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Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonFebruary 17, 2018Mediterranean Food, Mediterranean, Pie, Chicken, Chicken Pie, Recipe, Shallot, Filo, Pastry, Greece, Greek Food, Greek Recipe, Eggs, Nutmeg, Dill, Thyme, Stock, Chicken Stock, Olive Oil, Mediterranean DietComment

Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonFebruary 17, 2018Mediterranean Food, Mediterranean, Pie, Chicken, Chicken Pie, Recipe, Shallot, Filo, Pastry, Greece, Greek Food, Greek Recipe, Eggs, Nutmeg, Dill, Thyme, Stock, Chicken Stock, Olive Oil, Mediterranean DietComment
      Kotopita - The Best Chicken Pie in Greece     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      Another corker of a recipe here from Rick Stein, and when I mention the 'best' chicken pie in Greece, I am quoting the words of Mr. Stein himself in his cooking and TV series 'From Venice to Istanbul.'  It was a recipe that I knew I had to try as soon as I watched him prepare it with some women in the mountainous region of Epirus in Western Greece. This was a clever recipe I thought. Using few ingredients (it's all you need), a whole chicken and more importantly the medicine the chicken produces in the form of stock, I liked the look of it. Equally using filo pastry (and sesame seeds as I have) brings you back to the Eastern Med, as opposed to say, Bolton.  The beauty of this recipe really is the use of minimum ingredients that give maximum flavour. After testing it a few times, I added some extra flavours (nutmeg, thyme & dill) in usual FeedTim fashion. Perform this recipe when you have time because the longer and slower you poach the chicken, the sweeter the meat. It also makes a great dinner party piece. People love a pie.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Kotopita    Serves 6-8 as a main.       Ingredients   Onions or shallots - 1kg, chopped  1 whole chicken - 1.5-2kg  Nutmeg - 1/2 fresh grated or 1 tbsp ground  Thyme - 8-10 sprigs fresh or 1 tbsp dried  Dill - bunch of fresh or 2 tbsp dried  Zest & Juice of 1/2 Lemon  Eggs - 3, beaten  Salt & freshly ground Black Pepper  Light Olive Oil  Filo Pastry - 2 x packs (around 14 sheets in total)  White or Black Sesame Seeds for garnish     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Method   Prepare your onions and add to a heavy bottomed saucepan with a lid that will comfortably fit a whole chicken. Add the chicken (with skin on) and cover with cold water until almost submerged. Put the heat on the lowest possible setting and cover partially with the lid so that it's barely on a simmer. Leave to poach for 5 hours. You can speed up the cooking process by cooking the meat on a slightly higher heat, but keep an eye on it so the pan doesn't overflow. You can tell when the meat is cooked because it should fall off the bone (between the leg & breast for example).  Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a plate to cool and strain the wonderful stock into a separate pan. Reserve the onions.  Reduce the chicken stock on a high heat without the lid until it becomes a thick, gelatinous liquid. This will take a while (at least 30 mins).  Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas Mark 6 and take the filo out of the fridge.  Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, extract all of the meat from the bone and skin and add to a bowl with the onions, herbs, nutmeg, lemon zest & juice, eggs and seasoning (plenty of it). Add the stock to the same bowl once reduced down and mix well.  With a bowl of olive oil at the ready, grease a rectangle or 30cm round pie dish with oil and begin layering the first pack of filo, alternating direction each time and brushing each layer with a little oil as you go. Add the chicken mixture and fold in the overhanging filo edges. Top with the 2nd pack of filo, alternating in the same way and folding over the filling. Seal in any overhanging edges and brush the top of the pie with a little more oil. Score the pie and garnish with the sesame seeds.  Cook the pie for approx 50 mins, until it has browned nicely. Allow to rest for at least 15 mins before serving.     

 

   

     
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      Welcome to the Med from my kitchen in Birmingham. I am a born and bred Brummy with Greek Cypriot roots and time spent living in Spain. Mediterranean food is what gets me up everyday. It's my thing, and after extensive travel and experience in kitchens, let me show you what this stunning and diverse sea means to me through recipes, videos and stories.
Italy|Italia, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonFebruary 12, 2018GCL Food IngredientsVideo, Food Video, Inside The Factory, Factory, Nottingham, Italian, Italian Food, Tagliatelle, Sausage, Meat, Basilicata, Authentic, Authentic italian, Ragu, Pasta, Fresh Pasta, Food Documentary, Documentary, NPD Kitchen, ChiantiComment

Italy|Italia, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonFebruary 12, 2018GCL Food IngredientsVideo, Food Video, Inside The Factory, Factory, Nottingham, Italian, Italian Food, Tagliatelle, Sausage, Meat, Basilicata, Authentic, Authentic italian, Ragu, Pasta, Fresh Pasta, Food Documentary, Documentary, NPD Kitchen, ChiantiComment
      GCL Food Ingredients x FeedTim        </iframe>" data-provider-name="YouTube"               

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      GCL Food Ingredients Ltd is a business with history, and one founded on the back of necessity and graft. The very man who started the business in 1964, Giorgio Tudino, represents the thousands of immigrants who came to the UK over this period to begin a new life. With humble roots in the town of Accettura situated in the Basilicata province of Southern Italy, this is a company that I look at with great admiration. It's one that makes me reflect on my own family's journey from Cyprus around the same period.  But what I am going on about. A factory? Indeed. The HQ is a factory in Nottinghamshire that distributes predominantly Italian and Mediterranean produce to foodservice and industrial retailers and companies across the UK. Their list of clients is pretty impressive, including producing meatballs for Ask Italian & noodles for Wagamamas. But I didn't need any convincing to come and visit when I received the generous offer from MD Salvatore DeVivo.  Salvatore (or 'Sav') is a cool guy. He's incredibly passionate about his work and has been a core part of leading GCL through massive expansion over recent years. Despite its size, the business still retains a family feel with a number of Sav's children, nephews and something in laws working there. A 2nd generation Italian, Sav has not forgotten his roots and despite his momentous ambitions for the business, quality of the ingredient is paramount in everything he does. This faith that is so entrenched in the company's philosophy was evident from the espresso presented before me as soon as I arrived. It hit me that this is a little pocket of Italy on an industrial estate in the East Midlands.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


     The video summarises the experience nicely. I would however like to give a shout out to Sav, Pep, María and everyone else at GCL who made me feel part of the team for the day. What a fantastic experience it was and I had a lot of fun. I get excited walking down the international aisles of Tesco's, so being shown wines and D.O.P protected cheeses and cured meats hailing from Italy, France and Spain in every single physical form possible (be it whole, sliced or grated) was damn cool. What was even cooler was seeing the step by step process of the fresh Tagliatelle being made and learning how the guys there can adapt how the pasta is made to each customer's needs, from raw to partly cooked or completely cooked that simply needs 10 seconds to heat up before being served. This same flexibility applies to both fresh and filled pasta.  Something I learnt while at GCL was the 'Bronze Die' method of producing pasta in the factory. How it works is that manufacturers create the dough which is then pushed through a mold (or 'die') that works it into the desired familiar shapes such as penne, spaghetti, orecchiette etc. The Bronze Die method more closely resembles how pasta would be made at home, because it's less perfect. In contrast to the norm of using teflon or steel dies which produce a more smooth, shiny (and perfect) pasta, Sav proudly explained how Bronze Cut means that the dough is extruded at a lower, less stressful pace that maintains a coarser texture. The result is that sauces can cling on to it more effectively.   The factory has a daily schedule of production depending on demand. When I popped along this included their fresh Tagliatelle and home made Basilicata sausage (a sausage originating from the family's region of Italy), whose recipe is unchanged. María and I cooked a ragù to create a dish that championed these fine ingredients. Despite going against the traditional ragù mix of beef & pork, I look forward to you trying this recipe out for yourself. If you struggle to source Basilicata sausage, the spicy Italian alternative 'Nduja will also work. I do however challenge you to source some pasta that has just been made as we did (any respectable Nonna will do).   A thank you to you for reading and watching. Recipe below...     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      In the words of María -   Tagliatelle all'uovo with Basilicata Sausage Ragù     Recipe measurements adapted to serve 4. Also note cooking times will vary depending on whether you're using fresh or dried pasta.   Before being hit by a wave of criticism, I am aware the traditional method of cooking an Italian ragù does not include tomato passata or chopped tomatoes, but stock and tomato paste. But as we're not using the traditional blend of pork & beef (or veal), this is a bit of a hybrid version anyway.       Ingredients   Onion - 1 large, finely chopped  Carrot - 1, finely diced  Celery - 1, finely diced  Garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped or minced  Basilicata sausage meat - 500g (alternatively use a mix of high welfare pork mince and 'Nduja)  White Wine - 1/2 bottle (Chianti a nice option)  Chopped Tomatoes or Tomato Passata - 2 tins (800g)  Fresh Basil - roughly torn (plus extra to serve)  Paprika - 1 tsp  Salt & freshly ground Black pepper  Extra Virgin Olive Oil  Tagliatelle - 600g, fresh or dried  Grated Parmesan or Pecorino to serve      Method   Prepare your sofrito (onion, carrot, celery, garlic) and add to the pan with a good glug of olive oil. Cook the Sofrito for approx. 10 mins on a medium heat until soft but not brown.  Sausage meat - add to the pan and brown (don't stir it too much as this will release a lot of its juices and make it boil rather than brown)  Wine - add to the pan once the meat has browned slightly and the sofrito has started to caramelise with the meat juices  Tomatoes - add and fill one of the empty cans with water and add to the pan  Basil, Paprika & seasoning - add and mix well  Cook on a simmer with the lid ajar for at least 45 minutes (anything above 2 hours will deliver the best results). Stir occasionally.   When ready to serve cook the tagliatelle in a pot of boiling, salted water 3 minutes before what the packet instructions say (it will still be too raw to eat). Add the pasta to the ragù with tongs, making sure to add some of the starchy cooking water, and add a small cup of extra water after. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, stir on the heat then clamp the lid on and leave to rest off the heat for a minutes before serving. (Don't worry if it looks a bit wet at this point, the cooked pasta will absorb the oil and cooking water as it rests).  Serve with some extra fresh basil and grated cheese.        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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      Welcome to the Med from my kitchen in Birmingham. I am a born and bred Brummy with Greek Cypriot roots and time spent living in Spain. Mediterranean food is what gets me up everyday. It's my thing, and after extensive travel and experience in kitchens, let me show you what this stunning and diverse sea means to me through recipes, videos and stories.
Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonFebruary 10, 2018Stifado, Vegetarian, Onions, Shallot, Stew, Greece, Greek Food, Healthy, Sherry, Wine, Easy, Recipe, Easy Recipe, Traditional, Tomato, Vegan, Greek Recipe, Food Blog, Food Blogger, Mediterranean, Mediterranean FoodComment

Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonFebruary 10, 2018Stifado, Vegetarian, Onions, Shallot, Stew, Greece, Greek Food, Healthy, Sherry, Wine, Easy, Recipe, Easy Recipe, Traditional, Tomato, Vegan, Greek Recipe, Food Blog, Food Blogger, Mediterranean, Mediterranean FoodComment
     
 Shallot Stifado 
    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      Stifado, the humble Greek stew that everyone seems to love. It came to my surprise when a very good friend of mine from Barnsley stated boldly that it was one of his favourite dishes, ever. I can easily agree with my good Yorkshire man, it's en example of slow cooking at its best, it's easy to prepare and produces a rich, umptious and sweet sauce that is divine.  But here's the thing, I don't really get chunks of meat in a stew. There's no reason why, I just prefer stews kept veggie and the meat (or fish) prepared in a different way. Some might argue that this view deprives the protein from taking on the flavour of the stew. Quite right, but then separating the two allows the cook to be more creative and to incorporate different flavours, cooking methods and textures that can enhance the dish even further.   A stifado traditionally features two main components: shallots and Rabbit or Beef (time to plug my  review  of the stifado I ate at Lemonia in London). I took inspiration however from the one cooked by Rick Stein in his 'Venice to Istanbul' cookbook that substitutes the meat for even more shallots. While Rick had the privilege of using the local 'vatikiotika' variety of shallot in the Greek Peloponnese, I made do with Tesco's own. In any case the key here is long, slow cooking to make the shallots extra sweet. Using the quantity of shallots in this recipe ironically gives the dish a meaty feel in its own right.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Shallot Stifado   Serves 4  Optional sides include orzo pasta, rice or even mashed potato.      Ingredients   Shallots - 1kg (approx. 40), peeled and kept whole  Garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped  Bay - 5 leaves  Mixed Spice - 1 tbsp  Red Wine Vinegar - 2 tbsp  White Wine or sherry - 1 glass  Honey - 2 tbsp (use Greek honey if you want to be more authentic)  Chopped Tomatoes - 1 400g tin  Fresh Vine Tomatoes - 3, roughly chopped  Tomato Purée - 1 tbsp  Extra Virgin Olive Oil  Salt & freshly ground Black Pepper      Method   Preheat your oven to 150C/130C fan/Gas mark 2.  Shallots - add to the pan of olive oil on a low heat and cook gently for at least 15 minutes to soften and brown slightly. Stir occasionally.  Garlic, Bay & Mixed Spice - add to the pan and stir  Vinegar & Wine - add once the shallots have softened and reduce on a medium/high heat  Tomatoes (fresh, tinned & purée) & Honey - add when the wine has reduced to a thick syrup  Season well with Salt & Pepper then cook in the oven for 1 hour with the lid on. After an hour replace the lid and cook for another hour.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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      Welcome to the Med from my kitchen in Birmingham. I am a born and bred Brummy with Greek Cypriot roots and time spent living in Spain. Mediterranean food is what gets me up everyday. It's my thing, and after extensive travel and experience in kitchens, let me show you what this stunning and diverse sea means to me through recipes, videos and stories.
Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonFebruary 05, 2018Annie B's Spanish KitchenSpanish Food, Spain, España, Salad, Healthy, Mediterranean Food, Mediterranean, Cadiz, Aubergine, Cumin, Preserved Lemon, Carrot Salad, Chickpea, Cheese, Feta Salad, Vegetarian, Re, Easy, Spanish Wine, Wine, SherryComment

Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonFebruary 05, 2018Annie B's Spanish KitchenSpanish Food, Spain, España, Salad, Healthy, Mediterranean Food, Mediterranean, Cadiz, Aubergine, Cumin, Preserved Lemon, Carrot Salad, Chickpea, Cheese, Feta Salad, Vegetarian, Re, Easy, Spanish Wine, Wine, SherryComment
      Annie B's Spanish Kitchen (Salads & Dips)        </iframe>" data-provider-name="YouTube"        

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      The final episode in the trilogy hosted at Annie B's Spanish Kitchen features an array of new and exciting salads that will stand your dinner party apart. Please use the measurements in the recipes as a guide, as the amount of certain flavours can be altered to taste.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Carrot & Cumin Salad    Ingredients   Carrots - 4  Parsley - handful, chopped finely  Cumin Seeds - 2 tbsp, toasted   Garlic - 2 cloves, finely sliced or minced  Sherry Vinegar - 2 tbsp (or 20 sprays as in video)  Extra Virgin Olive Oil  Salt      Method   Carrots - boil until tender. Drain and cool before peeling their skins off. Slice into 1cm rounds. Mix with all other ingredients.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Chickpea, Orange, Feta & Mint Salad    Ingredients   Chickpeas - 400g tin, drained & rinsed  Orange - 1, peeled and cut into segments (juice reserved)  Feta - 100g, cubed  Fresh Mint - handful, roughly chopped  Fresh Parsley - handful, roughly chopped  Olives - handful, pitted (Kalamata olives recommended)      Dressing   Juice of Orange  Extra Virgin Olive Oil  Red Wine Vinegar - 2 tbsp  Salt & Pepper     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Aubergine, Garlic & Tahini Dip    Ingredients   Aubergines - 5  Garlic - 2, peeled  Tahini - 3 tbsp  Salt & Pepper      Method   Aubergines - roast or barbecue whole with skins on until soft. Blitz with all other ingredients until you get a purée. Loosen with a little water if you prefer a runnier consistency.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Cucumber, Preserved Lemon & Parsley Salad    Ingredients   Cucumbers - 2 peeled, deseeded & roughly chopped  Preserved Lemon - 1-2, flesh extracted and peel finely diced (or sliced if preferred)  Parsley - handful, roughly chopped  White Wine Vinegar - 2 tbsp     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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      Welcome to the Med from my kitchen in Birmingham. I am a born and bred Brummy with Greek Cypriot roots and time spent living in Spain. Mediterranean food is what gets me up everyday. It's my thing, and after extensive travel and experience in kitchens, let me show you what this stunning and diverse sea means to me through recipes, videos and stories.
Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonJanuary 25, 2018Annie B's Spanish KitchenMediterranean Food, Mediterranean, Healthy, Recipe, Soup, GazpachoComment

Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonJanuary 25, 2018Annie B's Spanish KitchenMediterranean Food, Mediterranean, Healthy, Recipe, Soup, GazpachoComment
       Annie B's Spanish Kitchen - Ajo Blanco     (Chilled White Garlic & Almond Gazpacho)         </iframe>" data-provider-name="YouTube"        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


        

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
       

 Home RSS      A staple of workers in the fields, Ajo Blanco not only cooled people from the heat of the sun but also gave them an energy boost from of the almonds. Don't be fooled by the colour, just as in an authentic Carbonara the recipe has absolutely no cream. It all comes from the emulsion between the garlic, olive oil, water and almonds.    Part 2 - Ajo Blanco    Serves 8    Great starter for a summer, Spanish themed dinner party. It’s quick and can be prepared in advance.      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Ingredients   Grapes - bunch  Apple - 1, cored and quartered  Stale Bread - couple of thick slices, soaked in water until soft  Garlic - 3-4 cloves, peeled  Blanched Almonds - 200g  Cold Water - 600ml  Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 150ml  Sherry Vinegar - 8 tsp  Salt      Method   Grapes - wash, halve, de-seed and freeze  Apple, Bread, Garlic, Almonds - blend until a paste has formed  Cold Water - add while the motor is running slowly  Olive Oil, Sherry Vinegar, Salt - add to the blender after the water  Turn the motor off after all ingredients are well blended and taste. Add further ingredients to taste  Transfer soup to a jug/bowl and chill for a minimum of 2 hours. Serve with the frozen grapes on top     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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      Welcome to the Med from my kitchen in Birmingham. I am a born and bred Brummy with Greek Cypriot roots and time spent living in Spain. Mediterranean food is what gets me up everyday. It's my thing, and after extensive travel and experience in kitchens, let me show you what this stunning and diverse sea means to me through recipes, videos and stories.
Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonJanuary 15, 2018Recipe, Spanish Food, Spain, Spanish, Spanish Language, Chicken, Moroccan, Moroccan Food, Marinade, Butcher, Organic, Free-range, Video, Youtube, Cumin, Soup, Vegetarian, Vlog, Cadiz, Healthy, Garlic, Gazpacho, SaladComment

Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonJanuary 15, 2018Recipe, Spanish Food, Spain, Spanish, Spanish Language, Chicken, Moroccan, Moroccan Food, Marinade, Butcher, Organic, Free-range, Video, Youtube, Cumin, Soup, Vegetarian, Vlog, Cadiz, Healthy, Garlic, Gazpacho, SaladComment
      Annie B's Spanish Kitchen (Moroccan Chicken Marinade)      </iframe>" data-provider-name=""             

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      Alas, the final episode to come out of my series in Andalucía is with Anne Manson, the woman who really made this whole series possible. If you follow me on social media you’re likely to have come across Anne’s name a fair few times. The simple reason for this is that Anne massively impacted my passion for cooking and learning of Spanish/North African flavours eversince the time I was a student at her cooking school in July 2015.    After learning the fascinating science behind sherry and how to pair it with food, sourcing all our ingredients from local suppliers and being escorted back in time with every recipe, I think Anne could tell her youngest student on that course was pretty excited about what he was seeing (me btw). I must have done something right because it wasn't long after that she invited me back to Spain to assist at her cookery school for 3 months, an offer I couldn’t refuse.   I will never forget the first day I arrived back to Vejer for this opportunity. This was the day I learnt that, apart from when cooking classes were being held, I had reign over the kitchen. Perhaps it was because Anne enjoyed the Spaghetti Vongole I prepared for lunch that very day with the fresh clams we bought from the market. The three months I spent with Anne and the other friends I had the honour of making out there was quite literally a dream for me. At Annie B’s Spanish Kitchen, I was a free spirit cook. There were no limits, and I learnt so much.  If I saw something I wanted to try one morning, I would be testing it that very afternoon. One day Anne came across a photo posted by  Moro  restaurant in London of the Cuttlefish Koftas that were on the specials that day. Before I knew it I was on the phone to Sam Clark (joint owner with wife Sam) writing down the ingredients (I am still over the moon that he gave me his time). We later tested the recipe, which can be found  here .    I owe a lot to Annie, and of course this final episode in Andalucía is in honour of her. Whether it was the random days we would venture into the town to sample new dishes for lunch (for ‘research’ purposes), allowing me to cook for her friends at dinner parties and of course the time she took me to Tangiers for my birthday, I was living a life where I was inspired everyday from a rightfully acclaimed ambassador of the local food and wine. It is for this reason that this trilogy is different from the other episodes in the series, with more live cooking and a menu with influences from Morocco. The 3 videos with Anne will teach you a spectrum of colourful and flavourful recipes, including a chicken marinade in Part 1, an iconic white gazpacho in Part 2 (which makes a great dinner party appetiser in summer) and some exciting salads and dips in Part 3.  If you are looking to take part in a cooking programme, then it’s evident which one I would recommend…as does the Times….and the Daily Telegraph.      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Part 1 - Moroccan Marinade   This episode begins at Carnicería Paco Melero, the local butcher in Vejer who has become a hero somewhat. The town really depends on his locaIly sourced Retinto Beef, chorizos, morcillas and corn-fed chickens. However Paco and his team are most famed for Lomo en Manteca (literally pork in its own fat). His pride and relationship with suppliers has attracted media from across Spain to his humble butchers.    We prepared this marinade for chicken, but it also compliments lamb and fish very well (especially salmon & monkfish)       Ingredients   Coriander Seeds - 1.5 tbsp  Cumin Seeds - 3 tbsp  Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 cup  Red Wine Vinegar - 1/3 cup  Cinnamon - 3 tsp  Salt - 2 tsp  Sugar - 2 tsp  Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp (to taste)      Method   Coriander/Cumin seeds - toast in a dry pan until you can smell their gentle aromas. Keep an eye out so as not to burn. Then grind both spices in a pestle & mortar (or coffee grinder as we did in the video)  All ingredients - add to a jar and shake  Marinade your meat/fish and leave in the fridge for the spices to infuse (preferably overnight)     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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      Welcome to the Med from my kitchen in Birmingham. I am a born and bred Brummy with Greek Cypriot roots and time spent living in Spain. Mediterranean food is what gets me up everyday. It's my thing, and after extensive travel and experience in kitchens, let me show you what this stunning and diverse sea means to me through recipes, videos and stories.
Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonJanuary 09, 2018Arroz, Rice, Potato, Paella, Tuna, Atún, Spain, Spanish Language, Spanish Food, Spanish, Tomate, Tomato, Healthy, Andalucía, Andalusia, Anchovies, Gazpacho, Mediterranean Food, Mediterranean, Sofrito, MackerelComment

Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonJanuary 09, 2018Arroz, Rice, Potato, Paella, Tuna, Atún, Spain, Spanish Language, Spanish Food, Spanish, Tomate, Tomato, Healthy, Andalucía, Andalusia, Anchovies, Gazpacho, Mediterranean Food, Mediterranean, Sofrito, MackerelComment
      Magi's Kitchen (Arroz con Tomate)        </iframe>" data-provider-name="YouTube"        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      A wonderfully simple dish with its roots in a traditional paella that goes heavier on the smoked paprika. Very Spanish. Unlike paella though, it’s not served as the main dish but as an accompaniment. Judging by our faces, we were thoroughly enjoying preparing it as well. Let's hope you do too.   In the original recipe, Magi added canned tuna to the rice and decorated the dish with slices of fried potato. In this recipe I replaced the tuna with a piece of fresh, pan-fried mackerel and ditched the potato.    Arroz con Tomate    Serves 6    Preparation   Prep Time – 15mins  Cooking Time – 1hr  Rest time – min. 30mins      Ingredients   Green Peppers – 3 (reserving 1 for decoration)  Onion – 1, finely chopped  Tomatoes – 6 peeled and roughly chopped  Bay Leaves – 3  Pimentón (sweet or spicy smoked paprika) – 1 heaped tbsp  Bomba (Paella) Rice – 300g / 1.5mugs  White Wine – 125ml / ½mug  Stock Cubes – 2 (dissolved in stock)  Saffron – good pinch (dissolved in stock)  Water – 1litre / 4mugs  Lemon Juice – squeeze (extra to serve)  Salt & Pepper  Fresh Mackerel fillets - 1 per person      Method   Pre heat your oven to 220°C  Green Pepper – add 1 to the oven on a sheet of foil for 45mins, turning over half way through. After set aside to cool   Prepare your sofrito:   Tomatoes – cover in a jug of boiling water while you prepare your other ingredients  Green Peppers and Onion – deseed peppers and dice both. Add to a pan of olive oil over a medium heat for 15mins, stirring occasionally  Tomatoes – remove from water, dry and peel skin. Once peeled, roughly chop and add to the pan with the onion and peppers  Bay Leaves, Pimentón, Black Pepper – add to pan after tomatoes and cook down for approx. 20mins  Rice – add to the pan and stir to coat in the juices  White Wine & Water – add to the pan (with stock cubes and saffron dissolved)  Salt & Lemon Juice – add and give it a good stir  Bring to the boil, stir for a final time and turn down the heat. Cook until almost all the liquid has been absorbed, shuffling the pan occasionally (approx. 20mins)  Make sure NOT ALL the liquid has been completely absorbed   In the meantime:   Green Pepper from oven – core, deseed, pat dry and thinly slice for decoration  Once most liquid has been absorbed and the rice tests slightly al dente, remove the pan from the heat, remove the bay leaves, decorate with the green pepper and cover tightly with foil. Leave to rest for min. 30mins before serving   As the rice rests:   Dry and salt your fresh mackerel fillet  Add fillet to a heated pan of olive oil. Fry skin side down for approx. 2mins (or until the fillet begins to inflate) then turn over and fry for 1min  Add further lemon juice to taste      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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      Welcome to the Med from my kitchen in Birmingham. I am a born and bred Brummie with Greek Cypriot roots and time spent living in Spain. Mediterranean food is what gets me up everyday. It's my thing, and after extensive travel and experience in kitchens, let me show you what this stunning and diverse sea means to me through recipes, videos and stories.
Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonJanuary 08, 2018Spain, España, Salad, Tuna, Tuna Salad, Healthy, Mediterranean Food, Mediterranean, Andalucía, Andalusia, Cadiz, Atún, Spanish Food, Spanish Language, Spanish, Sardines, Grilled, BBQ, Fresh Fish, Recipe, How To, Food VideoComment

Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonJanuary 08, 2018Spain, España, Salad, Tuna, Tuna Salad, Healthy, Mediterranean Food, Mediterranean, Andalucía, Andalusia, Cadiz, Atún, Spanish Food, Spanish Language, Spanish, Sardines, Grilled, BBQ, Fresh Fish, Recipe, How To, Food VideoComment
      María's Kitchen (Tuna & Pepper Salad with Grilled Sardines)        </iframe>" data-provider-name="YouTube"               

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS       Tuna salad with María’s Peppers   Like the  Arroz con Tomate  dish I prepared with Magi, this refreshing salad used tinned tuna. I hate to say it but tinned tuna is just not the same over here. Many Spaniards will buy canned Bonito tuna which is more meaty (and delicious) than the kind we get over here. You can quite easily find canned Bonito from most Mediterranean delis, but as a substitute I would suggest canned sardines. Alternatively, if you can get your hands on some lush organic peppers then I don’t think fish is even needed. Let the fresh veg speak for themselves.   Preparation   Roasting Time - 1hr 30mins  Prep Time - 20mins      Ingredients    Rough guide   Green & Red Peppers - 3 in total  Onion - 1  Bonito Tuna - 1 can  Sea Salt  Sherry Vinegar - 2 tbsp  Extra Virgin Olive Oil   Method   Peppers - roast whole for approx. 1hr 30mins at 180°C until charred and very soft. Once cool, halve, core, deseed and dry the peppers before slicing them in to long, thin strips. Add to the serving bowl  Onion - finely slice and add to the bowl  Tuna - Remove from the can and delicately slice into small chunks (removing any bones if using sardines)  Dress with the sea salt, sherry vinegar and a LIGHT coating of extra virgin olive oil (unlike myself). Give it a good but gentle mix and serve (or chill in the fridge and dress later)     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


     If you can get your hands on some fresh sardines, grill them as a side dish. Drizzle them with a little olive oil and salt and cook on a burning hot barbecue or griddle pan until crispy. To check that the sardines are cooked, pinch the thickest part of the fish where the flesh should fall off the bone easily. Before serving squeeze over some lemon juice and fresh parsley     

 

   

     
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      Welcome to the Med from my kitchen in Birmingham. I am a born and bred Brummie with Greek Cypriot roots and time spent living in Spain. Mediterranean food is what gets me up everyday. It's my thing, and after extensive travel and experience in kitchens, let me show you what this stunning and diverse sea means to me through recipes, videos and stories.
Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonJanuary 22, 2017Spain, Spanish Language, Spanish, Spanish Food, Andalucía, Andalusia, Cadiz, Paella, Shellfish, Gambas, Salmorejo, Video, Recipe, Episode, Youtube, Tapas, Monkfish, Sofrito, Rice, Eggs, JamónComment

Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonJanuary 22, 2017Spain, Spanish Language, Spanish, Spanish Food, Andalucía, Andalusia, Cadiz, Paella, Shellfish, Gambas, Salmorejo, Video, Recipe, Episode, Youtube, Tapas, Monkfish, Sofrito, Rice, Eggs, JamónComment
      Pepi's Kitchen        </iframe>" data-provider-name="YouTube"        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      Episode 3 and we’re cooking with Pepi. It’s been a while since I have known this awfully humble and kind lady. Pepi is one of the quieter women of the town of Vejer de la Frontera that you will typically meet. She has a soft and very warm approach and I was fascinated by her from the first time we met.   Why Pepi in particular? Well, I first met her whilst a student on a week long cooking course at  Annie B’s Spanish Kitchen , the very reason why I first found myself in the stunning hilltop town. Pepi was, and still works as Annie’s kitchen assistant. A petite woman with rich brunette hair and wide eyes, she is quite a model as she prepares ingredients quietly in the background for the class ahead while Annie takes you on a gastronomical journey (literally through the markets and sherry bodegas) but also at her home where she endlessly produces maps, herbs, spices and indeed wine to explain the background of the dishes to be cooked over the day. I can’t remember a time when I have seen Pepi without heels on; which trust me, is a crazy prospect if you are to ever visit and walk around the steep hills of Vejer.   I naturally gravitated to Pepi because she speaks little to no English - this was a chance for me to whack out some of the lingo I (hopefully) had learnt during my degree. Returning to Vejer in 2016 allowed me to get to know Pepi and her family. Her husband Ignacio is the well-known local barber whose barber shop is designed like a 70s living room. Furnished with plenty of wooden panels, there is a continuous stench of tobacco from his regular breaks smoking outside the front door of the shop (except not really outside). A proud, slightly macho entertainer with an impressively low-voice, I enjoyed paying Ignacio a visit. It’s safe to say I always looked very ‘local’ whenever I stepped out of Ignacio’s barbers.   I always appreciated Annie taking on a local Vejeriega from the town to assist her. Pepi loves her job and despite born, raised and still living in Vejer, she has been exposed to a host of different cultures and people through her job. And of course, who better is there to teach you an authentic Andalucían paella which features on the course. The memory I had from preparing and eating this paella gave me no choice but to cook it again for my series, but this time in Pepi’s own kitchen. In fact Pepi was delighted when I asked her, which delighted me because I was desperate to share the recipe.   Paella is a staple across the entire eastern and southern coast of Spain (from the Costa Brava in Cataluña to the Costa de la Luz in Cádiz). Unlike, for example, a Valencian paella that typically features meat (rabbit, chicken, even snails) with green beans, an Andalucían paella celebrates fish and notably shellfish. What fascinated me most about cooking this dish was that Pepi would regularly mix the rice. I was so used to leaving the dish once adding the rice because of paella rice's sensitive structure. My evening cooking with Pepi was not just a run through of a typical paella and salmorejo for starters, but a lesson in Andalucían cookery (aka a dream). My tip here is to prepare your own stock with the heads and shells of the prawns you will use and to not hold back on the saffron.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Paella de Pepi    Serves 6 - 8   You will need 3 pans for this marathon dish and a visit to the fish market is a must. A paella pan is not essential  This paella is an effort, but I can promise you now it’s completely worth it. Again, prepare your own stock…      Ingredients     Olive Oil  Onion - 1 large  Red Pepper - 1  Green Pepper - 1  Tomatoes - 4  Fresh Mussels - 1kg  Cuttlefish - 700g (calamari a good alternative)   Gambas - 500g (reserve heads & shells for stock, leaving some in their shells for decoration)  Clams - 500g  Bomba Rice - 2 cups  Stock - 6 cups  Saffron - 1/4 cup (refer to video)  Sea Salt  Monkfish - 1 fillet (filleted)   Lemon - 1  Fresh Parsley - handful      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Method   Prepare everything - chop your veg, peel and deseed your tomatoes, clean your mussels and clams, slice your fish and fillet if required, behead and skin your prawns (reserving some for decoration) - be ready  Sofrito - heat a good glug of olive oil in your pan on a medium heat and begin by frying your chopped onion and red pepper. After a couple of minutes add the chopped green pepper and then your roughly chopped tomatoes   Mussels - boil in another pan with plenty of water for just a few minutes until they begin to open. Drain and discard any whose shells are still closed. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shells (reserving a few in their shells for decoration)  Cuttlefish - add to the main pan and coat in the sofrito.  Pepi suggests adding the fish once the water from the sofrito has evaporated   Prawn heads & shells - add olive oil to the same pan used to boil your mussels on a medium heat and fry the heads and shells of the prawns. After a few minutes add 600ml to the pan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down and simmer gently for at least 20 minutes  Clams - drain the stock water into another pan and discard the heads & shells of the prawns. Bring the stock back to the boil and add the clams. Boil until the shells begin to open then drain from the pan and keep for later, reserving the stock water as well. (Once cool you can remove the clam meat from their shells if you wish. I prefer to keep them intact)  Rice - add 2 cups to the main pan and coat well in the juices  Stock & Saffron - add 6 cups of stock to the pan with a really good pinch of saffron dissolved.  Pepi suggests that you add 3 cups of stock for every cup of rice   Salt - season well with sea salt and give the dish a good stir  Monkfish - once the stock soon starts to bubble, add the monkfish  Prawns, Mussels, Clams - once the rice is almost cooked (after approx. 15 minutes) stir in the raw prawns with the cooked mussels and clams. Mix again. When the prawns have turned pink, turn the heat off and leave to rest.  Pepi says there should still be some liquid left at this point    Add olive oil to a separate pan and fry the reserved prawns in their shells on a high heat until pink  Decorate the dish with the prawns and muscles in their shells, lemon wedges and fresh parsley     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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      Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
ReviewsTim PhedonJanuary 16, 2017Mazel TovBudapest, Restaurant, Review, Eating Out, Israeli Food, Middle Eastern Food, Shawarma, Salad, Hummus, Pitta, City Break, Authentic, WineComment

ReviewsTim PhedonJanuary 16, 2017Mazel TovBudapest, Restaurant, Review, Eating Out, Israeli Food, Middle Eastern Food, Shawarma, Salad, Hummus, Pitta, City Break, Authentic, WineComment
      Mazel Tov     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


         

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      I am enjoying blogging as a hobby. People regularly ask me how I can afford to dedicate any time to testing & writing recipes, reviews and produce videos for my YouTube channel. Cooking and discussing food is my passion and so I don’t consider it work necessarily. However one thing I do struggle with is taking note of a restaurant’s features in order to write a review for my blog. When food is on the table I can too easily get engrossed in what is in front of me, and coupled with a burning desire to ask the chef directly how it’s prepared, I forget to take note of the potential charms of the space, service, price etc. I therefore ask your pardon if these reviews can sometimes appear basic, but I assure you the food has been analysed in detail.  Making the effort to note down your experience eating out is even more challenging when you’re on holiday. It therefore takes an especially memorable restaurant experience to convince me to write a review about it when I’m abroad. Like my review of hip Athenian taverna  Ama Laxei , there was no way I could go on without shouting about  Mazel Tov .  This time we’re in the trendy and cosmopolitan 7th district of Budapest’s Jewish Quarter (specifically the Pest side). As the name suggests, Mazel Tov is an Israeli / Middle Eastern eatery in one Budapest’s notorious 'ruinpubs' this side of the capital. It doesn’t seem quite right to describe it a restaurant, but a cultural space that’s very much integrated in the local music scene. Hosting weekly live music events, Mazel Tov is very much a project that has taken it’s Israeli inspired theme, menu and location to integrate with the community. Its impressive open and airy spaces make it perfect as a trendy meeting point, restaurant and events venue and it plays a key part in the Jewish Summer Festival to give one example.  Crucially, though, this was the finest Middle Eastern meal I have ever eaten (reservations are essential). I many have never actually been to the Middle East, but I have lived in London…     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Atmosphere    Firstly decor, and you instantly get the warehouse, re-constructed factory vibes. As I say the space is impressive because it's so vast, and this hits you square on as soon as you enter. Mazel Tov is a hive of activity and is exciting. I didn't know where to look. You have the kitchen and stacks of these wonderful pickles lined up on your left, long recycled factory lamps hanging from the ceiling, the ceiling itself a charming image of wooden panels that have been fitted to the original shape. Then there’s a lush green from the abundance of perfectly proportioned plants hanging high from the walls that reach down to authentic mediterranean style tiles. The whole floor is covered with different shaped wooden tables and wrought-iron chairs.    The atmosphere is, well, Hungarian because this place is a local hotspot. As we sat down on one of the park style benches at the back of the space, I noticed the groups of trendy looking twenty, thirty & forty somethings socialising around us. It was a place where you could rock some new sneakers you’ve just bought and they’d be noticed.   During my evening at Mazel Tov there was a relaxed music set going on with an eclectic range of hits, including George Ezra’s Budapest (relevant) and Elvis. Slightly random but inoffensive and chilled.      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


         Food & Wine   Something I really took from my experience at Mazel Tov was the chance to sample some local Hungarian wine. We ordered a couple of bottles of Gál Tabor 100% Pinot Noir, from the Gal Tibor winery in the the northern Hungarian region of Eger. This is a proud winery determined to emphasise Hungarian grape quality and purposely restricts its portfolio to only 3 varieties of wine. The wine we drank was thin and slightly fruity and accompanies red meat very well. From what I could see the innovative looking lemonades were popular around us. After scanning the menu I wouldn’t mind trying some exciting mixes including watermelon & papaya or grenadine with lemongrass.  While food isn’t kosher (which I do feel would add a suitable charm) it’s good. Really good. My knowledge of Israeli cuisine is still fairly limited, but the concise menu included all the staple flavours and ingredients I have read about from Ottolenghi and partner Sami Tamimi. You can find marinated kebabs and grilled meats alongside creative variations of hummus and tahini-based sauces and dips.  We started things off light but varied with some warm pitta breads served with homemade hummus, handcut chips, a regular salad and a grilled aubergine, tomato, red onion & parsley salad with a mint / tahini sauce. The pitta was fresh, the hummus was creamy and had lashings of tahini (which I love, I consume tahini in someway almost everyday) and the salads were zingy. With Greek Cypriot heritage and a love for Middle Eastern food, this starter was familiar, comforting and it didn’t disappoint.   I was in one of those moods where my stomach was an empty pit and no break between starter and mains was very necessary. Thankfully the food arrived soon after and it was bliss. I opted against the popular chicken shawarma (Iranian style kebab) chosen by the rest of the gang. I’ve always had a love of offal and particularly liver but don’t get to eat it often. The Jerusalem Mix, on top of the groovy name, was what I saw as a heightened chicken shawarma with kidney and liver added into the mix. The mound of meat nestled on top of the wonderfully fresh pitta we had for starters (which was perfect to soak up the meat juices) and was served with the same mint / tahini sauce, a homemade pepper salsa and a beetroot salad. The dish was garnished with pomegranate seeds and fresh coriander.   The main reasons why I enjoyed this dish so much was because the meat was cooked perfectly, it wasn’t dry. Then it was hearty. I naturally demolished the plate but really did feel full up afterwards. Finally it was a no frills meal that was presented with care and the rich purples, green and reds were striking to look at for those briefs seconds before I got stuck in.      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


         Price & Service   Excellent throughout. First because it was so cheap for what we consumed. 2 bottles of wine, a solid starter, main, and shared desserts came to around £17 a head. Our waiter was cool and knowledgable about the menu, and spoke fluent English which was obviously a plus.   I really, really liked Mazel Tov. It’s the type of venue that has inspired me in other cities like London, but hasn’t left me wincing at the bill and thus gives you the opportunity to order an extra dish here and there to really appreciate the exciting menu on offer. It’s a hub of cool and well thought design that welcomes bikes and dogs, and the food is high-quality Middle Eastern cuisine coupled with hearty Hungarian portions and careful presentation.      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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      Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonJanuary 09, 2017Tavva, Rice, Authentic, Lamb, Greek Salad, Cumin, Recipe, Cypriot Food, Village Food, Cyprus, Greek FoodComment

Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonJanuary 09, 2017Tavva, Rice, Authentic, Lamb, Greek Salad, Cumin, Recipe, Cypriot Food, Village Food, Cyprus, Greek FoodComment
      Tavva. My Ultimate Comfort Food.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      Tavva is the definition of hearty village food. The Cypriot village where my maternal grandmother was born (Lefkara) is renowned for this dish in particular. The dish itself is very basic and that’s its beauty. A one pot wonder, it’s simply lamb, potato, tomato and a healthy injection of cumin. However what makes this dish unique in my grandma’s village is that the villagers there prepare Tavva with rice as well.   Tavva is one of those dishes that I’ve grown up with and learnt to adore because it spells homemade food, that very thing I celebrate. I always have time to listen to my grandparents’ stories of what they ate when growing up in the villages, and I find myself salivating at the thought of leaving a dish like this to take on incredible flavour in the clay ovens that all villagers used back then.   If you don’t like cumin, then this dish is not for you…I’ll be honest. But if you’ve come to my site (thanks by the way) knowing what my blog and quest is all about, then I do believe that Tavva is just what you're looking for. It’s a simple dish to prepare but requires a bit of love. I think it’s best served for Sunday lunch with a fresh salad, bread and dips. Give it a go and let me know what you think.    Lefkaritikon Tavva    Serves 6-8    The beauty is within the 1 pot, so if you have a casserole dish for the hob and oven then now’s the time to use it.       Ingredients   Cumin seeds – 1 heaped tablespoon  Olive Oil  Stock – ask your butcher for the lamb bones. Otherwise 2 lamb stock cubes  Onions – 2  Lamb – 800g diced shoulder (British)  Boiling water – 1 litre  Lamb Stock Cube - 1 (optional)  Chopped tomatoes – 1 tin  Tomato purée – 3 teaspoons  Rice – 500g long grain  Salt & Pepper  Potatoes -2 medium OR 1 large  Cinnamon – for dusting        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Method   Rice - wash and leave to dry for later  Cumin Seeds - toast dry in your pot until lightly toasted and then grind in a pestle & mortar  Lamb Stock - (if using lamb bones for your stock), fry in the pot with a good glug of olive oil  Onions – dice and fry on a medium/low heat with the stock bones to sweat  Ground Cumin – add to the onions and fry, stirring occasionally   Lamb – add to the onions & cumin. Leave to cook for the meat to brown slightly, stirring occasionally   Water – add to the dish once the meat has lightly browned. (You can dissolve a stock cube of your choice with the liquid for added flavour)  Leave these ingredients to infuse on a low heat for approx. 30 mins with the lid partially open. This is slow cooking so you don’t want it boiling and there is no need to stir     After this time heat the oven to 180°C  Potatoes – peel and slice into thin, whole layers   Stock Bones - remove from the pot  Chopped Tomatoes, Tomato Purée & Rice– add to the dish and season plenty with Salt & Pepper. Mix well   Remove the pot from the heat and layer the potato slices on top, pushing them  into the stock liquid  Cinnamon - lightly dust over the potatoes  Add the dish (covered with a lid or foil) to the oven for 50 mins     After 50 mins:  Remove lid/foil and make sure all the liquid has absorbed. (If it hasn’t, leave in the oven for longer)  Turn the grill on at the same temperature and place the uncovered dish back in for a couple of minutes to brown the potatoes  Leave the Tavva to rest, uncovered, for about 30 mins before tucking in  Kopiaste     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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      Welcome to the Med from my kitchen in Birmingham. I am a born and bred Brummie with Greek Cypriot roots and time spent living in Spain. Mediterranean food is what gets me up everyday. It's my thing, and after extensive travel and experience in kitchens, let me show you what this stunning and diverse sea means to me through recipes, videos and stories.
Italy|Italia, ReviewsTim PhedonJanuary 05, 2017Il MoroSardinian Food, Sardinia, Italian, Restaurant, Eating Out, Review, Lamb, Octopus, Polpo, Stratford, Italian Food, Bread, Pasta, Fresh PastaComment

Italy|Italia, ReviewsTim PhedonJanuary 05, 2017Il MoroSardinian Food, Sardinia, Italian, Restaurant, Eating Out, Review, Lamb, Octopus, Polpo, Stratford, Italian Food, Bread, Pasta, Fresh PastaComment
      Il Moro     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


         

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

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           Stuzzicchini & Primi 
          
         
        

         
          
             

              
                 
                  
                     £ 4.95 
                  
                 
              

               
                Cestino Di Pane
               

              
                 Selection of home-made focaccia & breads with olive oil & balsamic vinegar 
              

              
                 
                  
                     £ 4.95 
                  
                 
              

              

             
          
             

              
                 
                  
                     £ 6.95 
                  
                 
              

               
                Polpo con Carciofi
               

              
                 Sliced tender octopus salad with artichokes, watercress & balsamic vinegar 
              

              
                 
                  
                     £ 6.95 
                  
                 
              

              

             
          
         

       
      
       

        
         
           Pasta 
          
         
        

         
          
             

              
                 
                  
                     £ 11.95 
                  
                 
              

               
                Paccheri Al Ragu D'Agnello
               

              
                 Paccheri tube pasta with diced lamb, rosemary & tomato ragù 
              

              
                 
                  
                     £ 11.95 
                  
                 
              

              

             
          
         

       
      
       

        
         
           Wine 
          
         
        

         
          
             

              
                 
                  
                     £ 6.80 glass
                  
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                     £ 28.00 bottle
                  
                 
              

               
                PERDERA Monica Sardinia
               

              

              
                 
                  
                     £ 6.80 glass
                  
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                     £ 28.00 bottle
                  
                 
              

              

             
          
         

       
      

     
  
   



   

 
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 Thank you for coming to read my review of this fine Italian (I beg your pardon), I mean Sardinian restaurant. This was an evening out with cousins and good friends. Agreed location - Stratford Upon Avon. There were plenty of good suggestions put forward; however, after finding a family run restaurant specialising in the best that La Cucina Sarda has to offer, FeedTim was making the final decision.   The occasion was one to celebrate. On top of great company this was a chance for Stef (my cameraman for my cooking series in Andalucía) and I to celebrate a successful, if not jam-packed few days filming in Vejer de la Frontera just a few months prior. Over those 4 days in southern Spain, Stef picked up a fair few cooking tips (which you can learn by watching my videos), and became engrossed into the Andalucían diet. But not to get sidetracked, this was an opportunity to celebrate with fine people and really quite fine food. It was certainly worth the journey from Birmingham.         Atmosphere   Sophisticated but relaxed. Il Moro is a classy place but intimate with plenty of space left between each table. I don’t remember hearing any music in the background, which was nice as the gentle buzz of the bar staff preparing drinks, waiters taking orders and the hum of conversation around the room made it feel lively. This is a 2 storey restaurant (the upstairs I assume can be reserved for private events), but while we were there all guests were dining downstairs and it was busy.   There was definitely a homely feel to the restaurant. I guess this is what chef Massimiliano (a Sardinian of descent) and his wife were aiming for when opening Il Moro. I would occasionally glance above our table to see new customers greeted very warmly by staff, which suggested to me this was not the first time they were eating here.  
    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Food & Wine   Staying true to the FeedTim philosophy (and personally the most sensible), I ordered a Sardinian wine. I was recommended the Perdera Monica, a local red. It was absolutely divine. Rich, warming and spiced with notes of plums, it was perfect for this very bitter evening in November. This beautiful wine also dictated the main that was later to be had.   Nibbles naturally included bread. We ordered the Cestino di Pane, a basket of homemade focaccia & bread with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The breads were enjoyable and intriguing. There was a darker variety that had a cake like consistency and tasted slightly sweet. I must try and retrieve the recipe.   Il Moro was already making a good impression and so I took the plunge and went for the Polpo for starters. A chilled salad of octopus, artichokes and watercress with balsamic vinegar, the fish was perfectly done and wasn’t overcooked and rubbery. It was cut into delicate slices and was a generous size, but not too much to spoil the main course. I liked that the octopus was cut so thinly, especially after being used to the hearty chunks that you are typically served in the Galician dish  Pulpo a la Gallega . My cousin ordered the Mozzarella, Broad Bean & Pesto salad that was also a winner.   Main course, and the specials board was playing mind games. Pasta is my food heaven and therefore a no brainer. But with some delectable sounding fish and game dishes, I was struggling. In the end I went with pasta and followed our waiter’s recommendation of the Paccheri tube pasta with diced lamb, rosemary & tomato ragù. It sounded rustic and again warming and I thought it would be a great match with my wine.   Paccheri is a long tubed pasta that resembles cannelloni and is often used for the same purpose of being stuffed with simple, fresh ingredients and baked in the oven. However this was a plate of pasta in its own right and was fantastic. Cooked al dente and not skimping on the ragù (it’s not the kind of dish that goes light on the sauce), it tasted like how I imagine Nonna’s cooking to taste. Chef didn’t hold back on the rosemary or the tomato, and well seasoned, it made a really enjoyable dish (to the point where I just had to soak up every last bit with some bread).     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


         Service   Warm, friendly and funny. Our water was French and crucially knew the menu well. His recommendation definitely got my approval. Later in the evening I managed to have a chat with Massimiliano himself, which concluded the whole dining experience at Il Moro very nicely indeed. He went out of his way to shoe me the Paccheri pasta in its dried state and discuss typical Sardinian staples that he grew up with. He was a nice man and I thank him for that.  For a restaurant that offers a sense of occasion, very reasonable prices and a menu made predominantly of ingredients and wines from Sardinia, Il Moro is a must.        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      

 

   

     
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      Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonDecember 29, 2016Andalusia, Andalucía, Tapas, Fish, Mackarel, Sardines, Video, Episode, Series, Youtube, Vlog, Healthy, Simple, Recipe, Fideo, Sofrito, Market, Spain, Spanish Food, Spanish Language, Pasta, MackerelComment

Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonDecember 29, 2016Andalusia, Andalucía, Tapas, Fish, Mackarel, Sardines, Video, Episode, Series, Youtube, Vlog, Healthy, Simple, Recipe, Fideo, Sofrito, Market, Spain, Spanish Food, Spanish Language, Pasta, MackerelComment
      María's Kitchen (Mackerel with Fideuà)        </iframe>" data-provider-name="YouTube"        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      From Magi I cooked with María. María was a woman I had a lot in common with as we shared a mutual love for food and Andalucía. A native Vejeriega (citizen of Vejer de la Frontera) María returned to the stunning white village where she grew up after a stint living in London’s Paddington. The passion she had for her region was infectious and very tangible. María and her husband Pepe had themselves a farmhouse in El Soto just outside of Vejer, and one glorious Sunday in May they invited me to join them with some close friends for a barbecue.   What an experience. We arrived and Pepe was soon showing me around their  huerta  (vegetable patch) where I came across the most beautiful courgettes, lettuces, pumpkins, potatoes and cauliflower. The house sits on the banks of the Barbate River where the soil is very fertile. As I marvelled and helped María pick some veg for lunch, the barbie was alight and the entire shoulder of a cow was displayed before me. This was only ever going to be from Pepe’s own cow of course. Pepe is an extremely proud Andalucían hombre (he rides his horse on the beach) and a real character. I must say I do miss both Pepe & María dearly.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


     María has such a wealth of knowledge about the culinary heritage of Spain’s Cádiz province, so much so she documents it in her own  blog . I remember her recounting stories of her childhood and the kind of food she grew up with. Like any local family, there was plenty of fish devoured and so it was only natural to have fish on the menu again. What María proposed was  Fideos con Caballas  (fideua noodles with fresh mackerel). Naturally she would bring the fresh veg from her farmhouse and so brought along organic peppers that she had already roasted for our salad by the time we arrived. They smelled and tasted so sweet (I had to sample) and I was salivating before the filming began. I would provide the fish, which made for a good opportunity to visit the fish market in the neighbouring town of Barbate. If you watch the opening to Part 1 you will see that the market was brimming with the freshest fish you could wish for. Rick Stein would be impressed.   I feel privileged to have met and cooked with someone like María. A very intelligent woman with a worldly view, she knows that home is where the heart is and so decided to stay. I respect that a lot and what an ambassador she is for her home. Here she gave me the opportunity to produce another rustic dish from this beautiful part of the world. Rustic is what excites me most, especially when sitting on a terrace sheltered by the Andalucían summer sun, knowing that every ingredient that touches your lips (including the wine) is from the surrounding area.      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Mackerel with Fideuà (Fideos con Caballa)    Serves 6    The key to this dish is the stock. Try and get yourself to your local fish market and ask the fishmonger to fillet the mackerel and give you the heads, tails and bones. It will make the world of difference     Preparation   Prep Time - 25mins (including preparing the stock)  Cooking Time - 30mins  Resting Time - 5mins      Ingredients   Stock - fresh fish stock (otherwise 2 stock cubes boiled in water)  Olive Oil   Garlic - 2 cloves  Green Pepper - 1  Onions - 2  Sea Salt  Smoked Sweet Paprika - 2 tbsp  Tomatoes - 3 ripe tomatoes (optional)  Fino or Manzanilla Sherry - 1/2 glass (otherwise white wine)  Fresh Mackerel - 2 or 3 fresh fillets  Fideuà pasta - 250g      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Method   Prepare the stock - ideally you will have the mackerel heads, tails & bones which you bring to the boil in plenty of water and boil for at least 15mins (the longer the better) with salt and a bay leaf. (Otherwise you can cook your mackerel fillets for 1 minute in boiling water before removing and reserving them for later. If you want to remove the skin of the mackerel, boiling them like this will make it easier to remove the skin and any remaining bones once cooled. You can dissolve a fish stock cube in this water for added flavour)  The  Sofrito  - Chop your garlic, green pepper and tomatoes (if using) in to roughly sized pieces and your onion in to long and thin juliennes. Pour some olive oil into a large enough pan to cook the entire dish and add your garlic, green pepper and onions over a medium heat  Salt, Paprika & Tomatoes - once the  sofrito  has begun to fry, add the salt and paprika followed by your tomatoes  Sherry - cook down further, stirring occasionally, and then add approx. 1/2 glass of Sherry   Mackarel fillets - add the raw mackerel fillets to poach.  If you boiled the fillets earlier to prepare the stock, add the mackerel later with the pasta   Stock - add enough ladlefuls of stock to cook the pasta in (approx.1/2 litre).  If made from the fish bones,  y ou will need to strain the fish stock before adding it to the pan   Fideua Pasta - bring the stock to the boil and then add the fideua. Cook to the time advised on the packet (around 12mins). Cook on a medium heat for 5mins then lower the heat (still high enough to maintain a rolling boil)  As soon as the mackerel and pasta are cooked (it should not be al dente), turn the heat off, cover the pan and leave it to rest for 5mins.  At this point you are looking for the dish to be 'caldoso,' which is Spanish for soupy. This is not a dry dish like a paella and so some liquid should remain at the end of cooking      

 

   

     
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      Welcome to the Med from my kitchen in Birmingham. I am a born and bred Brummie with Greek Cypriot roots and time spent living in Spain. Mediterranean food is what gets me up everyday. It's my thing, and after extensive travel and experience in kitchens, let me show you what this stunning and diverse sea means to me through recipes, videos and stories.
Spain|España, ReviewsTim PhedonDecember 27, 2016BarrafinaReview, Restaurant, Spanish, Spanish Food, Tapas, London, Hake, Pan Tomate, Manchego, Fish, John Dory, Bottarga, SaladComment

Spain|España, ReviewsTim PhedonDecember 27, 2016BarrafinaReview, Restaurant, Spanish, Spanish Food, Tapas, London, Hake, Pan Tomate, Manchego, Fish, John Dory, Bottarga, SaladComment
      Barrafina     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


         

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      I put my hands up, the cover photo to this review isn’t my own photo (don’t hurt me). I took it from Barrafina’s website because no photo of mine better depicts Barrafina’a head chef, Nieves Barragán Mohacho, mentoring her family of young Spanish chefs. This was a similiar sight I saw during my visit to the restaurant and I found it comforting and welcoming.   As a restaurant Barrafina is sort of a thorough-bred of Spanish cuisine. Founded by Sam & Eddie Hart, two brothers of Mallorcan descent who had been exposed to life in Spain and the Hispanic world (Eddie in Madrid and Sam in Mexico City). Travelling together through Spain they decided that they wanted to recreate the experience they had at the renowned tapas bar Cal Pep in Barcelona, but tailor it to the exciting and creative London food scene. Then there’s head chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho, herself raised in the Basque Country. Known for their culinary excellence, the Basques know a bit about food, but with her extensive experience working with suppliers across all of Spain, Nieves brings a lot to the table. This is a pretty good CV indeed.      Atmosphere   Barrafina is a no reservations restaurant (it’s in fact the restaurant that began this trend in London). It’s therefore packed almost all of the time. Many of the reviews I have read about Barrafina have been written by journalists waiting ready to stampede through the front doors as soon as dinner service begins at 5.30pm. Christina and I arrived at a solid 6.30pm, and you guessed it, we had to wait. Thankfully we didn’t have to queue outside the door like some horror stories I had heard. It was barely 10 minutes before we were offered a table outside under the heaters, which on that mild autumnal evening was welcome.  But atmosphere, yes, there’s a lot of it. Drury Lane’s space is particularly cosy and as you walk in there’s a mass of people bunched around the theatre that is the kitchen. Groups (mainly couples) sit intimately over a glass of wine, trying to make conversation while their attention is really on the cooking spectacle going on. It really is nice to watch as young Spanish chefs shout at each other (respectively). Watching the chefs they resemble a family, with the children under the watchful eye of head chef who never misses a detail.  Barrafina emulates the Iberian experience of sitting at the bar and forever ordering new dishes as you cannot help but glance at the exciting sights and smells coming from the pair eating less than a metre away. With its sleek marble tops and red leather stools Barrafina has a premium look. This look didn’t do anything for me. It wasn’t inviting or cool or particularly Spanish. I felt the décor was lost for identity. The chic and classy style of the bar contradicted the informal polos worn by the staff. Despite an established restaurant, Barrafina seemed slightly lost for identity and out of touch of its roots.        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Food & Drink   You may have noticed that I haven’t included the menu of what we ate at the top of this piece. Barrafina has a daily changing specials menu, from which we ordered many of our dishes on the day. This changing menu incorporates specialities from across Spain, so you may find Ortiguillas (sea anemone typical of Cataluña and Andalucía) on the same menu as Galícian pulpo, but all done so expertly under Chef Nieves. I was too engrossed in the food that any sense failed me and I forgot to write down the price. But I do of course remember what we ate.  Both food and drink menus were concise and well-balanced. Barrafina does well to provide some of the finest drinks from Spain. I naturally went for sherry, a Manzanilla La Gitana, although the offering covered the full spectrum of sherry wines that are so often misunderstood. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Palo Cortado, the rarest of all sherries whose life doesn’t really go to plan. It’s born a Fino and then takes on the body of an Amontillado and the palate of an Oloroso. Then there’s a selection of Cavas from Cataluña and the Tintos y Blancos we know and love including Verdejo from Castilla y León, Albariño from Galícia and quality Rioja.  As for the food, it’s delicious, it’s stunning and I must say I left impressed. We began with Pan con Tomate that will always put a smile on my face, especially when garnished with a little parsley. This came with beautifully tender grilled artichoke served with an aioli mayonnaise and dressed with rock salt. We ordered 2 portions so enough said there.  The side salad of baby gem lettuce, bottarga (cured fish roe), walnuts, pancetta and manchego was sublime and managed to deliver crunch, softness, saltyness and creaminess all at the same time. Then we made for the specials of the day from which we chose grilled John Dory dressed with lemon and the Hake. The Hake was the stand out dish for me. The fish was cooked to perfection with crispy skin and the fried sage leaves added a really nice touch and flavour to the fish.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Service & Price   Excellent. Our waiter Jesús was Andalucían from Jerez (within the Sherry Triangle), very knowledgeable, proud and patient. We spoke in Spanish, we had a laugh and we later met his girlfriend, it was all good fun. The price however was steep. The John Dory itself was £22 and even the Pan con Tomate were £3.80 each.  Everything we ordered went down a treat but for some reason I am not desperate to plan my next meal there. I really cannot fault the food as you can see from my description. The problem in my eyes was that the atmosphere wasn’t inspiring and the prices were just too high. It’s a real shame because for me that’s where the real experience I know and fell in love with in Spain is lost. London forces these ambitious chefs, who look to educate about their beloved cuisines, to adapt too much to the heaving and hungry metropolis and suddenly often humble food is given a new identity. This therefore is a positive review masked by a sad reality.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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       Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
Tim PhedonDecember 18, 2016Charity, Fundraising, Cook For Syria, Supper Club, Chelo, Chicken, Tahdig, Syrian Food, Persian Food, Rice, Bulgur Wheat, Olive Bread, Olives, Bread, Greek Bread, Dill, Baklava, Hummus, Tzatziki, Salad, RecipeComment

Tim PhedonDecember 18, 2016Charity, Fundraising, Cook For Syria, Supper Club, Chelo, Chicken, Tahdig, Syrian Food, Persian Food, Rice, Bulgur Wheat, Olive Bread, Olives, Bread, Greek Bread, Dill, Baklava, Hummus, Tzatziki, Salad, RecipeComment
      #CookForSyria     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      I am only humbled to write this piece, and it's for the children like the three above pictured at Keleti Railway Station in Budapest which became a refugee camp in its own right throughout the summer.  Food is a powerful thing. It’s not just those points in the day that you look forward to most: those opportunities to escape from the office, those points where suddenly nothing else matters, those moments that inspire me most everyday. Food has the power to change lives, and not just from the basic need to fuel our bodies.  More initiatives are being created to make a difference to communities through food. Jamie Oliver has set a benchmark to show how much change can be made when inspiring people to eat differently. He’s an inspiration and I know he has a lot left in him. There are plenty more movements out there, but one recent one in particular has really hit home.  Very recent in fact. Cook For Syria was only launched in October as a fundraising initiative born from a collaboration between one of the UK’s most influential food bloggers  Clerkenwell Boy , founder of SUITCASE Magazine Serena Guen, founder of one of London’s leading PR agencies Gemma Bell and Unicef’s Next Generation London initiative. The project is targeted at giving aid to more than 8 million Syrian refugees, specifically children, who have been forced to flee their war-torn country over the past years. This is particularly powerful as 50% of all Syrian refugees are children.  The initiative has some legs too. You only have to look on the Cook For Syria  webpage  to see the number of extremely influential chefs, cooks and restaurants participating. This month long campaign has been bought to life by some really key figures in the culinary world. José Pizarro, Angela Hartnett, Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi, Nuno Mendes and Fergus Henderson came together to create Syrian inspired recipes that they cooked themselves at a banquet held to raise money and celebrate the launch of the campaign.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


     Other exciting and active foodie influencers on social media (mostly Instagram) have also been making a difference. With over 653K followers on Instagram,  Symmetry Breakfast  was one of the 1st pages I followed and they’ve been fully involved by setting up a pop-up brunch bar at the Good Egg in London. Here they provided some stunning takes on a typical Syrian breakfast, taking a humble flatbread and pimping it out with some serious colour: a ‘violina’ pumpkin fried egg and pumpkin seed relish washed down with a date, banana and tahini smoothie. The following day the boys prepared lamb!  Even local bakeries and cafés have been taking part. Time for a shout out to one of my favourite bakeries that sits discreetly under some rail arches (what hip urban eatery doesn’t) and serves a daily changing menu.  Peel & Stone  is a tiny joint but Brummies flock here, following the scent of fresh bread that emits out onto the street. The guys have been providing a CookForSyria option for well over a month and a fantastic job they have done at that, donating £2 to the campaign from each dish sold. The most innovative thing I saw on their menu were tahini cookies.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


     Finally you have the supper clubs, and those perhaps not so famous but still crazy about food…like me! I first saw the campaign on Instagram and wanted to get involved. I was encouraged by the campaign’s suggestion for all foodies to hold their own Syrian inspired supper clubs to raise money. So that’s what I did…  This post is quite unorthodox when it comes to writing down recipes. That’s because I didn’t really follow any, but took inspiration from some of the great chefs I have followed for a while now. Instead of a specific recipe, here’s a list of ingredients and the method I used for each dish…      To Start   My starter was always going to be simple. I have never been to Syria, but wanted to take my friends to an authentic Greek taverna where starters are kept deliberately simple: bread, dips, olives and salad. In this instance I turned to my trusty  Olive Bread  and  Bulgur Wheat  salad recipes, alongside homemade hummus and tzatziki.      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Syrian Inspired Chicken Thighs   I wanted to do a chicken dish because it’s a meat that is taken to a different level in the Middle East. However my inspiration here was from North Africa, specifically Morocco and from the Hairy Bikers’ most recent series ‘Chicken & Egg.’ They may make a fool out of themselves but above the entertainment these two hilarious Jordies are very good at understanding local delicacies and customs when travelling. People like them and so invite them to share authentic food experiences. In their Morocco episode Si & Dave shone light on the delicate use of spices in Moroccan tagines and educated us on the ‘dada,’  the elder Moroccan women known for their superior cooking wisdom. It’s a fantastic episode and worth a watch. You will learn a lot, be inspired and access some great recipes (including a delightful pistachio ice-cream that I’m still trying to master…without an ice-cream maker).  Cinnamon, Ginger, Tumeric, Cumin, Saffron – these were the spices that kept making an appearance. Apart from the saffron, which I used in the rice, I took the other 4 and exploited my mum’s method to create succulent, slow-cooked chicken thighs (on the bone of course). It’s a simple method but requires care. You begin by marinating the chicken in the spices and combining it with olive oil, salt and pepper. The longer the marinade time the better. Then you tightly cover your roasting tray with foil and cook the chicken skin side down for 60 - 90mins at 140°C depending on the amount of meat. After this time you remove the foil, turn each piece over and boost the temperature to 180°C. At this point cook the chicken for a further 30mins (approx.) checking it regularly and testing it until it should fall effortlessely (and mouth-wateringly) off the bone.  The beauty here is that you can prepare the marinade the night before and begin cooking the chicken a good 3 hours before your guests arrive. Once it’s cooked, switch off the oven and return the tray with the door open. The chicken can be left like this for around 30mins while you have your starter.        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Persian  Chelo  Rice   It may seem like I’m going off course a bit with my inspirations here but stay with me. I believe the Persians are the true masters of rice. It’s a staple at almost any Iranian table and the labour put into it is extraordinary (I've never prepared it alone).  Chelo  is a Persian method of preparing basmati rice in a non-stick pan, and consists of two stages. The rice is first cooked on a rolling boil until al dente, then drained in a sieve before returning it back to the pan with oil to steam along with plenty of butter and saffron. One of my favourite cooks to watch and a real ambassador for Iranian cuisine, Sabrina Ghayour, summrises the cooking method well  here .  The magic happens at the stage when the par-boiled rice is returned to the pan. The bottom of the pan is covered with a base layer of rice and the remaining rice is mounded on top while avoiding the sides of the pan. Then several holes are made through the mound of rice with the back of a wooden spoon to enable it to steam. Once steaming, a lid tightly wrapped in a tea towel covers the pan so no steam escapes. The heat is turned to the very lowest setting and the rice is left to cook (untouched) for 1hr.  Why so much effort? First of all this method produces a really delicate rice where each grain is refined and fluffy. Secondly it’s ideal for a dinner party because it can be prepared well in advance, and once it’s cooked, the lid remains firmly on the pan and the rice can sit off the heat for a while. Finally, this process of returning the al dente rice back to the pan involves frying a layer of rice (called the  tahdig ) at the base of the pan and then mounding the rest of the rice on top. This bottom layer becomes crusty and golden (most of the time) as a result and is a real crowd pleaser.  This is a basic overview of this exotic Persian rice. Once you get your head around the cooking method (and practise a few times), the diversity of rice dishes out there for you to experiment with is endless. I decided on a herby rice that I have got to love from my local Persian restaurant in Birmingham. It’s prepared in the same way, using dill and coriander in abundance on top of the saffron and a little cinnamon.      Something Sweet   Mum's Baklava. Recipe in due course…     In the meantime I'll be perusing my Cook For Syria cookbook that arrived today. All profits from the sale of these cookbooks will be donated to the initiative, as was the time dedicated by the countless chefs and cooks who have contributed their own Syrian-inspired recipes. This Kofte Kebab from  Berber & Q's  chef Josh Katz will be my 1st experiment I think...     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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      Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonDecember 07, 2016Tapas, Spanish, Spanish Food, Andalucía, Andalusia, Spain, Anchovies, Rice, Gazpacho, Video, Youtube, Authentic, Tuna, Sofrito, Easy, Healthy, Series, Spanish LanguageComment

Spain|España, Recipes, VideosTim PhedonDecember 07, 2016Tapas, Spanish, Spanish Food, Andalucía, Andalusia, Spain, Anchovies, Rice, Gazpacho, Video, Youtube, Authentic, Tuna, Sofrito, Easy, Healthy, Series, Spanish LanguageComment
      Magi's Kitchen (Anchovies & Gazpacho)      </iframe>" data-provider-name=""             

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      So what’ya think?  I still cringe everytime I see myself on video but I’m passionate about this (so hopefully will have to get used to it).  If you’ve watched the video you’ll know that Magi was my neighbour for a part of my time living in Vejer de la Frontera. Magi’s a wonderful person: petite, wide-eyed and never failing to communicate well above the recommended decibel limit, but ultimately one of the warmest and fun-loving people I know. If Magi had a mantra it would be ‘Viva la Vida,’ (live your life) because she makes every moment an occasion. When planning who I was going to cook with during my brief return to Vejer, I was determined to work around Magi’s busy schedule to cook with her and her lovely family.  The way I pitched my idea to the 4 spectacular ladies in this series (not like I needed to pitch) was to explain how FeedTim works: ‘We cook together in your kitchen and we cook something that you love.’ Magi confirmed Boquerones en Adobo (fried anchovies), Gazpacho and Arroz con Tomate and it was a done deal.  The opening to this video also introduces a theme that became so ordinary to my Andalucían experience and something you will see over the course of the series. A large majority of the fishmongers and stalls at the market were run by women, often pretty beautiful ones at that. I am still unaware as to why this is the case, but it added a freshness and vibrancy to the already exciting market experience that I just love.  Since returning from the intense Andalucían sunshine back to Birmingham I have recreated both the Gazpacho and Arroz con Tomate (adapting the recipe with the latter). Ultimately in both recipes it’s the quality of the ingredients that make the dish, so really best prepared and devoured in Andalucía itself.  Thanks so much for watching Magi's kitchen. There's a Part 2 you know.     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Gazpacho    Serves 6    Preparation    Approx.30mins      Ingredients   8 Ripe Tomatoes – roughly skinned and halved  1 Green Pepper – deseeded  1 Garlic Clove – peeled & stem removed  1 Cucumber – peeled and deseeded (with spoon)  White Bread – 1 slice, soaked in water  Sherry Vinegar OR White Wine Vinegar – 4 tablespoons  Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 8 tablespoons  Salt – good pinch  Water – splash  Fresh Mint – few leaves (stalks removed)      Method    Following method may be done in batches if it doesn’t all fit in one    Using a hand blender or food processer:  Tomatoes, Green Pepper, Garlic, Cucumber – add to blender and begin to blend  Once liquid:  Bread, Vinegar, Olive Oil, Salt – add to blender and continue to blend  Once all ingredients are well blended, try your gazpacho and add further seasoning to taste   If the mixture is looking thick add a splash of water   Fresh Mint – add to blender and whiz one final time  Try again and once happy cover with cling film and cool in the fridge for min. 2 hours before eating. It must be served chilled  Decorate with a few mint leaves before serving     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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      Welcome to the Med from my kitchen in Birmingham. I am a born and bred Brummie with Greek Cypriot roots and time spent living in Spain. Mediterranean food is what gets me up everyday. It's my thing, and after extensive travel and experience in kitchens, let me show you what this stunning and diverse sea means to me through recipes, videos and stories.
Greece|Ελλάδα, ReviewsTim PhedonDecember 02, 2016Ama LaxeiGreek Food, Mezedes, Greek Salad, Fresh Pasta, Pasta, Meatballs, Ouzo, Athens, Greece, Taverna, Restaurant, Review, OctopusComment

Greece|Ελλάδα, ReviewsTim PhedonDecember 02, 2016Ama LaxeiGreek Food, Mezedes, Greek Salad, Fresh Pasta, Pasta, Meatballs, Ouzo, Athens, Greece, Taverna, Restaurant, Review, OctopusComment
      Ama Laxei     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


         

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

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      for (var i=0; i       I begin this review with an apology. This is a review of the restaurant Ama Laxei located in the Exarchia district of Athens. I had the … of eating here (positive, negative? Please read on) in June of this year but since my blog wasn’t even born at that point, the review had to wait. Since then FeedTim is finding its way and this particular restaurant has kept creeping back to mind as I often sit there, daydreaming about food.  Why this place in a less famed part of town? Well, the dishes being served from the fragrant and charming converted school playground have at their core the essence of what FeedTim has been born out of: a passion for local food with local people.  I wanted to create a sense of ambiguity but I can’t resist so I’ll jump to the conclusion and say that Ama Laxei is bloody brilliant. It is one of the finest restaurants I have ever had the privilege to eat at. Finest doesn’t even mean pricey. It’s really reasonable (an average meze dish costing €6). In a natural and minimal setting, this place is simple and celebrates authenticity in a part of town you probably wouldn’t visit otherwise. It ticks all the boxes for me and apparently does so for the team at  Buzz Feed  who this year voted it as one of the '31 places around the world you should eat at before you die.’      Atmosphere   As mentioned Ama Laxei is a converted school and the owners have done well to preserve the site’s history with great chalk style drawings of school children adorning one wall and keeping drawn out hop scotch numbers outside on the concrete floor. The setting is ever so pleasing with most of the outdoor space covered over with vines from which hang stylish lamps.  The restaurant is buzzing and as soon as you enter you leave behind the chaotic streets of the capital and become immersed in a Mediterranean village setting, where old men playing backgammon are swapped for hip Athenians which just confirms you’ve hit a gem. The restaurant is purposely simple in its décor, using the natural beauty to speak for itself. I loved the typical white tavern style dishes that began to fill our table as well as the post office style brown paper table cloth that keeps the setting minimal (but practical at the same time, a win win).        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


         Food   It’s the simplicity and no-frills of Ama Laxei that makes it remarkable. This is a Mezedopolis, so food is to be shared, and that’s that. The owners embrace local ingredients and understand that the beauty is to not mess with them too much. The subtle twists such as the honey glazed chicken wings marinaded in white wine, poppy seeds and coriander as well as the ouzo and spearmint meatballs does make the offering exciting, but it’s the classics that really get you salivating.  The Greek salad was out of this world (a theme from every restaurant we ate at in the city) because the tomatoes, and especially the cucumber, were so sweet. Whenever you bite into an olive you’re surprised by how much flesh you get through before reaching the pip. Unlike in Spain where I tend to find the olives spoiled in a vinegar solution, in Greece they’re not tampered with. The block of feta plonked on top dressed with dried oregano and capers was creamy and intensely satisfying, but that doesn’t even compare to the myzithra cheese that coated the traditional Skioufichta pasta from Crete with olives and sundried tomato. That had to be my favourite dish and is full proof that homemade pasta is not just a staple of Italian cuisine.  The dishes we shared were reminiscent of Greek food I have tried throughout the seasons, just simply on a different level. I really enjoyed the warmth oozing from the oven roasted chickpeas with smoked pork and seasonal wild greens. However every dish, even as simple as the saganaki cheese, was given plenty of attention. As I say, every ingredient was highly valued here.  As soon as I found out that two of my good friends were heading to Athens a month later I made them promise me they would go. They ended up eating there everyday and thoroughly recommended the Octopus with Hummus (you must try octopus when travelling to Greece) and the Fava Bean (split pea) Purée. For our first visit to Ama Laxei we failered to order any fish (a massive booboo I know) and so when I return to this gem I think my selection of mezedes will be more fish heavy. My good pals have proved the octopus is a winner and I too would be very tempted to try the Shrimp Risotto flavoured with saffron and Mastic Oil (Mastic gum an ingredient that I use when preparing  bread ). The Goat Sausage from Drama, near to the Greek-Bulgarian border, also sounds like a real treat.      Service   I found the service pretty good but the truth is it makes no difference. It was that evening, our final one in Athens, when I sat there with my family under the vines and realised that this setting, with this food, is where I really couldn’t be more satisfied in life. Thank you team for providing this culinary ecstasy.       

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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       Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonNovember 28, 2016Recipe, Bread, Olive Bread, Eliopita, Greek Food, Olives, Dill, Greek Bread, BakingComment

Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonNovember 28, 2016Recipe, Bread, Olive Bread, Eliopita, Greek Food, Olives, Dill, Greek Bread, BakingComment
      Eliópita - Olive Bread     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      If you were to ask me one of my favourite types of bread to eat, it would be olive bread. This rustic loaf is pure joy to eat and looks really impressive too. The olives appear like glistening jewels on this crown decorated with an abundance of herbs (mostly dill). It’s a loaf that excites the eyes, nose and of course mouth.  I remember my mum making olive bread (eliópita) for dinner parties when I was growing up. It was always such a crowd pleaser that she’d never contemplate whacking it out again for new and returning guests. I’d always run downstairs discreetly to avoid being seen and sneak a few pieces in some tissue before running back up. These days I’m following suite and using it as a bit of a party piece. The last time was for a supper club I held to raise money for the #cookforsyria initiative.  To this day I have never tried olive bread so inundated with herbs than my mother’s. It’s more dense and filling than an average loaf because of the amount of herbs used along with the oil. However a secret ingredient (which is not so secret as it’s in this recipe) helps to make the bread light. It’s the kind of bread you can eat on its own and is something I try to make most weekends for the working week ahead. I’ll take it into the office and layer it with some homemade hummus or ricotta for a very satisfying lunch.  The key is good olives, fragrant herbs and a damn good knead.   To make 1 large loaf    Preparation   Prep Time – 30mins  Proving Time – 1hr 45mins  Cooking Time – approx. 40mins        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Ingredients   Strong White Flour – 400g  Plain White Flour – 300g  Kalamata Olives – 250g, pitted (roughly 1 jar)  Fresh Dill – 50g  Fresh Coriander – 80g  Onion – 1  Dried Mint – 1 tbsp  Dried Yeast – 1 sachet (7g)  Sugar – ½ tsp  Salt – 1 tsp  Olive Oil – 200ml, light  Fanta OR Lemonade – 1 can, full fat* (secret ingredient)      Method     Proving  – I prove my dough in the oven at approx. 20°C. I do this purely because I don’t have a nifty Great British Bake Off style proving drawer     Cooking   - I  always begin to cook the bread using the ‘warming’ oven setting where heat is generated from the bottom for 10mins, before switching to the fan at the same temperature.  If your oven does not have this setting, it really is no big deal. We just believe that the first 10mins on this setting helps to stimulate the rise      Dill & Coriander – wash, dry & roughly chop  Olives – half or cut into three pieces if they’re larger ones  Onion – finely chop  Flours – sift into a large mixing bowl. Add fresh and dried herbs, olives, onion, yeast, sugar & salt. Combine ingredients with hands  Make a well in the middle of the mixture and add the Olive Oil  Pour Fanta/Lemonade into a glass and heat in the microwave until lukewarm  Mix the ingredients adding the lukewarm fizzy drink in stages. Continue to mix until a dough is formed  (You may not need all of the liquid)  Remove the dough from the bowl and knead well for at least 10mins  Place dough back into the mixing bowl, cover tightly with cling film and leave to prove in the oven (proving draw or warm place) for 1hr  (This is a heavier dough so it may not double in size. It should still grow substantially)     After 1hr:  Remove the dough from the bowl and knead gently on a floured surface for a few mins  Form into a round, rustic loaf and place onto a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove again for 45mins in a warm place  (The dough will be sticky and heavy, this is normal)     After 2nd prove:  Remove the tea towel and put the baking tray into a pre-heated oven at 180°C   If using the warming oven setting:    Bake for 10mins on this setting before changing to the fan at the same temperature for approx. 30mins   (Otherwise bake at 180°C with the fan for approx. 40mins)  After this time check that the loaf is golden and hollow when you tap the base   *Once ready switch the oven off and return the bread back to the oven to cool down slowly for a further 45mins      

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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       Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
Greece|Ελλάδα, ReviewsTim PhedonNovember 23, 2016LemoniaGreek Food, Restaurant, Review, London, Stifado, Humus, Kleftiko, Bulgur Wheat, HummusComment

Greece|Ελλάδα, ReviewsTim PhedonNovember 23, 2016LemoniaGreek Food, Restaurant, Review, London, Stifado, Humus, Kleftiko, Bulgur Wheat, HummusComment
      Lemonia     

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


         

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

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                Domaine Porto Carras Organic Limnio/Cabernet Sauvignon, Halkidiki, 2013
               

              

              
                 
                  
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     Welcome to my review of what is potentially the most famous Greek restaurant in all of London town.  It’s been a while since I’ve wanted to dine here. Not because it’s become a place for celeb spotting (Kate Moss & Jude Law are regulars apparently) but because it’s a family run restaurant that has been going for 35 years. I wanted to come here to see how they were serving up the classic dishes you find in a Greek or Cypriot tavern. I wanted to see if these guys were keeping true to the reputation they have built of serving up Greek classics, the ones I grew up, and serving them up well.       Atmosphere   The romantic glow that lights the pavement from within and the turmoil you hear everytime the front door of Lemonia restaurant opens is almost an unorthadox disturbance to the sleepyness of Regent’s Park Road, but for sure a welcome one. Entering Lemonia (The Lemon Tree) soon makes you forget you’re in London. The restaurant took me back to Cyprus, to one of the most famous fish restaurants called Zefiros on the marina in Larnaca. A trip to Cyprus is not complete without at least one visit to devour the fresh fish mezedes from Mr.Zefiro, and the manic rush of the waitors as they pounce across the restaurant floor was what I was seeing in Lemonia, but in a more composed manner (I mean we were in Primrose Hill).   Things got off to a good start. I was the first to arrive from our little party of ex Hispanic & Portuguese grads, all of us a bit lost in the world but all good pals. The woman behind the front desk was warm, to be fair she reminded me of a great aunt. Welcoming guests in the typical Mediterranean fashion, I was tucking into some juicy olives, carrots and radish while I waited. A few minutes later I was shown to my table in the back room. We (very sensibly) booked our table at 8pm since the restaurant was packed from the time I arrived to the time we left over 3 hours later.  The buzz is only heightened in the back room. Everywhere you look there are tables & chairs, set up in different arrangements and on different tiers. The foliage is hard to miss: there are plants all over the shop. The artwork showing off Greece’s stunning landscapes and islands along with one wall covered in portraits that is quite possibly the family-tree of the restaurant’s owners is what you expect from a restaurant as old and ‘classic’ as this one. I liked it and it got me excited for the food to be had.        

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


      Food   The thicker version of a Cyprus style pitta bread served as a starter was warm and (despite not made in house – which is understandable as it’s pretty challenging) was still very authentic. Served alongside a soft and creamy hummus and taramousalata (fish-roe dip) that was white and well balanced (its natural colour and not the horrific artificial pink added to so many…why!?).   It was nice to see that the menu wasn’t exhaustive but still offered the familiar dishes you should know and hopefully have tried if you have visited Greece or Cyprus (although I'm still confused why Shashlik was on the menu). I was here for comfort food and so opted for the Stifado (onion stew cooked in wine and served with rabbit like it was always served in the villages). I ordered this with a side of bulgur wheat pilaf ‘ pourgouri, ’ which I have my own recipe for. The majority of the rabbit was tender, which as a lean meat, deserved recognition. However the thick, sweet stew that oozes from the meat cooking down with the shallots that I have always associated with Stifado was lacking. This was a shame because for me it’s that rich sauce that really makes this dish. Despite this the meat and its juices were well seasoned and had nice flavour with a subtle hint of cinnamon. The bulgur wheat was a nice accompaniment but I would have preferred it to have more tomato purée (a personal taste).  My friend Dav ordered the Kleftiko, which I must admit, was beautifully cooked. If I return that is definitely what I’d be ordering.      Service (& wine)   The average age of the waitors is, well, elder. The service was very good and quite charming. From what I could see all the waitors were originally Greek or Greek Cypriot and despite the clear bustle going on around us, we were well attended to. Our waitor was amusing and while willing to answer questions took the ‘get on with it you look hungry so have this one’ approach.   Our waitor recommended us the Domaine Porto Carras, an organic red Carbernet Sauvignon hailing from the Halkidiki region in Northern Greece. This red was rich and warming with notes of spiced fruits and it went down well with the rabbit stew.   Lemonia is a very pleasant restaurant for a sit down meal. A hub of activity, it seems to cater to large parties, families with children in need of amusement (provided by the waitors) and couples, all at the same time. The food, if not extraordinary, was satisfying and I can see why people choose to return.       

  

  	
       
      
         
          
             
                  
             
          

          

         
      
       
    

  


    

 

   

     
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       Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonNovember 08, 2016Greek, Lamb, Easy, Sunday Lunch, Roast Dinner, Greek Food, Mediterranean FoodComment

Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonNovember 08, 2016Greek, Lamb, Easy, Sunday Lunch, Roast Dinner, Greek Food, Mediterranean FoodComment
      Lamb & Potatoes (with lemon, rosemary & garlic)      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


     

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      This recipe does what it says on the tin:  Lamb, potatoes, lemon, rosemary (with a couple of extra herbs and spices in there) that will give you a fantastic roast dinner that is very easy to prepare. This isn’t the slow-cooked, ridiculously mouth-watering Kleftiko lamb recipe many of you will associate with Greece, but it is a Greek inspired recipe (there’s Ouzo in it), so you know it’s gonna be good. Don’t worry though, the Kleftiko will be making an appearance.   Preparation    Serves 6   Prep Time – 15mins  Resting Time – 2-3hrs  Cooking Time – 2hrs (pink meat)                              2hrs 15mins (well done)      All you need is 1 large roasting tray      Ingredients   Leg of lamb – 2.2kg  Fresh Rosemary – few sprigs  Garlic Clove – 1 large OR 2 regular  Lemon Zest – 3 lemons  Lemon Juice – 2 lemons  Dried Thyme – 1 teaspoon  Cinnamon – ½ teaspoon  Ouzo – 50ml (not essential but gives the lamb a subtle hint of aniseed)  Potatoes – 4 baking potatoes, cubed  Extra Virgin Olive Oil  Seasoning      Method   Garlic – slice into 8-12 pieces  Rosemary – remove from stalks  Lamb – make 8-12 incisions (the same number as the number of garlic pieces) into the skin and poke a piece of garlic with a bunch of rosemary sprigs into each incision     In your roasting tray:  Add the Lemon Zest, Thyme, Cinnamon, good glug of Olive Oil, Ouzo, Salt & Pepper  Lamb – massage garlic/rosemary lamb with the ingredients in the tray and leave the meat to marinade uncovered for 2-3 hours (to reach room temperature)     After 2-3 hours:  Pre-heat your oven to 170°C with fan  Once heated, place roasting tray into the oven for:  45mins (Pink meat)  1hr (well-cooked but still tender)     Potatoes – dice into cubes  After chosen time, remove roasting dish from the oven and add the diced potatoes  Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper – add to the roasting dish  Baste the lamb and potatoes in the liquid  Place back into the oven for 30mins (same temperature as above)     After 30mins:  Remove the tray and toss the potatoes  Add to the oven for a further 30mins     After 2nd round:  Remove lamb from the roasting dish onto a tray  Shuffle potatoes around in the roasting dish and return to the oven to crisp up for 10-15mins (190°C Fan)  Check your potatoes don’t burn during this final stage and give them a stir once or twice during this time so that they brown all over  Remove the potatoes and carve your delicious lamb     Served beautifully alongside a proper Greek salad, hummus and flatbreads      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


    

 

   

     
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       Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
Greece|Ελλάδα, ReviewsTim PhedonNovember 05, 2016Greek, Vegetarian, Supper Club, London, Authentic, Greek Food, Mediterranean Food, Fasolakia, Dakos Salad, Spanakopita, Greek Yoghurt, Tzatziki, SaganakiComment

Greece|Ελλάδα, ReviewsTim PhedonNovember 05, 2016Greek, Vegetarian, Supper Club, London, Authentic, Greek Food, Mediterranean Food, Fasolakia, Dakos Salad, Spanakopita, Greek Yoghurt, Tzatziki, SaganakiComment
      Yayā Supper Club      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


     

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


     

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


         

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      The weekend of the 8th & 9th October was a particularly Greek affair. By this I mean I managed to attend 3 Greek events, by chance of course.  The weekend got into full swing quickly at the Greek Wine Festival hosted by Theodore Kyriakou and his team at The Greek larder in King’s Cross. I could only go to the event for a brief while but that was enough time to get me excited. To be apart of the buzz that filled the revamped industrial space just off Granary Square was really very cool. Theodore got the place dancing with Greek folk music while those not on the cosy designated dancing area were sampling some fantastic wines from around Greece and its islands and enjoying some proper tasty looking souvlaki, with the traditional pickles and all. It was hard to fight the temptation not to scoff one myself, but I was to be feasting later at Lemonia restaurant in Primrose Hill (the 2nd part of the Greek sequence of events).  The Sunday was the part I was most curious about. Just a few days earlier I happened to come across Yayā Supper Club’s  Instagram  feed and I was instantly drawn in by the stunning photography. I noticed a post about Yayā’s planned Yoga and Greek lunch for that Sunday and nothing was going to stop me. I can be quite rash when making decisions, especially when there is food involved.   Yayā Supper Club  (taken from the Greek word for grandmother) is just the coolest supper club that’s all about bringing people together to feast on home-style Greek cooking. Two friends Emily and Lou only set it up 6 months ago, but their passion for authentic Greek recipes, a few of which they have re-invented, mixed with their quirky style was simply heroic when I think about the kind of food that inspired me to create FeedTim.    Speaking to them both was insightful. Emily herself has Greek origins and is out to revive the recipes passed down from the women in her family. Lou has Spanish roots, so she certainly understands flavours. As I say the pair were cool: the way they dressed, the effort they made to decorate the table with classic Greek pieces (like traditional village lace that reminded me of my own grandmother’s village) and of course the food they prepared. The supper club is inspired by large sharing platters, the kind that appear at any Greek family affair, using ingredients that just spell Greek (like the saganaki cheese with honey and sesame seeds) while exploiting fresh and local produce.      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


     

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


     You can see from the menu above what we ate that day. The food was really quite delicious and the pair took the time to explain each component. Yayā is not limited to vegetarian food, but the fact that this particular supper club was vegetarian themed went unnoticed because food was blessing the table every few minutes. The rich red of the beautifully prepared Dakos salad (a Creten salad of tomato, red onion and stale bread), the green of the fasolakia stew (green bean stew) and spanakopita (spinach pie – my fave) along with the gleaming honey running off the cheese pie made the whole meal a very enjoyable and exciting experience. The girls worked hard, and damn it they performed.  The whole theme of this supper club was one of wellness. For £40, alongside the vegetarian spread, guests were treated to 1½hrs of yoga with  Sophia Pim  (originally Greek, what else).  Admittedly this was my 1st ever Yoga class but the knowledge that lunch was to come encouraged me to give it a go. A Yoga & Pilates teacher, Sophia herself says she is passionate about getting people moving, breathing and having fun. Well she got me moving; she definitely got me breathing (pretty heavily) and guided us into positions that at least my brain was dealing with for the first time. She was very catering to first timers while managing to lead more advanced yoga goers. She was an impressive teacher and I would recommend her to any yoga enthusiasts out there.  I went to this event solo and that was fine by me. The atmosphere that fills the room is inspired by the warmth and comfort that characterises a typical Yaya’s kitchen. Still such a young venture Yayā Supper Club does not have a permanent home, which I love because the girls deploy their unique Greek style in different locations around Hackney. I met some interesting people with whom, for whatever reason enticed them to this event on a Sunday afternoon, I shared a memorable lunch. By cooking recipes that have inspired them, Emily & Lou harness the power that food has to bring people to a table and have a great time. I guess the only downside was that catering to 25 people meant they both were too busy in the kitchen to sit down and enjoy the fruits of their labour with us!  Emily & Lou, you are ambassadors to the authentic Greek movement. Keep up the good work.  FeedTim x      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


    

 

   

     
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       Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
Italy|Italia, RecipesTim PhedonOctober 29, 2016Pasta, Tagliatelle, Fresh Pasta, ItalianComment

Italy|Italia, RecipesTim PhedonOctober 29, 2016Pasta, Tagliatelle, Fresh Pasta, ItalianComment
      Homemade Tagliatelle with Thia      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


     

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


     

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


     

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS       What’s my favourite thing to cook?  Pasta.   Why?  Allow me to refer you to the faces of those Two Greedy Italians, Antonio Carluccio & Gennaro Contaldo. Their series across their native Italy back in 2011 is still one of the most entertaining food series I have watched and below I give you a clip of them preparing a homemade Amatriciana sauce, similiar to the one I prepared with my aunty for this post.         
        The simplicity of it is what makes it special; but away from it being a quick and easy meal to prepare, given some love pasta of any kind becomes something extraordinary.  Pasta is a success story in its own right. Among other produce (like beans and pulses), it’s an example of poor man’s food basking in the limelight. It’s the Zidane of the football world, the Alan Sugar of the business world and can even be likened to the humble beginnings of Ken Hom in the chef world. A basic mixture of egg, flour and/or semolina, pasta began feeding hungry mouths in Southern Italy to becoming one of the most celebrated dishes that exists. It really is a beautiful thing and I never get tired of hearing how pasta features in peoples’ lives, especially within Italian families where Nonna’s just can't be beaten.  Eversince starting FeedTim, I have been overwhelmed with the opportunities given to me to feed my love of cooking. This post is dedicated to my Aunty Roulla (Thia in Greek) who bought a pasta making machine and asked if I wanted to come over to make homemade tagliatelle for the family. I of course couldn’t refuse.  The pasta machine was a thing of beauty, an Atlas Marcato 150 (as if I know my pasta rollers). It was pristine and included numerous settings and cutters that allow you to roll your pasta sheet to different widths so you can make spaghetti as well as sheets for ravioli on top of the tagliatelle we made. Thia also had a neat pasta drying rack from John Lewis.  The pasta making bit was the easiest part (for my auntie anyway). When I arrived she had already prepared a homemade olive focaccia, a fragrant Mediterranean salad, figs stuffed with goats cheese that were wrapped with Parma Ham ready to be baked and a Chorizo Jam. Yes, that is correct, a jam made out of chorizo meat and the recipe can be found on this  blog . I too had never heard of this one and couldn’t resist trying as soon as I arrived. The subtle smoky and sweet flavours were delightful as a sticky spread on the focaccia. My other aunty (Thia Marina) later adorned the table with a homemade Tarte Tatin. This was her first attempt and it was really quite special topped with clotted cream.  Then work was to be done. Below is the recipe for our homemade tagliatelle which we served with an Amatriciana sauce of tomatoes (cooked with ½ and onion that was later removed) chilli and pancetta along with a homemade basil pesto.      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


      Preparation   Prep Time – depends how efficient you are with your machine. Forming, kneading, resting, rolling out and cutting the dough took my auntie and I approx. 1.5 hours  Cooking Time – 2 mins      Ingredients    Serves 6   Semolina – 150g  00 flour – 150 g (and plenty more to dust the pasta sheets at each stage of rolling)  Eggs – 3  Splash of water  Pan of boiling, well-salted water      Method   Combine the 2 flours on a clean surface  Make a well in the middle and crack the 3 eggs inside  Combine the flour and eggs together with your hands until it becomes a manageable dough  Knead the dough passionately (look at the arms of your average Nonna) for at least 10mins until it feels elastic and springy  Pop in a bowl and cover with cling film for 30mins  After 30mins:  Remove the dough from the bowl and divide evenly into 4 pieces   Flour your work surface   Roll each piece until it’s about ½ cm thick  Dust the rolled out piece with flour and begin to roll at the widest setting (No.0) on either side  At this point you progress through the numbers (the higher the number the thinner the sheet) until you reach your desired thickness. We continued to number 6   (You want to roll the pasta sheet out on either side as you proceed through each setting, flouring as you go along)   When you have reached your desired thickness, dust the sheet lightly with flour for the last time and carefully wind it through the tagliatelle cutter. Use one hand to guide it through the cutter and the other to collect the freshly cut strands, making sure they remain flat  Hang the pasta (from whatever really, you don’t need a pasta drying rack) to dry as you repeat the process with the remaining dough  This is fresh pasta and so requires literally minutes to cook (at most). Please do it properly and cook it al-dente, especially after all your efforts   Dai, mangiate       

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


    

 

   

     
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      Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonOctober 19, 2016Bread, BakingComment

Greece|Ελλάδα, RecipesTim PhedonOctober 19, 2016Bread, BakingComment
      Pappou's Bread      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


     

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


    

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      There is really nothing better than homemade bread. Each loaf is however very individual so please only use the following measures as a guide. I welcome any feedback so feel free to send me photos of your bakes!  This is my first bread recipe, and the one that christens my new Bread category. ‘Bread’ may seem a bit out of place next to the other categories on my blog, but I’ve started it because I am passionate about homemade bread. Bread excites me. It’s so diverse and innate to cultures around the world (it’s even caused public uprisings). As I’ve embarked on my Mediterranean voyage of discovery, I have set myself a mission to bake a new loaf every week. FeedTim is all about authentic Mediterranean food, so whether you’re indulging on an Italian loaf laden with Nutella for breakfast in Rome, or taking a flatbread to soak up the juices of the tagine you’ve just gorged on in Fez, bread’s a big deal.  This bread recipe produces a simple, hearty loaf and is based on the traditional bread prepared for a service of remembrance at the Greek Orthodox Church. This may seem a bit solemn a story for my first recipe, but the bread is delicious and I appreciate that a service of this kind can be celebrated with great food.  This bread is special with its use of mastic and mehlebi, two ingredients commonly used in Greek baking. Mastic has become pretty accessible over the years. All you need to do is head to a Greek or Turkish deli or grocers. Mehlebi (cherry kernels) will be more difficult to find, and while it’s the typical ingredient used (because of its beautiful aroma), I have experimented with vanilla extract which provides a great alternative.   To make 1 large loaf    Preparation   Prep Time – 20mins  Proving Time – 75 to 90mins  Cooking time – 50mins to1hr      Ingredients   Plain flour – 600g  Strong flour – 200g  Semolina – 150g, fine  Dried Yeast – 10g (1.5 7g sachets)  Mastic – 1 tsp  Mehlebi (cherry kernels) - 1 tsp OR Vanilla Extract – 3 tsp  Light Olive Oil – ½ mug  Salt – ½ tbsp  Water – approx. 450ml, luke warm  Honey – 2 tbsp (dissolved in water)      Method     Proving  – I prove my dough in the oven at approx. 20°C. I do this purely because I don’t have a nifty Great British Bake Off style proving drawer     Cooking   -  W  e always begin to cook the bread using the ‘warming’ oven setting where heat is generated from the bottom for 10mins, before switching to the fan at the same temperature.  If your oven does not have this setting, it really is no big deal. We just believe that the first 10mins on this setting helps to stimulate the rise      Pre heat your oven to 20°C (if you’re using your oven to prove)  Measure and add all of your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl   Mastic – grind in a pestle & mortar with a tablespoon of the flour mixture and add to the mixing bowl once ground  Mehlebi (if using) – grind in a coffee grinder and add to the mixing bowl  Olive Oil - add to the bowl after giving the ingredients a quick mix  Water & Honey – heat 450ml of water with 2 tbsp honey dissolved until luke warm     Time to mix:  Begin mixing all of the ingredients in the mixing bowl with 1 hand while adding the water/honey in stages with the other  Continue to mix the ingredients until a manageable dough has formed (that feels quite elastic)  (You may not need all the water. If you feel the dough has become too wet, simply add more flour)  Take the dough out of the bowl and knead (stretch and fold over passionately) on a lightly floured surface for approx. 10mins until it becomes more elastic and doesn’t stick to your hands  Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover tightly with cling film and prove in oven (proving drawer or warm place) for approx. 1hr  (You are looking for it to have doubled in size)     After this stage:  Remove mixing bowl from the proving area and remove cling film  Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a surface for a couple of minutes  Fold it in on itself and shape, then place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper  Make a small incision around the perimeter of the dough (half way up). This helps it to rise and cook more evenly (and makes it looks more rustic)  Return to the proving area (uncovered) for 15-30mins   Pre-heat oven at 160°C on warming setting (otherwise use the fan for the whole period of baking)     After 2nd prove:  Put baking tray into the heated oven   If using the warming oven setting:    Bake for 10mins on this setting before changing to the fan at the same temperature for 40-50mins   (Otherwise bake at 160°C with the fan for 50 - 60mins)  Keep an eye on your loaf and remove once you think it is ready  (It should have browned nicely and be hollow when you tap the base)      *Once ready switch the oven off and return the bread back to the oven to cool down slowly for a further 45mins      

 

   

     
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       Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
Tim PhedonOctober 16, 2016riodejaneiro, Brazil, OlympicsComment

Tim PhedonOctober 16, 2016riodejaneiro, Brazil, OlympicsComment
      My Guide to Rio      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


     

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


     

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


         

 
   
     
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
      
       
         
            
            
         
       
     
   
     

 Home RSS      If you know me well, or have been following me on social media (which you should be doing already, come on guys) then you will be aware of my relationship with the ‘Cidade Maravilhosa,’ Rio de Janeiro. I studied Spanish & Portuguese at university, and pounced on the opportunity to spend 6 months studying in Rio during my 3rd year. I stayed with a local family who essentially adopted me as their own son during my time there, and I had the experience of a lifetime.  The day I left Rio back in 2014, I promised my hosts that I would be back for the Olympics. I had 2 years to get myself back to my new found 2nd home, and I knew I couldn’t let them down. So I applied to become a volunteer at Rio 2016, and after a few tests here and there, I became a member of the Language Services team. Put simply, I was interpreting between athletes and the media. It was damn cool because our accreditation passes granted us access to a fair few venues and we got to stand right next to the action before an interview.  Since returning from Rio this time round I figured I should share the knowledge of the city I’ve got to know and love with you guys. While this post is not specifically related to food or even the Mediterranean, it’s just something I wanted to share about the city that has welcomed me with open arms and one which, if you remember these pointers, will do the same to you.  Here’s my guide to Rio de Janeiro. Enjoy (Aproveite)   Don’t be scared.  I am disappointed when I hear people who avoid travelling to Rio because of safety concerns. Brazil is not Europe, and is still a developing nation so things are more chaotic and crime is elevated. However don’t let this stop you from visiting this exciting city. It’s all about common sense: not wearing anything valuable on you when you’re out and avoiding quiet areas at night. Some like to distribute their cash around some pretty protected parts of the body. If that makes you feel better, then please go ahead.      Açaí (Pronounced ‘Asaee’).  While açaí has become fashionable among the health conscious, Holland & Barrett worshipping crowds, the way it’s consumed in Brazil is still alien to most of us. What you’re eating is a fruit (a very bitter one) that comes from the Amazon and is a natural energy boost packed full of antioxidants. It’s a staple energy source for many Amazonian tribes. To sweeten it the acai berry is mixed with the syrup of the Guaraná fruit, another fruit unique to the Amazon. The result is a deep purple sorbet that can be ordered from any juice café you see on almost every street corner. It should be served cold and in a glass.      Fruit Juice (Suco).  The Brazilians love their fruit juice and you really don’t have to travel far to enjoy the fruits (get it) of this rich land. When in Rio go out and try mango (suco de manga), papaya (suco de mamão) and pineapple (suco de abacaxi, pronounced ‘abacashí’). Brazilians like things sweet and will very often add sugar without asking. If you want to keep things natural, then ask for your suco without sugar ‘sem açúcar.’ Also the cheese infested pastries you see on display are called ‘Salgados,’ (literally savoury snacks). They take on different shapes but you will tend to find ham and cheese ones, prawn and cheese ones and cheese and cheese ones. Give one a whirl when you order your juice.      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


         Learn some Portuguese . As a linguist I naturally advocate learning a few phrases from any language when you travel, but this is especially true in Brazil. Outside of São Paulo I have met few people who speak English, and so arming yourself with a bit of português will go far. The Cariocas, an already enthusiastic and welcoming bunch, will adore you (literally) if you whack out the local lingo. Prepare to be embraced.      Santa Teresa . Plan an afternoon and evening in this charming neighbourhood of Central Rio. Santa Teresa lies on a hill above Lapa and has a rich history. Originally home to Rio’s wealthy elite who scattered mansions around the neighbourhood ( Parque das Ruinas  is a must see), elevated crime in the surrounding favelas drove this elite away and their homes were inhabited by writers and musicians, many of whom brought with them Afro-Brazilian drumming from the North-East of Brazil. This is what gave this area its reputation for being the vibrant, bohemian part of town. I recommend getting in on the  Food Tour Santa Teresa  to try some famed local dishes and learn more about this fascinating place. Make sure you re-fuel at  Café Cultivar , a small unpretentious café famed for the best pão de queijo (cheesebread) in the city. If you’re planning to eat somewhere really special, book a table at  Aprazível  right at the top of the hill. The views are stunning and the food is exciting: when I ate there we sampled palm heart still in its branch.      Rice & Beans (Arroz e Feijão) . Brazilians are pretty set in their way when it comes to eating. What I find fascinating is that rice & beans is eaten almost everyday across the whole country and by every social class. Arroz e Feijão forms the base of Brazilian gastronomy and is seen as food that marriages perfectly while providing plenty of energy and iron. It will be accompanied by meat, fish, salad, potatoes and mandioca (a strange root that looks like sand but actually compliments the meat and beans quite nicely). Food is still regional and in Rio you’ll find the Cariocas worship black beans (arroz preto). If you’re searching for local, this is what you will find at most restaurants in the city. A more formal setting may divert away from this, but again, the Brazilians will never be too far from a plate of beans.      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


         Cobal de Humaitá.  The Cobal is a food market by day that becomes a hive of activity at night. With a range of bars and restaurants, locals flock here to be a part of the action, especially when a football match is on. The atmosphere is great: hectic and loud, where most people sit outside during the humid Rio nights under the watchful eye of Christ up on his perch. I recommend coming for an evening meal. There’s Galeto Mania (‘Galeto’ being the staple barbecued chicken….with rice and beans) as well as Joaquina, a Brazilian restaurant with a nice setting.      Rua Dias Ferreira.   Hey, you’re on holiday and you might want to splash out a bit. Rua Dias Ferreira is the foodie strip in upmarket Leblon and is where you’ll find most upper class Cariocas and a fair few celebs. Head to this road and take your pick of what to eat. You can choose from Italian ( Brigite’s ), sushi ( Sushi Leblon , which always has a queue forming outside) and contemporary Brazilian cuisine at  Zuka .      ‘Chopping.’  Pronounced ‘shopping,’ this is a glass of beer. A ‘choppería’ is a beer house where you will often find food (hearty food at that). Note: cariocas start drinking beer as soon as breakfast (café da manhã) is over. Other typically Brazilian drinks you gotta try when you’re out there include coconut water (straight from the coconut of course) and Matte Leão (the local take on Lipton Ice Tea). Oh ye and Caipirinhas of course.      Must see locations    1.        Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar).You can either take the 2 cable cars up to the top or walk up the first hill then take the cable car over the final stretch.   2.        Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer statue). You have the choice of taking the train up from Cosme Velho; organising a minibus through an organisation or even walking. Walking takes anything between 1.5 – 2 hours. It’s steep but makes the journey feel more like a pilgrimage. (You can take the train back down).   3.        Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers). This is the postcard mountain at the end of Ipanema and Leblon beaches. It’s accessed via the ever more touristy favela Vidigal. You can either walk the steep roads to the top of the favela where the trail begins or take a taxi up. It’s dead easy and a particularly welcoming favela if you are curious to see what it’s like. The views at the top are striking, with the iconic beaches ahead and the biggest favela in Latin America, Rocinha, sprawled directly below you.       

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


      Afternoon in Urca.  Urca, the area at the base of Sugarloaf, is a charming village with a lovely beach. Although it’s not an island, it juts out from the neighbouring district of Botafogo into the sea which makes it feel secluded. It’s also home to a few trendy bars where locals and tourists perch on the seafront wall to drink and admire the views (head to  Bar Urca ). Ladies, Urca is home to the naval base, so be prepared to get some attention from navy boys jogging past.        Best nightlife.   Rio Scenarium  is everything you could want as an outsider visiting Rio. Notorious for playing different kinds of samba, this is where you can enjoy the musical heritage that fames this city within a funky setting laden with antiques. With live music and dancing 7 nights a week,  Carioca da Gema  is another lively spot that oozes that Brazilian energy you’re looking for.      No flushy.  Rio (and Brazil) is yes, just one of those places where toilet paper is rejected by the toilet. Not a highlight I know.      Sunset at Arpoador.  Make sure to get yourself onto the big rock that separates Copacabana and Ipanema beaches (called Arpoador) one evening as the sun is setting. This is the go to and you may indeed find the locals clapping the sun as it disappears.      

  
     
    
       
        
           
                
           
        

        

       
    
     
  


    

 

   

     
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      Hey guys. I'm Tim and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to go to the heart of communities around the Mediterranean and cook with the locals. It's how I can best combine my passion for cooking and speaking languages. By doing this I hope to feed you as well. Thank you very much for subscribing. 
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