Dave wrote:

For a good hearty Greek dessert try making a batch of galaktabouriko...

************
Thanks for the recommendations on the galaktabouriko. I couldn't
find any recipes at recipesource.com, but I found several elsewhere.
I've eaten calamari several times but never cared for it. It wasn't
the flavor, but the texture. It was always tough and chewy.

We did the Greek dinner this evening and it came out OK, but not
great. Probably the most interesting part wasn't the actual dinner,
but our first visit to the Sahara Mart in Bloomington. They had a
wonderful selection of unusual items. They had Key Lime juice! I
bought some. I'm going to try out a Key Lime pie some time soon.

We ended up buying already prepared tzatziki sauce, falafels, and
dolmas. We wanted to put up the tree this evening so we cut back
to just making the gyros, hummus, saganaki, and Artemis cake, all
for the first time.

I have a question about the saganaki. I always thought the idea
of frying cheese to be impossible. What would keep it from just
melting? That's the problem we ran into. We sliced feta into
one-third inch pieces about the size of a playing card. The
recipe suggested frying them with a full stick of butter. I
thought that was way too much and cut it down to a quarter-stick,
but the cheese melted instead of nicely browning. What is the
best way to fry it so that it browns instead of melting? We
still managed to salvage it and flamed it with brandy and doused
the flames with squeezed lemons.

Thanks,

Zspider wrote:
> Dave wrote:
>
> For a good hearty Greek dessert try making a batch of galaktabouriko...
>
> ************
> Thanks for the recommendations on the galaktabouriko. I couldn't
> find any recipes at recipesource.com, but I found several elsewhere.
> I've eaten calamari several times but never cared for it. It wasn't
> the flavor, but the texture. It was always tough and chewy.
>
> We did the Greek dinner this evening and it came out OK, but not
> great. Probably the most interesting part wasn't the actual dinner,
> but our first visit to the Sahara Mart in Bloomington. They had a
> wonderful selection of unusual items. They had Key Lime juice! I
> bought some. I'm going to try out a Key Lime pie some time soon.
>
> We ended up buying already prepared tzatziki sauce, falafels, and
> dolmas. We wanted to put up the tree this evening so we cut back
> to just making the gyros, hummus, saganaki, and Artemis cake, all
> for the first time.
>
> I have a question about the saganaki. I always thought the idea
> of frying cheese to be impossible. What would keep it from just
> melting? That's the problem we ran into. We sliced feta into
> one-third inch pieces about the size of a playing card. The
> recipe suggested frying them with a full stick of butter. I
> thought that was way too much and cut it down to a quarter-stick,
> but the cheese melted instead of nicely browning. What is the
> best way to fry it so that it browns instead of melting? We
> still managed to salvage it and flamed it with brandy and doused
> the flames with squeezed lemons.
>
> Thanks,



Hmmm, if the butter was deep enough, perhaps it would have fried the
sides in place instead of letting the cheese just run because too little
butter was used?


jim

JimLane wrote:
> Zspider wrote:
>
>> Dave wrote:
>>
>> For a good hearty Greek dessert try making a batch of galaktabouriko...
>>
>> ************
>> Thanks for the recommendations on the galaktabouriko. I couldn't
>> find any recipes at recipesource.com, but I found several elsewhere.
>> I've eaten calamari several times but never cared for it. It wasn't
>> the flavor, but the texture. It was always tough and chewy.
>>
>> We did the Greek dinner this evening and it came out OK, but not
>> great. Probably the most interesting part wasn't the actual dinner,
>> but our first visit to the Sahara Mart in Bloomington. They had a
>> wonderful selection of unusual items. They had Key Lime juice! I
>> bought some. I'm going to try out a Key Lime pie some time soon.
>> We ended up buying already prepared tzatziki sauce, falafels, and
>> dolmas. We wanted to put up the tree this evening so we cut back
>> to just making the gyros, hummus, saganaki, and Artemis cake, all
>> for the first time.
>> I have a question about the saganaki. I always thought the idea
>> of frying cheese to be impossible. What would keep it from just
>> melting? That's the problem we ran into. We sliced feta into
>> one-third inch pieces about the size of a playing card. The
>> recipe suggested frying them with a full stick of butter. I
>> thought that was way too much and cut it down to a quarter-stick,
>> but the cheese melted instead of nicely browning. What is the
>> best way to fry it so that it browns instead of melting? We
>> still managed to salvage it and flamed it with brandy and doused
>> the flames with squeezed lemons.
>>
>> Thanks,
>
>
>
>
> Hmmm, if the butter was deep enough, perhaps it would have fried the
> sides in place instead of letting the cheese just run because too little
> butter was used?
>
>
> jim

As a follow-up, did you flour and egg batter the cheese? That also
helps. My recipe calls for frying in olive oil.


jim

JimLane wrote:
> Zspider wrote:
>
>> Dave wrote:
>>
>> For a good hearty Greek dessert try making a batch of galaktabouriko...
>>
>> ************
>> Thanks for the recommendations on the galaktabouriko. I couldn't
>> find any recipes at recipesource.com, but I found several elsewhere.
>> I've eaten calamari several times but never cared for it. It wasn't
>> the flavor, but the texture. It was always tough and chewy.
>>
>> We did the Greek dinner this evening and it came out OK, but not
>> great. Probably the most interesting part wasn't the actual dinner,
>> but our first visit to the Sahara Mart in Bloomington. They had a
>> wonderful selection of unusual items. They had Key Lime juice! I
>> bought some. I'm going to try out a Key Lime pie some time soon.
>> We ended up buying already prepared tzatziki sauce, falafels, and
>> dolmas. We wanted to put up the tree this evening so we cut back
>> to just making the gyros, hummus, saganaki, and Artemis cake, all
>> for the first time.
>> I have a question about the saganaki. I always thought the idea
>> of frying cheese to be impossible. What would keep it from just
>> melting? That's the problem we ran into. We sliced feta into
>> one-third inch pieces about the size of a playing card. The
>> recipe suggested frying them with a full stick of butter. I
>> thought that was way too much and cut it down to a quarter-stick,
>> but the cheese melted instead of nicely browning. What is the
>> best way to fry it so that it browns instead of melting? We
>> still managed to salvage it and flamed it with brandy and doused
>> the flames with squeezed lemons.
>>
>> Thanks,
>
>
>
>
> Hmmm, if the butter was deep enough, perhaps it would have fried the
> sides in place instead of letting the cheese just run because too little
> butter was used?
>
>
> jim

As a follow-up, did you flour and egg batter the cheese? That also
helps. My recipe calls for frying in olive oil.


jim

On 28 Nov 2004 17:01:36 -0800, Zspider > wrote:

> Thanks for the recommendations on the galaktabouriko. I couldn't
> find any recipes at recipesource.com, but I found several elsewhere.
> I've eaten calamari several times but never cared for it. It wasn't
> the flavor, but the texture. It was always tough and chewy.

That's a shame, sounds like you got overcooked calimari. Done
well, it shouldn't have that rubbery texture that gives ones jaws such
a workout! ;D

> We did the Greek dinner this evening and it came out OK, but not
> great. Probably the most interesting part wasn't the actual dinner,
> but our first visit to the Sahara Mart in Bloomington. They had a
> wonderful selection of unusual items. They had Key Lime juice! I
> bought some. I'm going to try out a Key Lime pie some time soon.
>
> We ended up buying already prepared tzatziki sauce, falafels, and
> dolmas. We wanted to put up the tree this evening so we cut back
> to just making the gyros, hummus, saganaki, and Artemis cake, all
> for the first time.

Sahara Mart _is_ cool, isn't it! They have a great
selection of olives to go with your meal... and they don't mind if you
sample. ~

It's not quite as good as it used to be, but for gyros in
Bloomington, we used to go to King Gyros on S. Walnut. It's further
down the road from Sahara Mart, and it's a rather unassuming place.
But the food's good, and IMO, the gyros are better than the ones at
the Trojan Horse on Kirkwood.

> I have a question about the saganaki. I always thought the idea
> of frying cheese to be impossible. What would keep it from just
> melting? That's the problem we ran into. We sliced feta into
> one-third inch pieces about the size of a playing card. The
> recipe suggested frying them with a full stick of butter. I
> thought that was way too much and cut it down to a quarter-stick,
> but the cheese melted instead of nicely browning. What is the
> best way to fry it so that it browns instead of melting? We
> still managed to salvage it and flamed it with brandy and doused
> the flames with squeezed lemons.

Hmmmm. I'm not particularly experienced with cooking Greek
food, but is it possible that this is done with a different kind of
cheese? Maybe that makes the difference between fried vs. melted.
The saganaki recipes I've seen called for kasseri or kefalotiri more
often than feta. Some called for dipping the cheese in an egg wash
and flour before frying, some recipes called for broiling rather than
pan-frying. Food for thought, anyhow! Good luck...

Ariane

On 28 Nov 2004 17:01:36 -0800, Zspider > wrote:

> Thanks for the recommendations on the galaktabouriko. I couldn't
> find any recipes at recipesource.com, but I found several elsewhere.
> I've eaten calamari several times but never cared for it. It wasn't
> the flavor, but the texture. It was always tough and chewy.

That's a shame, sounds like you got overcooked calimari. Done
well, it shouldn't have that rubbery texture that gives ones jaws such
a workout! ;D

> We did the Greek dinner this evening and it came out OK, but not
> great. Probably the most interesting part wasn't the actual dinner,
> but our first visit to the Sahara Mart in Bloomington. They had a
> wonderful selection of unusual items. They had Key Lime juice! I
> bought some. I'm going to try out a Key Lime pie some time soon.
>
> We ended up buying already prepared tzatziki sauce, falafels, and
> dolmas. We wanted to put up the tree this evening so we cut back
> to just making the gyros, hummus, saganaki, and Artemis cake, all
> for the first time.

Sahara Mart _is_ cool, isn't it! They have a great
selection of olives to go with your meal... and they don't mind if you
sample. ~

It's not quite as good as it used to be, but for gyros in
Bloomington, we used to go to King Gyros on S. Walnut. It's further
down the road from Sahara Mart, and it's a rather unassuming place.
But the food's good, and IMO, the gyros are better than the ones at
the Trojan Horse on Kirkwood.

> I have a question about the saganaki. I always thought the idea
> of frying cheese to be impossible. What would keep it from just
> melting? That's the problem we ran into. We sliced feta into
> one-third inch pieces about the size of a playing card. The
> recipe suggested frying them with a full stick of butter. I
> thought that was way too much and cut it down to a quarter-stick,
> but the cheese melted instead of nicely browning. What is the
> best way to fry it so that it browns instead of melting? We
> still managed to salvage it and flamed it with brandy and doused
> the flames with squeezed lemons.

Hmmmm. I'm not particularly experienced with cooking Greek
food, but is it possible that this is done with a different kind of
cheese? Maybe that makes the difference between fried vs. melted.
The saganaki recipes I've seen called for kasseri or kefalotiri more
often than feta. Some called for dipping the cheese in an egg wash
and flour before frying, some recipes called for broiling rather than
pan-frying. Food for thought, anyhow! Good luck...

Ariane

JimLane wrote:

Hmmm, if the butter was deep enough, perhaps it would have fried
the sides in place instead of letting the cheese just run because
too little butter was used?

As a follow-up, did you flour and egg batter the cheese? That
also helps. My recipe calls for frying in olive oil.

***********
Thanks for commenting Jim. The recipe called for just tossing
the cheese in the butter and cooking it without battering. I'm
fairly certain that the way they serve it at our favorite Greek
restaurant, the Trojan Horse in Bloomington, is also unbattered.

Your comment about more butter supporting the sides and keeping
it from spreading is interesting. I was actually thinking of
using very little butter, possibly just buttering the cheese
itself and dropping it in a very hot skillet for mere seconds
per side. We've got more Feta. I'll try another experiment
here soon.

Thanks again, Michael

JimLane wrote:

Hmmm, if the butter was deep enough, perhaps it would have fried
the sides in place instead of letting the cheese just run because
too little butter was used?

As a follow-up, did you flour and egg batter the cheese? That
also helps. My recipe calls for frying in olive oil.

***********
Thanks for commenting Jim. The recipe called for just tossing
the cheese in the butter and cooking it without battering. I'm
fairly certain that the way they serve it at our favorite Greek
restaurant, the Trojan Horse in Bloomington, is also unbattered.

Your comment about more butter supporting the sides and keeping
it from spreading is interesting. I was actually thinking of
using very little butter, possibly just buttering the cheese
itself and dropping it in a very hot skillet for mere seconds
per side. We've got more Feta. I'll try another experiment
here soon.

Thanks again, Michael

Ariane Jenkins wrote:

Hmmmm. I'm not particularly experienced with cooking Greek
food, but is it possible that this is done with a different kind of
cheese? Maybe that makes the difference between fried vs. melted.
The saganaki recipes I've seen called for kasseri or kefalotiri more
often than feta.

***********
In the recipe I have, all three of the cheeses you mention were
listed as possible choices for saganaki. However, feta is the
only kind I could find. I looked at the Sahara Mart and at the
big Kroger out on the west side.

It's possible that I needed to let the cheese dry out some.
The feta we bought at the Sahara Mart was submerged in water.
Maybe the water transfers too much heat through the cheese and
makes it melt. That's the engineer in me though, not the cook.
Haha.

Since you are familiar with the Sahara Mart, can you tell me of
any other specialty grocery stores that we should try out? I
think we might try oriental next weekend, and I know there are
several Asian grocery stores. I have been thinking of visiting
the one over by Macri's Deli by the Marsh.

Thanks for posting, Ariane.

Michael

Ariane Jenkins wrote:

Hmmmm. I'm not particularly experienced with cooking Greek
food, but is it possible that this is done with a different kind of
cheese? Maybe that makes the difference between fried vs. melted.
The saganaki recipes I've seen called for kasseri or kefalotiri more
often than feta.

***********
In the recipe I have, all three of the cheeses you mention were
listed as possible choices for saganaki. However, feta is the
only kind I could find. I looked at the Sahara Mart and at the
big Kroger out on the west side.

It's possible that I needed to let the cheese dry out some.
The feta we bought at the Sahara Mart was submerged in water.
Maybe the water transfers too much heat through the cheese and
makes it melt. That's the engineer in me though, not the cook.
Haha.

Since you are familiar with the Sahara Mart, can you tell me of
any other specialty grocery stores that we should try out? I
think we might try oriental next weekend, and I know there are
several Asian grocery stores. I have been thinking of visiting
the one over by Macri's Deli by the Marsh.

Thanks for posting, Ariane.

Michael

Ariane Jenkins wrote:

Hmmmm. I'm not particularly experienced with cooking Greek
food, but is it possible that this is done with a different kind of
cheese? Maybe that makes the difference between fried vs. melted.
The saganaki recipes I've seen called for kasseri or kefalotiri more
often than feta.

***********
In the recipe I have, all three of the cheeses you mention were
listed as possible choices for saganaki. However, feta is the
only kind I could find. I looked at the Sahara Mart and at the
big Kroger out on the west side.

It's possible that I needed to let the cheese dry out some.
The feta we bought at the Sahara Mart was submerged in water.
Maybe the water transfers too much heat through the cheese and
makes it melt. That's the engineer in me though, not the cook.
Haha.

Since you are familiar with the Sahara Mart, can you tell me of
any other specialty grocery stores that we should try out? I
think we might try oriental next weekend, and I know there are
several Asian grocery stores. I have been thinking of visiting
the one over by Macri's Deli by the Marsh.

Thanks for posting, Ariane.

Michael

"Zspider" > wrote in message
om...
> Ariane Jenkins wrote:
>
> Hmmmm. I'm not particularly experienced with cooking Greek
> food, but is it possible that this is done with a different kind of
> cheese? Maybe that makes the difference between fried vs. melted.
> The saganaki recipes I've seen called for kasseri or kefalotiri more
> often than feta.
>
> ***********
> In the recipe I have, all three of the cheeses you mention were
> listed as possible choices for saganaki. However, feta is the
> only kind I could find. I looked at the Sahara Mart and at the
> big Kroger out on the west side.
>
......

No no no...feta is a salt water brined cheese, and you will
never get such a cheese to fry up the way it should for saganaki.
Besides, the flavor is way wrong for the dish. Seek out the
real stuff online or let your fingers do the walking...many Greek
restaurants will sell cheeses over the counter, by the way...
If you get the pan very hot you will be ok just putting a slice
about half-inch thick into the butter, otherwise you might try
breading it but that is not too authentic. When you find a
real kasseri etc. taste it and you will know why feta is not right.

pavane

"Zspider" > wrote in message
om...
> Ariane Jenkins wrote:
>
> Hmmmm. I'm not particularly experienced with cooking Greek
> food, but is it possible that this is done with a different kind of
> cheese? Maybe that makes the difference between fried vs. melted.
> The saganaki recipes I've seen called for kasseri or kefalotiri more
> often than feta.
>
> ***********
> In the recipe I have, all three of the cheeses you mention were
> listed as possible choices for saganaki. However, feta is the
> only kind I could find. I looked at the Sahara Mart and at the
> big Kroger out on the west side.
>
......

No no no...feta is a salt water brined cheese, and you will
never get such a cheese to fry up the way it should for saganaki.
Besides, the flavor is way wrong for the dish. Seek out the
real stuff online or let your fingers do the walking...many Greek
restaurants will sell cheeses over the counter, by the way...
If you get the pan very hot you will be ok just putting a slice
about half-inch thick into the butter, otherwise you might try
breading it but that is not too authentic. When you find a
real kasseri etc. taste it and you will know why feta is not right.

pavane

pavane wrote:

>
> No no no...feta is a salt water brined cheese, and you will
> never get such a cheese to fry up the way it should for saganaki.
> Besides, the flavor is way wrong for the dish. Seek out the
> real stuff online or let your fingers do the walking...many Greek
> restaurants will sell cheeses over the counter, by the way...
> If you get the pan very hot you will be ok just putting a slice
> about half-inch thick into the butter, otherwise you might try
> breading it but that is not too authentic. When you find a
> real kasseri etc. taste it and you will know why feta is not right.

I Googled recipes for Saganaki and there was an amazing variation in
recommended cheeses, and in methods of cooking. Some suggested dredging in
flour, some in egg then flour, some with no egg or flour. Some of the
recipes suggested frying it on one side only, some on both sides, and some
said to broil it. Among the recommended cheeses were ; kefalotiri,
mozzarella, telemes, kefalotiri and Feta.

On 29 Nov 2004 09:12:21 -0800, Zspider > wrote:

> ***********
> In the recipe I have, all three of the cheeses you mention were
> listed as possible choices for saganaki. However, feta is the
> only kind I could find. I looked at the Sahara Mart and at the
> big Kroger out on the west side.
>
> It's possible that I needed to let the cheese dry out some.
> The feta we bought at the Sahara Mart was submerged in water.
> Maybe the water transfers too much heat through the cheese and
> makes it melt. That's the engineer in me though, not the cook.
> Haha.

Hehehe, but you're probably right about that! Too bad about
the lack of other cheeses... I'd thought Sahara Mart would at least
have kesseri, they seem to have a lot of stuff. The owner seems like
a really nice guy, he might be able to help you out or order it for
you if you ask.

> Since you are familiar with the Sahara Mart, can you tell me of
> any other specialty grocery stores that we should try out? I
> think we might try oriental next weekend, and I know there are
> several Asian grocery stores. I have been thinking of visiting
> the one over by Macri's Deli by the Marsh.
>
> Thanks for posting, Ariane.

Sure thing, Michael. A while back, I think you had a thread
about finding panko...? I posted with a short list of specialty
stores in that thread, but now I can't remember the exact title of it.
Off the top of my head:

Saraga on College Mall Rd. is probably the biggest Asian grocery
in Bloomington, AFAIK. But there are quite a few other smaller places
that would be good, too...the one on 4th St. near IU's campus (several
doors down from Siam House), the one on 10th St. near 10th and Union,
and Yahoo's online Yellow Pages lists one on Woodbridge that I'm not
sure I'm familiar with... Is that the one by Macri's and Marsh,
maybe? (My sense of geography is terrible.) I don't think I've been
there. FWIW, Saraga definitely carries panko, and they even have
HUGE economy sized bags of it in case you decide you like the stuff. ;D

Oh, another place in town that carries Middle Eastern and some
Asian/European goods is Olive Market, also on 10th. It's in that
little shopping center on the corner of 10th and 45/46. Failing that,
Bloomingfoods might carry more varieties of cheeses. The one on 3rd
near the College mall area is the larger location with more parking.
Good luck on your saganaki quest!

Ariane

pavane wrote:

No no no...feta is a salt water brined cheese, and you will
never get such a cheese to fry up the way it should for saganaki.
Besides, the flavor is way wrong for the dish. Seek out the
real stuff online or let your fingers do the walking...many Greek
restaurants will sell cheeses over the counter, by the way...
If you get the pan very hot you will be ok just putting a slice
about half-inch thick into the butter, otherwise you might try
breading it but that is not too authentic. When you find a
real kasseri etc. taste it and you will know why feta is not right.

***********
Thanks for the comments, Pavane. I don't have a lot of experience
with a lot of different saganakis, but the one we cooked up, in
spite of melting on us a bit, came very close what we know and
love from our favorite Greek restaurant. Nevertheless, maybe we
are settling for less than the best.

I will continue looking for kasseri and the other cheeses besides
feta that were recommended. I didn't find them at the Sahara
Mart but I should have at least asked. I'll bet if they don't
have the other cheeses, they can tell me where I can find them.

Thanks again, Michael

pavane wrote:

No no no...feta is a salt water brined cheese, and you will
never get such a cheese to fry up the way it should for saganaki.
Besides, the flavor is way wrong for the dish. Seek out the
real stuff online or let your fingers do the walking...many Greek
restaurants will sell cheeses over the counter, by the way...
If you get the pan very hot you will be ok just putting a slice
about half-inch thick into the butter, otherwise you might try
breading it but that is not too authentic. When you find a
real kasseri etc. taste it and you will know why feta is not right.

***********
Thanks for the comments, Pavane. I don't have a lot of experience
with a lot of different saganakis, but the one we cooked up, in
spite of melting on us a bit, came very close what we know and
love from our favorite Greek restaurant. Nevertheless, maybe we
are settling for less than the best.

I will continue looking for kasseri and the other cheeses besides
feta that were recommended. I didn't find them at the Sahara
Mart but I should have at least asked. I'll bet if they don't
have the other cheeses, they can tell me where I can find them.

Thanks again, Michael

Dave Smith > wrote in
:

> pavane wrote:
>
>>
>> No no no...feta is a salt water brined cheese, and you will
>> never get such a cheese to fry up the way it should for saganaki.
>> Besides, the flavor is way wrong for the dish.
....
>> When you find a
>> real kasseri etc. taste it and you will know why feta is not right.

Right, you want a hard greek cheese, if you must use feta in a pinch
then try to pick the hardest you can get and let it drain for a good
while before you cook it.

> I Googled recipes for Saganaki and there was an amazing variation in
> recommended cheeses, and in methods of cooking. Some suggested
> dredging in flour,

I find this comes closest to what we get at the local.

> some in egg then flour, some with no egg or flour.
> Some of the recipes suggested frying it on one side only, some on both
> sides, and some said to broil it. Among the recommended cheeses were ;
> kefalotiri, mozzarella, telemes, kefalotiri and Feta.

Definately kefalotiri (which as far as I can tell is the same thing as
kesseri), as discussed feta is a poor choice. As would be Mozzerella, I
don't know telemes (tsk, tsk, my cheesemonger is a Greek, I'll have to find
out about it) lebanese haloumi should also work well. I know you will think
me nuts but if I had to improvise from what one can usually find at the
supermarket I'd try a Gruyere.

Norm Soley wrote:

Definately kefalotiri (which as far as I can tell is the same thing as
kesseri), as discussed feta is a poor choice. As would be Mozzerella,
I don't know telemes (tsk, tsk, my cheesemonger is a Greek, I'll have
to find out about it) lebanese haloumi should also work well. I know
you will think me nuts but if I had to improvise from what one can
usually find at the supermarket I'd try a Gruyere.

*************
Thanks for all the recommendations. My daughter was happy with the
feta, and she finished it off a few days ago. There were too many
posts here, though, saying that feta was not right, to ignore them.
My problem was that I couldn't find any of the other recommended
cheeses.

I went back to the Sahara Mart and asked the owner if they carried
kesseri and I just missed it on my last trip, and he said they did
indeed have it and gave me something called Kashkaval, which says
nothing about kesseri on the package. I'll give the Kashkaval a
shot here soon and let you know how it turns out.

Thanks again, Michael

Zspider wrote:


This is a bit late, I know, but ran into a food section of the San Diego
Union-Tribune that was about wine and cheese from Greece.

Here is the bit on Saganaki (serving eight as an appetizer):

1 pound Kasseri, Graviera or Kefalotyri cheese
Cornstarch
1/2 cup pure olive oil (not extra virgin)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 T brandy (optional)

Cut the cheese into four 1/4-inch slices. Place the cornstarch on waxed
paper, then dredge each piece in the cornstarch.

Place the cheese in the freezer for 30 min before frying. Remove from
the freezer just before frying. (The secret to the dish is to have the
cheese very cold and the oil very hot.)

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. When it is very hot, fry the
cheese on both sides until they are lightly browned. Put them on a plate
and sprinkle each slice with lemon juice.

Warm the brandy, then carefully ignite it and pour over the cheese.
Serve as an appetizer with good bread and a salad.

My note: I think I would want to flame this in the pan then serve to the
plate. I don't know if a plate would break.


jim

"JimLane" > wrote in message
...
> Zspider wrote:
>
>
> This is a bit late, I know, but ran into a food section of the San Diego
> Union-Tribune that was about wine and cheese from Greece.
>
> Here is the bit on Saganaki (serving eight as an appetizer):
>
> 1 pound Kasseri, Graviera or Kefalotyri cheese
> Cornstarch
> 1/2 cup pure olive oil (not extra virgin)
> 1/4 cup lemon juice
> 2 T brandy (optional)
>
> Cut the cheese into four 1/4-inch slices. Place the cornstarch on waxed
> paper, then dredge each piece in the cornstarch.
>
> Place the cheese in the freezer for 30 min before frying. Remove from
> the freezer just before frying. (The secret to the dish is to have the
> cheese very cold and the oil very hot.)
>
> Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. When it is very hot, fry the
> cheese on both sides until they are lightly browned. Put them on a plate
> and sprinkle each slice with lemon juice.
>
> Warm the brandy, then carefully ignite it and pour over the cheese.
> Serve as an appetizer with good bread and a salad.
>
> My note: I think I would want to flame this in the pan then serve to the
> plate. I don't know if a plate would break.
>

Good sounding recipe, thanks. If you do this often get a metal
plate (the type sold for serving steaks works beautifully) and use
it for both flaming and serving.

pavane

pavane wrote:
> "JimLane" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Zspider wrote:
>>
>>
>>This is a bit late, I know, but ran into a food section of the San Diego
>>Union-Tribune that was about wine and cheese from Greece.
>>
>>Here is the bit on Saganaki (serving eight as an appetizer):
>>
>>1 pound Kasseri, Graviera or Kefalotyri cheese
>>Cornstarch
>>1/2 cup pure olive oil (not extra virgin)
>>1/4 cup lemon juice
>>2 T brandy (optional)
>>
>>Cut the cheese into four 1/4-inch slices. Place the cornstarch on waxed
>>paper, then dredge each piece in the cornstarch.
>>
>>Place the cheese in the freezer for 30 min before frying. Remove from
>>the freezer just before frying. (The secret to the dish is to have the
>>cheese very cold and the oil very hot.)
>>
>>Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. When it is very hot, fry the
>>cheese on both sides until they are lightly browned. Put them on a plate
>>and sprinkle each slice with lemon juice.
>>
>>Warm the brandy, then carefully ignite it and pour over the cheese.
>>Serve as an appetizer with good bread and a salad.
>>
>>My note: I think I would want to flame this in the pan then serve to the
>>plate. I don't know if a plate would break.
>>
>
>
> Good sounding recipe, thanks. If you do this often get a metal
> plate (the type sold for serving steaks works beautifully) and use
> it for both flaming and serving.
>
> pavane
>
>


Come to think of it, I have four of those! Until you mentioned them,
they have been forgotten in the back part of a rarely used cupboard.


jim

Thanks a bunch for the Saganaki recipe, Jim. I'm thinking that the
dredging
in cornstarch might be the secret to getting it to brown. I've got the
kesseri
in the fridge waiting, and the wife just came home tonight with some
corn-
starch that we used for a Sweet and Sour Chicken dinner.

The Trojan Horse flames it right at your table, but they use a heavy
plate
with a serving tray under it. You're supposed to say, "Opah!" when
they
fire it. I have no idea what that means.

Thanks again, Michael

Michael wrote:
> The Trojan Horse flames it right at your table, but they use a heavy plate
> with a serving tray under it. You're supposed to say,
> "Opah!" when they fire it. I have no idea what that means.
>

It translates to "Hooray!" It's just an exclamation like "L'Chaim!" (To
Life! in Hebrew)
Unless you use too much Ouzo or flame it too close the smoke alarm.
Then it's pronounced more like "Oopsie" and translates to, "Oh Sh*t!".
=


--
Pete Romfh, Telecom Geek & Amateur Gourmet.
promfh at hal dash pc dot org

Oh. I thought it meant "Fire in the hole!"
Or possibly "Where are my eyebrows?"

Cindy Hamilton

Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> Oh. I thought it meant "Fire in the hole!"
> Or possibly "Where are my eyebrows?"
>
> Cindy Hamilton
>

Nah, here in San Diego, we used to have a bar that served something a
few of us dreamed up (might be a real drink, but haven't asked a bartender).

Think of a prairie fire (tequila with a slug of tabasco - however that
is spelled) and a beer. Instead of tabasco, we used a stemmed hot pepper
in the tequila shooter.

Ritual:

Yell, "Fire in the hole," shoot the tequila and hold the pepper - chew,
then follow with beer.

Zspider wrote:> I went back to the Sahara Mart and asked the owner if
they carried
> kesseri and I just missed it on my last trip, and he said they did
> indeed have it and gave me something called Kashkaval, which says
> nothing about kesseri on the package. I'll give the Kashkaval a
> shot here soon and let you know how it turns out.
>

Kashkaval is a Balkan relative of Kasseri:
<http://www.krinos.com/item.php?PGId=99&PCId=6&sID=C>

I get the Bulgarian one at my corner grocery. Bulgaria shares a border
with Greece.

> Thanks again, Michael

-bwg

Jim Lane kindly provided a Saganaki recipe:

Kasseri, Graviera or Kefalotyri cheese
Cornstarch
1/2 cup pure olive oil (not extra virgin)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 T brandy (optional)

Cut the cheese into four 1/4-inch slices. Place the cornstarch on waxed

paper, then dredge each piece in the cornstarch.

Place the cheese in the freezer for 30 min before frying. Remove from
the freezer just before frying. (The secret to the dish is to have the
cheese very cold and the oil very hot.)

*************************
Just wanted to say that I tried this tonight, Jim, and it worked
wonderfully!
I used Kashkaval, sliced it about a quarter inch and dredged it in
corn-
starch, stashed it in the freezer for half an hour and then dropped it
into a very hot frying pan with a thin layer of olive oil. It browned
nicely!
I warmed the plate I flamed it on to help raise the alcohol, poured
about
an ounce of brandy on it, torched it, let it flame for a few seconds
and
then put the flames out by squeezing a couple quarters of a big lemon
on it.

A little salty perhaps, and maybe even a bit tough, but still
delicious!
One of my favorite things is mopping up the hot brandy/lemon/cheese
liquid with warm pita bread.

Thanks for the recipe. Although I have been warned off feta, I think I
might try some that I have left in this manner. I think it has the
potential to be less chewy and less salty.

Michael

Jim Lane kindly provided a Saganaki recipe:

Kasseri, Graviera or Kefalotyri cheese
Cornstarch
1/2 cup pure olive oil (not extra virgin)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 T brandy (optional)

Cut the cheese into four 1/4-inch slices. Place the cornstarch on waxed

paper, then dredge each piece in the cornstarch.

Place the cheese in the freezer for 30 min before frying. Remove from
the freezer just before frying. (The secret to the dish is to have the
cheese very cold and the oil very hot.)

*************************
Just wanted to say that I tried this tonight, Jim, and it worked
wonderfully!
I used Kashkaval, sliced it about a quarter inch and dredged it in
corn-
starch, stashed it in the freezer for half an hour and then dropped it
into a very hot frying pan with a thin layer of olive oil. It browned
nicely!
I warmed the plate I flamed it on to help raise the alcohol, poured
about
an ounce of brandy on it, torched it, let it flame for a few seconds
and
then put the flames out by squeezing a couple quarters of a big lemon
on it.

A little salty perhaps, and maybe even a bit tough, but still
delicious!
One of my favorite things is mopping up the hot brandy/lemon/cheese
liquid with warm pita bread.

Thanks for the recipe. Although I have been warned off feta, I think I
might try some that I have left in this manner. I think it has the
potential to be less chewy and less salty.

Michael

Happy this worked out for you. I don't know about feta. Other messages
in the main "saganaki" thread have been warning off from feta.

You could do this with feta (a local place has a dish called "fetishes"):

split pita around the edge
layer feta between
grill under a weight and turn over
cut into four-six wedges
serve with tzatziki

That's the best I can remember it. Greek grilled cheese sandwich.


jim



Michael wrote:
> Jim Lane kindly provided a Saganaki recipe:
>
> Kasseri, Graviera or Kefalotyri cheese
> Cornstarch
> 1/2 cup pure olive oil (not extra virgin)
> 1/4 cup lemon juice
> 2 T brandy (optional)
>
> Cut the cheese into four 1/4-inch slices. Place the cornstarch on waxed
>
> paper, then dredge each piece in the cornstarch.
>
> Place the cheese in the freezer for 30 min before frying. Remove from
> the freezer just before frying. (The secret to the dish is to have the
> cheese very cold and the oil very hot.)
>
> *************************
> Just wanted to say that I tried this tonight, Jim, and it worked
> wonderfully!
> I used Kashkaval, sliced it about a quarter inch and dredged it in
> corn-
> starch, stashed it in the freezer for half an hour and then dropped it
> into a very hot frying pan with a thin layer of olive oil. It browned
> nicely!
> I warmed the plate I flamed it on to help raise the alcohol, poured
> about
> an ounce of brandy on it, torched it, let it flame for a few seconds
> and
> then put the flames out by squeezing a couple quarters of a big lemon
> on it.
>
> A little salty perhaps, and maybe even a bit tough, but still
> delicious!
> One of my favorite things is mopping up the hot brandy/lemon/cheese
> liquid with warm pita bread.
>
> Thanks for the recipe. Although I have been warned off feta, I think I
> might try some that I have left in this manner. I think it has the
> potential to be less chewy and less salty.
>
> Michael
>

Happy this worked out for you. I don't know about feta. Other messages
in the main "saganaki" thread have been warning off from feta.

You could do this with feta (a local place has a dish called "fetishes"):

split pita around the edge
layer feta between
grill under a weight and turn over
cut into four-six wedges
serve with tzatziki

That's the best I can remember it. Greek grilled cheese sandwich.


jim



Michael wrote:
> Jim Lane kindly provided a Saganaki recipe:
>
> Kasseri, Graviera or Kefalotyri cheese
> Cornstarch
> 1/2 cup pure olive oil (not extra virgin)
> 1/4 cup lemon juice
> 2 T brandy (optional)
>
> Cut the cheese into four 1/4-inch slices. Place the cornstarch on waxed
>
> paper, then dredge each piece in the cornstarch.
>
> Place the cheese in the freezer for 30 min before frying. Remove from
> the freezer just before frying. (The secret to the dish is to have the
> cheese very cold and the oil very hot.)
>
> *************************
> Just wanted to say that I tried this tonight, Jim, and it worked
> wonderfully!
> I used Kashkaval, sliced it about a quarter inch and dredged it in
> corn-
> starch, stashed it in the freezer for half an hour and then dropped it
> into a very hot frying pan with a thin layer of olive oil. It browned
> nicely!
> I warmed the plate I flamed it on to help raise the alcohol, poured
> about
> an ounce of brandy on it, torched it, let it flame for a few seconds
> and
> then put the flames out by squeezing a couple quarters of a big lemon
> on it.
>
> A little salty perhaps, and maybe even a bit tough, but still
> delicious!
> One of my favorite things is mopping up the hot brandy/lemon/cheese
> liquid with warm pita bread.
>
> Thanks for the recipe. Although I have been warned off feta, I think I
> might try some that I have left in this manner. I think it has the
> potential to be less chewy and less salty.
>
> Michael
>