COOKING TIPS

• Cutting food is quicker and easier with properly sharpened knives and less accidents happen. Try sharpening knives on the pavement if you haven't got a good knife sharpener or whetstone.
• Use medium sherry to flavour gravies and sauces, it is more effective than wine.
• Peel and chop garlic bulbs and preserve in olive oil. Keep in a sealed jar in the fridge.
• Use surgical gloves when chopping chillies.
• When chopping onions, first wet the skin with cold water and instead of chopping off the root cut around it. This reduces the pungency (and tears in your eyes) and also helps to hold the onion together.
• To remove the stone from an avocado cut it in half around the stone and twist the 2 halves in opposite directions. Separate the halves and use a sharp knife to pierce the stone and twist it out.
• Fish is past it's best if the skin looks dull and lifeless and/or it has milky eyes. Fresh fish has a slimy skin and bright eyes.
• If you don't own a temperature probe (and who does?), check how well cooked a joint of meat is by pushing a sharp cold knife into the thickest part and leave it there for about six seconds. Pull it out and place the blade on the back of your hand. If the blade is very hot, the meat is well done. A warm knife means it's cooked to medium. A cold knife means it's raw and needs more cooking.
• Roux should be wet. If it's too dry it goes lumpy. Don't use too much flour and drizzle in the milk while cooking. A whisk should remove odd lumps if you get it slightly wrong.
• To stop alcohol from becoming too acidic in sauces, gravy and casseroles add a little sugar.
• To make a tastier gravy add a square of dark continental chocolate. It enriches the flavour without the chocolate taste coming through.

These cooking tips were supplied by Mark David via http://agaweb02.agalinks.com

2 c   Yogurt (plain)                                      2      Garlic cloves;minced
1/2   Cucumber, peeled &   grated           3 tb  Olive oil
1 tsp salt
 
 Prepare the tzaziki a few hours before serving. The flavours need
 time to blend.
 Line a colander or sieve with cheesecloth (or muslin) and set it
  over a bowl. Pour in the yogurt and allow it to drip for an hour or so.
  After the yogurt has drained, combine it, in a small bowl, with the
  cucumber and the garlic. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and
  refrigerate until just before serving. While the meat is BBQing, drizzle
  the olive oil over the surface, and without stirring, sprinkle on the salt.
  It needs no mixing - your guest will do that when they dollop it onto their
  souvlaki. MAKES: About 3 cups
  

This recipe taken from Norm's Greek Cookbook (1000 Links to Greece - http://www.islandstrolling.com/info/english/links_to_greece.htm)

 Easter Lamb

    1    Lamb or kid; 20-25 pounds                  2    Lemons
    1/4 c  Melted butter                            Salt and pepper to taste
    1/4 c  Olive oil

  Recipe by: Norm Corley

  Easter in Greece is the biggest holiday of the year and damned near
  EVERYONE roasts a lamb or kid (goat that is, although I've been tempted).

  Every family has it's idea of the best way to cook the Easter meal but in
  general the animal is spitted and cooked over an open charcoal bed for
  about 6 hours. Constant turning of the 'souvla', Greek word for spit, is
  required so if the family is traditional and doesn't use an electric motor
  a lot of friends come in handy. I've found that the best way to obtain
  help in turning the lamb is to have LOTS of beer and Greek wine on hand.
  The 'souvla' is about 8-9 feet long with a handle for turning on one end.
  It's placed on a pair of spikes driven into the ground about 7 feet apart.
  The spikes have several different 'U's welded to them for raising and
  lowering the spit.

  If you try this recipe, start a charcoal bed about 6'x2' before preparing
  the lamb or kid and have a separate charcoal fire going to add to the bed
  later on. By the time you get the animal prepared the fire should be just
  about right. You'll probably need 20 pounds, or more, of charcoal to
  complete the cooking. Have more than you need on hand.

  Wipe lamb inside and out with a damp cloth.  Rub cavity and outside of lam
  with lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Cut a small opening in the shoulder
  a hip joints and pour a small amount of salt & pepper into them.  Run the
  spit through the anus and out of the top of the skull.  A hammer may
  be needed for this.  Use baling wire to secure the spine to the spit in
  two or three places.  Sew up the cavity with white string. Push foreshanks
  back towards body and tie in position.  Wire the back legs to the spit.
  This will prevent t splaying out.  Rub outside again with lemon juice, salt
  and pepper and place on a rack in a large catering-size baking dish.
  Combine melted butter with olive oil and brush half of this over the lamb
  or kid.  Baste with the remainder at times during cooking.

  Place the spit over the fire with the lamb or kid approximately 18" over
  the fire. Adjust the height according to the heat of the fire during
  cooking.  Turn the spit constantly for 6-8 hours, lubricating the person
  turning liberally with wine or beer, then enjoy your Greek Easter Feast.

  The innards aren't wasted.  They're used to make a dish called 'Kokoretsi'
  also cooked over a charcoal bed on a small souvla, but that's another story
  and this is too long already.  Have a Happy Easter!

Greek Cheese Pie

A rich dish, served hot or cold

the dough :
-----------
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
2 tbl spoons oil
1/2 spoon oregano 
dash of salt

mix ingredients; knead for about 2-3 minutes; adding flour to until it
doesn't stick to the hands - separate into 3 equal parts

the filling :
------------

a couple of chopped green shallots (can replace with 1/3 white onion)
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
2 cups feta cheese , crumbled
1/3 cup freshly grated romano cheese
1/2 cup whole milk or better still, half & half
3 eggs
salt, pepper, thyme
beat eggs;
mix all other ingredients; heat in pot until cheese starts melting;
allow to cool to room temperature; then mix in eggs

the assembly :
-------------
roll out the 3 dough balls- so that each one is a bit bigger than your
baking pan (i use 8x12 in.)- the amount of dough, for that size will
give you the right thickness

place the first layer on the greased pan, with ends hanging over the
pan rim - add half the filling

follow on with the second dough layer -add the rest of the filling

finish off with the last dough layer; fold the dough layers together

pluck a few holes, making sure you go through the second layer of
dough

bake for 3/4 hour at around 400F

enjoy, with a simple tomato and cucumber salad

Each variety of olive produces its own characteristic taste. Geography, climate and cultivation also influences the quality of the fruit and the oil it yields.

To make summer cooking taste authentically Mediterranean, be prepared to pay up to £20 for a bottle of good quality extra virgin olive oil. This may seem expensive but each olive tree bears only sufficient fruit to produce three litres of oil.

The best oil is extra virgin - an unprocessed oil that has an acidity level of not more than 1%. Organic oil, produced using traditional methods, has the edge on commercially produced (and often blended) oils which make up most of what supermarkets sell. Try your local delicatessen or the internet.

I wish you 'Double Happiness'

 The shrimp or lobster( a symbol of longevity--wishing to live long until back bends as shrimp)

.

Black Bean glazed Sausages with Roasted Onion Mash

(Serves 4)

Ingredients
Thick pork sausages
Honey
Potatoes
Butter
Milk
Soy sauce
Gravy
Onion
Black bean sauce

Method
Place 450g (1lb) of pork sausages on to a baking tray with an onion, cut into wedges and cook for about 30 minutes.

Place 900g (2lb) of old potatoes, peeled and cut, into water and boil them until they`re soft. Remove the onions from the oven tray after 30 minutes and add to the boiling potatoes for the final 5 minutes cooking time.

Mix together 45ml (3tbsp) of black bean sauce with 15ml (1tbsp) of soy sauce and 15ml (1tbsp) of honey. Spoon over the sausages and return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until well glazed and sticky.

Make the gravy and add any of the black bean sauce remaining on the tray. Mash together the potatoes and onion with milk and butter.

Serve the sausages with the mash, gravy and additional vegetables of your choice.

Taken from AgaLinks.com