Greek Fiesta

So...by now u must have figured out...i love to eat good food, different food....and yes i love to cook...especially for people that appreciate it....i guess that is the best satisfaction...when you cook and then People say...man this is amazing...but of course they must mean it...and yes....if i ask how it is...I can take criticism....anyway....let me get to the point....Sunday, Claudia and i decided to cook up a Greek Fiesta...i have been wanting to do it for some time, got an amazing cookbook from my gran....and now i was inspired after being to the Greek islands....and who better to do it with than someone that loves to cook as much as i do...and yes....that means Claudia....

So prep work started during the week...i did the initial menu ideas and then Claudia approved and helped with quantities....and then shopping occured Friday and Saturday.....Friday...off to Food Lovers Market at Nicol Way....like i said amazing place...i found almost everything...from haloumi (and actually now that i have cooked it....i can say the best haloumi i have ever cooked, it didnt fall apart, didnt stick....great) to deboned leg of lamp to Greek Yoghurt to calamari used for stuffing...the only thing i had to run around on SAturday was whole octopus and roe...mission...but i found at the fish shop at Dunkeld West....so not too bad....so now to the more interesting part.....


We started out cooking at 11am on Sunday...man it was fun.....stuffing calamari with feta, squishing fish roe (which i actuallY think looks like intestine) to marinating beef and lamb skewers to poaching and frying whole octopus.....everything was done from scratch...we were cooking for 9 people...and all love food....so it was great...and yes of course we had to have some company.....aperitifo which you mix with sparkling wine and soda....yummy....never had before.....here are some pics of prep work.....

 
Guests started to arrive at 3..... Claudia and i managed to end prep work at 3:30 and also enjoy a drink....of course..A glass of local bubbly...Graham Beck....and then at 4:00 we made the final work....about 5pm we ate....man....the buffet looked amazing...yes...maybe arrogance...but i dont think so....what i was most excited about wAS the octopus in red wine...i was first introduced by a friend in Katakolon to warm octopus and although this one was not prepared quite the same way..it was divine...here is a pic of it....

So....what did we make....We made three dips, yes, all from scratch....tzatziki, taramasalata and aubergine....then we made a Greek salad, yes also the real one with chunks of tomato, cucumber, black olives and red onions and feta, beef meatballs with feta, lamb and beef skwers, calamari stuffed with feta, red wine octopus, zuccini fritters, hAloumi, marinated green olives and two types of bread....pita and ciabatta....Here is a pic of almost all of it....

Man....it was so nice...but wow was i full...really was planning on no dessert.....but then dessert was wipped out, yes it was bought at the Spar, whose owners are Greek......Claudia bought two types of Greek dessert one classic baklava (this one was too sweet for me) and one apple something...apparently it starts with an A....but i cannot find it in google...so if someone knows...let me know...cause man...it was so nice that i still managed to munch 1 1/2..... Could not let them go to waste.....the castor sugar on top could have been a little less....but the rest amazing.....then again i love apple struddle...so yes....it was a given that i would love it.....i actually make an amazing apple struddle...hmmm...maybe i should make one again.....i think ill do some of the Greek cooking again before i go on the ship again.....just because i loved it and have been asked to make some more....so why the hell not......now...another morning and i am talking about food.....at least ill eat breakfast soon....so cheers......But first pic of dessert....

 

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