happy Greek July 4th

Well, it's more like happy March 25th.  Greek Independence Day today!  Let us be thankful for peace and prosperity.  I would prefer to be in Thessaloniki eating bakaliaro with skordalia, but alas, I'll wait until next year.

The tradition fried cod with garlic sauce is eaten all over Greek households on this day.  I had the most beautiful bakaliaro two years ago at my friend Alexi's house in Neapoli (a charming area of Thessaloniki). 

The legendary Hlias Mamalakis has a beautiful recipe with a twist on the more traditional version on Youtube.com.

Χρόνια μας πολλά!

splashlife

Hello folks.  Great stuff coming up for the Oxford Gastronomy Society next term.  Stay tuned.  Really amazing stuff.

In the meantime, please visit a superb American online community called Splashlife.  I heard about it today and will be checking it out.

this blog has been sleeping

Thesis writing, work, life, bla bla bla.  Excuses, excuses.

coulis?

I'm coming up with a little array of different coulis recipes.  They will include:

• raspberry
  
• blackberry
• strawberry
• spiced pear
• mango
• peach

Any other ideas for sweet coulis?  Emeril Lagasse (who happened to study at Johnson & Wales from Providence, RI) has some excellent coulis recipes.

jamieoliver.com

The great British chef Mr. Jamie Oliver has a really cool website, and I just created a profile on there.  He's got some really great sections with articles on recipes, his Ministry of Food initiative, and other funky aspects of the website.  Please visit at www.jamieoliver.com

Markos made a really lovely mussels dish with saffron courtesy of the Mr. Vangelis Driskas.  I'll see if I can knock off the recipe from him.

it's March already? Damn.

Happy month everyone.  When did March creep on us?  Did I post anything about the amazing eateries in Montreal from my conference trip a few weeks ago?  Of course not.  Have I posted any new recipes, like the risotto pudding I have been working on?  Of course not.  Have I made the tortellini with white truffle oil for my housemates yet?  Of course not.  Have I posted a picture of the really cool tiramisu I made in honour of President Barack Obama for my lab (and it came out so wonderfully tasteful)? Of course not. Have I finished reading my dad's Christmas presents (two amazing books on molecular gastronomy)?  Of course not.  Have I gotten around to testing diabetic versions of baklava?  Of course not.  Have I submitted my spanakopita recipe to Oxfordshire Living yet?  Of course not.  Have I looked into Oxford Slow Food and what events they have this spring?  Of course not. 

Have I emailed the Fat Duck about organizing an event at their restaurant for the Oxford Gastronomy Society for next term?  Of course yes.  Irony is that I emailed them on the day they ended up closing down the restaurant given their food poisoning cases.  Heston Blumenthall again is featured on a video in the Guardian today in an interview with food critic Matthew Fort.

And and it's Ash Monday ('Katharh Deftera) today, first day of Lent in the Greek Orthodox Calendar.  I'm going to go fly a kite with my Greek mates in Oxford this afternoon.