by Krista | Jan 22, 2010 | Spring
After posting about the lovely
Villa Trotta this week, I had a request for more photos of the
villa and surroundings from my photographer friend
Justin. It’s a place of such tranquil beauty and happy memories that I was delighted. I hope you enjoy them. 🙂
A grape vine found one of the lanterns
Lovely wooden chair on the tiled balcony overlooking the valley
Retaining wall at the villa
Shuttered window on the ground floor
Sun-warmed stone bench
Sunset view from large terrace
Where we dried our laundry. 🙂
Steps leading up from the lower terrace
Steps leading up from the olive grove
The olive grove below the villa
The view from my bedroom window
Perhaps next week I’ll share more photos from the surrounding area. 🙂
I wish you all a wonderful weekend! 🙂
by Krista | Jan 21, 2010 | Winter
It seemed like a good idea at the time. My boss, Raphael, asked if I’d be open to cooking a special dinner for the staff. He’d pay for whatever I wanted to do and I could rope in willing helpers. Would I be open? Of course!! 🙂
I settled on Indian food and plotted my menu, tracked down recipes, and filled my shopping cart with cilantro, limes, and all manner of amazing spices. The morning of the dinner I decided to get up bright and early so I could get a head start.
What a gong show. 🙂
I wasn’t able to find paneer (Indian cheese) so I had to resort to making it. From scratch. I followed the directions carefully, heating the whole milk, adding lemon juice, stirring faithfully, but the recipe neglected to give timing and that’s where I got befuddled. Nearly a gallon of milk made only 1/2 cup of cheese! Ack!
I glanced at the clock, took a deep breath and thought, “No worries, I can just pick up more milk and do it again this afternoon.” Onward!
I didn’t want to waste all that milk, so I decided to use it for the Vermicelli Pudding I had planned for dessert. I toasted the vermicelli until it browned beautifully.
I stirred the vermicelli into the milk and started to cook it and then, oh THEN it turned into cheese!!! Tons and tons of it! Only now it was sweet and filled with toasted vermicelli and looked like a science experiment gone horribly wrong. So, I was late to work and had nothing to show for my efforts except a measly 1/2 cup of paneer cheese, a whole pot of cheese/pudding glop, and a mountain of dirty dishes. Sigh. 🙂
I confess I got a bit teary in frustration, but then bucked up, had a chuckle and made a new plan. There was still hope. 🙂 My ghastly efforts at paneer-making ended up teaching me exactly how to make it properly, and after Mums stopped laughing at my adventure, she volunteered to make it for me. (Thanks, Mums!!!) She also helped with a new dessert and even made the table “fancy” for me. 🙂 You can bet I hugged her soundly!
Thankfully the rest of my Indian cooking venture went much better! 🙂 My office manager, boss’s wife and Mums pitched in throughout the evening as the best sous chefs ever! 🙂
We made Spicy Potato Pea Samosas
Lovely mild and cheesy Spinach Paneer
My favoritest curry in the whole wide world concocted by my brother Ryan and I: Chicken Curry with Cilantro and Lime, creamy with coconut milk and ricotta, oh so savory after marinading the chicken in soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic.
We washed it all down with Indian Lemonade, a refreshing blend of lemon, muddled mint, sugar and black salt. The traditional recipe also called for cumin, but I thought my guests were having enough unusual dishes for one night so I omitted it. The black salt was a marvelous addition, softening the water and heightening the other flavors.
Our dinner ended with one of my favorite desserts: Almond Jello with Fresh Mango. A delicate, cool and utterly delicious dish, the perfect light finale to a meal of richness and spice.
It turned out to be a good idea after all. 🙂
Samosa (Potato Stuffed Pastry)
(From Food-India)
Ingredients:
For Pastry:
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon oil
6 tablespoon water
For Potato Stuffing:
5 medium potatoes
4 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup green peas
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1 hot green chili (finely chopped)
3 tablespoon green coriander (cilantro), chopped
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
Oil for deep frying
Directions:
Dough for Samosa Pastry:
- Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
- Add 4 tablespoons oil and rub until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Slowly add about 6 tablespoons water and knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it is smooth.
- Rub dough with oil. Cover it and set aside for 30 minutes or longer.
- Potato stuffing for Samosa
- Boil, cool and peel the potatoes. Dice it into 1/4 inch size.
- Heat 4 tablespoons oil in karahi or wok in medium flame.
- Lower the heat and carefully put the onion. Stir fry until golden brown in medium heat.
- Add peas, ginger, green chili, and fresh coriander (cilantro). Add diced potatoes, salt and all spices.
- Mix and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Do not forget to stir while cooking.
Making Samosa
- Knead the dough again. Divide it into about 10 balls.
- Roll it into flat round shape with about 5 inch diameter.
- Cut it into half. Make the half into a cone by sticking seam together with a little water.
- Fill the cone with about 2.5 tablespoons of the potato mixture.
- Stick the top of the cone together with a little water. The seam should be about 1/4 inch (5 mm) wide.
- Repeat this again.
Cooking Samosa
- Heat about 2 inches of oil for deep frying over a medium-low flame. (You may use a wok, Indian karhai or any other utensil you seem fit)
- When the oil is hot, carefully put in as many samosas as it fits. Fry slowly, turning the samosas until they are golden brown and crisp.
- Drain excess oil and serve hot.
Palak Paneer
(From Food-India)
Ingredients:
1 lb paneer pieces (½ inch cubed)
2 lb spinach
3 tablespoon onion (chopped)
2 tablespoon tomato (chopped)
½ cup half and half
2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon ghee or oil
Salt to taste
Directions:
- Heat ghee in low-medium flame. Add cubed Paneer and heat until light golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Heat ghee or oil. Sauté onion until light golden brown. Add spinach and cook until it turns into a paste.
- Add spices and tomatoes. Simmer for few minutes.
- Add half and half and Paneer to spinach curry. Cook for about 10 minutes in medium heat.
- Serve hot with rice or indian bread.
- Number of Servings: 6 to 8
Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Marinade:
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 sesame seed oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
Toss chicken in marinade to coat. Let sit for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
1 Tbsp dry, unsweetened, shredded coconut (desiccated)
1/4 cup almonds, ground
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 green cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
1 dried red chili, crushed
2/3 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp salt
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
3-4 limes, juiced
Directions:
- Stir ground almonds and coconut in wok over medium heat until they are lightly toasted. Transfer to large bowl.
- Add coconut milk, ricotta cheese, ground coriander, chili powder, garlic, ginger and salt. Mix together well.
- Heat vegetable oil in wok and add drained chicken, cardamom pods and bay leaf. Stir fry 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked.
- Pour in coconut milk mixture and stir well. Lower heat. Add chili and half of cilantro and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep contents from sticking to pan.
- Just before serving, stir in fresh cilantro and fresh lime juice.
- Serve over basmati rice.
Jal Jeera (Indian Cumin Lemonade)
(From Food-India)
Ingredients:
3 cups of ice water
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon mint leave paste
2 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon Black salt (Kala Namak)
pinch of sugar
Mint leaves for garnish
Optional Spices:
½ teaspoon cilantro (coriander) paste
½ teaspoon amchur (dry mango powder)
Directions:
- Mix everything together and served chilled with ice and mint garnish.
- Number of Servings: 3
Almond Jello with Fresh Mangoes
(From Lynn Siy)
Ingredients:
2 pkgs. unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. almond extract
2-3 ripe mangoes, cubed
- Sprinkle gelatin on cold water in a pot. Put on medium heat.
- Stir constantly until dissolved.
- Add 1 cup sugar, stir to dissolve. Remove from heat.
- Add almond flavoring to the milk and pour into the gelatin mix. Stir to blend.
- Pour into 9″ square glass pan and put in fridge to set.
- When cut in 1/2 -1-inch squares.
- Place a cup full into each bowl. Top with cubed mango or fruit cocktail or any desired seasonal fruit and serve.
by Krista | Jan 20, 2010 | Winter
I arrived at CEC this week frazzled, exhausted and distracted by the many responsibilities sending my mind into a tizzy. Then my friends greeted me with grins, Darren poured me a glass of red wine, Selwyn served up appetizers, and all of a sudden life righted itself and I felt the stress of the day slip away.
It was Greek Night and we clustered around the counter chatting, nibbling salty Greek olives and dipping warm slices of cheese-topped pita bread into Darren‘s homemade hummus and cool, creamy tzaziki.
Deborah made a creamy orzo pasta salad studded with sweet bell peppers, parsley and tangy feta cheese.
Feta also made an appearance in Toby’s light and fluffy Mediterranean couscous.
Darren and Cameron meandered between kitchen and smoker as they fixed a succulent leg of lamb and a whole tray of veggies.
It was a delicious and healthy dinner, not too heavy but filling and nourishing.
Toby helped me wrap up the meal with Galaktoboureko Rolla – delicate Custard-Filled Phyllo Rollups doused in Lemon-Cinnamon Syrup.
Jack did mounds of dishes (thank you!!), Baboo the cat made us laugh as he ran full speed across the room and attacked our plates, and Michael entertained us with his most recent embarrassing moment. It was a grand evening. 🙂
Deborah’s Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Salad Ingredients:
1 cup orzo pasta
1 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 chopped fresh basil
Salad Dressing Ingredients:
1 packet (1 ounce) Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing Seasoning Mix
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Directions:
- Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt.
- Rinse with cold water and drain well.
- Mix orzo, bell pepper, feta, and chopped basil in a large bowl.
- Whisk together seasoning mix, oil, vinegar and sugar.
- Stir dressing into orzo mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
- Garnish with leaves of basil before serving.
- Makes 4-6 servings.
Toby’s Mediterranean Couscous
(From Recipezaar)
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked couscous
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2-3 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oil-cured olives, pitted and sliced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
salt (optional)
feta, crumbled (optional)
Directions:
- Prepare the couscous (Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil).
- Heat olive oil in a small pan to medium-high.
- Add tomato, scallions, garlic, and olives.
- Saute in the pan for around 3 minutes.
- Fluff couscous with a fork.
- Add salt to taste, mix tomato mixture with couscous and serve.
Krista’s Galaktoboureko Rolla – Custard-Filled Phyllo Rollups
(From Greek Food)
Ingredients:
For the syrup:
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of water
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1-2 slices of lemon peel
1 stick of cinnamon (optional)
For the custard:
3 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of semolina (fine grind), or rice flour, or cream of wheat
1/2 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of grated lemon peel
3 cups of whole milk
1 cup of unsalted butter, melted
2 one-pound boxes of phyllo pastry sheets, defrosted, at room temperature
Preparation:
Note: Defrost the phyllo dough in the refrigerator the day before. Bring the phyllo to room temperature before beginning, and do not open the package until the filling has been prepared and you’re ready to start making the pastry. When you do open it, keep unused portion covered with a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap and a cool damp towel. Make sure hands are dry when handling.
Make the syrup: Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add lemon peel and cinnamon, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon juice (do not stir) and set aside.
Make the custard:
- With an electric mixer on high speed, beat 1 egg with 1/3 of the sugar until light and fluffy; add another egg and another 1/3 of the sugar, and repeat until all 3 eggs and all the sugar have been beaten together. Continue to beat on high for 2 minutes.
- Beat in the semolina, lemon juice, and grated lemon peel. Continue beating and add the milk and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Beat for another 5-6 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Transfer the custard to a pot and heat over medium heat. Whisk vigorously until it thickens to the consistency of ketchup (or puréed baby food). Remove from heat immediately and set aside.
- Tip: If the custard has thickened a little too much, transfer to a bowl, whisk, and continue with the recipe. If left in a hot pot, it could continue to thicken further.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare the rollups: Brush the bottom and sides of two or more shallow baking pans with melted butter. Open the phyllo dough and work with 5 sheets at a time, keeping the rest covered.
- Place the phyllo lengthwise in front of you on a dry work surface.
- Fold the sheet in half from side to side and brush the top lightly with butter.
- Using a pastry bag or tablespoon, place custard (about 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoonfuls) across the bottom of the phyllo (shorter side), about 1 inch in from the bottom and sides.
- Fold the phyllo up over the custard from the bottom, and roll up two or three times, trying to make sure there’s no air space between the dough and the custard.
- Fold the sides in to create a straight channel and roll the pastry up the rest of the way.
- If needed to keep the rolls fairly tight, brush the phyllo with a little more butter to avoid stressing the phyllo, which could result in tearing; however, do not roll too tightly as the custard will expand a bit during cooking.
- Place the roll in the baking pan with the seam side down and continue until all custard is used. Do not place too closely together.
- Package any remaining phyllo in airtight wrapping and refrigerate for use another time. Do not freeze. It will keep for about 10 days.
- Brush the tops and sides of the rolls with melted butter and bake at 350°F (175°C) on the rack just below the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden.
- Remove the pan from the oven and pour cooled syrup (remove cinnamon stick and lemon peel first) evenly over the pastries to the edges of the pan. Let sit several hours until syrup is absorbed and the pastries come to room temperature.
Galaktoboureko should be eaten within a day or two. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Yield: 30-40 pastries
by Krista | Jan 19, 2010 | Spring
It was a glorious spring morning at the Villa Trotta, an idyllic escape perched on the side of a mountain outside Perdifumo, Italy. I awoke and pushed open the shutters, delighting in the cool breezes that billowed the lace curtains and sent loose papers scuttling across the tiled floor.
My dear friends – Nat, Trish, Becks and Viss – were still sleeping soundly, so I crept quietly down to the terrace…
…to sip on juice, write in my journal…
…and watch the world wake up.
I’ve thought about the villa so many times these last months, remembering the peace and serenity I felt on those early mornings when everyone else was asleep. I loved sneaking down in my pjs, rummaging quietly in the kitchen for something to nosh on, easing myself into a creaky wrought iron chair and sitting, just sitting and looking, for ages. The peace of that place seeped into my soul, giving me courage to let some not-so-peaceful things bubble up and be faced with honesty and grace. It felt so good to write and write, pouring my heart out onto pages that others will never read, settling my heart and mind, free them from the bondage of false thinking, false guilt, incapacitating fear. How I treasure those sunny mornings of healing and renewal.
When the girls woke up, we donned sundresses and other summery garb…
…jumped in the car and wound our way down the mountain to find a grocery store. It was a gorgeous drive – the hillsides festooned with wildflowers and the sea shimmering a vivid blue.
We managed to find our way around town and emerged from various stores arms laden with flour-dusted loaves of chewy bread, fresh mozzarella, Nutella, tomatoes and massive bell peppers, Greek yogurt and bottles of wine.
Back at the villa we changed clothes then lay like lizards on the hot tiles, soaking up every bit of warmth, snoozing, reading, writing, occasionally propping ourselves up on our elbows for a good chin wag before drifting back to our solitary reveries. Bliss.
That night we made our first dinner: pasta with homemade sauce, green beans roasted with olive oil and sea salt, salad, bread and red wine. Trish made our centerpiece…
…and we dined happily as the sun set.
After dinner we went for a stroll, finding the perfect bluff from which to watch the sun set over the sea.
We celebrated our first full day day in Italy with mismatched mugs of hot tea and an assortment of Italian cookies and pastries, including cannoli, which were every bit as good as Becks told us they would be. 🙂
It was a beautiful day.
Roasted Green Beans
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh green beans, snapped
Olive oil
Sea salt
Directions:
- Toss beans with a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkling of salt.
- Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10-20 minutes, tossing occasionally for even cooking.
- Beans are done when they’re slightly charred.
by Krista | Jan 18, 2010 | Bootstrap Monday
I knew this weekend was going to be good when I awoke Saturday morning to sunshine streaming through my windows. I flung open door and windows, breathing deeply of fresh air before it got frightfully cold and I scurried about shutting everything up again. 🙂
I gathered ripe pears…
…and fresh ginger…
…and juiced them into a perky, foamy concoction that woke me right up.
Then I got down to business, vacuuming, dusting, laundry, dishes, etc before digging into one of my favorite breakfasts: roasted Yukon Gold potatoes with dill and crispy, wonderfully salty, toasted prosciutto.
While it was a full weekend with my cousins birthday party (Happy Birthday, Nin!!) and a big, jolly dinner at my parents house with dear friends and lotsa younguns running about, I was also able to sneak in some just me time.
I finished reading “The Pianist“, and am still processing what I read. Reading stories like this always makes me question what I would do in a similar situation. Would I risk myself, my family to help others in danger? Would I fight to protect my family? I’m so grateful to not be in a place where I have to find out the answers to those questions.
I drew. Just a smattering of snowflakes – but they make me happy. 🙂
I took my vacuum cleaner apart, gave it a thorough cleaning, put it back together again and it actually works! HOORAY!
I watched the gripping season opener of “24” and am SO happy Jack is back! 🙂 I know it’s implausible and over-the-top, but I love it. 🙂
At my favorite fresh food market I found the prettiest beets in purple AND gold!
Searching for the “perfect” recipe to use them in, I found the Barefoot Contessa’s “Beets with Orange Vinaigrette.” The recipe looked fresh and delicious, but since my beets were not canned, I decided to roast them. This was easy as can be. Simply wash the beets, place them inside a double wrapping of aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 1.5 hours.
When they’re done, let them cool, remove the skins and proceed with the recipe.
The beets roasted beautifully, emerging tender and sweet with their vivid coloring intact.
I segmented a couple of oranges, reserving the escaped juices to combine with raspberry vinegar and other lovely things for a citrusy vinaigrette. I tossed everything together into a wonderfully fresh salad. Topped with a bit of fresh goat cheese it’s a healthy and delicious choice for lunch.
Roasted Beets with Orange Vinaigrette
(Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa)
Ingredients:
6-8 beets
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
2 large seedless oranges, zested
Segments 2 large seedless oranges
Directions:
- Roast the beets, skin, dice into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside.
- Mix raspberry vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and red onions.
- Zest the oranges and then segment over a bowl to catch the juices.
- Add the orange zest, orange segments, and any juices and mix well.
- Taste for seasoning and serve cold or at room temperature.
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