Oh mince! I had forgotten about those beets! I had to find something to do with them, n’est-ce pas ? Nothing hurts me more than tossing food because I forget about it. I could have done something I knew well how to, but I did not feel like making neither a soup nor a salad , although these sounded both good too. I was in fact looking forward to something new to use my bunch of soon-to-fade beets . So when P. walked into the kitchen on Saturday morning to tell me I take that we stay here this weekend, don’t we? , he gave me a brilliant idea. Inspiring! Of course, we were staying in! There was really little chance that anything more exciting and adventurous could happen with my turned-black foot still bothering me — and that’s a mild way to put it as I have never had such a pitch black bruise. Within a few days, I’ve mastered the hopping technique like a pro and I can even cover distances in the house — from stove to couch — quite fast. I think I even like it. “ Gnocchi ?  read more »

The Kitchen Detective

Today's vegetarian recipe: A Greek recipe for Kourkouto with Zucchini (???????to e ??????????a), not quite quiche, not quite bread pudding, not quite frittata, served hot or at room temperature so good for brunch or light supper. Kalofagas means 'gourmet' in Greek and it's the perfect name for the Canadian food blog which celebrates -- make that CELEBRATES! -- traditional Greek food. Kalofagas is a not-to-miss food blog. Peter Minakis lives and breathes Greek cuisine / home cooking in the way some (who?!) live and breathe vegetables. When he described this recipe for a zucchini pie as a "cheater's pita" and "somewhere between a quiche and a frittata, utilizing Greek ingredients" I couldn't wait to make it. (True confession: while this same affect occurs many times a day, perhaps one of a hundred recipes actually get made.) My own take is that it's as much a bread pudding, especially when baked in a pie plate versus a larger sheet pan. It's also similar to a humble but delicious Bisquick pie such as the Ham & Cheese Bread from my long-time friend Lisa (and now Portland food blogger) which I've made at least once before. Whatever it's like, I love how this zucchini pie uses pantry ingredients and can be served either hot (when it's more quiche-like) or cold (when it's more like bread pudding) and thick (more quiche-like) or thin (more frittata-like). Thank you, Peter, for the inspiration!  read more »