peter minaki (kalofagas) feature in december 2013 christmas issue

8/13/2019 Peter Minaki (Kalofagas) feature in December 2013 Christmas issue

1/4

In the KOUZINA

Cauliflower Stifado With Kale & Kalamata

Olives ( )serves 4

Ingredients1 head of cauliflower

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

2-3 bay leaves

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 heaping Tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup of pearl onions, blanched and

skins removed

6-7 small potatoes, skin on (skins

scrubbed/washed well), cut in half

3-4 cups hot vegetable stock or water

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 cups of wash kale (or other leafy

greens), stems removed

1 cup of Kalamata olives

3 Tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

red wine vinegar to taste

Method

1. Remove the leaves of your cauliflower (dis-card) and wash/trim the head. Turn to theundersides and cut off the florets by turninga paring knife downwards and around thestalk to release the florets. Add some oliveoil into your pot and brown the florets andremove with a slotted spoon. Reserve.

2. Place a large pot on your stovetop and overmedium heat add your onions, garlic, bayleaves, red peppers and sweat for 5-6 min-utes. Now add the tomato paste, choppedrosemary, pearl onions and potatoes andstir and cook for minute.

3. Add enough stock/hot water to just coverthe potatoes and season well with salt and

pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Uncover, add the cauliflower florets (stemside down), the kale and sprinkle some moresalt and pepper over the leaves and cover.Simmer for another 10 minutes or until thekale has wilted (the kale will release morewater). Now add the olives and cover againand simmer uncovered to thicken the sauce.

5. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt andpepper, add your dried Greek oregano and

red wine vinegar to taste. DO NOT stir butshake the pot back and forth to mix/blend(and not break up your cauliflower).

TIP:CauliflowerusedtobeknownasCypruscabbage,referringtoitsorigins

22 | OPAMAGAZINE.COM


2/4

In the KOUZINA

Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb

Ingredients1 leg of lamb (bone in) or 2 short-cut legs of lamb (6-8lbs.)1 head of garlic, skins removed andcut into slivers5 teaspoons fine sea salt2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder2 teaspoons. sweet paprika2 medium onions, peeled &quartered1 cup dry white wine2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary10 sprigs of fresh thyme2-3 teaspoons dried Greek oregano2-3 bay leaves

juice of 2 lemons1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oilhot water

serves 8-10

Method

1. Stick a paring knife into the lamb and makea hole, then slip a sliver of garlic. Repeat andinsert as many slivers of garlic as you can intothe leg.

2. Pre-heat your oven to 550F and place therack in the middle position. Drizzle your lambwith some olive oil and season with salt,

pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Place theleg of lamb in a roasting pan that just fitsthe leg. Place in your pre-heated oven androast uncovered for about 10-15 minutes or

until browned, then flip the leg and roast foranother 10-15 minutes.

3. Remove the lamb from the oven and reducethe heat to 350F. Place the quartered onionsaround the lamb, add any remaining sliversof garlic, add the herbs (thyme, bay, rosemary,oregano) and squeeze in the lemon juice and

pour the wine into the pan. Add the olive oiland enough hot water to cover third of thelamb.

4. Cover and place the lamb back in the oven for2 hours (add more hot water if needed), bastethe lamb once an hour. After two hours, flip theleg of lamb (add more water if necessary andadjust seasoning of liquid with salt and pepper).

5. After 3 hours, the leg of lamb shoulderbe a deep brown and the bones will beexposed and the meat should show signs ofseparating from the bone. Remove the lambfrom the oven, baste with liquid and allowto rest.

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OPAMAGAZINE.COM | 23


3/4

In the KOUZINA

Touloumbes

Ingredients2 1/2 cups water1/3 cup sunower oil

Choux pastry2 1/2 cups all purposeoursplash of vanilla extract5 large eggs

For the syrup2 cups water2 cups sugar1/4 cup honey3-4 whole cloves

1. Make your syrup in advance so it has time to cool (syrupmust be cool/room temp. and Touloumbes hot). Bring upto a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the honey, stir inand take off the heat and allow to cool (room temp. is fine).

2. Place a medium pot on your stovetop and bring up to aboil. In the meantime, measure out your flour in a largebowl. Crack your eggs into a small bowl and set aside.When the water comes to a boil, remove the pot from theheat and add the hot water into the middle of the flourand incorporate with hand mixer. Add the vanilla extract

plus an egg and use your hand mixer to blend in. Add andmix in the remaining eggs one at a time. Set aside

3. Place a wide pan/pot on your stovetop and add about 1inch of oil. Bring the oil up to a temperature of 300-325F.Insert a #6 star nozzle into a large piping bag and use aspatula to fill it.

4. When your oil has reached 325F, squeeze the choux pastryout of the bag and cut into three inch length with scissorsinto the hot oil. Fry in batches.

5. Fry gently until just golden brown, remove with a slottedspoon and place in the reserved cooled syrup. Allow theTouloumbes to soak in the syrup for about 5-6 minutes.Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a fine mesh rack(with pan underneath to harvest leftover syrup). Serve on

platter or small plate with a dusting of cinnamon on top.

Peter Minaki is a proud Greek Canadian andthe creator of the popular Kalofagas Greek Food & Beyond food blog. Kalofagas

is the Greek word for gourmet. Peter startedthe Kalofagas blog because he wanted to intro-duce the world to the delicious depths of Greekcuisine. Known for adding twists to his recipes,Peter balances his posts between traditional,modernized and his own unique recipes. Gather-ing inspiration from his yearly trips to Greece,Peter endlessly promotes the diversity of Greekcuisine. Living in Toronto and having a curiousspirit, he refers to himself as a tourist in his own

town. He welcomes every opportunity to trynew foods and different cuisines..

Now you can try out many of Peters favouritedishes inspired by family recipes, trips to Greeceand the Mediterranean in his first cookbook,Everything Mediterranean (2nd edition).

Peter is a frequent contributor to Greeces FreePress Gastronomywebsite, InsideToronto.comand has appeared on TV cooking segments inGreece and in Canada. His recipes have been fea-tured in Canadian Living Magazine (Canada),OPAmagazine(Austrailia), National Herald (US), Stahlmagazine(Hungary), andEnsemble Vacationsmagazine (Canada).

Peter currently hosts and cooks for the Kalofa-gas Greek Supper Club in Canada (and recentlyas guest Chef for a sold out dinner in Manhat-tan). These monthly supper clubs are casual andintimate gatherings that feature regional Greekfood and wines. The supper club has proved tobe popular with both Greeks and people who

just want to be Greek for a night! Peter teachesGreek cooking classes, does private catering andpop-ups at venues around Toronto such as the

Toronto Underground Market, Toronto Harbour-front and local restaurants.

makes approx. 30

Internet Statistics

Website (www.kalofagas.ca): Website contains over 1,200 recipes posts Receives over 85,000 visits/month Receives over 50,000 unique visits/month

Facebook Kalofagas Fan Page: 8,000friends

Twitter: over 7,300 followers

Youtube Channel: over 40,000 views

Pinterest: over 1000 followers

Instagram: over 600 followers

Method

24 | OPAMAGAZINE.COM


4/4

In the KOUZINA

T

oronto, ON Torontos ownPeter Minakihas successfullytransitioned from blogger topublished author with the

imminent launch of EverythingMediterranean (2ndEdition), bringing amuch-needed sunny Opa! to our steps asnights become longer. To celebrate its release,Peter is hosting an exclusive opportunityto sample some of the recipes from his newbook with a healthy side of Greek flair onNovember 12that the Burroughes Building.

Minakis hugely successful kalofagas.ca blogwas the perfect reflection of his uniquelyencyclopaedic knowledge of Greek andMediterranean food, while his de hand incraing these traditional dishes has broughtwith it a steadily-growing fan base for his

monthly Greek supper clubs. Not content

to rest on his (bay) laurels, Peters newendeavour allows home cooks the world overto experience the warmth of Minakis dishes intheir own homes. Everything Mediterranean

features the culinary highlights of theauthors dedication to his love for all thingsMediterranean spanning the past two decades,compiled as a single beautifully laid out workfor the very first time.

Regular visitors to his blog will have notedthat whilst his speciality lies in Greek food,

vast amounts of his cooking are based onolive oil, sunshine and the Mediterraneandiet. Whilst some of the recipes featured inthe book have been shared on Kalofagas inthe past, many of the dishes were created oramended specifically for this, his first book.Everything Mediterranean (2ndEdition)

will feature Peters original photographs,

while the 300-plus recipes have all beenpainstakingly (and deliciously) verified.

Everything Mediterranean (2ndEdition)

is set to hit US and Canadian in late Octoberand Amazon and Chapters on November18th(pre-orders available now) in timefor most Christmas lists. A week prior to itsrelease, Peter will be hosting an exclusivetasting of some of his creations as well as anopportunity for a hands-on demonstrationof some dishes. Fully-flavoured canaps willinclude ouzo-cured salmon, keedes withtzatziki, Greek sushi dolmades as well as theever-popular leek pie, featuring handmadephyllo (which Peter will also interactivelydemo). For the sweet tooth in us, there is littlethat can compete with Peters Greek ode tothe Eton mess (the Greek mess) as well as his

delightfully light yet syrupy touloumbes.

EVERYTHINGMEDITERRANEAN BOOKLaunch Brings Warm Flavours to

ward off November Chill

OPAMAGAZINE.COM | 25

peter minaki (kalofagas) feature in december 2013 christmas issue

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