Amy’s Tzatziki

Amy's Tzatziki Sauce in a bowl

Spin Cycle
My sister’s washing machine blew up a few weeks ago, which is never good. Besides the inconvenience of not being able to wash your clothes, she now has to deal with getting the repair person out, having them figure out what’s going on, and all the rest of the hassle. The good news is that she lives five minutes from me which is so much better than the laundromat. And, it is why we found ourselves having a throwback Sunday family dinner while she did a few loads of laundry.

Growing up, Sunday nights meant dinner at my grandmother’s house—which I loved and hated at the same time. I loved having dinner with my grandparents because the food was fantastic. But, I almost always was dragged kicking and screaming. I didn’t want to stop playing out in front of our house with my friends, not to mention having to shower and put on decent clothes.

Anyway, when I got the call from my sister asking to use my washing machine, I immediately started planning for a Sunday dinner a la Gammy which meant some sort of roasted beast. I opted for a leg of lamb. Now, a leg of lamb isn’t cheap. And, normally it wouldn’t be my first choice. But, I had ulterior motives.

I knew that a leg of lamb would be too much for the number of people eating. But, I also knew that the leftovers would be great the next night wrapped in warm pita bread with tomatoes, sliced onions, and one of my favorite things in the whole world, tzatziki.

I love tzatziki and have been known to have just that with some fresh pita slices for dinner. You can buy pre-made tzatziki from the store and it will be tasty. But, it is so worth the minor effort it takes to make it fresh. Plus you have the opportunity to customize it to your liking. I go pretty heavy on the garlic. Thankfully, my husband likes it that way too. Otherwise, we would be sleeping in different bedrooms because of lingering garlic breath…

Amy’s Tzatziki recipe is good on so many things like lamb meatballs, kababs, and sandwiches. Use it as a veggie dip or chip dip. Any way you can think of to get some in your mouth will work. Bonus…because it’s made with yogurt, tzatziki is pretty good for you, too.

Amy’s Tzatziki Recipe
Yields 4 to 6 servings

Tzatziki is a creamy cucumber yogurt dip or sauce made from simple ingredients that are both tangy and garlicky. It is made from yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, lemon, and sometimes fresh herbs. A full-fat Greek yogurt works well in this quick-to-prepare recipe. Read more…

Fish a la Spetsiota

Photo of Greek Cookbooks on a bookshelf for Fish a la Spetsiota

It’s Greek To Me
If you ever feel like you’re in a cooking rut, take a Saturday and go through your cookbooks. As you weed out the ones to be donated, you will discover books you forgot you had. The ones you loved at one time but since have languished on the shelf are desperate to see the light of day.

This was me last Saturday.

Because my love of cookbooks (read: addiction) exceeds the amount of room I have to store them, it became necessary for me to cull the herd, as it were. Some books were easy to remove. Those were the books I acquired as editorial copies during my Barnes and Noble days and frankly never really used.

Then there were the books you never get rid of even if you don’t use them on a weekly basis. The Art of French Cooking (my grandmother’s copy) for example or The Joy of Cooking. Anything by James Beard or the 1941 copy of The Escoffier Cookbook (also my grandmothers…you get the gist).

The hardest decisions were made with the regional cooking books. I was shocked to note that I have just as many Cajun/Louisiana cookbooks as I do Mexican cookbooks, and I have a lot of Mexican cookbooks. I couldn’t bring myself to part with any of those. There were a few French ones that I just didn’t really need anymore but France is still well represented as are Spain and Italy. I was surprised, given the fact that I love the cuisine, that I didn’t have a wide selection of Greek cookbooks. I have a number of Mediterranean cookbooks but only a few that are specifically Greek.

One of the books I do have is The Glorious Foods of Greece by Diane Kochilas. It is a fantastically comprehensive collection of recipes from across all of Greece and its many islands. I recommend it highly. Diane Kochilas is an authority on Greek and Greek American cooking and her books are a must-have for any well-rounded library.

Apparently, I need to do a little work on my well-rounded library….

Maybe it’s because spring is right around the corner or maybe it’s because it’s been a while, but after my spring book cleaning I find myself with Greek food on the brain. The bright fresh flavor of lemons, olives, and olive oil are calling to me in a big way. But first, I need another Greek cookbook or two…I wouldn’t want all that new shelf space to go to waste….

Fish a la Spetsiota
Adapted from Diane Kochilas
Yields 4 Servings

This classic Greek Fish a la Spetsiota recipe comes from the island of Spetses off the eastern coast of the Peloponnese. This dish has many versions and this simple one is a favorite. Read more…

Cioppino

Cioppino or Italian Fish Stew from San Francisco

Souper Bowl
The 49ers are in the Super Bowl this weekend and most of the Bay Area is excited. (There are a number of Raiders fans who just can’t bring themselves to watch, despite the departure of the team.) Around The Bay, there will be the usual parties with the usual nosh required to keep the energy up to support the team. Burgers? Sure. Brats? Of course. Guac? Wouldn’t be a party without it. If you want to go with something truly San Francisco for your Super Bowl party, I have a suggestion that is a bit outside of the box.

The recent opening of the local crab season has me thinking about cioppino, which couldn’t be any more authentically San Francisco, since it was invented in the late 1800s by Italian immigrant fishermen in North Beach. Legend has it that when a fisherman returned from fishing off the wharf empty-handed, he would walk around with a pot asking the other fishermen if they could chip in anything they could spare. The combination of fish and shellfish that made it to his pot became his cioppino and it was expected that, should the fisherman be successful on another day, he would then chip in some of his catch for another who was not as fortunate.

I love a good cioppino. In my mind you can never go wrong with mixed seafood in broth be it tomato-based or white wine and stock. It’s also pretty easy to feed a crowd. I will point out that this is not finger food. It requires a seat at a table with napkins and a place to put the shells. Perfect for Halftime.

Since cioppino was created to use whatever was available, there is no right or wrong mix of seafood for you to use. My daughter can’t have shrimp, which is a pretty standard component, so I will leave them out and use more mussels and clams. And, when it’s crab season, I will get a cleaned and cracked crab or two to throw in the pot. The legs go in whole, but I get the other meat out of the shell and top the stew with it before serving.

Cioppino Recipe
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis and The Food Network
Yields 6 servings Read more…

Kimchi Sundubo Jjigae (Korean Silken Tofu Stew)

A bowl of Kimchi Sundubo Jjigae (Korean Silken Tofu Stew)

Somethin’ Hot On The Side
I love Korean BBQ. I love it because it is interactive and allows for a lot of variety. I also like it because it forces you to actually have a sit-down meal while you wait for the food to be done—people talk and catch up without being in a rush. As much as I like grilling up some pork belly, my favorite part of Korean BBQ would be the items you order on the side.

Kimchi pancakes? Japchae noodles? Korean pickles? Yes, please!

But, hands down, the one dish that I must have no matter who I go with or where, is the Kimchi Sundubu Jjigae (or Korean Silken Tofu Stew). It could be 90 degrees outside, and I would still order this stew. It is spicy, velvety, bubbling hot nirvana. I have been craving it lately probably because it’s been cold.

The problem is, I won’t be able to get to my favorite place anytime soon but I found this recipe that only takes 30 minutes to make. Nothing says happy Wednesday like a fiery bowl of tofu, right?

Kimchi Sundubo Jjigae (Korean Silken Tofu Stew)
Adapted from Korean Babsang
Yields 2 servings

This quick-to-prepare and hearty stew is made with thinly sliced meat and kimchi. If you wish, you can add an egg to the nearly boiling broth at the time of serving.

Read more…