In Greece, they are well into Carnival celebrations. The most well known city for Carnival celebrations takes place in Patra but there are other cities & towns with their own unique, most interesting and often hilarious ways of celebrating the pagan rituals just before Lent.

Take a look at this report on the Carnival in Patra from the Travel Channel UK———>Carnival in Patra

Now back to Tsiknopempti. The compound word was given to this day from the very evident of smell of roasting meat on this Thursday. Although Greeks are huge om grilling and roasting their meats, you’ll find the majority packed in tavernas where platters upon platters of meat are served to the waiting mouths of hungry Carnival revellers.

Over here in Canada, it is too cold to be grilling outside or to be sitting “al fresco” enjoying a feast of endless platters of meats in the terrace of a taverna.

Therefore, one has to adapt to one’s surroundings and make do.

The subject – lamb. The inspiration -Michael Psilakis. The occasion – Tsiknopempti.

For those not in the know, Michael Psilakis is  the chef and part-owner of Anthos and Kefi in Mahattan, New York. Last year I had the pleasure of dining at Kefi and I enjoyed Michael’s twists & turns with Greek food.

This dish probably was something he would have offered at the more upscale Anthos. It’s not that it’s a complicated dish but there are some extra-steps required to pull this dish off with panache.

I highly recommend roasting the garlic (integral part of the dish’s flavour) and for that perfect pink lamb, a meat thermometer here is your friend.

As a pairing with this visually attractive and delicious dish, I whipped up a spin on my Potatoes and Feta “au gratin”. I toned down the dish, omitting the rosemary and olives and just went for potatoes, Bechamel and Feta.

The star here was the rack of lamb and I was looking for a creamy, warm pairing to complement the lamb and it’s bold flavours.

The third component to the dish was some blanced green beans that got tossed in some the extra paste that was made for the lamb’s sun-dried tomato and garlic crust.

I brought the whole dish together with the serving of an Alpha Estate Xinomavro. Xinomavro grapes are an indigenous Greek varietal Alpha Estate’s winery is located in my parents’ municipality of Amynteon, Florinis.

Got a hot date coming up? Perhaps you want to treat your significant other, husband or wife a feast of the Greek Gods? This could be your dish.

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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This following post is actually about a non-visit during my recent stay in New York. Despite my having a full week to sight-see, explore, eat & drink and meet folks along the way – there just wasn’t enough time to patronize all the Greek restaurants of note.

Upon my return from New York, I’ve even received invites to “check out” some other noted Greek eateries in the NYC scene. Is New York City in my 2009 plans? We’ll see.

Some of you might recall that I visited New York’s famous The Strand bookstore and I was able to buy some rare and cheap cookbooks there. One such book was The Periyali Cookbook.

Periyali is a Greek restaurant in the Grammercy/Flatiron district of Manhattan and it’s been around since 1988…a veteran by any restaurant’s standards!

The next best thing to visiting a restaurant is buying the book, no? With over 300 pages and tons of recipes in between, the cookbook offers up an array of Greek dishes that touch upon all the food categories and it makes Greek food approachable for even some you just discovering what a wonderful cuisine we have.

Today’s dish is one of those “I want a classy meal, it’s a weeknight, I’m tired from work and I want that restaurant-type of dish served to me” kind of meal.

The cookbook’s title for this dish is “Seared & Braised Breast of Chicken With Leeks and Lemon Cream Sauce”. I had no leeks and even if I did, the leeks would be out of proportion with the chicken breasts.

I opted to sear some scallions but in hindsight, spears of asparagus would also work very well here and I’ll be on the lookout for some the next time this dish is on my mind.

Another sub I made was to omit the lemon juice and use some of my flourishing lemon thyme in my indoor herb garden. The recipe has no herbage and although tarragon would have worked well here, thyme is a Greek herb and the lemon thyme gave the dish that fresh citrus flavour and the bottom-end woodsy falvour that only thyme can give.

Finally, I halved the wine, stock & cream amounts and my hunch was right…there was just enough sauce for 4 plates.

Seared & Braised Breasts of Chicken
(serves 4)

4 bunches of scallions, greens trimmed and reserved
1 cup of chicken/vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. of lemon thyme
(may sub. some lemon juice w/ thyme)
1 bay leaf
4 chicken breasts, pounded into paillards
flour for dredging
1/4 cup olive oil for frying
1/ 2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
thyme for garnish

1. Either pound out your chicken breasts into thin paillards or if you have 2 thick chicken breasts, carefully cut the breast into 2 thin chicken breasts (making 4). Rinse and pat-dry your chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper and dredge in all-purpose flour.
2. In a large non-stick skillet orver medium heat, add the white part of the scallions and sear on both sides until a nut-brown colour has formed. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve on a plate with absorbant paper.
3. Now sear and brown your chicken breasts in the same oil until golden brown (1 1/2 -2 mins.) on both sides and reserve.
4. Discard the oil and place your skillet back on medium heat and add the wine and and simmer for 1-2 minutes while scraping up the brown bits.. Now add your cream, stock, bay leaf and lemon thyme and and gently bring to a boil. Carefully add your chicken breasts back into the skillet and simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until your sauce has thickenend enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add the reserved green parts of the scallions and mix into the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and discard the bay leaf.
5. Spoon some cream sauce onto the bottom of each plate and then lay a row of scallions on top, followed by the crowning chicken breast. Garnish with some lemon thyme and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Serve with some rice pilaf.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2008 Peter Minakis

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© 2008 – 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.

On my final night, my tour guide extraordinaire, Konstantine suggested we pay a visit and enjoy dinner at Pylos, located in Alphabet City.

This neighborhood is located in the East Village and gets it’s name from being having the only Avenues in Manhattan to have single-letter names.

Pylos is a long, narrow restaurant that will WOW you as soon as you enter the premise. One immediately takes notice of the terracotta earthenware ewers that hang row after row from the ceiling.

Coincidentally, Pylos is also a small town and bay located in the southern Greek prefecture of Messinia. Pylos was also the site of an important naval battle during the Greece’s War of Independence (1827) and the Venetians called the area Navarino.

On the night we dined at Pylos, the place was brimming with a young, hip crowd, Greek music faintly heard in the background with the din of diners and dinner service front and center.

The proprietor Christos was particular about photos taken inside his establishment but he offered to send me photos of Pylos but I’m quite happy to invite to have peek at Pylos on their website….you’ll surely make a reservation on your next trip to New York.

With regards to the food, the menu was created with the assistance and consultation of Diane Kochilas, a New York native who splits her time between New York and Greece and has written many cookbooks touching upon Greek and Mediterranean food.

My New York friends Claire and Stephane also joined us for a bite and although they arrived a little late, I’d like to show you all a sampling of the wonderful dishes served up at Pylos.

First to arrive was the the baked cuttlefish stuffed with cheese and served with a light tomato sauce.

We then sampled a Moussaka made of artichokes and caramelized onions and a three-cheese Bechamel sauce.

Next came the seared scallops served with a fennel slaw and an orange/saffron mayo.

To satisfy our meat cravings, we shared a big pork shank that was slowly roasted, aromatic from a blend of herbs and fork-tender….no knife required here.

Pylos has a fine selection of all Greek wines and I urge you once again to ask your server for his or her recommendation the next time you decide to dine Greek.

For dessert, we shared a trio of strained yogurt with sour cherry spoon sweets, a custard made of yogurt and cream and aromitized with Mastiha from the island of Chios. Our third dessert was the “Mouzo”…Pylos’ chocolate Mousse spiked with Ouzo.

I couldn’t have ended my stay in New York at a better place. The owner Christos gave us prompt and cordial attention…spiking conversation and wine recommendations between courses.

When you decide to dine at Pylos (I know you will), try and get seated at the long marble table that lines the back part of the restaurant. You’ll be near the action of the bar, you be able to survey the rest of the establishment and make some new friends at your side.

What??? Were you waiting for a recipe? Stay tuned…got a scallop dish coming up later today.

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© 2008, 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.

Today’s installment of my New York City recap involves making more new friends from the blogging community, celebrating seafood and living like a New Yorker.

Having been given the luxury of having one week to live in New York City gave me a new perspective on this great city.

New Yorkers are kind. Throughout the week I did get lost on the subway, disoriented on many occasions at an intersection and often “rescued” by an all too eager New Yorker willing to help me, one of thousands of tourists in the city that never sleeps.

Many New Yorkers use the transit system. Unlike other North American cities (like Toronto) where a transit system is in place, many New Yorkers actually prefer using the vast subway and train system. It’s extensive, runs 24/7 and it’s safe.

New York City has the best of everything, the worst of everything. New York has ten-times better everything but…ten-times “the worst” of everything – all is multiplied. It’s a big city, with flaws and like any other destination, you need to explore, do some homework (buy & read a travel book) and with some good travel instincts, you’ll find what you’re looking for.

As a fish and seafood lover, I knew that I’d be spoiled with some of the freshest seafood in the world. When Marc of No Recipes extended an invite to dine together at a sushi restaurant in New York, I couldn’t refuse.

His choice, Sushi Azabu…located in TriBeCa near the Hudson River. I got to the place a little early, ordered a Japanese beer and leafed through the new cook books which I had just bought from The Strand.

New Yorkers are very familiar with The Strand but for those of you contemplating a trip to NYC and looking for rare books for fabulous price, The Strand is a must. The place is teeming with book lovers, helpful staff and shelves upon shelves (18 miles) of mostly used (some new) books touching upon every genre possible.

I was kindly assisted to the cooking section, found some Greek cookbooks, snapped them up and toted them in my backpack for the day.

Marc and his ever-smiling wife Liz arrived punctually and ventured to the basement of the establishment (upstairs served steak and Italian), downstairs was sushi. I’m not a fan of basement haunts but the service staff here are warm, courteous and the decor sleek (Japanese designed – right down to the bathroom amenities).

Liz, Marc and I warmed up to each other quickly and being a Greek dude who enjoys sushi, I allowed Marc to take the lead on ordering.

First up was the beverage of a choice…a sesame Shochu which is a brew of premium wheat, rice and sesame. This drink was served on ice, reminded me of vodka with a definite sesame aroma and taste. We ordered one bottle and had no difficulty in finishing this fabulous Japanese drink.

Marc’s choices for the dinner were of the highest quality and every morsel went unwasted. From the Japanese seaweed salad to some seared, rare Wagyu beef and on to the red snapper carpaccio and the Chef’s Choice of the market-fresh sushi offering of the day…the meal was dreamy.

Liz, Marc and I got acquainted with each other’s lives, talked food (what else) and relished every single course of this masterpiece sushi dinner. A trip to Japan just got bumped up on my “to do” list.

Let’s rewind a bit. Not that far back – just a little earlier in the day. STAY right there…mid-afternoon and lunch.

What was to be the largest food-blogger gathering of the week for me would take place at Lupa, a Mario Battali and Joseph Bastianich osteria.

Coordinating the lunch was Stacey of Stacey Snacks and Giff of The Constables Larder. Stacey made the reservation (based on her contented patronage of Lupa) and Giff liaised with myself and the others to confirm all in attendance.

You’ve already met Stephane of Chefs Gone Wild and Mlle. Claire of Colloquial Cookin‘ but I’d like to also introduce a new acquaintance and friend, Rachel of the Essential Rhubarb Pie.

I was afraid that Rachel was going to arrive late (something about work) but it appears she and Stacey got real comfy with each other, at the bar and in the midst of an afternoon glass of wine…how civilized!

We met for a late lunch and although most were hungry, we kept on getting distracted by the usual “getting to know you chats” that ranged from life in New York, rude behaviour (or not) of Parisians, a little politics, more New York and a little about each of us.

With lunch hours dwindling…Stacey suggested we order some sampling platters: one seafood antipasti and other a veggie/salad antipasti.

Each of us ordered their own main and we washed our food down with a northern Italian white and a Sicilian red.

Being a Greek and enjoying the food concept of appetizers and mezedes, I would have been most comfortable just ordering and ordering starters, sampling, chatting, drinking and sampling again…THAT is a good dinner and company for me!

Lupa’s service is very good. The staff attentive, they know the menu and the wines and they were kind and patient with our tardy ordering from the menu.

The best approach to ordering from Lupa’s menu is order some antipasti, enjoy your wine – order your main and don’t forget it’s ala carte here…grab a side to complete your entree.

I didn’t order dessert but I had a sample of Claire’s hazelnut tartuffo (huge) and if any of the other desserts are like this one…Lupa delivers from start to finish.

I’d like to leave you all with a dish that reminded me of that day in New York City, filled with memories of some the freshest seafood I’ve ever had in North America, the new friendships made and the memories…forever!

Here’s a simple Italian seafood dish, works great with bream, sea bass or any other white-fleshed fish fillet. I found some wonderful Grouper fillets at my local market and in keeping with Lupa’s unpretentious Osteria cooking approach without sacrificing quality or breaking the bank, I present a Walnut Gremolata Grouper…enjoy!

Walnut Gremolata Grouper
(serves 4)

4 Grouper fillets
olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
sweet paprika

Gremolata
2 Tbsp. of lemon rind, thinly sliced 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. coarse bread crumb
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all the Gremolata ingredients in a bowl and cover – set aside.
2. Rub both sides of the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and sweet paprika.
3. Add some olive oil into a non-stick pan over medium high heat and place the fillets (skin-side down first) for 3-4 minutes per side or until crisp and brown.
4. Plate the fish immediately with a mound of Gremolata on top and serve with a garlic mash or in my case…orzo with mushrooms and zucchini.

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© 2008 – 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.

My stay in New York and the exploration of the Greek food scene wouldn’t be complete without tasting the creations of Michael Psilakis.

Michael has appeared on Iron Chef America and he currently is part owner of Anthos and Kefi. Anthos is on the high end of the menu scale and Kefi is smaller but in no way inferior, quality-wise.

Once again, my Greek food and drink guide Konstantine suggested we meet at Kefi, located on West 79th (Upper West Side) and sample an array of the dishes.

Michael Psilakis was not here on this night but the staff accomodated us immediately with a table despite the packed lobby and lack of avaialable seating. Kefi will be moving to a new location soon and this problem should be resloved soon.

What does Kefi mean? The literal translation is “fun” but that really doesn’t describe Kefi. Kefi is spirit, triumph, joy, adrenalin, the state of being aware of experiencing a good time, a celebration of being Greek, with good friends, food and drink, laughter, emotion, sentiment and finally…something only a Greek can really feel.

If you’re a Greek reading this, you know what I mean and to others…go out with your Greek friends and ask them to tell you when “that moment” of Kefi has been reached…maybe then you’ll understand.

From the waiting area to the farewell, Kefi’s ambiance was laid-back, down-to-earth and unpretentious. The dining area is small and below street level but with such close quarters, one makes easy friends with the table beside you and conversations on food & wine can be easily engaged.

Constantine and I imbibed on a wonderful Vatistas Malagouzia and our other fave, the Pavlou P62 Syrah/Xinomavro with our parade of meze-sized dishes at Kefi.

For in New York or some of you who would like to enjoy some Greek food in the area, Kefi will offer you the greatest bang for your buck out of all the Greek establishments in Manhattan. Do not think in any way think that quality or portions are compromised.

Remember, this is a Michael Psilakis joint…the dishes were traditional but offered wonderful Greek twists with the ingredients. One dish after another was relished by Konstantine and I and a highlight of the night was the braised pulled rabbit meat tossed in hand-made pasta with a sauce reminiscent of a Rabbit (or hare) Stifado.

The first dish to arrive was the fried sweetbreads in creamy wine sauce with spinach, sage and crispy fried onions. The sweetbreads were paired wonderfully with one of Konstantine’s new brands…a Vatistas Malagouzia from Monemvasia. Malagouzia is another grape varietal that’s unique to Greece and I’ll be touching upon this wine in a future post (it was awesome).

Next up was the grilled octopus on a bed of warm chickpea salad.

We sampled the Pork Sofrito medallions with shaved fennel, capers, olives and some orange slices.

Grilled lamb chops were ordered on the insistence of our server and boy was I glad he recommended these!

The crowning glory had to be the Pulled Braised Rabbit on a bed of homemade pasta which turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to our Pavlou P62 red.

This Syrah/Xinomavro took on a whole new aroma and taste when paired with the rabbit in a aromatic, spicy Stifado sauce. A stifado’s has a noticeable presence of cinnamon and when paired with the P62, for the first time I was smelling notes of chocolate and black cherry in the wine…remarkable experience!

My evening at Kefi was a smash…wonderful food, good conversation at the table (and with the table beside us), unforgetable wine pairings with the food and laid-back but prompt and cheerful service from the staff.

This week, I had to re-experience that zen-moment when I ate the Braised Pulled Rabbit and sipped on the Pavlou Estate P62. I’ve recreated a dish that packs much of the flavours I experienced in Kefi’s version but I used a whole chicken to make a Stifado.

A Stifado is a Greek stew that is tomato based, has the presence of red wine, an array of spices that almost always includes cinnamon and the usual suspect in the dish is rabbit or hare. Other popular stifados are made with rooster, beef or veal and octopus.

The other dominant ingredient is onions…plenty of onions which play very well when slow cooked with the meat of choice, blending with the spices to perfume your kitchen & home into something remarkably intoxicating and transporting you and your home to a Greek kitchen.

The dish I’m about to show you is usually made with a rooster but I’m no where near a farm and Stouffville Market is only open on weekends. This dish is inspired by my evening at Kefi and it’s also reminiscent of a popular dish from the Greek island of Folengandros called “Matsata”.

Imagine trying this dish on the island…farm fresh rooster, wild thyme from the mountains of the island, Greek red wine and spices that entered Greek cuisine from the time that Greek mariners ruled the Mediterranean and the spice trade in the area.

Finally, this may sound cliched but the pasta in this dish was homemade by myself after finally splurging on my own pasta machine. After fumbling the first few times with the machine, I finally was able to produce long, elastic ribbons of fresh egg pasta that cooked in minutes and truly heightened the dish. I may become a pasta snob!

Matsata (Ματσάτα)
(serves 4)

1/3 cup olive oil
1 whole chicken (or rooster), cut into pieces
1/2 onion, grated
1 cup of pearl onions
2 large onions, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 some grated nutmeg
1 heaping Tbsp. of tomato paste
2 cups of pureed plum tomatoes
1 cup of dry red wine
2 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
fresh made broad pasta
grated Kefalotyri cheese (Romano is fine)

1. In a large skillet, add your olive oil to medium high heat. Add your pearl onions and quickly saute until they have slighted caramelized. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Now season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown off your meat over medium heat and then reserve.
2. Now grate add your grated onion, sliced onions and garlic and saute over medium-low hea for about 7-10 minutes or until softened. Now add the balsamic vinegar and stir to lift up the brown bits and coat all the onions. Reduce for a minute or two.
3. Now add the bay leaves, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, tomato paste and red wine over medium heat. Now bring up to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add your tomato paste, pureed plum tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add your fresh thyme and your reserved chicken pieces, pearl onions and reduce heat, cover (slightly ajar) and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, sitrring occasionally.
4. At this point, you should have a thick, aromatic sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, grate some fresh nutmeg and set aside and keep warm.
5. Boil some fresh, broad pasta and when cooked to al dente, strain toss with some of the tomato sauce, tear some meat off the bone and mix in with the pasta and the sauce.
6. Place a mound of dressed pasta on each plate, place a piece of chicken on top and grate some fresh Kefalotyri cheese on top.
7. Serve this warm, aromatic dish with a Pavlou P62 Xinomavro-Syrah.

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© 2008, 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.