Moussaka Attempt #1

While honeymooning in Greece, I ate baked moussaka more than anything else.  At Byzantine, it was a choice slice of casserole while at Blue Moon and Mama Thira, it was baked in an individual clay pot.  I couldn't wait to learn how to cook this classic dish.  Below is the recipe I used, plus notes on what I changed and what I need to change on the next round:

Casserole:

• 3 eggplants, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices - next time, 1/4 inch slices or thinner
• salt - go nuts
• 1/4 cup olive oil - a teensy bit at a time in the pan to flash fry the eggplant
• 1 tablespoon butter - ok to use oil instead
• 1 pound lean ground beef - used half lamb, half beef
• salt to taste - go crazy
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 onions, chopped - only used one since it seemed like so much
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon - used 1/2 teaspoon and it still wasn't enough!
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg - ditto on the nutmeg, recommend a full teaspoon
• 1/2 teaspoon fines herbs
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine

Bechamel Sauce:

• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• salt to taste
• ground white pepper, to taste - the more, the better

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

I also added quarter-inch slices of potatoes at the bottom of the casserole since that's how it was served in Greece.  Although the cinnamon, nutmeg, fines herbs and parsley add a bit of flavor, I still felt it wasn't nearly as flavorful as I was hoping for.  On the next batch, I won't be so hesitant to double and triple up the spice quotient.  This experience also taught me how underrated white pepper has been in my cooking repertoire.

To prepare, slice the eggplant and potato, sprinkle with salt and layer in a casserole dish.  The recipe called for browning the eggplant in olive oil but I made one casserole without browning the eggplant at all and it tasted and cooked the same.  In a skillet, brown the beef and lamb in some olive oil.  Then add garlic, chopped onion, herbs, spices, and finally the tomato sauce and wine.  Layer half of this mixture over the eggplant, then sprinkle a half cup of parmesan.  Layer more sliced eggplant, the other half of the meat and another half cup of parmesan.

For the bechamel sauce, prepare as you typically would but add in another teaspoon of nutmeg.  Pour this over the final layer of the casserole and sprinkle the final half cup of parmesan on top.  Bake at 350° for one hour, then let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Holy Poutine Coma

We finally went to Wayfare Tavern this weekend and holy poutine coma!  More calories in one sitting than I've had in ages but after you hear this you'll understand why: braised short rib, French fried potato, truffle jack cheese and veal jus.  Just, wow.  We tried to carry on a conversation during this appetizer but I couldn't concentrate on much else.

The atmosphere is intimate and inviting with modern touches overlaying an almost hunting lodge vibe.  We rounded out the meal with deviled eggs (no kidding!) oysters, fried chicken and truffled mashed potatoes. (photo is from the Wayfare Tavern website because the dining room was way too swanky for me to whip out my camera)

The Cake

 One of the many remarkable things I learned in the process of wedding planning was that pastry chefs across the board expect a bride to know exactly what kind of cake she imagines cutting into as a freshly minted wife.  Seven layers with a different cake/frosting combination on each tier, tropical cocktail-inspired flavors, buttercream versus fondant, flowers made from sugar, silk or real ones!  As you may be able to tell from the lack of dessert-specific posts on this blog, I don't have a big preference when it comes to cakes.  The more I thought about it, the more options I saw online, the more I pictured a simple white cake!  And what's white?  Vanilla!  It just works.  Biting into an almond croissant on the way to meeting the catering manager one morning, I realized the filling is one of my favorite flavors and a light bulb went off; the cake would have to involve almond, somehow.


In the end, the cake we saw on our wedding night was beautiful and I think the cake itself was almond flavored!  My first bite was memorable too, mainly because it was giant and all I could think about were all the flashes going off and how embarrassing it would be if I dribbled frosting on my chin!

The Cupcakes

 At the tasting, the pastry chef brought out six different flavor combinations for our cupcakes.  We couldn't decide on three so we served all six!

1. Almond cake with vanilla bean frosting (and gold leaf!) matched the wedding cake
2. Pistachio cake with dulce de leche frosting and fleur de sel caramel
3. Chocolate cake with espresso frosting
4. Banana walnut cake with toffee frosting
5. Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting
6. Lemon cake with meringue!

All were to die for, but my personal fave was the pistachio with its sweet n saltiness.  YUM!!  Nice work, Rosewood ;)

Mrs!!

I've been a newlywed for 3 weeks!  3 weeks of culinary bliss, to boot.  After watching what I was eating for six months to fit into the white dress, I was in heaven tasting my way through the Greek Islands.

Being married is about the same as living with my boyfriend of 5 years but the excitement of being family—for real—is lovely to get lost in.  While we're waiting for the official shots of food from the wedding, here's a sneak peek at the table setting.