Monday, June 29, 2009

Greek Kataife




I still remember the first time I ate my first kataife. My grandmother made it for a special occasion and my parents decided that I can have some. We would usually eat baklava or Galactobureko (Greek Custard) and the older people and parents would eat the kataife but not for kids. I knew I was growing up in their eyes from that day on. Kataife is a little more labor intense to make and you would have to appreciate pastries in general to feel good about eating Kataife. There is not any Greek Restaurants in Columbus that I know have Kataife. I love the flavor and the texture of it and of course the cinnamon mixed with walnut filling. You can start by opening up the shredded dough, a good thick layer and right in front set the filling end to end. Roll the Kataife dough until it looks like a large shredded wheat. Brush some butter and set in the preheated oven until it is brown on top. You should turn it once for even cooking. Bring it out and pour some honey syrup over it while it is still hot so it would drink as much as possible. Let it cool down and then serve. I like to make mine a larger size because a small one would not be enough. It is much too often people come in at my restaurant and cannot believe we offer it. My little one loves it and recently she has been eating it at least once a week. She does not need to be grown for me to offer it to her because I know what she would be missing! King Gyros Greek Restaurant is located in Columbus, Ohio and Yianni offers the largest variety of Greek desserts and pastries in Central Ohio. Menu is online at http://www.KingGyros.com .

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Wild Caught FRIED SMELTS




People love to tell stories when it comes to these Smelts. They always talk about how they used to catch them with their group of friends coming down the river. I find if you lived north of Columbus and into Michigan, and like fish, you have a smelt story. In Greece at home or at a Greek restaurant, we share these with everyone and set in the middle of the table to enjoy. Among like other Greek foods like calamari these are really popular as well. These little fishies are tasty if breaded and cooked with care. The smelts are Wild Caught Canadian Lake Smelts. The are not farmed, as might think and it makes them appealing. For preparation, first you must pour the batter on them and mix together. Then you would flour them in the bread crumbs/flour combination and make sure each one is totally covered. Next, you would put them in the fryer to cook in canola oil. For best results the oil has to be 325 degrees and you must cook them crispy on the outside to insure they are cooked on the inside. Serve with our homemade Greek sauce and sprinkle a little lemon if desired. We serve these for eat-in or take-out. This item is fairly new and is currently not even listed on our menu yet. If you are a fish lover you will totally enjoy this as an appetizer or a dinner.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Lamb Kefte Pita Sandwich






When starting this Kefte Pita Sandwich, I remember how we would eat these keftes as young kids, and were a treat. We would even eat them like finger food with tzatziki. In this recipe I am showing you the kefte pita pita from the preparation to the cooking and the finished sandwich. You start by dicing the green and red peppers, shred the onions, finely dice the garlic, squeeze the lemon and add the Greek spices. Primary spices are cumin and mint. Next, add the ground chuck and ground lamb. Little more ground chuck, which is less fatty than the ground beef, and as much lamb. Lamb has Allot of flavor so do not need as much to get that flavor. Mix everything real well with your fist for 7-10 minutes. Then, put in the refrigerator until it is cold. When brought out, patty in egg shape patties and put on the char grill. Make sure you mark twice on one side and twice on the other side as shown on the picture. Do not overcook, make sure patties stay juicy, that will retain the flavor. Put on a fluffy pita bread with sliced tomatoes, red onions and some banana peppers and lettuce if desired. In this sandwich I did not use any of my Famous Gyro Sauce, because it came out of the grill with allot of aroma and very juicy.