Cooking Irish can also be found at Pinterest and PETITCHEF.
We said goodbye to Cairo at 4 in the morning. We took a tour bus back to Tel Aviv. It is a beautiful, restful trip across the Sanai to Israel. You view the Suez Canal, cross the desert, and see the resorts that have sprung up on the Mediterranean. I remember the colors were so vivid: the sky, the water, even the sand. Every- thing seemed to sparkle. After 10 days in Egypt, it was nice to get back to a more Western culture. The end of our Israel/Egyptian holiday was a few days in Tel Aviv. Our hotel was right on the Mediterranean, right on the beach. The Israeli staff was so much more helpful than their Egyptian counterparts. They confirmed our flight, arranged for transportation to the airport. It was another world. We were back. And we were exhausted, completely exhausted. We were asleep at 7 PM.
We were awoken with an early morning Jewish service. The hotel was sponsoring a group of American teenagers visiting Israel for the first time, and they were chanting prayers in Yiddish. The hotel offered a wonderful breakfast on the roof each morning. The only other time I have eaten on a hotel roof was in Hong Kong when they offered an Oktoberfest on the top level of the hotel's parking garage. Both experiences were interesting. The breakfast spread was set up so we were dining right on the Mediterranean. It was fun and a typical Israeli meal to break your fast: cottage cheese, tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, hard boiled eggs, cucumbers, sour cream, rolls, coffee, and orange juice.
More on our days at the beach in the next post. Even a beach in Asia is not the same.
Saying goodbye to Cairo:
One last look from our hotel: a final photo of Cairo from our hotel window in July of 1985
Typical scene of chaos near the pyramids
View of the Sphinz and Pyramid, again in July of 1985
And once more I must credit my favorite experts on the hors d'oeuvres. All these recipes are found in Hors D'Oeuvres published in 1999 by A D K Publishing, Inc.® and written by Eric Treuille and Victoria Blashford-Snell. As ususal, I have slightly altered some.
LEMON MARINATED TORTELLINI AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO SKEWERS [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
20 pieces of fresh spinach and ricotta tortellini [about 8 oz.]
10 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and halved
20 large fresh basil leaves
For Marinade:
1 tsp. of grated lemon peel
2 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
4 tbsp. of quality olive oil
Salt and coarsely-ground fresh pepper to taste
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers
Preparation:
Cook the tortellini in salted boiling water until tender, 4 minutes or according to the instructions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Spread out in a single layer on a clean dish towel to dry. For the marinade, in a non-metallic bowl whisk the lemon and the oil until thick and combined. Toss the cooled pasta and marinade together to coat each piece well. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Assembly:
Place 1 sun-dried tomato onto each piece of basil. Thread 1 tortellini and 1 basil-wrapped sun-dried tomato onto each skewer. Serve at room temperature.
Tips:
Marinate tortellini up to one day in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Assemble skewers up to four hours in advance. Return to room temperature before serving.
BASIL MARINATED MOZZARELLA AND CHERRY TOMATO SKEWERS [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
1 red pepper, quartered and seeded
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp. of lemon juice
2 tbsp. of quality olive oil
½ tsp. of salt
1 tsp. pf cracked black pepper
20 [about ¾ of a lb.] pieces of bocconcini [baby mozzarella balls]
1 cup of fresh basil, finely chopped
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
20 large basil leaves
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers
Preparation:
Broil and peel the pepper quarters. [Roast pepper quarters skin side up under a hot broiler, until charred and wrinkled, 5-10 minutes. Place either in a plastic bag or a bowl with a plate on top and let cool. The steam released by the peppers as they cool will loosen the skin. Uncover the cooled peppers. Peel off the charred skin, using the tip of a small knife. Scrape rather than rinse off any remaining bits of skin. Rinsing the pepper will wash away the roasted flavor.] Finely chop the roasted pepper quarters. Combine the roasted red pepper, garlic, lemon, oil, salt and pepper in a non-metallic bowl. Add the bocconcini and toss to coat each piece well. Bocconcini means “mouthful in Italian.” If you cannot find baby mozzarella balls about ¾-inch, cut bite-sized pieces from a large piece of fresh mozzarella. Cover and marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Next sprinkle the chopped basil over the marinated bocconcini and toss to coat well. Thread 1 cherry tomato half lengthwise and 1 bocconcini onto each skewer. Place each remaining tomato half onto a basil leaf and skewer making sure to pierce the basil leaf twice so that the sharp end of the skewer is hidden beneath the leaf. This makes for a nice presentation. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Tips:
Marinate bocconcini up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Assemble skewers up to 4 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.
FENNEL MARINATED FETA AND OLIVE SKEWERS [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. of sesame seeds
20 cubes of feta cheese, about an 8 oz. Piece
1 tbsp. of fennel seeds
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. of lemon juice
2 tbsp. of quality olive oil
1 ½ tsp. of cracked black pepper
¾ cup of mint, finely chopped
20 mint leaves
½ cucumber, peeled and seeded
10 colossal pitted ripe olives, halved or 20 large, whole
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers
Preparation:
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over low heat until nutty and golden, 3 minutes. Cool. Gently rinse feta in cold water. Drain on paper towel. Cut into ¾-inch cubes. Toss the feta with the toasted sesame seeds, fennel, lemon peel, lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper to coat each cube well. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours to allow the flavors to combine. Reserve a teaspoon for plate garnish. Sprinkle feta with chopped mint, and again toss to coat each cube well. Cut the cucumber into 20 ½-inch pieces. Thread one mint leaf, 1 olive, 1 cucumber piece, and 1 feta cube on to each skewer. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Presentation:
Stand skewers upright with the feta on the bottom standing on serving plate. Garnish the plate with the reserved mixture.
Tips:
Marinate feta up to three days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Assemble skewers up to 4 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.
We were awoken with an early morning Jewish service. The hotel was sponsoring a group of American teenagers visiting Israel for the first time, and they were chanting prayers in Yiddish. The hotel offered a wonderful breakfast on the roof each morning. The only other time I have eaten on a hotel roof was in Hong Kong when they offered an Oktoberfest on the top level of the hotel's parking garage. Both experiences were interesting. The breakfast spread was set up so we were dining right on the Mediterranean. It was fun and a typical Israeli meal to break your fast: cottage cheese, tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, hard boiled eggs, cucumbers, sour cream, rolls, coffee, and orange juice.
More on our days at the beach in the next post. Even a beach in Asia is not the same.
Saying goodbye to Cairo:
One last look from our hotel: a final photo of Cairo from our hotel window in July of 1985
And once more I must credit my favorite experts on the hors d'oeuvres. All these recipes are found in Hors D'Oeuvres published in 1999 by A D K Publishing, Inc.® and written by Eric Treuille and Victoria Blashford-Snell. As ususal, I have slightly altered some.
Ingredients:
20 pieces of fresh spinach and ricotta tortellini [about 8 oz.]
10 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and halved
20 large fresh basil leaves
For Marinade:
1 tsp. of grated lemon peel
2 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
4 tbsp. of quality olive oil
Salt and coarsely-ground fresh pepper to taste
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers
Preparation:
Cook the tortellini in salted boiling water until tender, 4 minutes or according to the instructions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Spread out in a single layer on a clean dish towel to dry. For the marinade, in a non-metallic bowl whisk the lemon and the oil until thick and combined. Toss the cooled pasta and marinade together to coat each piece well. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Assembly:
Place 1 sun-dried tomato onto each piece of basil. Thread 1 tortellini and 1 basil-wrapped sun-dried tomato onto each skewer. Serve at room temperature.
Tips:
Marinate tortellini up to one day in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Assemble skewers up to four hours in advance. Return to room temperature before serving.
BASIL MARINATED MOZZARELLA AND CHERRY TOMATO SKEWERS [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
1 red pepper, quartered and seeded
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp. of lemon juice
2 tbsp. of quality olive oil
½ tsp. of salt
1 tsp. pf cracked black pepper
20 [about ¾ of a lb.] pieces of bocconcini [baby mozzarella balls]
1 cup of fresh basil, finely chopped
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
20 large basil leaves
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers
Preparation:
Broil and peel the pepper quarters. [Roast pepper quarters skin side up under a hot broiler, until charred and wrinkled, 5-10 minutes. Place either in a plastic bag or a bowl with a plate on top and let cool. The steam released by the peppers as they cool will loosen the skin. Uncover the cooled peppers. Peel off the charred skin, using the tip of a small knife. Scrape rather than rinse off any remaining bits of skin. Rinsing the pepper will wash away the roasted flavor.] Finely chop the roasted pepper quarters. Combine the roasted red pepper, garlic, lemon, oil, salt and pepper in a non-metallic bowl. Add the bocconcini and toss to coat each piece well. Bocconcini means “mouthful in Italian.” If you cannot find baby mozzarella balls about ¾-inch, cut bite-sized pieces from a large piece of fresh mozzarella. Cover and marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Next sprinkle the chopped basil over the marinated bocconcini and toss to coat well. Thread 1 cherry tomato half lengthwise and 1 bocconcini onto each skewer. Place each remaining tomato half onto a basil leaf and skewer making sure to pierce the basil leaf twice so that the sharp end of the skewer is hidden beneath the leaf. This makes for a nice presentation. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Tips:
Marinate bocconcini up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Assemble skewers up to 4 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.
FENNEL MARINATED FETA AND OLIVE SKEWERS [Makes 20]
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. of sesame seeds
20 cubes of feta cheese, about an 8 oz. Piece
1 tbsp. of fennel seeds
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. of lemon juice
2 tbsp. of quality olive oil
1 ½ tsp. of cracked black pepper
¾ cup of mint, finely chopped
20 mint leaves
½ cucumber, peeled and seeded
10 colossal pitted ripe olives, halved or 20 large, whole
Essential Equipment:
20 6-inch wooden skewers
Preparation:
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over low heat until nutty and golden, 3 minutes. Cool. Gently rinse feta in cold water. Drain on paper towel. Cut into ¾-inch cubes. Toss the feta with the toasted sesame seeds, fennel, lemon peel, lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper to coat each cube well. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours to allow the flavors to combine. Reserve a teaspoon for plate garnish. Sprinkle feta with chopped mint, and again toss to coat each cube well. Cut the cucumber into 20 ½-inch pieces. Thread one mint leaf, 1 olive, 1 cucumber piece, and 1 feta cube on to each skewer. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Presentation:
Stand skewers upright with the feta on the bottom standing on serving plate. Garnish the plate with the reserved mixture.
Tips:
Marinate feta up to three days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Assemble skewers up to 4 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.
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