Saturday, September 24, 2005
Kalimera :)
Which is greek for good morning.

I have been up since 7 am! I was awaken by the delicious smell of tomato confit. Really, when I opened my eyes, I had this image you see in cartoons when the apple pie is left on the windowsill to cool and the smell travels in the form of smoke and enters someone's nostrills! I panicked then a little, grabbed my cell which serves as an alarm and saw the time, then relaxed and got up slowly to go check the confit. It was almost ready then, but still had another hour in the oven at least. Now, at almost 9.30, it is cooling.

Tomato confit is deliscious. Nothing brings out the flavour of tomatoes more, not even sundrying them. It just takes eons to make. You take plump tomatoes, cut them in halves, place them on your oven tray, packed really, touching each other, and you hide garlic cloves inbetween, strings of fresh oregano and basil, lotsa lotsa salt on top, and lotsa lotsa extra virgin olive oil. Then you preheat your oven in 90 C, put them in, and forget them for 8 to 9 hours. Then you wake up drooling. I made 3 big oven trays and used the air function of my oven so they all cookd together. I have used a bit more than 5 kilos of tomatoes and all I have now is 2 big-ish salad bowls of tomato confit. You think it will be enough for 100 people?

I am really nervous about tonight. And although this is not a cooking blog, I am going to to write everything down because I am seriously considering to change my career to something that revolves around cooking, and this is the first time I am not cooking just for fun and personal pleasure. I mean it still is fun, but I have cooked the most for 2 dozen people, in big christmas family/friends dinners. 100 people tonight!

My friends have ordered some stuff from a caterer. Like mini burgers, mini kebabs, mini skewers with chicken and veggies and lamb and veggies. Also different kinds of mini rolls with mince, chicken, sausage, cheeses, spinach, zuccinis and feta. They also have ordered - oops...I sunno how this is called on english - you know these little "towers" of sandwiches layered one after the other with ham and blue cheese spread, and tuna spread, and ham and cheese. These are typical things you will find in parties in Greece as finger food. And then they asked me to make a few things that will make the food in their party memorable. Panic panic panic!

There will be no plates and forks, just trays everywhere where you will serve yourself. And napkins! So this is what I am making them:

The tomato confit, which will be placed in dip bowls and then in the middle of a tray with different kinds of crisps and toasted breads to dip in

Right now I am roasting eggplant slices, which then I will fill with pine nuts roasted in herb butter, garlic, parmezan, and beef mince, and then i will sew them up with parsley and roast for a bit.

Then I will cut huge amounts of veggies in sticks for the dips I am making:

smoked eggplant dip: smoked roasted eggplant, roasted sweet red peppers, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, olive oil

blue cheese dip: blue cheese, cream cheese, yoghurt, green tabasco, chives

curry dip: cream cheese, yoghurt, curry, cumin, mustard seeds,honey, mayo

quacamole: avocado, onions, tomato, lemon juice, olive oil

sweet cheese dip: goat cheese, honey, fresh thyme, fresh grounded green pepper

Then I am making some thingies with fylo pastry, bout the size of a gifted man's middle finger ;). The fylo will be filled with different things, will be brushed with either butter or egg (depending on the filling) and will be spinkled with sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, or anice seeds, depending on the filling again.

Fillings will be:

feta, fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes, capers, bit of yoghurt, bit of egg, all in the blender so they make a smooth and thick paste

beef mince, feta, shallots, onions, dill all sauted first

chicken chunks, pecorino cheese, folded in extra thick bechamel

wild mushrooms, garlic, wine, folded in extra thick bechamel

grilled salmon, lemon zest, pistacchios, mustard, very little honey, all crumbled

red, green, yellow, orange, chilli, jalapeno peppers roasted first in a little olive oil, and then mixed with toasted walnuts, pine nuts, and almonds

Right, the oven is beeping, the eggplants are roasted, it is about time to get those peppers roasted too!!!!

Oh boy...I am really loving and dreading this at the same time!!!!!

Posted by Argy at 9:11 am
10 Comments:
Blogger Kate said...

Ohhh Argy your cooking sounds devine! If cooking is what you love, then what better thing to revolve a new career around?

I think the sandwiches you are describing are called club sandwiches.

Hope your weekend is gorgeous!

10:42 am

 
Blogger Dee said...

Wow I thought the drooling for the Lasagna was bad, your cooking sounds soooo good - I almost want to pack up and travel to Greece for that experience!

I hope all your little projects are a hit at the party [and it's awfully nice of you to do that for your friends, how sweet!!] but by the sounds of it all, it'll be a blast.

Yum-o

11:13 am

 
Blogger Cat said...

'the size of a gifted man's middle finger' i love it :)

your lineup sounds scrumptious, if you are so inclined, id like to know if you would consider catering our 2nd wedding someday ;)

xoxox i can almost taste that tomato confit

12:03 pm

 
Blogger Allan said...

I must say, an appetizer the size of my gifted finger would fill up an eater rather quickly. One of those, and the crowd will be stuffed.
That was the funniest euphemism I have ever seen. Good luck at the affair, it sounds delish. Next time, less variety, the crowd does not need that many choices of middle fingers. But do make them girthy, as you know a long middle finger is fun, but a wide and long one is a keeper.

1:26 pm

 
Blogger CaramelKitKat said...

You're making me hungry! I will be back to copy down those recipes. Good luck with the continued weight loss - you've done soooo well!

2:13 pm

 
Blogger Shannin said...

The tomato confit sounds wonderful. I've done mushroom confit before. The whole menu sounds devine - I'd love to hang out in your kitchen just for the smells!

4:46 pm

 
Blogger Allan said...

Shanin also wants a gifted finger///

10:39 pm

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If cooking is what you love then that is what you should be doing... oh to have a passion like you have (and the skill) for cooking!

2:17 am

 
Blogger theaddict said...

Wow everything sounds delicious. I want to have some too! You must have a great kitchen to be able to cook like that. One of these days I'm going to have a state of the art kitchen, right now my oven can barely be trusted to cook fish for 2 people. :)

5:01 am

 
Blogger Margaret said...

**drool** Do you want to make it 101 guests???

I have just caught up on the last few posts and wanted to let you know that I think you are doing an amazing job. This in between place you talk about is common to a lot of people, but you have spelt it out so clearly. You know what you want to do.

Have fun at Sofia's. Your food will be devine and everyone will love it and you will probably get 50 bookings for other parties !

11:57 am

 

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About Me
I have spent all 36 years of my life loving life itself and this will never change. I am a great lover of the smallest things. I am addicted to smells and I attach them to people and events. It is impossible for me to wake up without ice in my coffee.

Stats
Age: 37
Height: 1.68 cm
SW: 130kg/286lbs
CW: 86 kg/189.2lbs
GW: 69 kg/151.8lbs
Lost: 44 kg/96.8lbs
Left: 17kg/37.4lbs

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