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Mediterranean

Greek Salad

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Every so often, I’ll catch myself, and realize that it’s been a few days since I’ve had a good, solid, salad.  I may have had some vegetables – I certainly love my sweet potatoes and butternut squash – but for some reason, a head of lettuce is not one of my staple purchases.  So, whenever I come to this realization, I go for a Greek Salad.

I think there’s something about the saltiness in the feta that drives my love for the Greek Salad.  Or maybe the soft taste of the sliced red onions, given a pickled quality by the vinegar.  Or maybe the sharp taste…

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Grape Leaves

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There is a certain joy to the art of discovery.

Four years ago, I rarely, if ever cooked.  But then I discovered that it was something I really enjoyed, and that it could bring me pleasure.  I found cooking to be fun and relaxing, irrespective of the process or outcome.

And cooking is only one example.  We all have those moments of individual discovery, of learning of a new love or skill, place or interest.  Scanning the radio and stumbling upon an artist that inspires.  Picking up a paint brush and finding an innate command of the canvas.  Walking along the street and feeling the vivacity and charms of a heretofore undiscovered neighborhood.

Most recently, I discovered books on tape.  I have always enjoyed fiction and reading.  I have pleasant memories of lying awake, in bed, reading – at various times …

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Lentil Tabbouleh

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The Palouse region along the Idaho-Washington border is lentil country.  In field after field, the tiny, green-coated legume covers the land.

The Palouse region counts roughly 200 miles of land, and is home to over 3,000 family farms.  Between them, these farms account for nearly 90 percent of the lentils grown in this country.  But sadly, few of these lentils ever find their way onto American plates or palates.  Nearly the entire lentil crop is exported – to countries like Spain, Italy, Greece, and India –  countries that appreciate the culinary qualities of the lentil.

And the lentil is worthy of appreciation.  Unlike beans, lentils cook quickly and do not require soaking.  They pair with almost any dish, and …

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Baklava

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Baklava stresses me out.

As soon as I open the plastic packaging and roll out the cold sheets of phyllo dough, I feel like I’m in a race against time.  I can picture the sand streaming down the hour glass, announcing the moment that the phyllo dough will become parched and unworkable, as if your potter’s wheel could only spin for so long.  Time is of the essence, but working quickly is not necessarily the solution.  Move too carelessly and too quickly, and the thin sheets will tear and break into equally unworkable pieces.

I’ve tried covering the sheets with cold towels, or keeping half the sheets in the refrigerator, but have not noticed any real difference.  If I am going to work with phyllo dough, I am going to have to work quickly and carefully.  And that stresses me out.  …

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Sweet Potato “Pie” or Yamakopita

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When it’s not ripping and breaking, or tearing and fraying, phyllo dough can be quite a treat.

Phyllo dough is paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough, most typically found in Mediterranean cuisine.  Indeed, the dough is most often associated with spanakopita and baklava – but little else.  Which is perhaps why one of the leading producers of the dough has a running contest involving phyllo.

Always a sucker for a good recipe contest, …

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