WOODEN SPOON: COOKING 'SOUVENIRS' FROM FARAWAY PLACES

WOODEN SPOON: Cooking “Souvenirs” from Faraway Places

As I mentioned last week, bringing home recipes from our travels can recreate the mood and memories of those wonderful times. Cooking these two special appetizer recipes I connived to get from the generous chefs also happily sharpens my cooking technique. Of course, eating and sharing them with you makes me even happier.

 

Albondigas, a Tapas from Unknown Bar in Madrid

Ingredients

1 pound ground meat, about ¾ beef or veal with ¼ pork

1/2 cup whole milk

1 eggs

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

flour to coat meatballs

parsley

salt and pepper to taste

oil for frying

Sauce

1/2 large onion finely diced

1/2 cup white wine

scant oil for frying

 

Preparation

--Place the meat in a large bowl.

--In a separate small bowl, soak breadcrumbs in the milk.

--Add egg to the breadcrumb mix, stirring with a wooden spoon.

--Mince the garlic, chop the parsley and add both to the breadcrumbs, blending with fork

   or in blender until smooth.

--Add blender contents to the meat and stir with wooden spoon until blended.

--Form meatballs, then cover the balls in flour.

--Heat a deep frying pan and fill 1 ½ inches deep with frying oil; when very hot, place 

   meatballs in and brown all over. (They don’t have to be cooked inside at this point.)

For Sauce

--In  separate fry pan, place a thin layer of olive oil in and heat; add onions and fry 

   until golden.

--Add a rounded tablespoon of flour to the pot, stirring until blended.

--Add the white wine and 1/2 cup of water; keeping the pot on medium high heat and

   adding the browned meatballs.

--Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes during which time the

   meatballs will cook fully inside.

--Add salt and pepper to taste. Double the recipe for a party.

  

   Bet you can’t eat just one!

Serve with a full bodied Spanish wine.

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Tiny Greek Stuffed Peppers as served at Nikos Bar, Moraitika, Corfu

18-20 small frying pepper (2-3" long)

1 med. onion, chopped

2-3 anchovy filets, finely chopped

1 1/2c. bread crumbs

2 TB. raisins, chopped

1 1/2 med. tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 TB. grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

pinch of hot pepper flakes

2 TB. olive oil

-Remove stem end of peppers, seed and carefully remove pith with fingers or narrow 

  knife.

-In 1 TB. olive oil, sauté chopped onion until transparent.

-In small bowl mix bread crumbs, onions, tomato, raisins, anchovies, cheese and pepper

  flakes

-Mix well with fork or fingers; if not moist enough to hold together, add a few drops of

  water.

-Stuff peppers fairly firmly with the mixture.

-In same sauté pan as used for the onions, heat 2 additional TB. olive oil over medium-

  high heat.

-Add peppers, turning frequently to lightly brown all sides, and lowering heat to medium

  if necessary.

-Remove from heat and place in oven casserole in single layer; cover with aluminum foil

  and bake additional 15 min. at 350o or until fork tender.

Delicious served alone or with a crusty baguette.

Next Friday’s Blog will take us back to the Shovel, and our Winter Garden