appear and last right through the winter. A friend of the family brought us some rocket (arugula) from her garden and upon tasting these greens, peppery and bitter were my immediate thoughts. arugula doesn’t come this peppery back in Canada at the markets so this batch of zesty greens were bold.

Rocket greens leave room for other flavours to be shared. Balsamic vinegar and honey are emulsified with mustard and olive oil, some salt and pepper to flavour the dressing and the star of the salad has to be the fresh figs that I am still enjoying this summer. The figs offset the bold spicy flavour of this garden-grown rocket and I’m a big fan of contrasts of flavours in a dish.

Figs, rocket greens, walnuts are all in season and here at our home in Halkidiki, they are all local! Remember “what grows together goes toether”? The final touch to this salad (my fave for this year) has to grated cheese: it could be a sharp sheep’s milk cheese like Kefalotyri or a roqueforte or in this instance, a slightly tangy yet briny Graviera cheese I picked up from a Cretan who traveled all the way up to the Agio Mama Panagyri (festival) to sell his cheeses.

Rocket Salad With Figs and Graviera (Σαλάτα Ρόκα με Σύκα και Γραβιερα)

(serves 4-6)

approx. 5 handfuls of rocket (arugula)

1 small clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp. of Dijon style mustard

1 Tbsp. of honey

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

9-10 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

fine sea salt and fresh ground pepper

12 fresh (ripe) figs, quartered

1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

grated Graviera cheese

1. Pick and tear-off any brown or wilted parts of the salad and wash in cold water. Dry your greens in a towel or use a salad spinner then reserve.
2. In a large bowl, add your honey, mustard, balsamic, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk into a paste. Continue whisking while pouring a slow stream of olive oil until your desired consistency is achieved and the dressing has emulsified. Taste dressing and adjust seasoning.
3. Add your salad greens and figs and gently toss until well coated. Top with chopped walnuts and grated Graviera cheese and serve.

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All the people above offered inspiration for my own take on Baklava ice cream, THANK YOU! To make baklava ice cream is to understand what baklava is: layers of phyllo sandwiched with a nut and spice mixture and then soaked in a syrup. Simple. The dessert can take on many forms like squares, diamond shapes, cigars or pinwheels. The filling may contain fruit, an array of nuts and the spices used could be cinnamon, cloves, cardamom or any other spice used with sweets. The syrup is based on sugar and water, more cinnamon and/or spice is spiked, lemon or orange peel and good honey helps round-out the best of syrups. Some baklavas are on the drier side and others are laden in syrup. My preference is for something in between.

When making Baklava Ice Cream there’s also lots of artistic license allowed. I approached this recipe with the goal of incorporating nuts, phyllo, syrup and of course the ice cream. I could have taken my take(s) on baklava ice cream in many directions but I stuck to two: my favourite and more difficult is actually layering ice cream between sheets of phyllo: I baked-off multiple layers of phyllo in the oven then poured syrup over them. Once they cooled I simply placed one layer of phyllo on the bottom of a terrine/loaf-type pan followed by ice cream, another layer of phyllo then more ice cream and finally a third layer of phyllo. In the freezer it went overnight. The next day, cut a slice of Baklava ice cream and serve on a plate with some drizzled Greek honey and reserved Baklava filling.

If the photos in this post haven’t sold you yet then I will confirm that this just tasted divine. If this isn’t enough for you then you’ll be drawn in when I plate this dessert with Poached figs  in Mavrodapne wine (a Greek fortified) wine. Now we’re talking sublime! This recipe will leave you with some leftover phyllo but I have a solution for that too! I made some baklava ice cream served inside some phyllo cups. I simply cut some pieces of phyllo that I placed in muffin tins and baked them off until golden. Once again, syrup was poured over the phyllo and then allowed to cool. Soon after, a scoop of ice cream gets placed in the phyllo nest, a drizzle of Greek honey and sprinkle of baklava filling and once again…some of that poached figs & Mavrodaphne sauce.

The second approach is obviously the easier of the two and they both offer WOW-factor when served: A) present the terrine-style baklava ice cream at the dinner table and serve up slices and drizzle honey and garnish with the poached figs or B) serve the baklava ice cream in the phyllo nests. Both taste fantastic, you get the flavours of Baklava and you’re going to serve a memorable dessert.

Baklava Phyllo Layers

1 pkge. of phyllo (thaw in the fridge overnight)

1 cup melted clarified butter

Nut Filling

2 cups walnuts

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Syrup

2 cups of water

1 cup sugar

2-3 strips of lemon or orange peel

1 cinnamon stick

4-5 whole cloves

1/2 cup honey

1. When pouring syrup over phyllo, one component has to be hot and the other has to be cool. So, choose either hot syrup & cold phyllo or hot phyllo and cooled syrup…either method works. Today, we’re going to make the syrup first. Add the water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and lemon peel in to a small pot and bring to a boil. Then lower to a simmer and boil for another 6 minutes. Take off the heat and add the honey and allow to cool. Remove rind, cinnamon and cloves.
2. To make the Baklava ice cream in the loaf format, you will need a terrine-type mold. Take your phyllo out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature (15 minutes). Measure the dimensions of your terrine pan and cut 15 sheets of phyllo so that they fill fit in the mold. Brush the top of sheet with melted butter and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle some of the nut mixture with your fingers then top with another layer of phyllo. Repeat until you’ve layred 5 phyllo sheets. Now form two more stacks of phyllo and nuts so that you have a total of three stacks that will help to form your loaf-style Baklava ice cream. Pre-heat your oven to 325F (middle rack) and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until just golden. Remove from the oven and pour 1/2 ladle of  syrup over each stack of phyllo and allow to cool.
3. To assemble the Baklava Ice Cream in the loaf style, you should have your phyllo layers ready before your ice cream is churned. Below is the recipe to for making the cream.

Baklava Ice Cream

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups of heavy cream

1 cinnamon stick

4-5 whole cloves

1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. of walnut liqueur (almond liqueur is fine)

1/2  cup of chopped walnuts

1/4 cup honey

1. Add the milk, cream, cinnamon stick, cloves and seeds scraped from a vanilla pod into a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, take off the heat, cover and allow for the spices and vanilla to steep for an hour. Strain and discard cinnamon stick and cloves.
2. Add your egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk until creamed. Now slowly pour your still warm milk/cream into the egg/sugar mixture then pour back into the pot. Place the pot back on your stove-top over medium heat and continuously stir until the base is as thick as cream. Take off the heat and allow to cool in an ice bath or just cool naturally.
3. Place the ice cream base in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours to chill completely. As soon as your ice cream base is chilled sufficiently, pour into your ice cream maker and churn for 25 minutes. In the meantime, chop the walnuts and mix in a bowl with the liqueur and honey and at the 25 minute mark of churning, add them into your ice cream.
4. As soon as walnuts are mixed into the ice cream, turn off the ice cream maker and it’s time to assemble the terrine-style Baklava. Lay your first layer of baklava in the terrine then spread a good layer of ice cream then another phyllo layer, another ice cream layer and finish with the last layer of phyllo. Sprinkle some of the leftover nut mixture, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight. You should have some extra ice cream – store in a container and freeze overnight.*
5. To serve run your knife around the perimeter of the terrine to loosen the ice cream.Cut a slice and carefully lift out with a spatula. Place flat on a plate, drizzle with good honey and sprinkle with reserved nut mixture. Go the extra mile and serve with a Poached Mavrodaphne fig and some sauce.

*Alternate presentation: Cut strips of phyllo, brush with melted butter and place four of them overlapping to fill muffin cup, forming phyllo nests. Bake the phyllo nests in your pre-heated 325F oven for about 15 minutes or until golden. Take out of the oven and pour 3-4 Tbsp. of syrup over each phyllo nest and allow to cool. For this presentation, the above ice cream recipe goes all in tub (no terrine, no phyllo layers) and frozen overnight.

Sprinkle some reserved walnut mix in each phyllo nest then drop a scoop of the baklava ice cream. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with more nut mix and…serve with a poached fix and some sauce.

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