So has Bavaria moved then?

Went shopping in Cardiff today... and I hate shopping in Cardiff... but it was almost worth it when I spotted a bunch of Bavarian's selling interesting things to us Welsh Christmas shoppers!

I couldn't resist a Krakauer from the sausage seller

I was driving so I did resist getting a beer from the Bierkeller

I also resisted the Hot Mulled Wine

The cakes and doughnuts looked good though and the hot chocolate was creamy

And the pancakes smelled wonderful, even if they were French!

Just for a few moments I was transported to a much nicer place.... 😄

Lunch on a line

I've just spent a very relaxing two weeks on the Aegean island of Samos, which as you may or may not know is famed for being the birthplace of the mathematician Pythagoras and the philosopher Epicurus. Samos is also famed for its production of the excellent sweet Muscat wine. But enough of the cultural stuff, let's talk about something very close to my heart... food!

Walking around the harbour side of Pythagoreio, yes that is where Pythagoras was born, on the first morning of our holiday I spotted this:

Octopus drying in the sun

Can you guess where I had my lunch? Bet you can't guess what I had though can you? 😄

The Triffid's children

Some weeks ago I talked about a self-seeded plant that I nicknamed The Triffid, which had invaded an area of the garden originally set aside for French Beans. The plant was obviously some sort of squash and since the squash is a prised vegetable in this household the decision was taken to allow the interloper to grow.

A month or so down the road said squash plant has produced fruit, some of which are maturing nicely. I'm still not entirely sure what we have growing, but believe they could be Kent Pumpkins.

The Kent Pumpkin is also known as Kabocha or Jap/Japanese pumpkin. It is sweeter than most other varieties and I'm told it is great in soups and salads. Whether I'm right about the variety or not, I'm going to be enjoying eating these one day soon.

Usky's Unbirthday!

I have a milestone birthday in the offing and since my daughter will be unable to celebrate with me on the day itself we decided to get together a few days early for an unbirthday dinner. We went out to eat at the Blue Cumin in Magor, my favourite Bangladeshi restaurant. As usual the food was sublime and I just wanted to share a little of it with you.

Aloo Raja Prawn

My Aloo Raja Prawn starter was beautifully presented and extremely tasty and my Murg Kalia main course was nothing short of exquisite, the mixture of spices used was simply to die for! I pride myself on making some pretty fair curries, but have to say my efforts pale into insignificance when compared to the food served at Blue Cumin.

As usual the staff were friendly and attentive without being 'in your face' making the whole dining experience a pleasure. At the end of the meal they even presented me with this:

Birthday Desert

Hours later and I'm still feeling comfortably stuffed! 😆

Dinner tonight and I'm in a bit of a quandary...

It's Friday and that means it's the end of the week, a week that has seen being relatively healthy food wise, so I'm going to push the boat a little by way of celebration. I'll be preparing and cooking my take on some Greek cuisine for our meal tonight and this is what it'll be.

Moshari Kokkinisto 

Moshari Kokkinisto

Moshari Kokknisto sounds quite exotic doesn't it, but actually it's just a Greek style tender and juicy beef stew in a rich tomato sauce seasoned with cinnamon and clove.

Greek beef stew is typically cooked at a relatively low temperature (simmered, not boiled) allowing flavors to mingle. For juicier results, the key is to pick the right kind of meat. Go for choose large cuts of meat from either the front shoulder or the rear end of beef, which, when cooked for a long time become fork tender. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with some salty grated cheese and enjoy over a glass of good red wine!

Ingredients

• 1 kg of quality stewing beef 
• 2 small red onions, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp tomato paste, dissolved into a teacup of water
• 100ml olive oil (2/5 of a cup)
• a glass of red wine
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1-2 whole cloves, or a pinch grounded
• a pinch of sugar
• 400g spaghetti (14 ounces)
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• grated cheese (kefalotyri) to serve

Method

1. Cut the beef into approx. 100g pieces. Wash thoroughly and dry with paper towel.
2. Heat a large, deep pot to high heat and once hot add the oil along. Brown the pieces of beef in batches doing one side without stirring, then turn and brown the other side. Do not to overcrowd the bottom of the pan.
3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces of meat from the pot and place them on a plate.
4. To prepare the sauce for the Greek beef stew, add into the pot the chopped onions and reduce the heat. Sauté for 3 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Pour in the red wine, increase the heat and cook for 2 minutes, until it evaporates. Add the chopped tomatoes, the tomato paste (dissolved in a teacup of warm water), the cinnamon stick, the cloves, a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper.
5. As soon as the sauce comes to the boil, add the beef and enough hot water to cover the 2/3 of the meat. Return the sauce to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and half-cover with the lid. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hour, until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
6. If the meat is tender and cooked, but the sauce is not thick enough, remove the pieces of meat with a slotted spoon and boil the sauce alone until it thickens. On the other hand, if the sauce becomes thick before the meat is done, add some warm water or a little more red wine.
7. When the stew is ready turn off the heat, cover with the lid and set aside.
8. Cook the pasta; drain and place in a serving dish. Place the pieces of beef on top of the pasta and cover with the sauce.
9. Serve the Greek beef stew with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle some grated cheese and enjoy over a glass of red wine.

Alternatively you can serve this dish with Greek lemon roasted potatoes... and this is my dilemma, do I go with the traditional pasta or these little beauties?

Greek lemon roasted potatoes

I think it may have to be the potatoes... my mouth is already watering at the thought!

Yummy, it's almost Tayberry time!

I'm a bit of a pig when it comes to summer soft fruits, but without doubt the Tayberry is one of my favourites... and the ones in my garden are ripening nicely.

Tayberry

First cultivated in Scotland the Tayberry is a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. The fruit is sweeter, larger and more aromatic than that of the loganberry (also a blackberry and raspberry cross) and can be eaten raw or cooked.

My Tayberry bush is heavy with fruit; these berries are perfect when they are just turning purple and I am looking forward to bowls of sweet colourful berries served with rich vanilla ice-cream as an evening treat. 😋

How the other half lived

The only complete building still standing within the Glastonbury Abbey complex is the Abbot's Kitchen. This rather impressive structure, built between 1320 - 1370, was untouched during the Dissolution of Monasteries because it is built entirely of stone unlike the rest of the Abbey structures, which were lead roofed (the lead, being expensive, was stripped from the rest of the Abbey leaving the structures open to the weather).

The Abbott's Kitchen

Glastonbury's Abbot’s Kitchen is one of the best preserved medieval kitchens in Europe. As already stated it dates from the early 14^th century and as you can probably see, is a square structure with an octagonal stone tiled roof rising to a two-stage octagonal lantern louvre which let out the smoke from the cooking fires while drawing in clean, fresh air. The structure has unusual round buttresses on all four sides. How the kitchen connected to the Abbot's residence is uncertain, but excavations suggest via a roofed walkway.

The 80 or so Benedictine monks who lived at the Abbey would have had a pretty spartan lifestyle, spending much of their day either in prayer or singing the praises of their Lord God. Their diet is somewhat hazy, but seems to have consisted primarily of dairy products, fruit & vegetables, fish and on high feast days some small amount of meat. Not so the Abbot.

Over the centuries the various abbots at Glastonbury have been amongst the richest men in England. As such they have looked after themselves particularly well, feasting kings, barons and dignitaries from both Britain and further afield. Did the Abbot stick to a mostly meat-free diet? Not likely! Just have a look around inside the Abbot's Kitchen:

The Roasting Frame

The Roasting Frame (rotisserie), capable of holding a dozen fowl and a couple of carcases, hogs in the example here. An alternative rotisserie capable of holding larger carcasses (for whole beef or horse) would also have been available.

Preparation Table

The Preparation Board may also have been used for dinning, though it is unlikely the Abbot would have eaten here. The Board would have seen a hive of activity, especially on feast days as the various dishes were prepared here. Note the Boiling Station in the background used for cooking the vegetables and boiled meats.

Boiling Station

Most medieval kitchens had a Boiling Station with one or possibly two rise and fall hangers, but being a very rich man the Abbot of Glastonbury had four pot hangers as well as various floor standing pan stands.

With a staff of around 20, The Kitchener would no doubt have had a lot of fun in this kitchen. He would also have enjoyed considerable power and status and been among the best of European chefs.

As well as the areas shown here the Abbot's Kitchen had a bread oven and a patisserie, where pies and delicate pastries were prepared for Abbot's delight. Pretty amazing, eh? And remember this kitchen serviced just one man most of the year. As an outsider an invite to the Abbot of Glastonbury's table must have been much sought after.