Tackling Tzatziki

Hello all! Sorry I have been such an MIA blogger. No real excuse. Just laziness combined with a  little busy-ness. I have joined a new gym and have been making an effort to go almost daily. I am also getting back to my oil painting. Between that and daily emailing, Facebooking, Pinteresting, and house cleaning I guess my blog is suffering a little. Unlike my blog I always make time for cooking. No one will ever go hungry in my house!  Today for What's Cookin' Wednesday I decided to tackle tzatziki!

This traditional Greek appetizer/condiment is a cucumber yogurt sauce made to accompany a variety of foods from grilled meats and fish to bread and veggies. Back in the states, I would normally grab a readymade container of tzatziki in the store, but because I have the time I thought I have given it a go.

Simple ingredients: yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, parsley, mint, and lemon.

 The most important thing when it comes to making your own tzatziki is straining! You can certainly go without straining off all the excess water in the cucumber and yogurt, but then you run the risk of having runny tzatziki. So I like to spoon the yogurt into a sieve or colander lined with a paper towel, muslin, or a coffee filter and allow it to rest in the fridge for a minimum of an hour. I also do the same with my diced cucumber to allow some of the water to strain off.  Lightly salting the cucumber helps to draw the water out. 

Straining the whey is the key to tzatziki success!

Make sure to remove the seeds from the cucumber!

Fresh herbs left to right:  parsley, mint, dill

Mix it all up, chill and serve with your favorite food!

I served my homemade yogurt dip with grilled chicken, couscous, and the best  zuchini fritter recipe I have come across! Totally forgot to snap a final photo, but the outcome:  tasty, terrific, tongue-tantalizing, tzatziki!

• 1 pint plain greek style yogurt 
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled and seeded cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh mint
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 
  

Kissed The Blarney Stone, and Proud of It

Tourist attractions, every country has one. It might be a natural wonder, or possibly a man made marvel. You may think it is overrated or something only tourists do, but obviously there must be something to it or people wouldn't flock to places like the Eiffel Tower in France, The Colosseum in Italy, or the Great Pyramids in Africa. In Greece you would be remiss to not climb to the top of The Acropolis and marvel in the ancient ruins. No visit to China would be complete without trip to the Great Wall right? Visiting America? You don't want to miss the Statue of Liberty or The Golden Gate Bridge! So where do people flock to when in Ireland? Besides the pubs?

Answer: The Blarney Stone

We have been living in Ireland for almost nine months now and I am actually surprised I have not written a blog post about it, especially because the Village of Blarney and it's magical stone lies just about 10 kilometers to the northwest of us.

So what exactly is the Blarney Stone? Interestingly enough, no one really seems to know.  One legend says it was Jacob's Pillow, brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah. Some believe it to be the stone Moses struck with his staff during the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. Maybe it was a coronation stone used by the Scottish monarchs perhaps? 

The stories are many, but the most widely accepted is that the stone was given to Cormac Mc Carthy, King of Munster, in gratitude for the Irish support at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Eventually, the stone was built into the walls of Blarney Castle. The legend says that a witch saved from drowning by the King, rewarded him with a spell. If he was to kiss the stone he would gain a speech that would win all to him.

That somehow morphed into the practice of kissing the Blarney Stone today. Now it is believed that the power of eloquent speech will be bestowed upon all who kiss the stone. Who doesn't want that right? That is why thousands of visitors make the pilgrimage to Blarney Castle each year in search of the gift of gab. I am proud to count myself among those tourists. It might be a silly thing to do, but at least I can say I did it!

Kissing the stone is not for the faint of heart. Not because of the horrible rumors that the local's relieve themselves on it. I highly doubt that happens. It is because to reach the stone you must ascend a long and narrow spiral staircase to the very top of the Castle about 90 feet above the ground. Then while hanging backwards over the edge while someone holds your feet you align your head with the stone and reach back for the kiss.  Here is what it looks like.

For some it is difficult to look beyond the tourist trap that kissing the stone has become. However, if you can look past the exploitation of it this tourist attraction is absolutely worth the visit. The grounds are lovely and the castle is very much a part of the rich history of Ireland. It is a fun daytrip, and you just never know, the gift of gab may just be waiting for you!

Blarney Castle

View from the top

Silly Husband!

Kris Cross Applesauce!

Yesterday I was out picking up a few things on my grocery list. I ticked off the first few items and then moved onto the next. Applesauce. I checked first near the canned fruits; no luck. Next, I tried looking by the jams and jellies; no luck. Not near the fresh fruit or fruit juices either. No worries I thought. Because we live in the city the shops are small and do not always have the largest selection. Fortunately there are at least a half dozen groceries all within walking distance. So onto the next shop I went in search of applesauce. Guess what? No luck!

By this time I am starting to get a little frustrated so I sent a text to my friend, Evin. I probably text her once a month to ask where I can find certain items. Last month it was celery salt (not available here in Cork). She is always so kind and never fails to answer my query, and then gently points me in the direction of her blog post listing where you can find most American foods here in Ireland. Once again forever helpful Evin pointed me in the right direction. However, I was on my third grocery store at this point searching in vain for applesauce and growing more and more frustrated; and a trip backtracking across town to the organic food market was not going to happen. So I grabbed four apples at the last grocery store and headed home.

When life hands you lemons make lemonade apples make applesauce! So I channeled my frustration into peeling and coring apples, and this is what I came up with!

To be fair, applesauce does exist here. My friend Maire sent me a picture of a jar in her fridge just to prove it! However, it is just not as common as in the states where we have 50 different varieties. Think about it, we have multiple brands, chunky, smooth, natural, with cinnamon, blended with other fruits, individual snack packs, etc. I think a big part of my frustration yesterday had more to do with that lack of variety. Variety is the spice of life! Fortunately, I now know I can make my own variety! My friend Margaret even suggested adding pears to the applesauce mix. Sounds tasty! Maybe next time!

Applesauce

5 medium apples
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup water
dash of cinnamon to taste

Peel and core apples
Cut into 1/2" pieces
In pot mix apples, water, sugar and cinnamon
Bring apples to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer for 20-30 min.
Allow apples to cool before mashing them with either a fork, potato masher, food processor, or emulsion blender.