Split Goat Head with a Touch of Snails on the Skewer
One delicacy from the traditional table of Cyprus… Split roasted goat head with a touch of snails on the skewer… This can be usually found at some specialized traditional taverns that serve “meze”…
split goat head with a touch of snails on the skewer
Halloutini: a Dirty Martini that is kind of cheesy
If you continue reading this article you certify that you are of legal drinking age in the country you are situated at this very point in time. If you fail to satisfy the age criterion, please try reading something else about halloumi. For example about the Hallouburger or the Hallouschetta. If you pass the age criterion, just continue reading and engage yourself in the creation and exploration of the Halloutini, the Dirty Martini that is kind of cheesy!
The Halloutini story:
I conceived the Halloutini a few years back. I have always been a big fun of the Dirty Martini and that is the only one I would ever have. One day I decided to go off the pattern and try something different. Going through the martini menu I realized that bar tenders where mixing almost everything. And there it was the Appletini. And that it was where it hit me! Why not to combine my favorite martini with my favorite cheese. Thus the birth of Halloutini. And today I decided to share it with everybody. Great things might be coming in small quantities but it doesn’t mean that they cannot be enjoyed by everybody.
The Halloutini is a Vodka Dirty Martini garnished with fresh Halloumi rather than just the traditional green olives.
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Anticipate and have your martini glasses chilled. Usually I keep a couple together with beer mugs in the freezer. Cut the halloumi in cuboids of approximately the same size as the olives. Arrange the olives and halloumi on a small skewer. Add two ice cubes, the vodka, and about two table spoons of olive brine in the shaker. As James Bond said, “shaken, not stirred“. Shake them to chill them. Then strain in the martini glass, garnish with the halloumi and olives and enjoy the Halloutini: the Dirty Martini that is kind of cheesy!
What do you think?
Here is a picture, unfortunately from a cell phone, of the sushi we enjoyed last week at One World Market in Novi. This is the freshest and best sushi in Michigan, and I bet one of the leaders in North America…
Salmon, Fatty tuna, Futomaki, Toro with onion.
Sushi plate at One World Market
Hallouschetta: a hybrid Bruschetta
As I mentioned last week, this time we will be using fresh (soft) halloumi. And since this weekend marks the beginning of the 2009 Formula 1 season I thought to travel a bit north-west in the Mediterranean to the motherland of the Cavallino Rampante. Of course after their performance in today’s race I do not know how Rampante they are, but definitely they are Italian.
So let us now watch Giulio explaining us how to prepare the traditional Italian Bruschetta…
Now that we have seen Giulio’s Bruschetta, I tell you…
Drop the Bruschetta and get with the Hallouschetta!
The Hallouschetta is based on the Bruschetta recipe, with the addition of Halloumi and some deviations in the preparation that fit my likings… I tried Giulio’s way as well, that is not baking the tomato, just putting it on top at the end, but I have to say, that the baked one is the one that suits my taste buds. There is thermal harmony…
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Slice the bread. Dice the halloumi and tomato. Chop the garlic and basil. Place the bread slices in a baking pan. Sprinkle them with olive oil. Spread some garlic. Put a layer of Halloumi. Then top with a layer of tomato (if you want to bake the tomato). Add the basil. Sprinkle with some more olive oil. Bake for about 10 minutes at around 350 deg. F or until the halloumi gets really soft. Pull it out from the oven. If you cose not to bake the tomato go ahead and add it with the basil… and then just enjoy it! Maybe with a frape alongside.
And this is the Hallouschetta, the hybrid bruschetta…
What do you think?
Halloumi, Tuna and Broccoli
This recipe is also an easy one and quick. Perfect for a light but still fulfilling lunch. I am using aged Halloumi again as it is my personal favorite. And despite other people’s preferences I strongly believe that aged halloumi goes with everything, whereas fresh halloumi, at least in my plate, does not get along with tuna.
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Steam the broccoli. Drain your chunk tuna. Slice the halloumi. Slice the tomato. Lay them on the plate. Sprinkle the tuna with some lemon. Sprinkle the tomato and broccoli with salt. And then just get fulfilled but still feel light.
What do you think?
Halloumi with Bratwursts
This week’s recipe will be infused with the German cuisine. Like most of the Halloumi recipes is quick and easy.
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Pierce the bratwursts with a fork to ensure that any gases will escape when boiling and prevent them from bulging. Marinate them for a couple of hours in the beer of your choice. Then put some water in a pan and add the bratwursts and beer. Boil for about 10 minutes. Then you can either continue to the serving part or you can choose to grill them for another couple of minutes to get a light brown color. If you choose to grill them keep the boiling time to 8 minutes. Once done with the bratwursts, slice your aged halloumi and tomato. Garnish with some celery and enjoy. If you prefer to experiment with grilling the halloumi that would be an option too.
What do you think?
Halloumi, Chickpeas and Asparagus Salad
This week we will be enjoying another refreshing salad. We will be using fresh halloumi this time.
Preparation:
Chop the halloumi and vegetables. Lightly fry the asparagus with half the tomatoes and half the onions. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Add lemon, salt and pepper as desired. Serve with a side of marinated artichoke hearts.
Couscous with Halloumi
This week we will be trying something very simple that requires little effort.
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Prepare the couscous as per the instructions on the packages. Chop the halloumi in pieces and mix it in the couscous. Let it sit for another 5 minutes for the halloumi to warm up. Then just simply enjoy.
What do you think?
Fried Halloumi Breakfast…
Today’s recipe is going to be something quick and very easy to do. As always employing Halloumi and we will be exploring one of its many virtues, frying it. This dish makes up a delicious breakfast to kick start your day with the taste of Meditterranean accompanying you along.
The ingredients:
Quantities vary depending on the amount of servings so adjust accordingly.
Now to prepare. Slice the halloumi in pieces of about half a centimeter (1/5 inch) thick. Fry the eggs and sausage links. The amount of oil to use depends on you. If you can use multiple pans that would be advantageous in order to enjoy everything hot. Then is time to fry the halloumi. Do not worry about melting. Halloumi can be fried. So just put in the frying pan. Some people like to deep fry it. I just like to grease the pan bottom. Cook on each side for about a minute until it gets a golden-brown color and becomes soft to touch. DO NOT touch with the hand, it is hot. Remember cheeses have a high specific heat capacity so it can really put a burn on you. At the same time you can grill your tomatoes. Place on a plate and simply enjoy. And to complete the breakfast you can accompany it with a coffee In this case we are featuring Frape half and half (iced coffee with half milk half water by proportion) . Remember to enjoy it as soon as you get it out of the pan. Halloumi will get harder as it cools down. Do not sit around taking pictures! Some things are better to be remembered by taste.
What do you think?
Here I though of adding some picture to show how the traditional Lysiotiko Halloumi can be packaged for travel across the oceans. Firstly we should recall that the traditional halloumi it is aged and preserved in whey, so travelling with it in that way makes it kind of difficult. The best way to travel with it is just pull it out of the whey and just vacuum seal it in a plastic wrapper. And that’s it… you are ready to roll. Of course after that you will have to refrigerate but the taste is preserved for quite some time. I will vouch for it for up to a year, as long as it is Lysiotiko. Beyond that I will need more time for experiments.
