It was here - in Greektown in the early 80s - that my love affair with Greek food began. There were dozens and dozens of restaurants, cafés, bakeries and shops lining the streets around Trapper's Alley. Hellas, a famous Detroit eatery that finally closed its doors in 2008 after 107 years of service, simmered chunks of lamb in a savory, spicy tomato sauce that I thought was pure heaven. I fell in love with their tall, dark, exotic waiters who yelled "Opa!" as they lit platters of I-don't-know-what on fire. Then it was on to a bakery or café for baklava that we nibbled on as we looked in shop windows and wandered up and down the streets with hundreds of other people. There was something so delicious about being 14, out at night, without our parents, amidst sites and smells so different from what we were accustomed. I always hated it when it was time to pile back into the car and head back to our tiny, quiet house in the suburbs.
Not surprisingly, I have never been able to find Greek food as good as what I had in Greektown those many years ago. I realize now that it is less about the food and more about the experience, which has grown more romantic, more magical in my memory with the passing of time. Every now and then I will pull out my Greek cookbook and peruse the pages, hoping to find a connection to my past. My results are always edible but will never be as good as food served by men who yell "Opa!" and light it on fire.
For dinner tonight, I decided to make AB's gyro meat with tzatziki sauce. Now I am in no way suggesting that these sandwiches are authentic Greek food. Actually, I associate these strips-of-meat-carved-from-no-animal-I've-ever-seen with carnivals and street fairs, which is in no way meant to be derogatory. I love gyro sandwiches and the fact that you can't get them just anywhere makes them all the better. But when I pull this meatloaf from the oven and take that first bite of lamb infused with marjoram, rosemary, and garlic, I am transported just for a moment.
I've been craving something sweet for several days now and so I searched out my recipe for Double-Caramel Turtle Cake. This cake is the home baker's trifecta - it is easy to make, beautiful to look at, and fantastically delicious.
- Lamb is expensive and rarely goes on sale, so while the recipe calls for 2 lbs, I mix 1 lb ground lamb and 1 lb ground beef.
- If you make the meatloaf version, the recipe calls for you to bake it in a water bath. I'm not sure why but since AB tells me to, this is the way I do it. The quantity of water and its initial temp can affect the cooking time. If you have an oven thermometer, the kind that you can leave in the meat as it cooks, you'll want to use it. Both times I have made this, it took nearly two hours for the loaf to achieve the desired 165F instead of the one hour listed in the recipe.
- While I believe Alton Brown always has our best interest at heart when he writes a recipe, I sometimes think his instructions require effort that is improportionate to the amount of flavor those extra steps provide. This recipe is a prime example of that. It instructs you to wrap the onions in a tea towel and squeeze out the moisture and also to let the yogurt drain for two hours. I do neither of these things and I think my results are absolutely delicious.
- The key to baking a moist chocolate anything is to not overbake it. I use an oven thermometer to ensure the oven is the correct temperature before putting the cake in. I also set the timer for 10 minutes less time than is called for in the recipe and check for doneness every five minutes. The moment the toothpick comes out clean, I pull the cake (or brownies or cupcakes or whatever) out of the oven. Chocolate baked goods will continue to cook after you take them out so it is critical they are taken out just before most other baked goods are considered done.
- The gyros are a favorite around here, especially with lots of tzatziki sauce.
- The cake is TO DIE FOR and everyone I have ever served it to has said so.
- Difficulty: Both are medium difficulty.
- Time to prepare: I plan 2-1/2 hours for the gyro meat and an hour for the cake
- Prognosis: Both recipes are definitely keepers!
- Greek yogurt $1.29
- 1 Cucumber: $0.99
- The day's tally: $14*
- Total for the month: $157
*You know how they say you shouldn't go to the store when you're hungry? Well, you shouldn't take your teenage son to the store when he's hungry either. If I had stuck to my shopping list, I would have finished out the month on-budget. I blame him for the $7 overage.
What did he get that was $7? Inquiring minds want to know. :) I'm loving this! Not just 'what I made today' but great stories, great tips, and mouthwatering food. I had an epic failure this week trying to make that garlic paste they serve in Greek restaurants. Maybe on your next Greek adventure?? BTW, do you know there's a newish Greek place near the church? Green Olive Grill. Pretty yummy.
ReplyDeleteHi Leilani, Thank you so much for the encouragement! After I wrote this, I told The Geek I was afraid it was too much personal stuff and not enough food stuff. Glad you are enjoying it!
ReplyDeleteMy son had been craving fried chicken for a few weeks now so when he passed the hot deli counter, I had to let him get some of those fried chicken tenders. He also loves yogurt and of course you can't buy just one. Ended up buying two of several flavors (just in case his sister would want some.) He also bought a pack of mint chocolate chip gum but I made him buy that with his own money.
Garlic paste... I think I've had what you're talking about at Daphne's. Gonna have to hunt down a recipe! My sister likes the GOlG but I have been there. Will have to check it out. Thanks!
PS