Piperies Gemistes Me Feta (Peppers Stuffed With Feta)
This Greek (Macedonia) dish is made with sweet Florina peppers, although Fresno or Anaheim chilies may be substituted. This dish appeared on the Aug/Sep 2010 cover of Saveur magazine. Serve this with a slow-braised leg of lamb and Horiatiki (Greek Salad) for a perfect dinner.

2 Fresno or Anaheim chilies, 4” to 5”
6 ounces of Feta cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon dried Greek oregano
2 egg yolks
Kosher salt and ground pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds and membranes. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the Feta, oil, yogurt, parsley, lemon zest, oregano and egg yolks. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff each pepper with the filling. Roast in a 300-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until the peppers are just softened. Sprinkle the parmesan on top and broil for another 2 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot. Serves Four.

Roasted Shrimp, Feta & Orzo

Orzo is an Italian pasta shape which resembles grains of rice. In fact, “orzo” means “barley” in Italian, and in Italian cuisine, the word “orzo” often refers to barley, as in the case of drinks made with roasted barley.

Feta (Greek: φέτα) is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. Feta has been an EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product since 2002. Only cheeses produced in a traditional way in some areas of Greece (mainland and the island of Lesvos), and made from sheep's milk, or from a mixture of sheep's and goats’ milk (up to 30%) of the same area, may bear the name "feta".

Be aware of the environmental issues surrounding farmed shrimp, especially as farmed in certain Asian countries. You have no control over what steroids, herbicides and similar toxins were utilized in the particular country of origin. Wild shrimp is a better choice.

kosher salt
olive oil
¾ pound of orzo
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 medium lemons)
freshly ground pepper
2 pounds shrimp (16 to 18 count), peeled and deveined
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, medium dice
1 medium-sized red onion, diced
¾ pound good quality feta cheese, ½ inch dice

Preparations: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Fill a large pot of water, add kosher salt and a splash of oil, and bring to a boil. Cook the orzo for 10 to 12 minutes until al dente, stirring occasionally. It takes time for the orzo to plump up, so be patient.

Prepare the dressing by whisking the lemon juice with the olive oil, two teaspoons of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drain the orzo and put into a big bowl. Add the dressing immediately while the orzo is hot and mix well.

Put the shrimp in a bowl and add olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss briefly. Put the shrimp on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 4 to 5 minutes until firm – do not overcook.

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cumber and onion. Mix gently. Season with salt and pepper. Add the feta and toss gently. Set aside for one hour or longer to allow the flavors to marry, or refrigerate overnight. Allow to come back to room temperature and taste for seasoning.

Vegetables In Oil For Roasting - Tritto

Simple joys of Italian cooking include keeping a couple of jars of chopped vegetables on hand, steeped in olive oil, for roasting and sautéing – known as Tritto. Pick the best quality vegetables of course and clean and chop them by hand. I mix them dry in a bowl with several herbs from my herb garden and a few thin slices of lemon, and then put them into tall vertical jars. I use a blend of olive oil and canola oil to cover the vegetables. Let them steep for at least 12 hours in a cool room.

The jar on the right has soft vegetables such as red peppers, leeks, fennel, celery, broccoli and cauliflower. These will roast in 20 minutes or so at 350-degrees. The jar on the left has root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, celeriac, and onions. These will roast in 45 minutes or so at the same temperature.

When ready to use, drain the oil (saving it for other uses) and spread the two medleys of vegetables evenly in separate roasting pans. Season with salt and pepper and any other spices you enjoy. Or surround a roast with the vegetables to create wonderful gravy.

Richard Wottrich

Deep Fried Spiced Quail

by Christine Manfield from her great cookbook

We are in the dogs days here in Florida...and it has begun to dent my brain. Sandy Botstein did this great little pastel of the lady & the pigeons (flying rats to some of my friends). It is because of the heat I am sure, but I cannot tell if she is inviting them to eat dinner or to be dinner...and I love little birds (for dinner) so here follows my favorite recipe for quail (which I know is not squab...but they would work just fine).

4 large quail

8 tsp Massaman curry paste (Massaman)

vegetable oil for deep frying & stir frying

6.5 oz. small spinach leaves

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 tsp fish sauce

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp fried red shallots slices

Preheat oven to 450F Wash quails, pat dry; rub generously w/Massaman curry paste; Heat oil in deep fryer to 350F; deep fry quails 4 minutes transfer to baking tray bake for another 3 minutes; rest 2 minutes before serving; Stir fry spinach w/a little oil w/garlic, fish sauce & pepper until wilted place spinach as a base on each plate, top w/quail, sprinkle w/fried shallot.

Make Your Own Curry Paste

4 tsp cumin

8 tsp coriander seeds

seeds from 5 cardamon pods

6 cloves

2 sticks cinnamon

8 dried birds eye chilies

2 tsp Thai shrimp paste/kapi

6 fresh birds eye red chilies, chopped

20 cloves garlic, chopped

2 small brown onions, chopped

4 tsp green peppercorns

5 cilantro roots, chopped

small amount vegetable oil

zest 2 kaffir limes, chopped

2 stalks lemon grass chopped

2.5 oz palm sugar/zaggery, shaved

2.5 oz fish sauce

2 oz tamarind liquid (1 part pulp simmered w/4 parts water for 30 minutes, strained)

Dry roast cumin, coriander, cardamon, cloves, cinnamon sticks, dried chilies over gentle heat until fragrant, cool & grind to a fine powder. Dry roast shrimp paste over gentle heat until fragrant. Blend fresh chilies, garlic, onion, peppercorns, coriander root, & small amount of vegetable oil as required in a food processor. Cook paste over gentle heat until softens & slightly colored, place in food processor w/lime rind, lemon grass, dry roasted shrimp paste, add remaining ingredients & process thoroughly.

She's not really going to eat those birds is she???????????????