Category: Food & Wine

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Honey Pie from the Greek island of Sifnos

Sifnos honey pie
an Easter treat: Honey Pie from the island of Sifnos... but delicious anytime!

I had heard and then read a lot about the famous ‘Honey Pie” from the Greek island of Sifnos. Some folks will tell you that it tastes like cheesecake, and possibly — as a cheese — maybe that is the closest it comes. If you make this pie thinking you are making a ‘cheesecake’ you are bound to be disappointed; however, it is a very special dessert none-the-less!

Back to the Greek Honey Pie called Melopitta, the traditional Easter treat of the island of Sifnos! Searching for authentic ingredients for “Melopitta” is challenging. Most of the knock-off recipes substitute the Greek cheese  Myzithra (μυζήθρα, pronounced mee-ZEETH-rah) with Ricotta, Mascarpone or even Cottage cheese… but it is far closer to cream cheese in practical use. There are also many ‘cheesecake’ variations utilizing Myzithra with brandy, fruit and nuts.

making honey pie
Grating the cheese first, makes mixing easier!

The basic recipe is fairly standard: the filling is of grated Myzithra cheese, eggs, sugar and honey placed in a simple crust. I have seen this dessert baked in a variety of pans, but one of the most appealing presentations is baked in a shallow quiche pan with a removable bottom. Most of the recipes add only 2 or maybe four eggs per pie, but if you do this the pie will have a lot of body ( think ‘hockey puck’). I eventually added many more eggs (8) to fluff it up and it is quite enjoyable.

Myzithra is made from the milk and whey of sheep and/or goats. Recognizing the inherent strong flavors in this cheese, then I like to add some fruit or nuts (some like to bake on sliced almonds, but I most enjoy caramelized pecans).

bon appetite!

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unraveling the mysteries of sou barag

the Armenian mysteries of sou barag“Sou Barag” is an Armenian dish by many names in many places: Sou Boereg, Sou Boreg, Sou Boeregi, Sou Burek and Sou Barag to name but a few. However, the many variations in the preparation of this dish is due in part to the travels of the Armenian diaspora and in part to the availability of ingredients.

Armenian is considered — I am told — to not be a highly spiced cuisine; something , I am sure, my Swedish father-in-law would have approved. However, this is not to say it isn’t wonderful or flavorful. The real challenge is to find a guide to how to make Armenian food without all of the substitutions and shortcuts found in so many recipes today. It is hard to talk to someone  knowledgeable who doesn’t starts the conversation by saying,” this takes a lot of work… so this is what I do…” For example, the dough layers are made with egg, flour and a water mixture that is ‘paper thin’ and somewhere between a lasagna noodle and filo dough. Many recipes call for one or the other, but mostly Filo.

There is some agreement on what constitutes the cheese layer. This contains a mixture of egg, cheese and parsley. I am sure there is an inclusion of some seasonings; salt, pepper and garlic at least. This would be my choice.

This recipe as it stands today is  a bow to vegetarians everywhere; however, I suspect that the original recipes had a meat and tomato sauce layer ( Tomatoes came to Armenia late in the game). And although pork was a well used meat in austere Soviet Armenia, I suspect that lamb is preferred being widely used today and historically in and around Armenia. As with South African “Bobotie”, I think a blend of pork and lamb would be a nice change of pace with some of the commonly used Armenian spices, including Basil.

I still have a few questions on this dish… but it is coming along!

Roger

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do you love mandarin or cantonese?

the best sweet and sour pork
the best sweet and sour pork

In my family, we are always finding ways to experiment with old favorites either with recipe expansions, technology or better prep techniques. We love making something good better.

Many feel that the two most challenging ( for different reasons) cuisines in the world are French and the other Chinese… both have their wonders and I love their many and various flavors and moods!

However, today is not that day for my cooking, we are going out for Chinese with friends  to a nice place… but the truth be known, there is nothing like making it yourself.

Here’s our Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe!

Roger

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lessons on the ph.d. from william james

the PhD Octopus

I have always admired new immigrants, people willing to give it all up and try for a better life on another land. What always amused me in history was that after the trail was blazed, civilized and made safe; then others followed bringing with them their bureaucratic class ideals and ineffectual old fashioned ways. In fact, the later wave brought with them those same values that the original settlers found so repugnant and desired escape.

In a marvelous book that I was fortunate to acquire by William James, America’s eminent Psychologist of the last century, entitled  ‘Memories and Studies’ (1911) published a couple years after his death, James was concerned that we were adapting some of the failed ways of thinking that handicapped much of Europe at the time. Ironically, it does seem like we are facing the same challenge again today. I have linked the entire essay on the photo above. Here are a few of his observations.

“…whatever evolution our state-examinations are destined to undergo, our universities at least should never cease to regard themselves as the jealous custodians of personal and spiritual spontaneity. They are indeed its only organized and recognized custodians in America to-day. They ought to guard against contributing to the increase of officialism and snobbery and insincerity as against a pestilence; they ought to keep truth and disinterested labor always in the foreground, treat degrees as secondary incidents, and in season and out of season make it plain that what they live for is to help men’s souls, and not to decorate their persons with diplomas.”

“It is indeed odd to see this love of titles — and such titles — growing up in a country of which the recognition of individuality and bare manhood have so long been supposed to be the very soul. The independence of the State, in which most of our colleges stand, relieves us of those more odious forms of academic politics which continental European countries present.”

“But are we Americans ourselves destined after all to hunger after similar vanities on an infinitely more contemptible scale? And is individuality with us also going to count for nothing unless stamped and licensed and authenticated by some title-giving machine? Let us pray that our ancient national genius may long preserve vitality enough to guard us from a future so unmanly and so unbeautiful!”

Genius is obvious to all who see it; however, it needs development and encouragement.  food for thought.

Roger Freberg

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in love with farmers markets

are these artichokes big enough for ya?
are these artichokes big enough for ya?

Farmers have been taking their produce to market as long as time, although many folks in our county like to believe they invented it along with the internet! 😉 This doesn’t mean that I don’t frequent Costco, Ralph’s, Spencer’s and Smart and Final for most of my culinary needs; it just means that there is something very special about the conversation, banter and fun that comes along with the open market experience.

Oh yes, there is something nice about buying artichokes 12 months a year!

Here’s a link to out Farmer’s Market site.

Roger