Old town, Nafpaktos

• Seats on sale now for the July 17th Kalofagas Greek Supper Club – Santorini Sunset
• Greek Tourism Minister impresses upon Canadians that Greece is ready to welcome all this Summer
• Two more thermal springs in Greece are now certified
• Ryanair: “we could increase the tourists of Greece to 4 million”
• Greece will focus on better showcasing “the Greek breakfast” throughout much of the country’s hotels

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© 2013, 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.

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One thing I’ve never dropped from my lifestyle is the weekend big breakfast of bacon  and eggs, sometimes Eggs Benedict or an omelet and of course, French Toast. French Toast is where you dunk sliced bread into an egg/milk mixture then fry in  buttered pan until golden and crisp on both sides. Maple syrup is drizzled on top and enjoy.

Today’s French Toast is made using Tsoureki, a Greek Easter bread that often contains spices like mastiha, mahlepi, citrus zest and sometimes cardamom. It looks like challah bread but Tsoureki is definitely sweater, more aromatic – more flavourful.

Our family always makes lots of Tsoureki for Easter (Orthodox Easter was on May 5th this year) for ourselves and to give away to family and friends. We still have some as we enjoy Tsoureki for breakfast throughout the year.

Even if you can’t find Tsoureki at a Greek bakery, this egg/batter mixture will still impress when using regular sliced bread. The combo of orange juice, zest, cinnamon and vanilla will captivate you as soon as the toast hits the pan. Finish off with honey or maple syrup and a dusting of icing sugar and prepare to eat French toast like you’ve never had before!

Tsoureki French Toast

(serves 4)

3 large eggs

3 Tbsp. sugar

3/4 cup whole milk

zest and juice of 1/2 orange

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

8 slices of Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread), cut into 1/2 inch slices

approx. 4 Tbsp. of butter (for frying French toast)

1. In a large shallow bowl, add cracked eggs, sugar, milk, zest and orange juice, vanilla and cinnamon and beat/whisk well. Place a large non-stick skillet on your stovetop over medium heat and add the butter. Meanwhile, dip the Tsoureki  into the egg mixture and push the slices into the mixture to soak in for a minute.
2. Cook in the pan  for 2-3 minutes a side in batches and repeat with remaining Tsoureki slices (I recommend keeping the French toast warm in a pre-heated 250F oven).
3. Top with Greek honey or maple syrup and a dusting of icing sugar.

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© 2013, 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.

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The area also is know for producing some Greece’s finest olive oil, a briny whey cheese called dry Mizithra and some wonderful local pasta, namely the short-cut egg pasta we call “hilopitakia”. I recently came in contact with the folks at Navarino Icons who have built a luxury resort in Messinia and they sent me some of their products made by local artisans.

After reading further into the cuisine of Messinia, I learned that there’s a long tradition of hunting and game birds are fave in the area. I decided to make a Quail Kokkinisto dish.  In Greek, “kokkinisto” means reddened, referring to the use of tomatoes as a base for the sauce.

Quails are rather lean birds, lots of mussel and the either need marination and a hot grill to quickly cook or a simmering braise until just tender. I went with the latter approach, browning the quails then allowing to soften in a reddened sauce perfumed with bay, rosemary, thyme, allspice and a touch of cinnamon.

Quail Kokkinisto

(serves 4)

4 large quail (farm raised)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, finely diced

1 medium carrot, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

3 bay leaves

1 Tbsp. of chopped fresh rosemary

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

5-6 whole allspice berries

1/2 cup red wine

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 1/2 cups of grated ripe tomatoes

2 cups of hot water

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. of ground cinnamon

1 pkge. (450gr.) of Navarino Icons Greek short-cut hilopites (pasta)

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup grated dry Myzithra cheese

1. Use your kitchen scissors to cut and remove the backbone and neck from each quail then cut along the breast bone to cut into two (you may save the backbones for stock). Rinse and pat-dry, season with salt and pepper. Place a large skillet on your stovetop over medium-high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and brown on both sides then reserve.
2. Lower your heat to medium and add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and some salt and pepper and sweat/cook for 7-8 minutes or until translucent. Add the bay leaves,  rosemary, thyme, allspice, tomato paste and wine and stir in and simmer for 5 minutes. Now add the tomatoes, hot water and some more salt and pepper, stir in and bring up to a simmer.
3. Gently place the quail into your skillet and cover (the quail should be almost covered in liquid) and simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes so the sauce thickens. Add the ground cinnamon, stir in and take of the heat and keep warm (remove bay leaves).
4. Place a large pot of water on your stovetop and bring to a boil. Season the water well with salt and add the pasta in and cook for 5-6 minutes. Strain and place back in the pot with the butter and toss to coat the pasta.
5. Divide and plate the pasta and mound two pieces of quail for each person and pour some sauce and top with cheese. Serve with a Boutari Agiorgitiko Nemea 2008.

*Optional: add some fresh of frozen peas into the sauce towards the end for some colour and added nutrition.

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© 2013, 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.

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Ladadika, Thessaloniki

• May your summer be quenched with these terrific white wines from Greece
• Nana Mouskouri will receive the National Honor of Quebec
• Greeks still tops for olive oil consumption
• Lecture on global wine tourism to take place in Athens next week
• Ryan Air to launch domestic flights in Greece
• Slideshow of some Greek islands for you to consider this summer
• recap of my Mastiha Supper Club in New York City

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© 2013, 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.

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Serve this as  a side or salad for a party or picnic, the platter is sure to be a hit at your next gathering.

Warm Bean Salad With Cherry Tomatoes & Mint

(serves 4)

1 lb. of fresh greens beans, ends trimmed

1 pint of ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cloves of garlic, smashed

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil + 1/3 cup for dressing

1 Tbsp. grainy mustard

1 tsp. honey

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/2 tsp. dried Greek oregano

1/4 cup finely chopped roasted almonds

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds for garnish

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Place a large pot of  water on your stovetop and bring to a boil. Season well with salt and add your beans then cook for 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain and run cold water to just cool. Reserve.
2. Place your halved cherry tomatoes on a small baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and add the garlic, salt and pepper and place in a pre-heated 350F oven for 25-30 minutes or until just wrinkled. Remove from the oven.
3. In a large bowl, add the mustard, honey and wine vinegar and whisk to blend. Add some salt, pepper and a slow stream of olive oil until emulsified. Add your beans, cherry tomatoes, almonds, mint, oregano and gently toss.
4. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and sprinkle sesame seeds, serve.

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© 2013, 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.

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