Because I'm a nuff nuff and had an extreme weekend of cooking, I stupidly formated my memory card before my Christmas luncheon which contained prized photos of my moussaka that I made for this week's cooking challenge. The best I could do was scan the photo from the book, so this is what is kinda looked like:

How could I not cook from one of George's books for Greek week?
Hamsley will often blurt out "Moooooooosaka"... so I though I'd shut him up and make moussaka.
What a weekend to make it on though, I have never spent as much time in the kitchen as I did this past weekend. Saturday night my ankles were throbbing due to all the preparation for the annual Christmas luncheon with my friends. A post to come on that soon... if I don't format my memory card again by accident!

The moussaka was relatively easy to make. The recipe was set out very simply, step by step; so I was never lost on what I should be doing. It was my first attempt at making a béchamel sauce, and man it was an effort; lots and lots of stirring. My arms were a little more buffed after my béchamel work out.

The easiest way to describe moussaka is, it's a Greek lasagna. Instead of pasta, you have eggplant and potato. We all thought this recipe could have used more meat, but the overall flavour was delicious. You could definitely taste the cinnamon, and the other herbs. A real comfort food / wintery dish.

Moussaka
George Calombaris

1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely dice
1 tablespoon lemon thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
300g (10 1/2oz) lamb mince
100g (3 1/2oz) pork mince
100g (3 1/2oz) veal mince
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cinnamon quills
250g (1 3/4oz) crushed tomatoes
Salt, to taste
2 eggplants (aubergine), sliced 1cm (1/2 inch) thick
3 medium-sized potatoes, sliced 1cm (1/2 inch) thick

Béchamel
100g (3 1/2oz) butter
100g (3 1/2oz) flour
600ml (25fl oz) milk
3 eggs, beaten
100g (3 1/2oz) grated keflagraniera cheese (I just used tasty cheese)

Meat Sauce:
1. Saute diced onion, garlic, lemon thyme and rosemary until soft, add all mince and brown.
2. Add tomato paste, cinnamon quills and crused tomatoes reduce to a low heat and simmer for 1 hour. Season to taste.
3. Brush eggplant and potatoes with olive oil and either grill on barbecue or pan fry until tender. (I just grilled mine under the grill).

Béchamel:
1. Melt butter in a heavy based saucepan.
2. Add flour, stir on a low heat for 2 minutes.
3. Slowly add warm milk, continuously stirring until thick. Cover with lid and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Whisk in beaten eggs and keflagraniera cheese, season to taste.


Assemble:
1. Oil casserole dish and lay eggplant over bottom. Then add a layer of meat sauce. Arrange potato slices over meat sauce then over with the béchamel.
2. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes at 200°C (400°F, Gas Mark 6) until golden brown and béchamel has set.

Serves 4.

Voila! Bon Appétit!

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A couple of friends recently moved to the suburb of Oakleigh. Known for it's Greek community, we recently went for a souvlaki there. However, on one of our first treks down to the shops we found the mother of all cake shops in the area, Nikos.

We were just innocently looking for cheap shops to find basic household items, when we found ourselves in front of this window. We all just stopped in awe of the massive selection of cakes... and there were even more varieties inside!
Service is good, despite to people constantly buzzing in and out or lingering at tables enjoying some sweets. There are wedding cakes, birthday cakes and every other type of cake on the back wall being displayed. You don't have to be Greek to enjoy what they have to offer, have a look at what we've enjoyed;

On the first trip, Rob got one of the many kinds of baklava. This was one of the smaller sized ones, packed full of nutty goodness.

I got the small biscuit, filled with jam and dipped in chocolate. To be honest, I wasn't a fan of the jam, it was the commercialized stuff, and didn't really do anything for me. Hamish on the other hand got one of the biggest slices of cakes on offer. It was a Ferreo Rocher cake, and it just smelt divine. Hamish had no trouble eating the whole thing, and we still talk about that "epic slice of cake" to this day.

Then my grandma wanted to meet us for afternoon tea one day, so instead of going into the city, I suggested we meet at this new place I discovered. I get my sweet tooth genes from my grandma, and as you can imagine, she loved Nikos just as much as I did!

Rob got a freshly made Greek donut, and a semolina slice. He said both were very nice, with the semolina slice obviously being quite dense and filling.

My gorgeous Grandma got, a pistachio roulade and something I think called a "Rumbah". She was very content after eating this, but still wanted to get some more cakes to take home!

And well, I went for something chocolatey of course! A Baci ring, similar to one I had from Brunetti, full of full hazelnuts, an almost Nutella like filling, on top of a biscuit base. I know what you are thinking.... mega fattness! So if that wasn't enough, I tried a little baklava too!
Next time I go to Nikos I won't be indulging this much!

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Today I had my first "real" souvlaki. I've had a go at making them, but never had one from a rotating meat skewer before.
We originally wanted to try a place called Orexi, but unfortunately when we got there, like most places in Oakleigh on a Sunday, it was closed. So we wondered up the road and found Cafe on Eaton, with a welcoming atmosphere and a reasonably priced menu.

A good range of food on the menu, bound to suit everyone. But we were here for one thing, and one thing only, a souvlaki. Most people know souvlakis are the meal at the end of a big night of drinking and partying, but since I've never been a big drinker I guess this is why I have never had a souvlaki before! Well, this was lunch time, no drinking involved, just 3 hungry people wanting food!

The enormous souvlaki arrived on a plate, and I wondered if I was going to be able to eat it all!

I did manage to scoff the whole thing down, admittedly it did take me some time to get through. It fell apart half way through and I had to finish it off with a fork and knife.
It was sooooo delicous! The pita was so fresh, I wouldn't be surprised it if it was made that day, with tender, succulent lamb, fresh salad and creamy, zesty yoghurt sauce. I couldn't fault it. It was stuffed full of lamb it was coming out the other side. Definitely worth $9!


Rob got the yiros plate, which is pretty much an open souvlaki on a plate. The menu says you get this with chips, but Rob requested no chips as we are on a bit of a health kick at the moment. I would have liked some chips in my souvlaki as George from Masterchef says the real Greek souvlakis have chips in them, and that's how they are served at The Press Club.

Prices are very reasonable, the service we had was good, food came out fast. I'd definitely go back, but I think we will be doing a souvlaki tour of Oakleigh, since there is a big Greek community there.

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Last night Nerdy Rob and I went to The Press Club for dinner. This was my birthday present to Rob, but as I couldn't get in on the day of his birthday, we celebrated it again one week later.

For those of you who don't know, The Press Club is owned by Masterchef judge, George Calombaris. And since Masterchef is on TV, I'm guessing that's why it is a little harder to get a booking! It is also most likely because the food is absolutely amazing.

We were taken to probably the best seats in the house, in the corner booth so we could see the whole restaurant, including having a good look at what was going on in the kitchen.
We found an envelope on our table, with a special card inside:

What a lovely way to start the evening! Rob was impressed, and I was even more impressed! I'm glad I mentioned it was for his birthday when making the booking. The couple next to us also had an envelope as they were celebrating their anniversary.

Our main waitress was lovely. She looked after us very well, and was never too far away if we needed her. All the other wait staff were also very nice, and everyone's knowledge of the entire menu and wine selection was just mind boggling! How they remember it all beats me.

We started with 3 types of bread. A sun-dried tomato bread, a pistachio and honey bread (my favorite) and a white crusty style bread. To accompany this we had olive oil from Greece, and black volcanic salt. We had never had volcanic salt before, but it was a really nice accompaniment with the bread.

We dined from the sharing set menu called Kerasma. There are 2 options, 4 courses or 5 courses. The only difference is the 5th course is a dessert. And well, I love my dessert so we went for the full 5 courses. They cater for all dietary requirements upon request, and the menu is seasonal.

The waiter explained to start with what was in the glass and nibble the cheese whilst drinking the tomato gin tea. The tomato gin tea was very refreshing and light and the cheese added a nice savory flavour, and something to nibble on.

The seafood kalamaki was pickled octopus and anchovies. The anchovy was extremely fishy on is own, but eaten with the octopus the flavours just melted into each other.

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Mid-week cooking took a Greek influence this week. It was my first attempt at Greek food, and I know how much my boy loves a souvlaki, so I thought I'd give this recipe a go.

I had a few issues with the meat not staying on the stick when I was cooking it, so I ended up mixing a egg through the skewer meat I hadn't cooked yet to help bind the ingredients together, and it worked.

Whilst it isn't like any souvlaki you'd get at a souvlaki van/shop, it is still very nice! The tzatziki is the key ingredient and flavour in any souv, so the added flavour of beetroot gives a nice refreshing flavour.
The boy really enjoyed it, and so did the rest of the family. This one is a keeper!

Souvlaki Wraps with Beetroot Tzatziki
Original Recipe by Angela Boggiano; with alterations by Iron Chef Shellie

500g lamb mince
100g feta, crumbled
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
Large handful of parsley finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sunflower oil to brush
Lebanese bread, sliced red onion, lettuce and tomato to serve
Black Swan beetroot tzatziki dip

1. Soak 8 wooden skewers in cold water for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the lamb, feta, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, egg in a large bowl. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then mix together with your hands until well combined. Cover and chill for 20 minutes.

3. Using wet hands, shape lamb mixture around the skewers. Brush with the oil. Cook over a preheated, oiled char grilled pan in two batches.

4. Serve the souvlaki skewers with Lebanese bread, red onion and lettuce. Garnish with extra parsley and a dollop of beetroot tzatziki.

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