Day: May 8, 2010

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what she really wants on mothers day

what she really wants on mothers day

After 38 years of marriage and much soul searching, I am starting to get better at gifting the women in my life what they want for special occasions. The secret? I ask them! Obviously, it is extremely bad form to ask any woman what they want on the day of the event; however, I manage to sneak questions into the conversation well in advance.

Most of our events center around food, since we are foodies this should not surprise anyone. Laura loves my stuffed Bell Peppers — as did her mother — so this isn’t too tough a decision. However, dessert is always a challenge. Laura loved the tin roof sundae served at a restaurant called the ‘Hamburger Hamlet.‘ Dessert won’t be a tough one to recreate with homemade french vanilla ice cream, real caramel, nuts and hot fudge smothered in whipped cream! I guess I’ll have one as well!

Laura also wanted an ergonomically designed chair…  which was a bit more challenging, but this one has memory foam for the padding and looked a great deal more reputable than the others I found. Oh yes, there was the iPad.

Happy Mother’s Day, Laura and to everyone!

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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!