Tzadsiki

Here it is! You all kept asking for this but then I lost the recipe. And now it is found. I usually just make this to taste, but lord knows, if you've never eaten the stuff before, you won't know the goodness of Greek Tzdsiki without a dang recipe.

Now, my godmother makes her own Greek yogurt by straining regular yogurt with a cheese cloth over the sink until it's nice and thick. Me, I buy the stuff from Trader Joe's. Her Tzadsiki is the best, but hey, I can only do so much.

Tzadsiki
1 Cup full fat Greek yogurt
1 Cup grated/peeled European cucumbers
1 Small clove garlic pressed through a garlic press
Sprinkle of dried dill
pinch or two of salt

Peel a half of a cucumber and grate on a box grater. Wash your hands and squeeze the grated cucumber over the sink to get rid of a lot of the moisture.

In a small bowl mix together all the ingredients. Salt to taste.

Top with a sprinkle of dill and paprika and serve this with pita or Turkey Meat Balls.

I bet you never knew something so good could be so simple. And now you do.

Greek Turkey Meatballs

Oh the sweet goodness of mint and meat. Is there nothing more Greek? Since, I have just started eating red meat again for the first time in 21 years, I make my meatballs with turkey meat. I know, not lamb, not very Greek of me. But they are still moist and heavily seasoned and if you dip them in garlic-y tzadsiki... Super Greek. These are perfect for Christmas even if you are not Greek at all.

Greek Turkey Meatballs (Keftedes)
1 C diced yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 C chopped fresh mint
1/4 C chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 t dried oregano
1 egg
1/2 C bread crumbs
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 1/4 lbs. ground turkey (get the kind with some fat in it)
Olive oil (lots)

Dice onions

Chop garlic

Chop mint and parsley

Fresh bread crumbs are easy. I just took a stale baguette and put it in my Cuisinart.

One egg for binding.

Combine everything...

...with the turkey.

I know it looks like a lot of onions but the moisture is important when you are using turkey meat.

Roll them with the palms of your hands into golf ball sized bits of wonder.

Heat up a light olive oil (not extra virgin) in a large skillet. You may need to switch out the oil if the pan gets too mucked up. If you mind this, feel free to use vegetable oil as it has a higher burning temp. Turn the meatballs so they cook evenly. Cook them in small batches. Be careful not to over cook these babies.

When the balls are fully cooked though, place them on a paper towel, for a quick second.

They are great as appetizers or entrees.

Kala Kristouyena
(Merry Christmas)

Butternut Squash Soup

Looking for an awesome soup to start off your Thanksgiving? Oh look, I've got it.

It takes a few ingredients, a little elbow grease, some love and BOOM you've got a big pot of awesome. I made this for our Halloween party, where I called it "Mr. Butter's Nuts Got Squashed Soup." Despite the name, it was gobbled up. The spices were just perfect for my batch, but you never know with starchy root veggies and gourds. You may need to add a little more of the spices (but don't go crazy, jeeze).

Mr. Butternut's Soup

1 1/2 Large Butter Nut Squashes
1 Large Onion
3 Stalks of Celery
3 Large Carrots
3 Large Potatoes
1/2 Stick of Salted Butter
8 Cups of Chicken Broth
1 T Sea Salt
1/2 t Ground Ginger
1 1/2 t Curry Powder
1 1/2 t Cinnamon
1 1/2 T Brown Sugar

You'll need a large pot, an immersion blender and a veggie peeler.

Cut butternut squash in half, clean out seeds and peel with veggie peeler.

With a large sharp knife, cut squash into thumb sized pieces. Your palm will get sore from cutting, use a towel on top of the knife if you need it.

Clean and chop your mirepoix (Onion, celery & carrot).

Peel and dice potatoes. Once all veggies are prepped, melt butter in a tall heavy soup pot. When butter is melted, add veggies and cook for 6 or 7 minutes then cover with broth.

Once the soup begins to boil, add 1 T of salt and pepper to taste. When all the veggies are soft use immersion blender to make the soup smooth and creamy.

Once soup is pureed, add ginger, cinnamon, curry and brown sugar. Add more spices if you think they are needed. Serve with hot fresh buttered bread and thin slices of green apples. Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving... eat too much for me!

Perfect Hummus

My sister and I are always trying to find the perfect hummus. We actually have entire conversations about hummus ingredient ratios. Hummus is one of those things that changes, with the region/family/season. Some people add roasted peppers, some olives, some roast their garlic first. I went to a Mediterranean restaurant last week where the hummus contained no garlic at all. When my friend asked the owner why the hummus had no garlic, the owner said "people in Los Angeles don't like to have bad breath." While the idea of voluntarily leaving garlic out of anything seems fucking insane to me, I have a strange appreciation for the ever morphing dip that is this mush of garbanzos.

Last weekend, I brought some of my recent dip-experimentation to a friend's birthday party. It was really well balanced batch, the closest to perfect that I have made thus far. Thought I'd share it...

Classic Hummus (perfect or not)

2- 10 oz cans of garbanzo beans
1- 8 oz tub of tahini (I like the Trader Joe's kind)
4 cloves of garlic
The juice of 1 lemon
1 t salt.
1/2 cup good cold press olive oil (good oil matters here, use the good stuff)

Place all the ingredients into your food processor and blend until creamy. That's it. Oh, and depending on your tahini, you may need to add a little more olive oil.


I served it with sheep's milk feta cheese and olives that I marinated in a dash of good oil, fresh herbs, chili flakes and lemon zest. Then just for a little extra pretty, I put some of the marinade on the top of the hummus.




This dish was cleaned out in about 45 min and I found myself regretting not bringing the entire batch to the party. Next time I will for sure. Because I will absolutely make this again.

White Trash 6 Layer Dip

Remember when 'White Trash' parties were popular? If you missed out on that early 2000's trend, it was basically a night of bad beer, ambrosia salad, and "I love my sister" t-shirts. It had it's moment and was fun while it lasted. The one thing that I took away from these festivities (aside from my hatred of Ding Dongs) was this 6 layer dip recipe. I hate to say this, but I love it, like kids love McDonald's, that's how much I love this. I don't even remember if I was the one who came up with it or not, but I'll just give myself credit because I can.

It's so fast and easy it's embarrassing. It requires no cooking and almost everything is premade and prepackaged (this is the one and only time I will say that). Plus, I've never seen leftovers with this, so I think it will fare well at your next Summer BBQ (especially if you invite me). Now yes, it's true, I have tried the 'all home made' version of this and yes it was better but if you are going to go to all that trouble, make something with filo and blue cheese, not a trashy, anglo, pseudo-Mexican dip that makes you want to put your face in it.

6-Layer Dip
9 inch square pan
One can of refried beans
One small container of sour cream (a little more than a cup)
One bottle of your favorite salsa (about a cup)
Two avocados
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of garlic powder
Shredded Mexican cheese (a little more than a cup)
3 Green onions

Let's do this...
Spread the beans on the bottom of the dish (I use the salsa ones fro Trader Joe's)

Mash up 2 avocados with salt and a dash of garlic powder and spread it on top of the beans.

Pour salsa over the top of the avo and beans. Not too much, look on the sides if your pan is glass and gauge even layers.

Add sour cream to the salsa. This is hard, it's best to start with dollops all over that you spread around instead of one big blob.

Sprinkle with grated Mexican cheese.

Chop up a couple onions for the top so it looks sort of fancy.

Eat the dip with a few bags of good chips, I like the blue corn ones, but if we are going totally W.T., I saw a lot of people eating them with Frito's. Whatever, it's good don't judge me.

Club Borba 2 (Food/Electric Boogaloo)

The food of Club Borba, much like that of any important cultural or family celebration, is the focal point of the entire event. In the weeks leading up to Club Borba all the attendees send in a check for $40 (yes that's it) to cover the costs of their 3 day food and drink bill. Considering how much some of the guests eat and drink, this is an amazing steal.

Breakfasts at the Borba's are always a complete meal, hearty camping fare (to make up for all those calories that you burned sleeping on the hammock). Lunch is an easy make-your-own sandwiches bar and Dinner, sweet Dinner is one of those events that you wait all day for. Sometimes it takes all day to cook a Borba dinner and it's never predictable. There is always a little surprise or a twist on the old. Plus, I mean, The Borba's know how to eat, and eat WELL. Dinners alone are worth the 7 hour drive.

There is a "Summer Kitchen" by the pond, that acts as food central. It is basically a screened in roof with two fridges, a sink, a griddle, coffee maker, prep table and a ton of food. All the cooking utensils are kept in huge Tupperware bins to keep out the "critters." Nobody cleans the floor, it's more like a dirt floor but the rest is immaculate not dirty at all (other than the floor because it's a dirt floor). People are always volunteering their cleaning skills and before the weekend the Borba's do a once over on the place to "make up for what Mother Nature does all winter." There is a table inside reserved for snacks. If you, touch anything else in the kitchen, it is rumored that Merry Borba will cut of your hands. But there's no need to go anywhere else because the snack table is covered with fresh fruit, chips and pretzels, and three huge Tupperware containers of Merry's famous cookies; Oatmeal Cherry, Chocolate Chip, and Oatmeal Toffee. It's like the Kraft Services table on a movie set but better cause it's made with love.



Then there is the BBQ. Two years ago, when the BBQ had to be rebuilt following a flood, the weekend was labeled "The Year Of The BBQ." Yeah, it's so awesome that it's resurrection inspired the entire weekend. When they rebuilt it, they went BIG. With a fireplace in the front and a 3 foot wood grill on the side, that beast can cook for 100. This year the big daddy of BBQs yielded a Borba favorite; 'Bay Leaf Chicken.'

Friday



The Cabin Property is covered with Bay trees and the Borba's cut off a dozen branches, wash them and...



...slap three dozen chickens into submission. The chicken is lightly salted and beaten on each side by the women of Club Borba (to the beat of the band). They beat the chicken for 10 minutes or so on each side releasing the bay oils and imparting the amazing flavor of the forest into dinner.



Raw



Cooked (but blurry, I was excited). To accompany the Bay Chicken was a griddle project of a grand scale...



Four cans of canned stewed tomatoes are slapped on a hot grill with about a dozen cloves of chopped garlic.



Then Merry added about 2 dozen chopped zucchini's.



The aroma was awesome.



Add 10 loaves of garlic bread and Merry's secret and famous macaroni salad...



Friday Night's Dinner. Awesome.

Saturday
Saturday morning we were welcomed by muffins, a hot pot of coffee, Bailey's for those who cared for it and an assembly line of breakfast burritos: pork or turkey sausage, eggs, avocado, Merry's homemade hot sauce and salsa. I was hungry and didn't take photos, sorry. Use your imagination.

In the afternoon, we walked into the town of Volcano (about a mile away), ate garlic fries and watched the USA/Ghana game (boo) at the oldest saloon in California (yay). We walked back in some serious heat and had a little sandwich back at the Summer kitchen. Then The Husband played horseshoes while I napped. I mean come on, vacation is the best.

While we were gone, this was going on...



Yeah, Greek Shrimp. Some camping food. It was an appetizer Saturday night but I have had this as an entree before. It's superb. The flavors are fantastic, the sauce that it makes is so amazing when served with warm pita or crusty bread to soak it up. It was made by Rick's assistant Roxanne Tobler and her friend Laura Kaiser. Laura won awards with this recipe and was sweet enough to share it with us. It's insane, trust me make this.

Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese
Yields: 6 servings

2 lbs Large Raw Shrimp, peeled and de-veined
½ c Olive Oil
1 med Onion, julienne wedge
1 lb Roma Tomatoes, peeled and seeded, julienne wedge
1 T Garlic, chopped
1 T Fresh Oregano
1 c Dry White Wine
½ c Feta Cheese, crumbled
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Fresh Parsley
Pita Bread or Crusty French Bread

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet.
2. In the hot skillet sauté shrimp, onion, tomatoes, and garlic.
3. Just as the shrimp starts to turn pink, add the wine and cook for a few minutes.
4. Stir in the oregano.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Caution: the feta will be salty)
6. Top with feta cheese.
7. Place the pan under the broiler or in a VERY hot oven for 2-3 minutes.
8. Slide onto a platter or serve directly from the pan.
9. Garnish with parsley.
10. Serve with wedges of pita or crusty French bread.

For making large batches and when no oven is available:
1. Cook the onion and tomatoes and set aside.
2. Cook the shrimp and garlic until the shrimp just starts to turn pink.
3. Add the wine and reduce. (for very large batches, reduce part of the wine first)
4. Add the tomatoes, onion, and oregano.
5. Top the hot shrimp with feta cheese and parsley.
6. Serve.


















Then (yes there was more) this ...



It turns out that the Borbas have a kahlua "oven." Just like in Hawaii where kahlua pork is a cultural and gastronomical staple, kahlua meats are huge in Volcano, California. A few years ago, Rick dug out a deep and extra wide hole just off of to the side of the volleyball court. He placed a large unused oil drum in the hole and filled the outside of the hole with sand. When he is ready to cook, he lights a fire inside the oil drum and lets it burn big and hot. Then he places a gigantic pork roast and a whole turkey inside the drum on a rack. He puts a lid on the drum weighs it down with bricks and walks away. Starved of oxygen, the fire dies down but the sand around the drum retains the heat and the drum acts as an oven. Four hours later...



Pork



Turkey



Homemade coleslaw



Want some beans with your bacon? (Merry made plain ones for me)



My dinner with a little horseradish sauce. BTW they never refrigerate their watermelon, they just throw it in the pond and pull it out when it's time to cut it up. Same with the kegs but they don't cut those up.

Sunday
Sunday breakfast was epic. Ham, fried eggs and pancakes the size of my head.



Some were plain but some were...



Banana!



The boys were in control at Breakfast (including The Husband, I almost peed my pants when I saw him cooking). They cranked out pancakes like seasoned fry cooks.



These pancakes were just awesome, fluffy, light and perfect. There's something about pancakes...

We usually stay at Club Borba until Monday morning (to help clean up). But this year we had to drive home after Sunday breakfast for a shoot on Monday morning. When we got home, we were refreshed, relaxed and (still full). The dog slept the whole way home, all night and into the next day. Even though we had to cut our trip a little short, we were so supremely satisfied by the time that we had up there it didn't seem to matter. Next year can't come too soon.