Restaurant zur Esche, Waldhotel Ehrenbach, Black Forest, Germany

Black Forest, Germany
Black Forest, Germany

This review is long overdue.

But better late than never.

During an Autumn visit to the Black Forest in Germany three years ago, I stayed and dined at the Waldhotel Ehrenbach, in the locality of Hinterzarten.

Kalbs Krauterbratwurst - Veal bratwurst with herbs
Kalbs Krauterbratwurst – Veal bratwurst with herbs

I took the set menu of the evening and did not regret it. The first dish was Veal Bratwurst with Herbs, on a bed of lentils with sage and apple sauce.

I love lentils, and the combination with the sausage and the apple was great. It worked!

Kurbisrisotto mit Estragon - Pumpkin Risotto with Estragon
Kurbisrisotto mit Estragon – Pumpkin Risotto with Estragon

When the pupkin is in season, it just tastes great. The Pumpkin Risotto with Estragon was delicious!

Venison cooked in Hay
Venison cooked in Hay

What followed was a masterpiece of mild temperature cooking. Hay protects venison’s meat from excessive heat and keeps it moist and tender.

Venison cooked in Hay, with Garden Vegetables and Bread Dumplings: delicious!

A selection of cheeses with dried fruits salad
A selection of cheeses with dried fruits salad

A selection of Cheeses from the High Black Forest with a Salad of Dried Fruits ended the delicious meal.

Waldhotel, Ehrenbach
Waldhotel, Ehrenbach

Vassilenas Restaurant in Piraeus, Greece – Το εστιατοριο “Βασιλαινας” στον Πειραια

I recently visited the Vassilenas restaurant in Piraeus, Greece.

It has been one of my father’s favorites.

The restaurant began its life as a grocery store back in 1920. The owner was also serving some “meze” dishes to the grocery’s customers.

When my father started visiting, the grocery store had transformed itself into a taverna.

But not any taverna.

My father’s reminiscences were almost ecstatic.

He would recall that after entering the taverna, the owner, “Vassilenas”, would greet the customer and perform some sort of “assessment”, on the basis of which he would start serving various dishes to the table. The customer was advised to “ride the wave”. And it was a wave of gastronomic nirvana!

Today the taverna has been transformed into a restaurant, and is run by the son of the “Vassilenas” of my father’s days.

In my last visit I had the set menu.

Pumpkin soup
Pumpkin soup

It starts with a pumpkin soup, with cumin, nutmeg and curry.

I do not like soups. Especially in the Greek summer. But I tasted it. And I ate it every scoop of it. Delicious!

Anchovies
Anchovies a tomato marmalade slice of crispy bread and taramosalata (fish row dip) with Arabian bread

Next came marinated anchovies on a tomato marmalade slice of crispy bread and taramosalata (fish row dip) with Arabian bread. The anchovies were light in the salt and vinegar and tender, perfectly accompanied by the tomato marmalade. The fish roe dip creamy and light.

Sea bream
Sea bream

It was followed by sea bream on a bed of spinach and leeks, served with a cauliflower puree and a wild fennel sauce.

The fish was perfectly cooked, and the combination with the greens was delicious.

Duo of salmon
Duo of salmon

Next came a duo of salmon. Marinated in soy sauce and grilled in a crust of spices.

Duo of salmon - grilled salmon detail
Duo of salmon – grilled salmon detail

The grilled piece was cooked to perfection. You can see for yourself the photo above.

As I write this, I realize how exciting it has been to taste all these wonderful dishes, let alone relive the experience by writing about them!

This is a very good reason to write indeed!

Grilled calamari and fried cod
Grilled calamari and fried cod

In any case, grilled calamari and fried cod fillet came next.

The calamari was served on a bed of smoked eggplant.

I was overwhelmed by the cod, as it was perfectly fried, not oily at all, accompanied by heavenly aioli.

"Rice-shaped" pasta with mushrooms
“Rice-shaped” pasta with mushrooms

A “rice-shaped” pasta dish with mushrooms came next, It was cooked as a risotto, and wwas delicious, but I must confess I felt it was rather late in the menu for this type of dish. I am used to have pasta as a first dish, and could not really come around to tasting it as the penultimate dish.

Braised pig's cheeks
Slow cooked pig’s neck

The slow cooked pig’s neck concluded the savoury part of the menu. I loved it. It was served with quince marmalade, sweet potato puree, confit of onions and angel hair fried potatos.

Lemon tart
Lemon tart

All the dishes were exceptional, including the desert, a lemon tart I could kill for.

But I did not, thankfuly.

Instead I paid the bill and went home a happy man.

Non esiste piu – No longer in existence (1): Osteria di Camugnone, Vergato, Bologna, Italia

Rubble after the explosion in OSteria Camugnone
Rubble after the explosion in Osteria Camugnone

The “Non esiste piu – No longer in existence” series

A year ago, in the early hours of 14th August 2012 a huge explosion obliterated a building in the area of Vergato, near Bologna.

This building housed “Osteria di Camugnone”.

This article is the first in a series of objects that no longer exist.

Today’s object is an “osteria” near Bologna, in Italy.

An “osteria” is an aggregate or assemblage object, and as such it is made of parts.

Aggregate objects are irreducible to their parts.

The existence of all of its parts is a necessary condition for the existence of the aggregate object.

Therefore, the destruction of one of the aggregate object’s part results in its non existence.

Osteria di Camugnone
Osteria di Camugnone

Local Press clipping (translated from Italian)

14 August 2012. At 0039 hours as a result of an explosion due to a gas leak in Pioppe of Salvaro, around one o’clock, destroyed the old restaurant Camugnone.

The building, which is at the outskirts of Porrettana Pioppe of Salvaro, home to a historic dining hotspot, has been completely razed to the ground. The tremendous roar woke the inhabitants of the houses  of the nearby village of Pioppe and surrounding townships. Debris from the explosion has blocked both the state road and the railroad tracks Porrettana that are within a few meters of the building.

Gas that leaked from the mains at the inn, has filled one or more rooms. Then something has triggered the explosion which was of such a violence that not one stone was left upon another.

Fortunately there were no people inside the building. The osteria was currently undergoing an renovation, pending the resumption of activities by new proprietors.

Osteria di Camugnone
Osteria di Camugnone

The Osteria

Quite a busy place, most of the clients were local.

Service was fast and polite.

The prices on the very low side.

Value for money extremely high.

I had a mixed salad, garganelli, and pasticcio.

Garganelli
Garganelli

Garganelli

I visited the OSteria back in the Summer of 2006, on my way from the hills around Bologna to Firenze.

It was listed on the Michelin guide as a “good value for money” place.

The first dish that I tasted was the garganelli, local pasta with a veal ragu sauce. Absolutely divine!

Pasticcio
Pasticcio

Pasticcio

The word pasticcio comes from pasta and means “pie”, and has developed the figurative meanings of “a mess”, “a tough situation”, or a pastiche.

The pasticcio that I tasted in the Osteria had flat pasta sheets (most likely lasagne), cheese, prosciuto and mushrooms. Extremely rich and tasty!

Insalata
Insalata

Causal chains 

If the gas explosion caused the destruction of the Osteria, what caused the gas explosion?

Let us assume that the gas explosion was caused by a leaking valve.

What caused the valve to leak?

Some possible reasons come to mind:

  • Valve breakdown due to poor maintenance of the Osteria building.
  • Valve breakdown due to material failure, not attributable to poor maintenance.
  • Valve breakdown due to human action. The fact that the building was undergoing renovation makes it quite plausible that a worker inadvertently damaged a gas valve, causing it to leak.
  • Valve breakdown due to superhuman or supernatural action.

I will not pursue the causal chain any further. I leave this investigation to the insurance companies, the fire department, the local administration.

As far as I am concerned, the Osteria no longer exists, and that is that.

Sala da mangiare, Osteria di Camugnone
Sala da mangiare, Osteria di Camugnone

What is the meaning of “non existence”?

Instead of a conclusion, I would like to offer some thoughts on the state of “non-existence”.

These thoughts do not claim to be anything but thoughts.

Is “non-existence” equivalent to an irreversible change?

Is it may be the epitomy or even the definition of irreversibility?

Does it make sense to talk of (ir)reversibility?

Is it at all possible during a lifetime to regress from one state to another and do so on multiple occasions over time?

If this is the case, irreversibility might wotk as a definition.

The notion of “non-existence” is temporal.

The Osteria does not exist today, but it existed one year and one day ago.

So existence, reversibility, regression, are all temporal.

Now that everything has come together like this, is time reversible?

Why would the temporal be going only in one direction?

Porrettana
Porrettana

There is another dimension of the “non” existence state.

From a realistic point of view, the Osteria today does not exist.

It does not exist in the real world, the world that exists outside of me and you.

However, from an idealistic point of view, the Osteria may exist as an ideal form.

But these questions need to be taken up in another article, on the ontology and metaphysics of restaurants.

Until then, “salve”!

Deconstructed Green Beans (Haricot vert) Yahni – Αποδομημενα φασολακια γιαχνι

Green beans (haricot vert) “yahni” is one of the most delicious dishes during the Greek Summer.

Today I cook the deconstructed dish.

The desire for deconstruction was triggered in the open market where I bought the beans. They were so fresh and fragrant and the same time so delicate that I felt the need to maintain the “essence” of the green bean while at the same time enjoying the tomatoes, the onions and the garlic that are the key ingredients of the “yahni” dish.

In what follows I present the preparation of the three key ingredients of the dish as they were prepared and cooked.

Tomatoes in the sauce pan
Tomatoes in the sauce pan

The first key ingredient in a good “yahni” is the tomato sauce. A good tomato sauce is made from fresh tomatoes. I use small tomatoes, of the variety that they use for the canned ones (thicker skin, firm flesh).

The first stage in the making of the sauce is to cut them in half, add salt and pepper, a bit of dry oregano and olive oil, and put them in a sauce pan in medium heat.

Green beans (haricot vert)
Green beans (haricot vert)

The focus of the dish is the green bean. To extract maximum natural flavor I sliced them very thin.

Green beans (haricot vert) thinly sliced
Green beans (haricot vert) thinly sliced

To maintain the natural flavor, I only blanched them for two minutes.

Sliced green bean detail
Sliced green bean detail – before blanching

Lets return to the tomato sauce.

Tomato sauce - stage 2
Tomato sauce – stage 2

When the tomatoes get soft, I add chopped basil and then put them through the sieve to remove the skins.

Tomato sauce - removing the skins
Tomato sauce – removing the skins

What remains will develop intense flavor after it is reduced to a thick juicy sauce.  What you need for that is to add some olive oil.

Tomato sauce final stage: reduction
Tomato sauce final stage: reduction

As the sauce is being reduced, I blanch the green beans. It is important for me not only to maintain the flavor but also the texture. I do not want them to be mushy, but crunchy.

Blanched green beans - detail
Blanched green beans – detail

I let the beans relax and add garlic cloves and fresh onion stems in a pan with olive oil in low heat.

Garlic and fresh onions in olive oil
Garlic and fresh onions in olive oil

After half an hour I have delicious soft garli cloves, and onions. that maintain their original shape and have maximum flavor.

Fresh onions and garlic
Fresh onions and garlic

I keep the olive oil infused with the garlic and onion flavor on the side and start building a stack..

detail2

Bottom layer is the onions and the galic, then the green beans, and on top the sauce.

Deconstructed green beans yahni - served
Deconstructed green beans yahni – served

Enkoy with a robust white like asyrtico or a fine medium bodied red like a pimot noir. 

Bon appetit!

Sardines fried in a tomato skin batter – Σαρδελλες τηγανητες σε κουρκουτι με φλουδα ντοματας

“A fresh sardine is better than stale lobster” Feran Adria, Celebrity Chef. 

Today’s recipe is the result of inspiration. I dedicate it to my Friend M, who loves sardines.

Tomato skins and basil leaves
Tomato skins and basil leaves

I was preparing a tomato sauce the other day, and had in fornt of me a dish full of the tomato skins and the basil leaves that were left on the sieve after I pressed the tomatoes through.

Fresh sardines
Fresh sardines

On the other bench in the kitchen I had a bag with fresh sardines.

It all came together in a split second.

“Sardines fried in a tomato skin batter”.

Sardines in the batter
Sardines in the batter

The batter is made with all purpose flour, baking soda, vinegar, eggs, salt, pepper, the tomato skins and basil mix, and water.

I let the mix rest for one hour in the fridge.

In the meantime, I gut the sardines and take the head off, but I leave the bone.

You could flour them before immersing in the batter, but it also works without.

Sardines fried in a batter of tomato skins
Sardines fried in a tomato skin batter

I fry in corn oil until orange brown.

You will notice that:

1. the sardine’s flesh melts in your mouth,

2. the bone is just a crunchy substance,

3. the acidity of the skin adds a wonderful counterbalance to the sweetness of the fish and the basil

DSCF8978
Sardines fried in a tomato skin batter

Enough written, enjoy it with a robust white wine.

Vine leafs stuffed with minced beef, served on a bed of spicy yogourt and sprinkled with chopped pastirma – Αμπελοφυλλα γεμιστα με βοδινο κυμα, σερβιρισμενα με καυτερο γιαουρτι και παστουρμα

Vines outside my door
Vines outside my door

Today’s dish is a variance of a classic: vine leafs stuffed with minced beef.

Before I proceed with the dish, there are some clarifications required on the words used to name the dish.

Literally speaking, the vine leafs are not “stuffed”. They are “wrapped”.

Vine leafs - detail
Vine leafs – detail

The Turkish word for stuffed is “dolma”. We find the same word in Persia. In Arabic though, stuffed is “mahshi”. The relevant word in Armenian is “tolma”.

The Turkish word for wrapped is “sarma”.

And the Turkish word for leaf is “yaprak”. The same word is used in Persia and Albania.

In Greek we use all three words: ντολμαδες (dolma) σαρμαδακια (sarma), γιαπρακια (yaprak).

Minced beef, parsley and coriander
Minced beef, lemon zest, parsley and coriander

Having somehow sorted out the vocabulary, lets turn to the cooking.

I blanche the vine leafs, 5 seconds each, and let them rest without placing them in a cold bath. 

I like the stuffing to be minced beef with parsley, coriander, lemon zest, sauteed chopped onions and a handful of bulgur wheat.

I do not like to add rice to the stuffing.

Stuffing
Stuffing

I sautee the onions but not brown them, let them rest, drain them, and then add them to the minced meat mix.

Ater the stuffing has rested for about 30 minutes in the fridge, I wrap the vine leafs and place them over medium heat, adding a moderate amount of the onion liquids.

pastirma

While the “yaprak” are cooking slowly, I take thin slices of tender beef pastirma, remove the paste covering it (cemen),  and chop them.

in-the-pot---detail
Stuffed vine leafs

The paste is the best ingredient to spice up the fresh yogourt that will accompany the “yaprak”.

After 45 minutes the “yaprak” are ready.

I remove from the heat and let them rest for 30 minutes.

Stuffed vine leafs with spicy yogourt and chopped pastirma
Stuffed vine leafs with spicy yogourt and chopped pastirma

I serve the “yaprak” on a bed of the spicy yogourt, and sprinkle over them the chopped pastirma.

A medium bodied red is the best wine to accompany this dish. Enjoy it.

Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic – Μπακαλιαρος κονφι με τηγανητα κολοκυθια και σκορδο

Today’s dish is a combination of some of my most favourite ingredients.

Bacalao fillets
Bacalao fillets

First of all, bacalao.

In spite of the fact that in Greece we do not have the top quality bacalao of Spain, I cannot resist the urge to cook bacalao as often as I can.

Garlic cloves
Garlic cloves

Second, garlic.

I loooove garlic.

Zucchini
Zucchini

Last, but not least, the freshest zucchini from farms a few kilometers away from my home.

Respect for the ingredients should be reflected in the way they are prepared and cooked.

One of the best ways to express this respect with the specific ingredients is to “confit” the garlic and the bacalao.

I start by placing the garlic cloves in a frying pan with olive oil that covers half of the clove’s height.

Garlic cloves
Garlic cloves

The temperature should be low enough so that the garlic is not fried, but “boiled” in the olive oil

Once the garlic has started assuming a “brownish” color, I place the bacalao fillets in the pan without adding more oil.

Bacalao fillets with garlic cloves in olive oil - confit
Bacalao fillets with garlic cloves in olive oil – confit

The garlic has infused the oil with its aroma and fragrance, and makes the slow cooking process a very fragrant one.

I keep the heat low, so that the bacalao and garlic mix “boils” and not fries.

Bacalao and garlic confit - detail
Bacalao and garlic confit – detail

After 40 minutes or so, depending always on the thickness of the fillets, the fish is cooked.

While the fish was cooking slowly, I cut and floured the zucchini sticks and flowers, and then fried in corn oil.

Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves
Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves

I serve the fillets on top of the garlic cloves, sprinkled with chopped parsley, with the sticks and flower on the side.

bacalao_garlic_detail
Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves – detail

The fish is soft, juicy and tasty from the garlic infused oil, while the garlic cloves melt in your mouth and are just divine. 

Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves - detail
Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves – detail

The crunchy zucchini flower is fragrant and provides the necessary textural contrast to the fish and garlic.

Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves - detail
Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves – detail

Finally, the zucchini sticks are somewhere in the middle in terms of texture, while their almost sweet taste brings a nice complement to the savoury fish.

I enjoyed the dish with a glass of Avantis Estate Syrah.

 

 

Bohm’s Herrenkeller, Nurenberg, Germany

Bohm's Herrenkeller
Bohm’s Herrenkeller

It has been a long time since I visited Nurenberg in Germany, the birthplace of Albrecht Durer and Hans Sachs.

But it is never too late to reminisce and retrieve from memory an exceptional experience of traditional regional food served in an unassuming but warm dining room in Bohm’s Herrenkeller, a restaurant and pub located centrally, in Theaterstrasse.

Bohm's Herrenkeller, Nurenberg
Bohm’s Herrenkeller, Nurenberg

A natural choice in this “regional” cuisine would be sausages.

Saure Zipfel
Saure Zipfel

We started with a very light and tasty sausage dish: “Saure Zipfel”.

It is bratwurst steamed in broth with vinegar, onions and spices.

 

Bratwürste auf Kraut
Bratwürste auf Kraut

The light dish was followed by “Bratwürste auf Kraut”, Grlled Bratwurst on sauerkraut, served with dark bread and hot mustard.

A dish that must follow the light, almost etherial zipfel.

Ofenfrische Schweineschäufele mit Kloß
Ofenfrische Schweineschäufele mit Kloß

I somehow managed to contain the urge to have the same sausages again and again, and proceeded to taste a roast pork dish.

Ofenfrische Schweineschäufele mit Kloß, Roasted pork shoulder served  with a potato dumpling.

I did not regret it.

Bohm's Herrenkeller - The dining room
Bohm’s Herrenkeller – The dining room

But in a sense I did.

Because I could hardly move after the meal.

Green peas, potatoes and artichokes: a ticket to heaven

Today I have a humble but most delicious dish that I consider a ticket to heaven.

And I must confess, I never say no to a ticket to heaven, no matter what the price.

In this case, the price is minimal.

Green peas in their shells
Green peas in their shells

This is not the result of my cooking skills and incredible experience; alas, I have to admit that it is 99% due to the sublime quality of the ingredients.

Green peas
Green peas

The freshest ingredients were grown and harvested in the seaside town of Oreoi in Northern Evoia, Greece, where I spent Easter 2013 with my cousins Kostas and Maria.

Maria gave me the peas and the artichokes as I was leaving to drive back to Marathon.

Artichokes and green onions
Artichokes and green onions

We talk about peas and we think sweet and fragrant. Add “crunchy”. They were so fresh that I could eat them all uncooked.

They key to cooking the best ingredients is to preserve their flavor and texture, and only add the minimum of taste enhancement agents.

I added olive oil and butter on a deep pan, and let it melt and mix.

Potatoes in olive oil and butter
Potatoes in olive oil and butter

I then sautéed potatoes (grown in Marathon) to enhance the color and coat them with the oil and butter mix.

On top of the potatoes I grated lemon peel, and added salt and pepperoncino.

Grating lemon peel
Grating lemon peel

After the potatoes got a golden brown color, I added the peas, thinly sliced green onions, fresh coriander, some water and two sliced sun dried tomatoes.

Green peas, potatoes and artichokes in the pot
Green peas, potatoes and artichokes in the pot

I let them come to a boil and then added the artichoke hearts, the stems and the juice of one lemon.

After 15 minutes they were ready.

Green peas, potatoes and artichokes - served
Green peas, potatoes and artichokes – served

I let them rest for 20 minutes, and then served with fresh bread and white wine, preferably asyrtico of Santorini.

Green peas, potatoes and artichokes - detail
Green peas, potatoes and artichokes – detail

Bon appetite!

Greek Easter 2013: An Enquiry into the taste of Meat – Ελληνικο Πασχα 2013: Διερευνηση της γευσεως του κρεατος

eggs
Christ has risen! Χριστος Ανεστη!

Το φετεινο Πασχα το περασα στους Ωρεους Ευβοιας, μαζι με τα αγαπημενα μου ξαδερφια και ανηψια.

Καθε Πασχα ειναι μια ξεχωριστη γιορτη, με σταθερες που κρατανε αιωνες.

Μια απο τις σταθερες αυτες ειναι και το ψησιμο του αμνοεριφιου στην υπαιθρο.

Goat, lamb, and kokoretsi
Goat, lamb, and kokoretsi

Μαζι με το απαραιτητο κοκορετσι, φτιαγμενο με τα εντοσθια και τα εντερα των αμνοεριφιων που σφαγιαζονται.

Φετος η ψησταρια του ξαδερφου ειχε ενα αρσενικο κατσικι, ενα θηλυκο αρνι και το πατροπαραδοτο κοκορετσι.

Κι απο κει ξεκινησε μια συζητηση περι  νοστιμιας.

Locally grown lettuce salad
Locally grown lettuce salad

Ποιο ειναι πιο νοστιμο;

Παραλληλα τεθηκε και το θεμα της τρυφεροτητας του κρεατος.

Ισχυει αυτο που λενε μερικοι οτι οσο πιο νοστινο το κρεας τοσο πιο σκληρο; Και το αντιστροφο, οτι δηλαδη οσο πιο τρυφερο τοσο και πιο αγευστο;

Kokoretsi
Kokoretsi

Το αρσενικο κατσικι ή το θηλυκο αρνι;

Ειναι φανερο οτι υπεισερχονται παραγοντες που καθιστουν την συγκριση δυσκολη, καθοσον εχομε πολυπαραμετρικη αναλυση: αρνι-κατσικι και αρσενικο-θηλυκο.

Στη συνεχεια θα προσπαθησω να επεξεργαστω αυτο το θεμα, χωρις ομως να υποσχομαι οτι θα δωσω οριστικη και αμετακλητη απαντηση.

Kokoretsi - detail
Kokoretsi – detail

Κατοπιν επισταμενης ερευνης και μελετης, προσδιορισα τις ακολουθες παραμετρους νοστιμιας στο κρεας των αμνοεριφιων. Τις παραθετω μαζι με τις σχετικες υποθεσεις περι νοστιμιας.

Hard white goat cheese from the village of Kokkinomilia
Hard white goat cheese from the village of Kokkinomilia

1. Η τροφη. Το τι τρωγει το ζωο τις τελευταιες εβδομαδες πριν απο την σφαγη του εχει μεγαλη επιπτωση στη γευση του. Θυμαμαι οταν ειχα παει στη Χιο που ειχα “τσακισει” νταλα καλοκαιρι τα κοκορετσια και τα παιδακια, αφου η νοστιμια δεν λεγοτανε.  Οι ντοπιοι μου λεγανε οτι τα αρνακια βοσκανε στα βραχια πανω απο τις παραλιες, οπου ολα τα φυτα ειναι νοτισμενα με την αρμυρα της θαλασσας. Αυτην την εμπειρια ομως την αναφερω χωρις επιστημονικη τεκμηριωση.

Goat
Goat

2. Ο τροπος σφαγης. Το αγχος που μπορει να προκληθει στο ζωντανο απο την διαδικασια της σφαγης εχει μεγαλη επιπτωση στο pH, που ειναι ισως ο σημαντικωτερος παραγοντας ποιοτητας του κρεατος. Το υψηλο αγχος στο ζωντανο ανεβαζει το  pH σε υψηλα επιπεδα, και κανει το κρεας πιο σκληρο και πιο στεγνο.

Lamb
Lamb

3. Ο τροπος ωριμανσεως (σιτεμα). Η ωριμανση ειναι απαραιτητη για να μετατραπει το γλυκογόνο των μυών σε γαλακτικο οξύ. Μελετες εχουν δειξει οτι η ωριμανση του αρνισιου κρεατος ειναι σημαντικος παραγοντας για την τρυφεροτητα του. Κρεας που εχει σχεδον μηδενικη ωριμανση, συγκρινομενο με κρεας με 12ημερη ωριμανση εχει σχεδον διπλασια σκληροτητα. Οι ιδιες μελετες δειχνουν οτι περαν των 12 ημερων, η ωριμανση του αρνισιου κρεατος δεν εχει καμια σχεδον επιπτωση στην τρυφεροτητα του. Εδω θα πρεπει να παρατηρησω οτι στην Ελλαδα – και ιδιαιτερα τις μερες του Πασχα – τα αρνια και τα κατσικια δεν τα αφηνουμε να ωριμασουνε (σιτεψουνε) σχεδον καθολου. Δεν ειναι ασυνηθες να σφαζουν το αρνι το Μεγαλο Σαββατο το πρωι και να το σουβλιζουνε την Κυριακη του Πασχα.

Goat
Goat

4. Η ηλικια και το βαρος. Δεν μπορεσα να βρω μια γραμμικη σχεση σε οτι αφορα το pH. Καποιες μελετες εδειξαν οτι τα αρνια βαρους 12 κιλων εχουν λιγωτερο pH απο προβατα βαρους 24 κιλων, κατι που ομως δεν ισχυει στα πιο βαρεια προβατα. Η νοστιμια ομως του κρεατος αυανει με την ηλικια, φτανει σε ενα ζενιθ και μετα αρχιζει να πεφτει.

Goat
Goat

4. Το μερος του σωματος: Το μπροστινο θεωρειται πιο νοστιμο απο το πισινο. Ισως εχιε να κανει με την περιεκτικοτητα σε λιπος, οπως και το ειδος του λιπους. Εν πασιε περιπτωσει, δεν μπορεσα να βρω σχετικες μελετες και ερευνες.

Tomato and cucumber salad
Tomato and cucumber salad

5. Το φυλο: το αρσενικο θεωρειται πιο νοστιμο απο το θηλυκο. Ειναι ομως; Ας ξεκινησουμε απο το pH. Το αρσενικο εχει υψηλωτερα επιπεδα επειδη ειναι πιο νευρικα. Συνολικα ομως, η διαφορα δεν ειναι πολυ μεγαλη. Σε οτι αφορα την τρυφεροτητα, το αρσενικο εχει πιο σκληρο κρεας λογω της τεστοστερονης, που αυξανει το κολλαγονο των μυων. Σε ζωντανα μεχρι 12 μηνων ομως, δεν βρεθηκαν ουσιωδεις διαφορες στη νοστιμια.

Cabro
Goat

6. Ο ευνουχισμος: θεωρειται οτι ενα “αρτιμελες αρσενικο” ειναι πιο νοστιμο απο ενα “ευνουχισμενο”. Αυτο το αναφερω εντελως περιστασιακα, καθοσον νομιζω οτι στην Ελλαδα δεν ειναι συνηθης η πρακτικη του ευνουχισμου.  Στην περιπτωση του Πασχαλινου τραπεζιου στους Ωρεους, ομολογω οτι γευτηκα ενα ημισυ αμελετητου το οποιον ητο εξαιρετικο.

Cabro - the best part
Goat – the best part

Ευτυχως που ο βοσκος και ο χασαπης διετηρησαν την “ακεραιοτητα του ζωου!

Ελπιζω οι ανωτερω επισημανσεις να αποτελεσουν την απαρχη ενος ωριμου διαλογου επι του θεματος.

Roses
Roses

Συνοψιζοντας την γευστικη εμπειρια του φετινου Πασχα, εχω να σημειωσω τα  ακολουθα:

α. Το κοκορετσι εξαιρετικο, ισως ομως θα περεπε να βγει απο τη φωτια 15 λεπτα νωριτερα.

β. Η σαλατα μαρουλι αποτελει πιατο υψηλης γαστρονομιας ανα τους αιωνες. Η ποιοτητα των μαρουλιων ειναι τετοια που ανασταινει! Ευγε στην εξαδελφη που ξερει να αξιοποιει τα υπεροχα μαρουλια!

γ. Το σεμνο αμελετητον απεσπασε το χρυσο βραβειο γευσης και υφης.

δ. Το σκληρο κατσικισιο τυρι απο την Κοκκινομηλια, ενα χωριο περιπου 20 χιλιομετρα νοτια των Ωρεων, το γευομαι εδω και 20 χρονια τουλαχιστον, και αποτελει υμνο στην ποιοτητα του γαλακτος και της τυροκομικης τεχνης του παραγωγου. Μαθαινω ομως οτι η γυναικα του εχει βαρεθει τη ζωη της, και προσπαθει να πεισει τον παραγωγο να παρατησει τα τυρια και τα κατσικια και να απολαυσουν τη ζωη. Ελπιζω να μην την ακουσει.

ε. Το κρεας του εριφιου και του αμνου ηταν εξαιρετικο! Και το ψησιμο του εξαδελφου μου κορυφαιο!

Ευχαριστω θερμα τα ξαδερφια μου για τη φιλοξενια και ευχομαι τα καλυτερα!