Goat Cheese and Feta Spanakopita Lasagna

Goat Cheese and Feta Spanakopita Lasagna

I got this idea from an appetizer that I recently served at a dinner party with friends, where the delicious goat cheese and feta filling was baked inside crispy, golden phyllo pastry and had the rustic tomato sauce served on the side. I decided to try it as a pasta dish and that too was a very successful experiment.

I see this as a very versatile recipe that, because of it's richness, should be served in smaller portions than a standard lasagna. Last night we served it with a simple salad and lemon-herb grilled chicken breasts for a very satisfying dinner. Served only with a side salad, it would make a terrific lunch or all on its own as a first course at your next dinner party. This is also a recipe that I will be incorporating into dinner party menus where we have a mix of vegetarians and non-vegetarians because it would be so simple to serve the grilled chicken with it or not. I don't like dinners where veggie guests get served a completely different meal.

I presentation tip for this recipe as with any lasagna, is to line the lasagna pan with parchment paper and lightly brush the paper with olive oil before putting the lasagna together. Let your lasagna rest for about 20 minutes or more after it comes out of the oven then simply use the ends of the parchment paper to lift the lasagna out of the pan onto a cutting board where it can be very easily and cleanly  cut with a sharp serrated knife into perfectly presentable portions.

 12 servings.

Line a 9 x 9 inch glass pan with parchment paper, lightly brush the paper with olive oil.

• 1 pound uncooked fresh lasagna sheets (approximately)

 For the filling, blanch

• 6 cups baby spinach 

in hot water for only a minute to wilt it. Drain immediately and place the wilted lettuce in the middle of a clean tea towel. roll up the towel and wring it out gently to remove the excess water from the spinach. Place the spinach in a large bowl and add:

• 16 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 16 ounces goat cheese
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 4 beaten eggs

Toss together until completely blended together.


Cover the bottom of the lasagna pan with 1 layer of lasagna pasta sheets. Add 1/3 of the spinach and cheese mix, top with more lasagna pasta sheets and repeat the process, ending with a final layer of pasta. Top with:

• 2 to 3  cups of simple chunky tomato sauce (recipe follows)

Finally sprinkle on

• 12 ounces grated mozzarella or provolone cheese
  

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 20 minutes before serving. Can be served with additional tomato sauce on the side.


Chunky Tomato Sauce

• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 8 large ripe tomatoes diced
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp crushed chili sauce
• salt and pepper to season

Saute the garlic in the oil over medium heat for just a minute before adding the tomatoes, brown sugar, chili sauce, salt, pepper. Continue to cook until the tomatoes soften and the compote reduces to a jam-like consistency. Add the balsamic vinegar in the final minute or two of cooking before serving.

Goat Cheese and Feta Spanakopita Lasagna

I got this idea from an appetizer that I recently served at a dinner party with friends, where the delicious goat cheese and feta filling was baked inside crispy, golden phyllo pastry and had the rustic tomato sauce served on the side. I decided to try it as a pasta dish and that too was a very successful experiment.

I see this as a very versatile recipe that, because of it's richness, should be served in smaller portions than a standard lasagna. Last night we served it with a simple salad and lemon-herb grilled chicken breasts for a very satisfying dinner. Served only with a side salad, it would make a terrific lunch or all on its own as a first course at your next dinner party. This is also a recipe that I will be incorporating into dinner party menus where we have a mix of vegetarians and non-vegetarians because it would be so simple to serve the grilled chicken with it or not. I don't like dinners where veggie guests get served a completely different meal.

I presentation tip for this recipe as with any lasagna, is to line the lasagna pan with parchment paper and lightly brush the paper with olive oil before putting the lasagna together. Let your lasagna rest for about 20 minutes or more after it comes out of the oven then simply use the ends of the parchment paper to lift the lasagna out of the pan onto a cutting board where it can be very easily and cleanly  cut with a sharp serrated knife into perfectly presentable portions.

 12 servings.

Line a 9 x 9 inch glass pan with parchment paper, lightly brush the paper with olive oil.

• 1 pound uncooked fresh lasagna sheets (approximately)

 For the filling, blanch

• 6 cups baby spinach 

in hot water for only a minute to wilt it. Drain immediately and place the wilted lettuce in the middle of a clean tea towel. roll up the towel and wring it out gently to remove the excess water from the spinach. Place the spinach in a large bowl and add:

• 16 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 16 ounces goat cheese
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 4 beaten eggs

Toss together until completely blended together.


Cover the bottom of the lasagna pan with 1 layer of lasagna pasta sheets. Add 1/3 of the spinach and cheese mix, top with more lasagna pasta sheets and repeat the process, ending with a final layer of pasta. Top with:

• 2 to 3  cups of simple chunky tomato sauce (recipe follows)

Finally sprinkle on

• 12 ounces grated mozzarella or provolone cheese
  

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 20 minutes before serving. Can be served with additional tomato sauce on the side.


Chunky Tomato Sauce

• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 8 large ripe tomatoes diced
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp crushed chili sauce
• salt and pepper to season

Saute the garlic in the oil over medium heat for just a minute before adding the tomatoes, brown sugar, chili sauce, salt, pepper. Continue to cook until the tomatoes soften and the compote reduces to a jam-like consistency. Add the balsamic vinegar in the final minute or two of cooking before serving.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Grilled Greek Flatbread Pizza

One of our family's favorite summer meals is pizza from the backyard grill. We make batches of flatbread dough and freeze individual sized portions of it to use when we need it. For a quick workday meal, we take the dough out of the freezer in the morning and let it defrost during the day so that it is ready for the grill when we get home.  Barbeque chicken or pulled pork pizza are a couple of particular favorites and a great way to use up leftover steak too in a steak and tomato pizza. I've even made a pesto and shrimp pizza using this method. The possibilities are endless and you can use whatever is on hand. When we have friends over for a barbeque, we also often serve these as a casual appetizer course before folks sit down to the main meal.

This past week our dinner pizza was inspired by a Greek Salad and this incredibly tasty version certainly did not disappoint. We used the same dough for the pizza as we recently used for the burger buns in our recently featured Double Crunch Fried Chicken Parmesan Burgers and topped it with delicious high quality toppings for a very, very flavourful meal. The only caution with making pizza on the grill is to not overly crowd the pizza with too much topping. These pizzas cook quickly and you will want to heat the toppings well before the bottom browns too much. Use really tasty toppings that pack plenty of flavour punch; quality over quantity is the key to a successful grilled pizza.

Parmesan Herb Pizza Dough

3 cups flour
1 pkg (5 grams) instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano, chives, basil and rosemary)

Makes 12 burger buns

Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour along with the sugar, instant yeast, cheese and herbs and salt in a large bowl or in the bowl of a large electric mixer that uses a dough hook. Add the melted butter and warm milk. Using a wooden spoon or the regular paddle of your electric mixer beat for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. If using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook at this point and begin to slowly incorporate the remaining  flour. If not using an electric mixer keep mixing in the flour gradually until a soft dough forms that leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto the counter top or bread board to knead. You may need to use a little less or a little more flour, this is not uncommon. Knead the dough for an additional 10 minutes either in the electric mixer or on a bread board or counter top.

Cover dough and leave to rest and rise for one hour. Punch the dough down and knead it for a few minutes by hand before letting it rest for another 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into about 6 ounce portions, rolling them into balls. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes before rolling out on a breadboard to about 8 inch circles.

Preheat your gas grill to medium low heat. Preheat your gas grill to about medium low heat and place the rolled dough portions a couple at a time directly on the grill. Watch these carefully, adjust the temperature and move them around on the grill as needed.  When bubbles appear it's time to flip them over and grill for about another minute.

To prepare individual pizzas, turn off the burner/s on one side of the grill and place a flatbread or two on the other side. Brush the top with garlic oil. You can find a simple method of making your own garlic oil here.

Top the pizzas with

baby spinach leaves

feta cheese, full fat works best here

sliced red onion

sliced sweet red peppers

sundried pitted kalamata olives

chopped fresh oregano

Close the cover on the grill and let cook for about 5 minutes or until the pizza is crispy on the bottom and the cheese warmed and softened. If you like you can drizzle a little good balsamic vinegar over the top before slicing and serving.

One of our family's favorite summer meals is pizza from the backyard grill. We make batches of flatbread dough and freeze individual sized portions of it to use when we need it. For a quick workday meal, we take the dough out of the freezer in the morning and let it defrost during the day so that it is ready for the grill when we get home.  Barbeque chicken or pulled pork pizza are a couple of particular favorites and a great way to use up leftover steak too in a steak and tomato pizza. I've even made a pesto and shrimp pizza using this method. The possibilities are endless and you can use whatever is on hand. When we have friends over for a barbeque, we also often serve these as a casual appetizer course before folks sit down to the main meal.

This past week our dinner pizza was inspired by a Greek Salad and this incredibly tasty version certainly did not disappoint. We used the same dough for the pizza as we recently used for the burger buns in our recently featured Double Crunch Fried Chicken Parmesan Burgers and topped it with delicious high quality toppings for a very, very flavourful meal. The only caution with making pizza on the grill is to not overly crowd the pizza with too much topping. These pizzas cook quickly and you will want to heat the toppings well before the bottom browns too much. Use really tasty toppings that pack plenty of flavour punch; quality over quantity is the key to a successful grilled pizza.

Parmesan Herb Pizza Dough

3 cups flour
1 pkg (5 grams) instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano, chives, basil and rosemary)

Makes 12 burger buns

Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour along with the sugar, instant yeast, cheese and herbs and salt in a large bowl or in the bowl of a large electric mixer that uses a dough hook. Add the melted butter and warm milk. Using a wooden spoon or the regular paddle of your electric mixer beat for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. If using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook at this point and begin to slowly incorporate the remaining  flour. If not using an electric mixer keep mixing in the flour gradually until a soft dough forms that leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto the counter top or bread board to knead. You may need to use a little less or a little more flour, this is not uncommon. Knead the dough for an additional 10 minutes either in the electric mixer or on a bread board or counter top.

Cover dough and leave to rest and rise for one hour. Punch the dough down and knead it for a few minutes by hand before letting it rest for another 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into about 6 ounce portions, rolling them into balls. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes before rolling out on a breadboard to about 8 inch circles.

Preheat your gas grill to medium low heat. Preheat your gas grill to about medium low heat and place the rolled dough portions a couple at a time directly on the grill. Watch these carefully, adjust the temperature and move them around on the grill as needed.  When bubbles appear it's time to flip them over and grill for about another minute.

To prepare individual pizzas, turn off the burner/s on one side of the grill and place a flatbread or two on the other side. Brush the top with garlic oil. You can find a simple method of making your own garlic oil here.

Top the pizzas with

baby spinach leaves

feta cheese, full fat works best here

sliced red onion

sliced sweet red peppers

sundried pitted kalamata olives

chopped fresh oregano

Close the cover on the grill and let cook for about 5 minutes or until the pizza is crispy on the bottom and the cheese warmed and softened. If you like you can drizzle a little good balsamic vinegar over the top before slicing and serving.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

St. Katherine's

Turkish Cherry Soda, Craft Athens Lager

St. Katherine's
26 Cotham Rd
Kew, VIC 3101
Ph: (03) 9207-7477
Website

When St. Katherine's opened in Kew, I was quite interested to visit, but there was a bit of negative buzz about it in my parents' circle of Kew locals regarding price and quality, and it fell off the list of restaurants that I wanted to try.  However, I was very impressed with my recent visit to Hellenic Republic, and seeing St. Katherine's delicious-looking $19.50 two-course 'Xpress' lunch on Joyce's blog, I thought it would be a good, low-risk way to try the restaurant.

The bar at St. Katherine's

I popped in with my parents on a weekday - it wasn't full but had a pleasant atmosphere.  I particularly liked the bright airy space (great for food photos), and the colourful tiles and old tomato tins on the tables (great for Instagram - don't forget to follow me, sarahcooksblog!)

Self-serve cutlery

As you can see in the photo at the top of this post, my dad had an Athens Lager, and I had a clear cherry soda.  I was actually hoping to get that Espa brand red cherry drink I enjoyed so much at Hellenic Republic, but the clear cherry flavoured Turkish soda was a refreshing substitute and thankfully didn't taste of artificial cherry or Dr Pepper!  (According to our friendly waiter, St Katherine's has all the flavours of the Espa soft drinks except for the sour cherry, so I'll have to trek out to Brunswick East when I want my fix. D'oh!)

The first course was a tasty selection of dips and other snacky bits and pieces.

First course

Clockwise from top left, we have: tamara; mahammura (roasted sweet pepper dip with walnuts and pomegranate molasses); crispy deep-fried school prawns; a lamb pide topped with minced lamb, tomato, garlic, parsley, Aleppo pepper and lemon; a bowl of grilled and popped corn with almonds, chives and red onions; and warm pieces of bread in a bag.

The lamb pide reminded me of my favourite item from A1 bakery, lamachun (lamb pizza), with its spicy and sour meat topping.  I also really liked the corn dish, enjoying the contrast between sweet juicy corn kernels and aerated, puffed corn.

For me, the highlight was definitely the school prawns, all salty and crispy.  I love that you can eat the whole prawn, shell and all!

The main course comprised three very "Sarah" dishes: grilled spiced salmon, slow-roasted chicken, and a rice pilaf with herbs, dried apricots, carrots and toasted pumpkin seeds.  (Y'all know I love dried fruit and rice!)

The salmon was a little salty for my taste, but it went well with the milder-tasting pilaf and chicken.  Both chicken and fish were cooked skillfully, remaining lovely and tender.

Despite being one of the smallest options on the menu, after the two-course 'Xpress' lunch, we were comfortably full and didn't feel like a full dessert.  You must get heaps of food if you go for the $40 lunch option!  However, we saw that coffees come with a little square of cake, and thought that would be a nice way to round off the meal.

We thought they were brownies, but they were actually little squares of very tasty, moist walnut cake.  Our waiter was super-nice and gave us a few extra pieces when we told him that it was going to be our dessert! Yay!

Greek coffee with walnut cake

And some more Instagram shots (bear with me, I'm new to Instagram and am addicted!)

Hehe... even more walnut cake squares... our waiter slipped these onto our table as we were leisurely chatting and enjoying our coffees.

We greatly enjoyed our lunch at St. Katherine's - aside from the good food and excellent value, the service was fantastic.  The waiter who served us was very switched on, efficient and friendly - joking around with us but never being intrusive - basically making the experience even better for us diners.

Based on our experience at lunch, I'd definitely want to go back and try out their full menu, including their famous "Katherine's Fried Chicken".  With my local KFC just down the road from St. Kat's, it'd be easy to do a side-by-side comparison.  Hmm... future blog post perhaps?

Turkish Cherry Soda, Craft Athens Lager

St. Katherine's
26 Cotham Rd
Kew, VIC 3101
Ph: (03) 9207-7477
Website

When St. Katherine's opened in Kew, I was quite interested to visit, but there was a bit of negative buzz about it in my parents' circle of Kew locals regarding price and quality, and it fell off the list of restaurants that I wanted to try.  However, I was very impressed with my recent visit to Hellenic Republic, and seeing St. Katherine's delicious-looking $19.50 two-course 'Xpress' lunch on Joyce's blog, I thought it would be a good, low-risk way to try the restaurant.

The bar at St. Katherine's

I popped in with my parents on a weekday - it wasn't full but had a pleasant atmosphere.  I particularly liked the bright airy space (great for food photos), and the colourful tiles and old tomato tins on the tables (great for Instagram - don't forget to follow me, sarahcooksblog!)

Self-serve cutlery

As you can see in the photo at the top of this post, my dad had an Athens Lager, and I had a clear cherry soda.  I was actually hoping to get that Espa brand red cherry drink I enjoyed so much at Hellenic Republic, but the clear cherry flavoured Turkish soda was a refreshing substitute and thankfully didn't taste of artificial cherry or Dr Pepper!  (According to our friendly waiter, St Katherine's has all the flavours of the Espa soft drinks except for the sour cherry, so I'll have to trek out to Brunswick East when I want my fix. D'oh!)

The first course was a tasty selection of dips and other snacky bits and pieces.

First course

Clockwise from top left, we have: tamara; mahammura (roasted sweet pepper dip with walnuts and pomegranate molasses); crispy deep-fried school prawns; a lamb pide topped with minced lamb, tomato, garlic, parsley, Aleppo pepper and lemon; a bowl of grilled and popped corn with almonds, chives and red onions; and warm pieces of bread in a bag.

The lamb pide reminded me of my favourite item from A1 bakery, lamachun (lamb pizza), with its spicy and sour meat topping.  I also really liked the corn dish, enjoying the contrast between sweet juicy corn kernels and aerated, puffed corn.

For me, the highlight was definitely the school prawns, all salty and crispy.  I love that you can eat the whole prawn, shell and all!

The main course comprised three very "Sarah" dishes: grilled spiced salmon, slow-roasted chicken, and a rice pilaf with herbs, dried apricots, carrots and toasted pumpkin seeds.  (Y'all know I love dried fruit and rice!)

The salmon was a little salty for my taste, but it went well with the milder-tasting pilaf and chicken.  Both chicken and fish were cooked skillfully, remaining lovely and tender.

Despite being one of the smallest options on the menu, after the two-course 'Xpress' lunch, we were comfortably full and didn't feel like a full dessert.  You must get heaps of food if you go for the $40 lunch option!  However, we saw that coffees come with a little square of cake, and thought that would be a nice way to round off the meal.

We thought they were brownies, but they were actually little squares of very tasty, moist walnut cake.  Our waiter was super-nice and gave us a few extra pieces when we told him that it was going to be our dessert! Yay!

Greek coffee with walnut cake

And some more Instagram shots (bear with me, I'm new to Instagram and am addicted!)

Hehe... even more walnut cake squares... our waiter slipped these onto our table as we were leisurely chatting and enjoying our coffees.

We greatly enjoyed our lunch at St. Katherine's - aside from the good food and excellent value, the service was fantastic.  The waiter who served us was very switched on, efficient and friendly - joking around with us but never being intrusive - basically making the experience even better for us diners.

Based on our experience at lunch, I'd definitely want to go back and try out their full menu, including their famous "Katherine's Fried Chicken".  With my local KFC just down the road from St. Kat's, it'd be easy to do a side-by-side comparison.  Hmm... future blog post perhaps?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

"Food, Memories and Mary" event at Hellenic Republic

As part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 2012, we were invited along to "Food, Memories and Mary", an event at Hellenic Republic.  Apart from PM24, I'd never visited one of George Calombaris' restaurants, so was interested to see what it would be like.  This event was a bit different from the restaurant's usual offering though, in that it was a special Cypriot sharing menu created by George's mum, Mary.

Hellenic Republic
434 Lygon Street
Brunswick East, VIC 3057
Ph: (03) 9381-1222
Website

Wine and soft drinks were included, but as I was driving, no wine for me!  (...I say as the long-suffering designated driver!)  Despite the room being packed and very busy, our waitress was really attentive and lovely, making sure I had some funky soft drinks to keep me going.  I loved this Greek sour cherry soft drink - it tasted like that gorgeous liquid you get in a jar of Morello cherries!  Anyone know where I can purchase this in Melbourne?

There was a lot of food, so I won't describe each dish in great detail.  Suffice it to say that everything was prepared skilfully and served generously.  I must admit that a few of the flavours were a little unusual for me (the spices in the meatloaf, and the braised cuttlefish, for instance), but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the evening as a whole, and found it so interesting to try food from a cuisine that was brand new to me.

MEZE - Tastes

Olives - Cracked green olives, coriander and lemon
Hoummi Kopanisti - Chickpea dip

Zalatina - Pork in lemon and vinegar jelly

Kolokotes - Pastries stuffed with pumpkin

Ravioles - Fried ravioli haloumi and mint

Soupies Krasatiko - Cuttlefish braised in red wine
Pilafi - Burghal pilaf

Kounoupidi - Fried cauliflower with lemon

Loukaniko - Handmade sausages, red wine & pastourma

Yup, you read that right - everything above was just the meze, and we still had mains to come!

KYRIO - Main course

Rollo - Spiced meatloaf

Ortikia Sharas - Chargrilled quail

Horiatiki Salata - Village Salad

Salata Kokkinovoulia - Beetroot salad, olive oil and garlic

Patates Antinahtes - Cracked spring potatoes, red wine and coriander

A little ouzo after the meal to aid digestion...

Ouzo

...and then it was time for dessert!

GLYKA - Something Sweet

Look at all that kataifi pastry...

How many Melbourne restaurateurs does it take to make Ekmek Kataifi Pagoto? Two to spoon over the sauce, two to scoop the ice-cream, one to inspect the finished product, and one to take a photo for Twitter!

Ekmek Kataifi Pagoto

This dessert comprised kataifi pastry filled with custard, mastic ice-cream, and preserved cherries.  I found the cherries a little sweet, but loved the contrast between crisp pastry, smooth custard and cool mastic ice-cream.

A cup of fortifying Greek coffee, and the meal was over!

Greek Coffee

It was a great night, and a wonderful introduction to Cypriot cuisine.  Mary was so lovely, chatting with the guests, serving meals and making sure everyone had enough to eat.  She's also clearly very proud of her son.  (Bless!)  I loved the generous meal and the hospitality - I really felt like I was enjoying a meal in her home.  She even gave a little gift of a thyme plant to each of the guests!  Such fun.  Even though it was a very busy night, the service was efficient, friendly and welcoming.  I'd definitely want to come back to Hellenic Republic to try out their normal menu.

Sarah and Sandra attended "Food, Memories and Mary" as guests.

As part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 2012, we were invited along to "Food, Memories and Mary", an event at Hellenic Republic.  Apart from PM24, I'd never visited one of George Calombaris' restaurants, so was interested to see what it would be like.  This event was a bit different from the restaurant's usual offering though, in that it was a special Cypriot sharing menu created by George's mum, Mary.

Hellenic Republic
434 Lygon Street
Brunswick East, VIC 3057
Ph: (03) 9381-1222
Website

Wine and soft drinks were included, but as I was driving, no wine for me!  (...I say as the long-suffering designated driver!)  Despite the room being packed and very busy, our waitress was really attentive and lovely, making sure I had some funky soft drinks to keep me going.  I loved this Greek sour cherry soft drink - it tasted like that gorgeous liquid you get in a jar of Morello cherries!  Anyone know where I can purchase this in Melbourne?

There was a lot of food, so I won't describe each dish in great detail.  Suffice it to say that everything was prepared skilfully and served generously.  I must admit that a few of the flavours were a little unusual for me (the spices in the meatloaf, and the braised cuttlefish, for instance), but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the evening as a whole, and found it so interesting to try food from a cuisine that was brand new to me.

MEZE - Tastes

Olives - Cracked green olives, coriander and lemon
Hoummi Kopanisti - Chickpea dip

Zalatina - Pork in lemon and vinegar jelly

Kolokotes - Pastries stuffed with pumpkin

Ravioles - Fried ravioli haloumi and mint

Soupies Krasatiko - Cuttlefish braised in red wine
Pilafi - Burghal pilaf

Kounoupidi - Fried cauliflower with lemon

Loukaniko - Handmade sausages, red wine & pastourma

Yup, you read that right - everything above was just the meze, and we still had mains to come!

KYRIO - Main course

Rollo - Spiced meatloaf

Ortikia Sharas - Chargrilled quail

Horiatiki Salata - Village Salad

Salata Kokkinovoulia - Beetroot salad, olive oil and garlic

Patates Antinahtes - Cracked spring potatoes, red wine and coriander

A little ouzo after the meal to aid digestion...

Ouzo

...and then it was time for dessert!

GLYKA - Something Sweet

Look at all that kataifi pastry...

How many Melbourne restaurateurs does it take to make Ekmek Kataifi Pagoto? Two to spoon over the sauce, two to scoop the ice-cream, one to inspect the finished product, and one to take a photo for Twitter!

Ekmek Kataifi Pagoto

This dessert comprised kataifi pastry filled with custard, mastic ice-cream, and preserved cherries.  I found the cherries a little sweet, but loved the contrast between crisp pastry, smooth custard and cool mastic ice-cream.

A cup of fortifying Greek coffee, and the meal was over!

Greek Coffee

It was a great night, and a wonderful introduction to Cypriot cuisine.  Mary was so lovely, chatting with the guests, serving meals and making sure everyone had enough to eat.  She's also clearly very proud of her son.  (Bless!)  I loved the generous meal and the hospitality - I really felt like I was enjoying a meal in her home.  She even gave a little gift of a thyme plant to each of the guests!  Such fun.  Even though it was a very busy night, the service was efficient, friendly and welcoming.  I'd definitely want to come back to Hellenic Republic to try out their normal menu.

Sarah and Sandra attended "Food, Memories and Mary" as guests.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad