…when you miss home, cook!!! … fakes
It all started reading Jo’s blog… on her latest post, she wrote about Greek wines – pairing wine and food.
Last week I emailed Laurie for a certain Greek recipe in which I still have to try. That I must do soon as my sister is waiting for the outcome.
It’s making me so homesick… reading Jo and Laurie’s blogs.
Anyway I have been checking flights for Athens. I can take my annual leave soon. My dreams of going to Asia, will be put on hold again, as I still have to deal with legal issues.
So when I say I miss home, its not the Philippines. Much more like Athens (Greece). And I do miss Greek food a lot.
When the temperatures dipped low at 40s F ( well i figured its around 10C) for few days… I know, the best way to fight such cold day and of homesickness is a dose of Greek food.
Checking my stock I found some lentils. The brown variety that makes good soup. I grew up eating mung beans but when we moved to Greece in 1984, there was no mung bean yet in the market.
Fakes, or lentils was introduced to us by Greek friends and I instantly fell in love with it.
For me fakes is simply boiled lentils with garlic, bay leaves, onions, tomato and olive oil.
Thats how simple the food is, a classic perennial dish that really warms up your soul on cold winter days. All you need is a good loaf of bread and dip it to the soup.
But I remember when I cooked this first time with the Swiss Cheese around, he said why not add carrots or some chicken or maybe some good smoked sausages. If you are a purist this might be a shock to see the greek fakes recipe with these.
But it tasted good nonetheless.When I found myself in France, there I have discovered more about lentils. The French chef I worked with adds some Spanish chorizo on his lentil soup.
So on this fakes I made, I added, carrots and some bratw
Sha,
To add to your list of lentil recipes in Italy we do it near the Greek way instead of bay leaves we use sage and tradition dictates it is paired with cotechino or zampone during dinner of New Years eve since they look like coins and therefore brings fortune.
I love Greek food and can understand your homesickness!
cheers,
Rosa
cotechino and zampone.. will certainly add great flavour to this soup. Yes Ive seen these when I was in Genoa and La Spezia when I was there for 2 winters.
i feel home here in Florida but I miss the winter the cold days… and greek life as well
I’ve just been craving lentils! Adding sausages to your soup reminds me of what I had in Bonn a few years ago.
oh my mad, este, lovely mother-in-law got a mention. She is an excellent cook. The recipes she’s collected all through the years are still on the little pieces of papers she wrote them on, all stuffed in one carrier bag. She still manages to find the recipe she wants. Organised chaos.. With 5 children, I suppose you get the knack of it
Next time try fakes greek style with some regga! Anyway, I hope you com to Athens soon, although with all the riots lately perhaps you should postpone..
Sha! Your photos make oh-so-hungry!!!! Thank you for sharing all your wonderful ideas and delicious edible adventures 🙂
A big hug from Panama…
M