The Keftedakia

On the way home from a day at the beach, food was all we could think of. The sensation of hunger after swimming in the open, blue, Aegean Sea can be quite strong.
I knew I was the one who would prepare our lunch, and the moment when I’d sit down to the table and enjoy the fruit of my labor seemed very distant.

We had picked up everything we needed from the market. Minced veal, onions, dried mint, and luckily there was some stale bread leftover from the previous day to soak and use for my keftedakia (meatballs). I put all the ingredients into a large bowl along with lots of salt and pepper and started mixing everything with my hands that still smelled of the sea.

I had been kneading the mixture for a long time while a pleasant, cool breeze coming from the kitchen window was caressing my face, and when my hands started feeling tired from the repetitive motion and my thoughts stopped wandering and had now focused on the image of freshly fried meatballs, I reached for the flour.

Oh no, where’s the flour? Don’t we have any? Now what? I can’t make keftedakia without flour. Oh no.

And then it hit me. The best part about being in a small Greek village is the neighbors. Mrs. Katerina was living in the house down the hill and fortunately she was willing to help me. She welcomed me into her home and into her kitchen, and as she lifted the huge sack of flour from the floor and onto a wooden table she said:
“How much do you need?”
“Not much. Here, I brought this small bowl with me. I’m making keftedakia”.
“You can have as much as you want. We have plenty of flour. We all make our own bread every week around here, not like you Athenians”, she said as she sieved the flour.
If only she knew how much I love making my own bread.
I didn’t reply. I didn’t want to crush her image of busy Athenians eating super-market bread in their tiny apartments.

Thanks to her generosity, I left her kitchen with more flour than I needed, went home and immediately started flouring my small, round keftedakia. When the oil started shimmering and the keftedakia took their first plunge in it, they swiftly started to sizzle and soon after they took on a golden brown color.

The table was set, the freshly cut potatoes were fried, the horiatiki salad was prepared with big, juicy, red tomatoes and the best tasting feta I’ve had in a long time, the bread from the village bakery was sliced, ready to be dunked into the rich, fruity olive oil, the beers were ice cold straight from the fridge and we all sat down to enjoy our much anticipated meal, hungrier than ever.

All this transpired a little over two months ago in North Euvoia, in Greece, and yet it feels like it was eons ago. This simple meal, this typical Greek fare, is an integral part of my memories from my vacation there, and these images will forever remind me of the kindness of my neighbor, the distinct smell of the sea and mountains, the keftedakia which even though I had made hundreds of times before, this will perhaps be the only one I will forever remember.

Keftedakia (Greek Fried Meatballs)

Keftedaki (plural: keftedakia) means small meatball in Greek. Keftes (plural: keftedes) is a larger meatball. In Greek homes this is perhaps the simplest, easiest type of meat dish and nibble that you’ll find.

There are many combinations of flavors that can go into a meatball, starting with the kind of meat used, veal, pork, lamb (beef is not popular in Greece), the spices and aromatics used etc. I have shared another version here about four years ago.

The more you mix and knead the keftedakia mixture with your hands, the more soft and tasty they will be. Twenty minutes is a good amount of time to knead them.
Keftedakia are shallow-fried with the oil reaching half way up each meatball. They don’t need to be fried for a long time, they only need three minutes on each side in very hot oil. They shouldn’t have a blackened crust but a golden-brown one.

Yield: about 50 keftedakia (the size of a large walnut)

Ingredients
3-4 large, thick slices of white sourdough bread
2 onions
1 kg minced veal (not too fatty)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1½-2 heaped tsp dried mint
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1- 2 cups semolina flour (durum wheat flour), for flouring the keftedakia
Olive oil or sunflower oil, for frying

Special equipment: small food processor, plastic wrap


Preparation
In a large bowl, add the bread and cover with tap water. Soak the bread until it softens but doesn’t disintegrate. Drain the bread, squeezing it between your hands to remove excess water and return it to the bowl.

In a small food processor, add the onions and chop finely. Add them to the bread along with the minced veal, 3 Tbsp olive oil, dried mint, salt and pepper to taste.

Note: If you want to check the seasoning of your meatballs, fry a small piece and taste it. Season more if needed.

Mix well with your hands, kneading the mixture with the palm of your hand for about 20 minutes. The more you knead the tastier the meatballs.

Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap and leave the keftedakia mixture aside for about 1 hour. This will allow the flavors to get to know each other and develop.

In a platter or rimmed baking sheet, spread the flour.
Take the bowl with the keftedakia mixture and knead again for 1 minute. Shape mixture into small balls (the size of a large walnut) and place them in the flour. Roll them around the flour to coat well.

In the meantime, in a large, wide, high-sided skillet or frying pan, add enough oil to come half up the sides of a meatball. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and once it starts to shimmer and it has gotten really hot, take the meatballs one at a time in the palm of your hand and shake them between your open fingers so that the excess flour falls off, and add them carefully to the frying pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan. (See photo).

Fry the meatballs for 3 minutes on one side, until they take on a golden color and then gently flip them over using tongs or a slotted spoon and fry them for 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon and if you wish, place them on baking paper to absorb the excess oil.
Continue frying the rest of the meatballs.

Serve them immediately while they’re still hot.

Birthday cake

I hadn’t made my own birthday cake since 2010. It was a stunning triple chocolate mousse cake that became my favorite and that I made several times since. I made it for S’s birthday a couple of years ago and for other occasions that I needed to prepare something special, and every single time, it was greeted with enthusiasm and eaten greedily by all.

Last week was my birthday and I decided that it was again time for me to make my own birthday cake. This is the one I made; a four-layered chocolate fudge cake with a mascarpone-cream filling and a dark chocolate fudge frosting. And it was spectacular.

I wanted something different—for me this is different as in Greece or Holland these cakes are not common—and something chocolatey, because you all know by now what a huge chocoholic I am.

I have to say that I was hesitant about the result and the whole process since I’m not terribly used to making layered cakes like this, American-style, I’m more used to European/French-style cakes, but everything went smoothly and the cake was a huge success.

I used three different recipes to make this cake happen. An old one I have for fudge cake, a simple recipe for mascarpone-cream filling that I use for various cakes, and a frosting recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.

It may seem difficult to make but it really is not. If you break it down and think of it as three different parts, then it’s simple. The sponge (cake) part is very straightforward as you mix all the ingredients together, empty them in two pans and bake them. The mascarpone filling is a cinch to make as all ingredients again go into the mixer and voilà, ready, and the frosting is a rather simple process as well.

The hardest part is assembling the cake and applying the frosting, something that’s tricky if you haven’t done it before or if you don’t have the right tools.

But do give it a try and you’ll certainly be rewarded in the end with a beautiful cake that has a rich, deep, chocolate flavor and a moist, fluffy texture, with a refreshing and light mascarpone and cream filling and a chocolatey, sweet and buttery frosting. The sprinkling of thick sea salt flakes on top enhances the flavor of the chocolate and brings the cake to life.

I don’t know if I will ever trade the chocolate mousse cake for this one as my favorite, but one thing’s for sure, there’s competition.

Chocolate Fudge Layered Cake with Mascarpone-Cream Filling and Dark Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Make sure to use good quality cocoa powder and chocolate for the individual components of the cake for best results.

Ideally you should have a good, long straight spatula, a small offset spatula and a bench scraper (see photo further down) to smooth and apply the frosting, but a long straight spatula will do fine as well if you’re patient.

Yield: 1 layered cake / 12-14 slices

Ingredients

for the chocolate fudge cake
180 g all-purpose flour
90 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
300 g caster sugar
60 ml sunflower oil
190 ml hot espresso coffee
190 ml buttermilk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 medium-sized eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten with a fork

A little butter for greasing the pans

for the mascarpone-cream filling
250 g mascarpone
60 g icing sugar
220 ml cream, full-fat (35%)

for the chocolate fudge frosting
455 g good quality dark chocolate, 55%-60% cocoa solids, cut into small pieces
45 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder
90 ml boiling water
340 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
65 g icing sugar
Pinch of salt

Sea salt flakes like Fleur de Sel or Maldon for sprinkling over the cake

Special equipment: two round 18cm springform baking pans, baking paper, stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer, fine sieve, large serrated knife, frosting spatulas (large straight and small offset), bench scraper (optional)


Preparation

for the chocolate fudge cake
Butter the bottom and sides of two 18cm springform pans. Line the bottom with baking paper.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 360 Fahrenheit.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl), sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder, and add the sugar and salt. Then add the sunflower oil, the hot coffee, buttermilk, vanilla extract and the 2 beaten eggs. Mix, using the paddle attachment (or a hand-held mixer), on medium speed for 2 minutes until you have a homogeneous mixture, and pour into the two prepared baking pans. I weigh the mixture and divide it in half between the two pans. If you don’t want to use a scale, eyeball it.

Place both pans on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester or knife inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake otherwise the cakes will be dry.
Remove pans from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Then remove cakes from the pans and leave to cool on the wire rack completely.
Place them in the refrigerator, uncovered, and allow them to get cold. They need to be cold as this will make it easier for you to cut them in half, which is actually a little tricky if you haven’t done it before. The cakes need to be cut evenly in order for the finished cake to look good when you slice it.

While the cakes are in the fridge cooling, make the filling.

for the mascarpone-cream filling
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl), add the mascarpone, icing sugar and cream and beat with the whisk attachment (or a hand-held mixer) on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip or the mixture will split.

Assembling the cake
Now it’s time to assemble the two parts of the cake.
Take the cold cakes out of the fridge and using a large and sharp serrated knife trim the top parts level. Then cut each cake into equal halves in order to have 4 equal cake layers.

Choose the plate, stand etc. where you’ll place your cake, cut four thick strips of baking paper and form a square outline on the plate. This will ensure that your plate or stand will not be covered with frosting when you apply it over your cake.

Place the bottom half of the first cake (cut side up) onto the pieces of baking paper and add 1/3 of the filling on top. Spread the filling over the top of the cake, smoothing it out with the help of a small offset spatula (or a regular spatula). Be careful not to spread too close to the edges, leave some space for the filling to spread out when you add each layer on top. Carefully place the top half of the first cake on top (cut side down) and press down gently to secure. Add another 1/3 of filling, spreading and smoothing it like before. Then place the top half of the second cake on top (cut side up) and again press gently to secure. Add the remaining filling, spreading and smoothing it like before. Finally, add the bottom half of the second cake on top (cut side down) and again press down gently to secure.
Put the cake in the fridge in order for the filling and cake to firm up and be ready for the application of the frosting. Leave in the fridge for 10 minutes and make the fudge frosting.

for the chocolate fudge frosting
Place the chocolate pieces in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the pan does not come in contact with the water. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove bowl from the top of the pan and allow the chocolate to cool.

In a small bowl, add the cocoa powder, pour the 90 ml of boiling water on top and whisk until the cocoa has dissolved and you have a smooth paste.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl), add butter, icing sugar and salt, and beat with the paddle attachment (or a hand-held mixer) on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, for about 5 minutes. Add the melted and cooled chocolate, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on low speed until combined. Add the cocoa mixture and beat until it is well incorporated. You will now have a smooth, creamy and thick frosting.
Time to frost the cake.

Frosting the cake
The frosting thickens and hardens (resembling a thick mousse) as time passes (especially during winter and in a cold kitchen) so it is best that you frost the cake shortly after you have made the frosting so it is more pliable and spreadable. In case it hardens too much before you get the chance to frost the cake, beat it again on low speed until smooth and soft.

Take the cake out of the refrigerator and apply a crumb coating using a long, straight spatula for the sides and a small offset spatula for the top. The crumb coating is a thin layer of frosting that is being applied on the top and sides of the cake in order to fill any holes, seal in the crumbs and create a smooth surface for the final frosting. (See photos below). You don’t need to be neat with this as it will be covered with the final layer of frosting.

Put the cake back in the fridge for 10 minutes or until the crumb coating has set, and then apply the frosting. Use a small offset spatula for the top and a long, straight spatula for the sides. If you have a bench scraper, use it to finish off smoothing the frosting on the sides of the cake, holding it at 90° against the side of the cake.
Remove the baking paper from around the bottom of the cake carefully, and place it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top, and your cake is ready to serve, cut into thin slices because the cake is pretty high and filling.

You can keep the cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It tastes better after a few hours to a day in the fridge. Beware that after several hours in the fridge, the frosting of the cake will be quite hard which makes it a bit difficult to cut without breaking. You need therefore to take the cake out of the fridge about half an hour before serving.
The secret to slicing the cake while the frosting is still hard, or slightly hard, is this: Take a thin, long, sharp knife and run it under hot water to heat the blade and then carefully cut the cake. The heat of the blade will smoothly cut through the frosting like butter, without breaking it.

Soup days

I used to dislike soups. I considered them a cure for the flu or the antidote to the common cold, and I mostly reserved them for when they were truly needed, like when my tummy felt funny. I think everything changed when I moved from Greece to the Netherlands where the winters are far colder and the need for warming soups is far greater. Now I can’t get enough of them.

I hadn’t had soup in a while and I had missed it. I longed for the arrival of chilly autumn days and guess what? They’re here with a vengeance, and a hot, hearty soup is all I have on my mind when it comes to supper.

Pumpkin soup was never in my repertoire until recently. It has become a staple and with good reason; its amazing flavor and color. I’m such a visual person that I can’t help but being drawn to that incredibly vibrant orange hue.

It makes me happy to look at this soup, to photograph it, to savor it. And then comes the real treat, its texture, that is smooth, creamy and velvety with miniscule grains of vegetables lingering on my tongue, slowly dissolving inside my mouth.

The garnishes on top are not for show, they’re not added to make the soup look more attractive, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but they give flavor and texture. An acidic, sour note from the dried cranberries, crunch and extra pumpkin flavor from the pumpkin seeds, freshness and grassiness from the parsley, and the hint of nutmeg that's hidden inside the soup brings it all together without being overpowering.

As each flavor bursts in my mouth, I realize that what I’m savoring has character, substance. It is sweet and salty and sour and earthy, and then, with the next mouthful, the ride starts again and I never want it to end.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Dried Cranberries
Barely adapted from Dutch Delicious

For me, creamy soups should still be soups, not purées, and this is truly creamy without being stodgy.

Make sure to cut your vegetables equal in size so they cook at the same time.

You can omit the cream if you want a lighter version of the soup or substitute it with whole milk.

The soup definitely needs the addition of lemon juice at serving to cut through the sweetness of the pumpkin and vegetables. Use more or less depending on your taste.

Yield: 6-8 soup servings

Ingredients
4 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for garnishing
1 onion (about 150 g), roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
600 g (1 small) peeled pumpkin, cut into pieces
1 large potato (about 300 g), peeled and cut into pieces
2 carrots (about 400 g), cleaned and cut into pieces
1 leek (about 150 g), white and pale green parts only, cut into pieces
½ tsp grated nutmeg
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
750 ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
500 ml hot water
125 ml cream, full-fat
1-2 Tbsp hulled pumpkin seeds
1-2 Tbsp dried cranberries, chopped
A handful of fresh, flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Special equipment: immersion or regular blender


Preparation
In a large, heavy-bottomed pan (I used an enameled cast-iron pan), heat olive oil over medium heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until they soften, stirring regularly so they don’t catch.

Add garlic, pumpkin, potato, carrots, leek, nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Then add the chicken stock and hot water and mix again. Turn heat up to high and bring to the boil. Then turn heat down to low, put the lid on the pan and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.

In the meantime, in order to toast the pumpkin seeds, add them to a dry, small pan and place over medium heat. Toast seeds, stirring regularly so they don’t burn, until they become fragrant. Empty them immediately onto a plate and let them cool.

Once the soup is ready, remove from the heat, let cool for a while and then, if you’re using an immersion blender, blend the vegetables in the pan until smooth and creamy. If you have a regular blender, transfer the vegetables little by little to it and blend until you have a smooth and creamy soup. Return soup to the pan.
Place the pan over low heat, add the cream and stir well. Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Allow to come to a simmer and remove the pan from the heat.

Serve in deep bowls. Stir in a couple of squeezes of lemon juice and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped dried cranberries, some chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

The following day, the soup will taste even better, as all soups do.