Monthly Archives: August 2004

Tap, Tap, Tap

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Right. Long time, no write.

I have an excuse, though. Business picked up. No sooner had I wrapped up a major contract than the kids and I were on a train to visit my parents for a week.

Got back, got sick, signed a new contract. I'm loving the work, since it forces me to manage my time.

I've also got a logo and hang-tag design in progress for a friend, and well, I'll be hopping for the next few months at this rate. Hopefully, though, I'll manage to update more frequently.

Gearing Up

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All of the kids' schoolbooks arrived yesterday, so I spent the afternoon straightening out the kitchen and arranging a shelf for all of their school supplies. I still need to get crayons, glue, staples, pushpins, and a large corkboard, but we're on the road to being ready when September rolls around. Marcus will be starting a first grade curriculum and Becca will be doing pre-K. I'll see how she does--she's a November birthday (and late November at that) but since I'm homeschooling, I have a bit of freedom and can weather the occasional all-out tantrum.

Assuming that I have a working car in time, I'll enroll to two of them in gymnastics and ballet (or rather, tumbling and pre-dance). There are a lot of schools locally, but I really want to check on their teaching methods before I sign the kids up for anything. The car is also kind of necessary for getting to and from the schools in the first place. So it goes.

I can't wait for summer to be over.

Hungarian Goulash

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Ingredients

  • 4 Tb flour
  • 2 ts hot Hungarian paprika
  • 2 ts sweet Hungarian paprika
  • 3 lb boneless chuck or top round beef
  • 1/4 C olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, mashed and chopped
  • 1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 Tb fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 ts salt
  • 1/2 ts black pepper
  • 1 C dry red wine
  • 2 C chicken stock, salt-free (optional)
  • 1 12 oz package egg noodles
  • sour cream

Procedure

Trim the fat from the meat and cut into 1/2" cubes. Mix the flour and paprika in a Ziplock bag. Add the meat to the flour and paprika and mix thoroughly until all the flour and spices cling to the meat.

Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Transfer the aromatics to a stew pot or Dutch oven.

Add the meat in portions to the sauté pan and cook until browned over medium to high head, adding more olive oil as necessary. Transfer the meat to the stew pot as it is browned.

Deglaze the sauté pan with the wine and add the liquid to the stew pot. Add the parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper to the beef and onions.

Add two cups of chicken stock to the pot and add enough water to just cover the meat (or use all water).

Bring to a vigorous boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook until the meat is tender, about 2 to 3 hours, the last half hour with the lid removed. Prepare the noodles according to package directions while the stew finishes cooking.

Serving suggestions

p. Serve the goulash over egg noodles. Top with sour cream.

Saganaki

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb kasseri cheese, sliced 1/2" thick (haloumi or the strongly-flavored kefalotyri may be substituted)
  • 1/4 C flour
  • 3 Tb olive oil for frying

Procedure

  1. Dredge the cheese slices in the flour, and shake to remove any excess. Chill while oil heats.
  2. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the cheese slices and sauté until golden brown on both sides--about 45 seconds per side. Keep warm in oven while browning remaining slices. Transfer cheese to a heat-proof serving platter.

Serving suggestions

  • 4 Tb Metaxa (a traditional Greek brandy) (optional)
  • lemon wedges
  • fresh parsley

To serve, pour heated brandy over saganaki tableside and ignite; use lemon wedges to extinguish the flames (optional). Serve with pita bread that has been toasted and broken into quarters. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.