happy new year

peace, joy, love, health, and all that good stuff in 2011. to the world.

posting soon my recipe for smashing truffle potato purée with a variety of Greek cheeses. it's been a huge hit. (and huge apologies to everyone for being slow with email and facebook, really backed up on messages and really limited access on my travels)

a broccoli a day keeps the doctor away

I'm a big fan of this super food. I eat it twice a week (boiled). Then, I reserve one day for these unbelievably delicious purple cauliflowers I get at my farmer's market in from of my house.

Getting ready for New Year's folks. My cousin had a bone to pick with me by saying 'someone needs to get more active on their blog'. Ahem.

amazing talk on food at TED

This kid below is brilliant.

Καλά Χριστούγεννα, & Merry Christmas

creepy angel with only one eye. taken last year at Christmas time at my parents. i just had to post this.

Merry Christmas my fellow gastros. Wishing everyone health, joy, success, good food, good wine, happy families, song, dance, celebration and all that good stuff in life.

All I have to say is there's nothing like Rome at Christmas (brioche, amazing chocolate, the best espresso in the world, and without a doubt the best dressed people on the globe). Buon Natale!

gingerbread men and beetroot juice?

Random post. I know. But seriously, I'm in the midst of deadlines this week, and I am containing myself from downing all the kourabiedes and melomakarona I have inherited from aunties, friends, neighbours (as it typically happens in Greece around Christmas). I'm being a good boy and drinking my newfound delight. Beetroot juice. Power drink. Here's the recipe.

2 beetroots, washed, boiled in a pot of water until fork tender, peeled, and sliced into chunks

1/2 green apple, sliced into chunks

juice of 1 orange

2-3 ice cubes

Possibly the easiest thing in the world. Take the ingredients above, add them to a juicer (in my case, a food processor or the otherwise recognised 'to MULTI!' in Greece), mix, and pour into a glass. You may want to add some water, of course.

It's not freshly squeezed OJ, don't get me wrong. But it makes you feel better in an instant.

Lastly, on the issue of gingerbread men, I am a failure. I tested out this recipe (without ginger of course, and then you beg to ask, WTF, they are not gingerbread men). It was lame (although they looked pretty). I reckon I need more sugar next time. Testing a batch of sugar cookies tonight (batter is in the fridge overnight, letting the flavours harmonise and we shall see what comes to pass tomorrow). I hope the Metaxa does this trick. Over and out.

Rebuilding the food pyramid for 2010 - The Boston Globe

Rebuilding the food pyramid for 2010 - The Boston Globe

calamari: 30 seconds or 30 minutes

If you want your calamari to be tender, and not like rubber, you have to cook it either for 30 seconds or 30 minutes.

pomegranate frozen yogurt (and without a machine)

Since I gorged yesterday on a spread of all sorts of desserts at my auntie's Sunday lunch (including my own cheesecake creation with anthotiro with a melomakarona base) - I opted for a healthier alternative to start off the work week. I never made this before, but the combination of pomegranate + Greek yogurt worked wonders. I didn't add any sugar, although if I were to serve this to guests I would add some powdered sugar + 1 tbsp of honey.

For 4 ramekins:

2 cups of Greek yogurt (2%) [obviously, we buy 'strained' yogurt in Greece, not 'Greek']

seeds from 1 pomegranate [this took about 2 minutes to do, don't be intimidated]

3 tablespoons of water

Added pomegranate seeds to a food processor and blended for 1 minute on high speed. Scraped the sides, and then added the yogurt and water. Processed for another 1 minute, and poured yogurt mix into ramekins and placed them carefully in the freezer. After 20 minutes, I mixed each ramekin with a fork, to break the crystals. I did this 3 times every 30 minutes. Made for a refreshing and delicious afternoon snack. Enjoy folks!

HIV in Greece

Αποσπάσματα από την εκπομπή "ΜΙΑ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΑ...ΕΝΑ ΟΝΕΙΡΟ" της ΕΤ1 που προβλήθηκε στις 4 Δεκεμβρίου 2010.
Η εκπομπή ήταν διάρκειας 1 ώρας αλλά λόγω χρονικού ορίου στο youtube, η διάρκεια αυτού του video είναι 15 λεπτά.

Good work America

Happily, I woke up in Athens to find out the glorious the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act just passed the House of Representatives. For more on this important step in tackling childhood obesity in the US - please check this link:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/12/02/131761469/house-passes-bill-to-upgrade-school-lunches

Reminiscent of Jamie Oliver's campaign on school meals back in Britain. And of note, an Oxford academic conducted a study this year that suggested the positive impact Jamie's efforts had on school attendance. Good work chef.

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