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!!!!!