Laurie Constantino

Iranian-American Memoirs Cause Craving for Persian Fish Stew

Laurie — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:45:25 +0000

Recipes in this post:
Persian Fish Stew (Ghalyeh Mahi)
Fish Stock

Whenever hostilities escalate between the United States and other countries, I like reminding myself that, like here, most people in those countries are just trying to live regular lives. They get up, dress their children, go shopping, clean their houses, go to work, cook dinner, and do their best to squeeze as much happiness out of life as possible. Funny in Farsi and Laughing Without an Accent, by Firoozeh Dumas, are wonderfully funny memoirs of Dumas’ early life in Iran and as an Iranian American. Reading about Dumas’ big, irrepressible Iranian family, so like every Greek family I’ve ever met – indeed, so like every large American family I’ve ever met – is an easy and entertaining introduction to one slice of Iranian life. In 2010, the New York Times published a Dumas story about cultural attitudes towards standing in line (Americans do and many other cultures don’t). I could’ve written that story, set in Italy, with me as the American who got shoved to the back of the bread line because so many elderly women kept taking cuts. Seriously, this happened to me in Asti. I hold my own in Greece because I speak the language, but the little … Continue reading →

Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska On Television

Laurie — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:31:03 +0000

Recipes in this post:
Roasted Kalamata Olives (Ελιές στο Φούρνο)
Greek Butter Almond Cookies (Κουραμπιέδες)

Just in time for the holidays, Chef Al Levinsohn invited me to talk about Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska on his television show, What’s Cookin’. The show aired on Wednesday, December 14; the video is courtesy of KTUU-TV’s website (I’ve embedded it here because out-of-state friends weren’t able to view it directly on KTUU’s website). Cooking with Chef Al was great fun. Since his restaurant, Kincaid Grill, has the best food in Anchorage, it was a particular honor to meet him. In person, Chef Al is funny, easy-going, and lives and breathes his passionate love of food. On Chef Al’s show, we made two recipes from Tastes Like Home, both perfect for the holiday season. The first was Roasted Kalamata Olives, an incredibly easy appetizer to make and one that never fails to draw compliments. We also baked Butter-Almond Cookies (Kourabiedes), traditionally made in Greece for Christmas and weddings, and an extremely popular item at the Anchorage Greek Festival held every August. Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska is available to purchase in Anchorage at Title Wave Books, Barnes and Noble, and the Museum Shop; in Eagle River at The Book Shelf; in Homer at the Homer … Continue reading →

New Improved Edition of Tastes Like Home Available for Christmas

Laurie — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:45:00 +0000

Recipes in this post:
Kavourmas (Greek Pork Confit)
Kavourmas and Eggs
Kavourmas with Cabbage and Onions

In honor of the recent publication of Tastes Like Home’s 2nd Revised Edition, I’m rerunning this article, originally published on November 10, 2007. I’m happy and excited about the 2nd Revised Edition. It has new recipes, is easier to use, and has a beautiful new look. To order the new edition of Tastes Like Home, click on the icon in the right-hand column. Alaskans may also be able to buy it in local bookstores (Todd Communications in Anchorage is the wholesale distributor). It makes a great Christmas present (and all proceeds go directly into the Anchorage Greek Orthodox Church building fund). Every cook worth her salt has mentors who influence and inspire in different measures. From Froso, I learned the importance of using local ingredients at their seasonal peak, and the degree to which good cooking and quality ingredients are inextricably entwined. I couldn’t have written Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska if Froso and I’d never met. I first sat at Froso’s table over 25 years ago, as her cousin’s new wife. She spoke no English. I spoke no Greek. Nonetheless, she welcomed me into her kitchen, the center of family life, with open-hearted hospitality. Our shared love … Continue reading →

Piquant Tonnato Sauce at Seattle’s Artusi Bar

Laurie — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:31:28 +0000

Recipes in this post:
Tonnato Sauce for Vegetables, Meat, Poultry, or Fish

A dab of tuna sauce peeked out from underneath a glistening pile of deep red beets. My mouth started watering in anticipation. At Artusi Bar in Seattle, “baby beets with salsa tonnata” tasted as good as it looked. The piquant Mediterranean flavors of tuna, anchovies, and capers were a brilliant partner for the deep earthiness of roasted beets. A rush of happy memories accompanied my first bite of Artusi’s tonnato. My dad loved it in its traditional form, paired with cold sliced veal, as Vitello Tonnato. When I visited my parents in the last years of my dad’s life, my mother made it regularly. While we savored the ingenious combination of veal and tuna, my dad regaled us with stories of Italy and his beloved friend Giovanni. My husband and I once visited Giovanni in Italy. He gave us a tour of my dad’s favorite places (a trip dubbed “Following in the Footsteps of Santo Earlo,” Earl being my dad’s name). At Giovanni’s insistence we duplicated my dad’s journeys as closely as possible, which meant no, I couldn’t stop for shopping, because Santo Earlo had done no such thing. I’m still smarting over the Carrara marble I couldn’t buy when … Continue reading →

Using Leftover Grape Leaves to Make Delicious Yogurt Pie

Laurie — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:47:27 +0000

Recipes in this post:
Yogurt Pie in Grape Leaves (Ασμάπιτα η Υιαουρτόπιτα με Αμπελόφυλλα)

Reader Becca asks: I made and loved Grilled Salmon in Grape Leaves with Caper-Lemon Sauce from your cookbook, but now have a half-jar of grape leaves left over. I don’t have time to stuff and roll them. Do you have any ideas for using up the leaves? An easy and delicious way to use extra grape leaves is as the outside “crust” of yogurt pie. Custardy herb and yogurt filling is encased in tangy grape leaves instead of layers of butter-rich filo. Grape leaves impart their exceptional flavor to the filling as it bakes. This simple recipe goes together in minutes, tastes great, and can be eaten warm or cold, making it a terrific dish for potlucks. I’m bringing it to Easter dinner. Yogurt Pie in Grape Leaves is not well known in Greece, being made only in the Drama Region of Greece’s Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, where it’s known as Asmapita (Ασμάπιτα). The name comes from the Turkish word “Asma,” which means “grapevine,” though a similar dish made in Turkish areas of Northern Cyprus and Turkey’s Aegean coast is known as Kibris Böreği. Thank you Becca for reminding me about Grilled Salmon in Grape Leaves; it’s one of … Continue reading →