Thinking about installing a audio/video system? That’s a great decision. Home theater is one of the fastest growing areas areas in home entertainment and the advent of DVD recorders and HDTV means your set-up can now be entirely digital, without an inch of video tape in site.

Installing a home theater is a big decision and requires careful planning. Thankfully there are a number of resources around to help you and you needn’t be a technical expert or a audio/video geek to get the job done.

One of the first decisions you’ll need to make before you set about installing a home theater is whether your going to dedicate a whole room to the theater or whether it will share a space with a lounge, dining room, or office.

Having a dedicated room allows you to position seating and speakers in the optimum position and you can seriously consider a projector and screen without it looking as out of place as it might in your living room.

You’ll also want to think about the interior design of a dedicated home theater room and of course the seating is all important. You’ll spend hours upon hours watching movies and the last thing you need is uncomfortable seats.

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Nikon

Nikon Coolpix L14 7.1MP

Nikon has always been the market leaders when it comes to digital SLR’s and it point and shoot section is not bad either. Taking photographs have never been so easy as with the
Nikon CoolPix L14 digital camera. With a 7.1 MP and a 3x Zoom and an astounding battery life, this Nikon beauty has got everyone watching it. A VR optical image allows one o remove motion blur and an ISO up to 1000 allows one to take photographs under low light. A slim and compact stylish exterior and an Easy Auto Mode allows this model for great pictures any time, and for the photographer who takes time in composing the photographs it has a 2.4” high definition LCD monitor. All in all, it is a must buy for someone who wishes to click with a certain style.

Canon

EOS 40D

Although Nikon are the clear market leaders in Digital SLR’s Canon is not far behind. One of its newest cameras the Canon EOS 40D redefines photography as real art. This has been regarded by canon as the ‘next gen’ digital cameras and some of its highly anticipated features include an advanced autofocus sensor, Live View shooting and an advanced DIGIC III image processor. It has a 3″ LCD and a 6.5 fps continuous shooting capability, which gives it, added advantage. This camera is easy to learn and its menu interface is pretty simple. There are various modes that you can shoot in making it one of the most used by professional photographers. It also features a full-time ISO in the viewfinder and it is also known to be much more weather durable than its previous version.

Olympus

Zuiko ED 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 Interchangeable Lens

Olympus has always excelled in providing lenses that raise the bar. The Zuiko ED 50-200mm telephoto zoom lens is just what the photographers require to click excellent pictures. The lens has a wide zoom ring marked at 50, 70, 100, 150 and 200mm and it looks robust with a tripod mount collar just in front of the mount. Its performance across the board is excellent and it is splash proof. It is well built and a nice carry case is supplied that would keep it safe. Although the auto focus is a little slow and takes a bit of time to lock on while its hood seems a little fragile, it sets the standard for extremely sensitive and excellent lenses.

Fisher-Price Nature’s Touch Baby Papasan Cradle Swing

The Papasan Swing has been an absolute life (and sanity) saver in our home. My son, 4 months old, constantly wants to be held and comforted. If I put him down or pass him to someone else, he just cries and cries. The only time he is content without being held is when I place him in his Papasan Swing. The gentle cradle rocking motion accompanied by the soothing nature sounds quickly sends him off to dreamland. I must admit that the Papasan Swing is used A LOT in our house. I absolutely love it and I recommend it to all my friends.

Linksys WRT600N

Linksys Ultra RangePlus Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link

This router is no doubt, the most advanced router ever made. This router can operate in the 2.4 and 5 gigahertz radio bands simultaneously so doubles your bandwidth. This router also has breath taking ranges. Consider this - If the router was at the bottom of the empire state building and you were at the top, you would get a decent signal to the router and a fast connection. If you’re a gamer, this router is almost certainly the one for you, unless you use wired of course, which has obvious speed advantages, however with wireless.. well the name pretty much says it all. You won’t have bundles of wires running along your floor inviting people to trip over them.

Rating - 8/10 - Good but expensive

HP Pavilion A6300F Desktop PC

(Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 Processor, 2 GB RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)

A very good budget build, with quality written all over it. This is possibly the best budget pc you will find, although it doesn’t include a monitorit is still very cheap at about $539.99, although the specs do look good, the graphics card isn’t able to handle advanced games such as Call of Duty 4 or Crysis. However, graphics cards are cheap and easy to replace. If you didn’t know much about building computer, were on low budget and needed a decent computer, this would be the one for you.

Rating 7/10 ~ Good but lacks graphics power.

Contents

A Jellie of Fyshe
Croustade of Chicken and Pigeon
`Fenkel in Soppes’ or Braised Fennel with Ginger
Lozenges or Curd Cheese Pastries
Griddled Trout with Herbs
Hare, Rabbit, Veal, or Chicken Stew with Herbs & Barley
Small Bird & Bacon Stew with Walnuts or Hazelnuts
Summer Fruit, Honey & Hazelnut Crumble


———-
*
A Jellie of Fyshe
Serves 6

225 g (8 oz) hake, cod, haddock, or other well-flavored white fish
3 scallops
75 g (3 oz) prawns (shrimp)
2 onions, roughly sliced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
25g (1 oz) ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
1/3 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
450mL (15 fl oz, 2 cups) each white wine and water
20g (3/4 oz) gelatin

Put the white fish in a pan with the onions, vinegar, ginger root,
spices, wine and water. Bring it gently to the boil and simmer for 10
minutes. Add the scallops and prawns and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Remove the fish; bone and skin the white fish and set it all aside.
Strain the cooking juices and set aside to cool for several hours by
which time a lot of the sediment will have settled in the bottom of the
bowl. Carefully pour off the juices, leaving the sediment, and then
strain several times through a clean tea cloth. You should have
approximately 750mL (25 fl oz, 3 cups) of liquid left. Melt 20g (3/4 oz)
of gelatin in a little of the liquid, cool it to room temperature, then
mix it into the rest of the juices.

Pour a thin layer 1 cm (1/2 inch) of the juice into the bottom of a 1.2
liter (2 pint, 5 cup) soufflé dish or fish mold and put it in the fridge
to set. Flake the white fish into smallish flakes; remove the coral from
the scallops and cut the white flesh into three of four pieces. Once the
jelly is firm, arrange the most decorative of the fish in the bottom of
the dish– some scallop coral in the middle, prawns around the outsides,
flakes of white fish in between or however you feel inspired. Spoon a
little more of the juice and return it to the fridge to set. Continue to
layer the fish in the mould, setting each layer with a covering of juice
until you have used up all the fish and juices. Leave the jelly to set
for at least 4 hours in a fridge. Remove mold and decorate with fresh herbs;
serve as a starter.

———*
Croustade of Chicken and Pigeon
Serves 6

225-350g (8-12oz) whole meal or whole-wheat pastry (depending on whether
you want a lid on your croustade)
1 pigeon
2 chicken joints (2 breasts or 2 whole legs)
150mL (f fl oz, 2/3 cup) dry white wine
several grinds of black pepper
4 cloves
15 g (1/2 oz) butter
50g (2oz) mushrooms, roughly chopped
25g (1oz) raisins
3 large eggs
salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Roll out 225g (8 oz) of the pastry and line a 20cm (8 inch) flan dish;
back the crust blind.

Put the pigeon in a pot with the stock, wine, pepper and cloves and cook
very slowly for an hour. Add the chicken and continue to cook for a
further 45 minutes or until the meat of both birds is really tender.
Meanwhile cook the mushrooms lightly in the butter. Remove the birds
from the stock and bone them. Cut the flesh into quite small pieces, mix
it with the mushrooms and the raisins and spread them over the base of
the flan case. Beat the eggs with a fork and season with the salt,
pepper, and ginger. Add 240mL (8floz, 1 cup) of the cooking juices and
pour over the meat in the flan case. If you want to have a lid, roll out
the rest of the pastry and cover the flan. Bake it in moderate oven
(180C, 350F, Gas Mark4) for 25 minutes if uncovered, 35 minutes if
covered. Serve warm with a good green salad.

For a more 20th century flavor– double the chicken, leave out the
pigeon, and substitute 25g (1 oz) chopped fried bacon for the raisins.

————*
‘Fenkel in Soppes’ or Braised Fennel with Ginger
Serves 6

750g (1 1/2 lb) trimmed, fresh fennel root; cleaned and cut in matchsticks
225g (8 oz) onions, thickly sliced
1 heaped teaspoon of ground ginger
1 level teaspoon of powdered saffron
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
150mL (5 fl oz, 2/3 cup) each dry white wine and water
6 thick slices of coarse whole-wheat or whole meal bread (optional)

Put the fennel in a wide, lidded pan with the onions. Sprinkle over the
spices and salt, then the oil and finally pour over the liquids. Bring
to the boil, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the fennel is
cooked without being mushy. Stir once or twice during the cooking to
make sure the spices get well distributed. Serve it alone with a roast
meat or griddled fish or place one slice of bread on each warmed plate,
cover it with the fennel and pour over the juices.

————-*
Lozenges or Curd Cheese Pastries
Serves 6

225g (8oz) whole meal or whole-wheat short crust pastry
225g (8 oz) curd cheese
25g (1oz) very finely chopped stem or crystallized ginger or plump raisins
15g (1/2 oz) toasted and chopped pine nuts
sugar to taste
lemon juice to taste

Roll the pastry out very thin and cut it into small rectangles–
approximately 15×8 cm (6×3 inches). You should have at least 24. Bake
them in a moderately hot oven (190C, 375F, Gas Mark 5) for ten minutes
or until they are crisp and brown. Remove them and cool on a rack.

Meanwhile mix the curd cheese with the ginger or raisins, the pine nutes
and the sugar and lemon to taste. Set aside. When you are ready to
serve, sandwich together two pieces of pastry with the cheese mixture.
They can be used as a dessert or as a snack.

———-*
Griddled Trout With Herbs
Serves 6

The herbs below are what might have been used in Anglo-Saxon East
Anglia, but use whatever you might fancy. Try to use fresh, although
dried is acceptable.

6 fresh cleaned trout
6 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1-2 tablespoons dried
75g (3 oz) soft butter
18 fresh mint leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
leaves from 6 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
6 fresh sage leaves or 1 scant teaspoon dried
1-2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
6-9 grinds black pepper

Put one sprig or generous shake of rosemary down the middle of each
fish. Chop all the other herbs and seasonings and mash them into the
soft butter. Use this to coat the fish generously on each side. Griddle,
barbeque or grill it for 4-5 minutes on each side or until the skin is
well browned and the flesh flaking off the bone. Baste now and then with
the butter which runs off. Serve at once with lot of fresh bread and a
salad or a simple green vegetable.

———-*
Hare, Rabbit, Veal or Chicken Stew with Herbs & Barley
Serves 6

In 7th century England, herbs were one of the few flavorings available
to cooks and were used heavily…

50g (2oz) butter
1 -1.5kg (2-3 lb) (depending on the amount of bone) of hare or rabbit
joints, stewing veal or chicken joints
450g (1lb) washed and trimmed leeks, thickly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
175 g (6 oz) pot barley
900 mL (30 fl oz, 3 3/4 cups) water
3 generous tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
2 bay leaves, salt, pepper
15 fresh, roughly chopped sage leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried sage

Melt the butter in a heavy pan and fry the meat with the leeks and
garlic until the vegetables are slightly softened and the meat lightly
browned. Add the barley, water, vinegar, bay leaves and seasoning. bring
the pot to the boil, cover it and simmer gently for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or
till the meat is really tender and ready to fall from the bone. Add the
sage and continue to cook for several minutes. Adjust the seasoning to
taste and serve in bowls– the barley will serve as a vegetable.

————–*
Small Bird and Bacon Stew with Walnuts or Hazelnuts
Serves 6

6 fatty rashers of bacon, chopped roughly
3 cloves garlic
4 pigeons or other small game birds (6 if very small)
225 g (8 oz) mushrooms, whatever variety, chopped roughly
75 g (3 oz) roughly chopped roasted hazelnuts or walnuts
300 ml (10 fl oz, 1 1/4 cups) real ale
150 ml (5 fl oz, 3/4 cup) water
2 or 3 bay leaves
a little salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 coarse slices brown bread

Fry the bacon, with the garlic, until it is lightly browned in a heavy
bottomed casserole. Add birds and brown on all sides. Add the mushrooms
and nuts, continue to cook for a couple of minutes, then add the ale and
water with the bay leaves.

Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for 2 - 2 1/2 hours–
the birds should be falling off the bone. Remove the birds from the
juices, cool juices completely and remove any excess fat. The birds can
be served whole on or off the bone. If the latter, carve them while they
are cold  then return to the skimmed juices and reheat gently. Adjust
the seasoning to taste and serve either the whole birds of the slices on
the pieces of bread, with plenty of the juices and “bits”. A good green
salad to follow is the best accompaniment.

————*
Summer Fruit, Honey, and Hazelnut Crumble
Serves 6

….A baked dessert like this would have been sunk in the embers of the
log fire with a cauldron or pot upturned over it to form a lid…

1 kg (2 1/2 lb) mixed soft summer fruits– raspberries, loganberries,
strawberries, currants, bilberries or whatever is available
honey or brown sugar to taste
75 g (3 oz) tasted hazelnuts
75 g (3 oz) whole meal or whole-wheat brown breadcrumbs

Put the fruits in a pan or microwave dish with about 20 cm (1 inch)
water in the bottom and cook gently for 10-15 minutes (4-6 minutes in
microwave), or until the fruits are soft without being totally mushy.
Sweeten to taste with honey or brown sugar (Saxons would have used
honey); how much you need will depend on what fruits you have used.
drain the excess juice and save to serve with the pudding. Chop the
hazelnuts in a processor until they are almost as fine as
the breadcrumbs, but not quite, then mix the two together. Spoon the
fruit into an ovenproof dish and cover with a thick layer of hazelnuts
and crumbs. Bake in a moderate oven (180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4) for 20 - 30
minutes or until the top is slightly crunchy and browned. Serve with lots
of cream or plain yogurt and the warmed fruit juices.

3 C. rice, soaked in boiling water and salt for 1hr.
1/2 C. olive oil
Juice of one large lemon
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 bunch parsley, minced
1 large, firm tomato, chopped
1 tsp. dried mint (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Thoroughly rinse rice and drain well. Mix the rice and all the above
ingredients in a bowl. If you are using fresh grape leaves blanch
in boiling water for a minute. Stuff and cook. You could use torn
grape leaves or slices of tomato to line the bottom of the pan so
that the bottom layer of stuffed grape leaves won’t scorch.

Grape leaves, fresh or bottled
1 cup uncooked white rice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 lb onion, minced
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp coriander
juice of 2 lemons

Heat half the olive oil, fry onions until soft, add rice and stir to
coat.  Pour on a glass of water, add raisins and cook until all water is
absorbed.  Roll into grape leaves, place grape leaves, seam side down,
in a baking dish (close together), add more water, oil and lemon juice
and bake at 300F for 1 hour.

Adaptation:
Using bottled grape leaves, produces extra tang from the pickling juice.
Use green onions (both white and green) instead of regular onion.

Heat olive oil, fry onions until soft, add rice and stir to coat.  Pour
in a glass of water, add raisins and coriander.  As water is absorbed,
add more until the rice is firm but no longer crunchy.  Roll
mixture into grape leaves and pack like the bottom layer of a can of
sardines with the seam side down.  When the pan is full, add one or two
fingers of water (i.e. pour in water so the height of the water on the side
of the pan is the width of one or two fingers)  Squirt lots of lemon juice
on the little suckers.  Cover, put in 300F over and bake for 1 hour.
The tops may get a little dry during cooking, but will remoisten when
stored in the refrigerator.

Tip on rolling the grape leaves:
Place your grape leaf flat, stem end away from you, and vein side up.  Place
a tablespoon or so of mixture a tiny bit closer to you than the
point where the two side leaves branch off.  Fold the bottom over the
stuffing toward you.  Fold the side leaves in toward the center.  The
stuffing should now be surrounded on at least 3 sides.  Roll toward you
until you have a little cigar shaped packet.

0.5 c. vegetable oil
4 medium onions (chopped)
1 c. uncooked rice
1 c. parsley (minced)
0.5 c. raisins
0.5 c. tomato sauce
1 c. water
0.75 tsp. allspice
0.5 tsp. pepper
Grape leaves
2 tsp. salt (or less/ to taste)

Sauté onions in the oil until browned.  Add rice and cook on a low
heat for 20 minutes (covered), stirring occasionally.  Add all other
ingredients (except grape leaves, of course) and cook for 5 minutes.  When it
has cooled a little, use approx. 1 tsp. of filling per grape leaf and roll up,
as for a burrito.  The filling should be totally enclosed.  To cook the “raw”
dolmas, line a large pot with grape leaves and arrange the dolmas in the pot.
Put a plate on top to keep them from floating up, and cover with water.
Simmer for about 1 hour. Served hot (with or without yogurt) or as a cold
appetizer.  Basically it’s the same recipe as for stuffed cabbage, except
there is no meat or cabbage.

2 lb Lamb shoulder -OR- Sirloin tip; cut in 1 1/2" long strips
1/4 c  Olive oil
3 tsp Lemon rind
2 c  Red wine; dry
Sweet peppers and cherry
2    Garlic cloves; minced
tomatoes as needed
1 ts Oregano; dried                 

———————————-TZAZIKI———————————-
      2 c  Yogurt;plain                         2 Garlic cloves; minced
    1/2    Cucumber; English, peeled &         3 tb Olive oil
           -grated                             1 ts -salt

  Begin preparing the tzazik a few hours before serving. The flavors need
  time to blend. Marinate the meat overnight to absorb the wine and garlic.

  Souvlaki: Place the meat in a large bowl. Pour in the wine and sprinkle
  minced garlic and oregano. Imbed the lemon strips among the cubes of meat
  and drizzle with olive oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate
  12 hours or overnight. Shake or stir the mixture several times during the
  marinating period.

  About 30 minutes before serving, drain off and discard the marinade.
  Thread the chunks of meat onto long skewers, brushing with a little olive
  oil. (We usually BBQ the peppers and tomatoes on separate skewers but it’s
  really up to the chef.)

  Over medium coals, barbeque the souvlaki until it’s done the way you like
  it. Serve on a bed of rice and pass the tzaziki to spoon on top. SERVES 4-6

  Tzaziki: Line a colander or sieve with cheesecloth (or gauze) and set it
  over a bowl. Pour in the yogurt and allow it to drip for an hour or so.
  After the yogurt has drained, combine it, in a small bowl, with the
  cucumber and the garlic. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and
  refrigerate until just before serving. While the meat is BBQing, drizzle
  the olive oil over the surface, and without stirring, sprinkle on the salt.
  It needs no mixing - your guest will do that when they dollop it onto their
  souvlaki. MAKES: About 3 cups

Dough
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp spoons oil
1/2 spoon oregano
dash of salt

Mix ingredients; knead for about 2-3 minutes; adding flour to until it
doesn't stick to the hands - separate into 3 equal parts

Filling
About one pound of thawed frozen spinach- i prefer the chopped leaves kind
a couple of chopped green shallots (can replace with 1/3 white onion)
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/3 pound feta cheese
salt, pepper, thyme

mix ingredients 

Assembly
Roll out the 3 dough balls- so that each one is a bit bigger than your
baking pan (use 8x12 in.)- the amount of dough, for that size will
give you the right thickness

place the first layer on the greased pan, with ends hanging over the
pan rim - add half the filling

follow on with the second dough layer -add the rest of the filling

finish off with the last dough layer; fold the dough layers together

pluck a few holes, making sure you go through the second layer of
dough

bake for 3/4 hour at around 400F

Ingredients
  Four pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  juice of two lemons
  four or five potatoes, peeled and sliced french-fry style
  1/2 cup olive oil
  1/2 to 1 cup of water
  one head of garlic, the cloves peeled but whole
  oregano, salt, and pepper to taste

Procedure
  Place chicken in a shallow baking tray.

  Arrange potatoes around chicken pieces. Scatter whole peeled cloves of
       garlic around chicken and potatoes.

  Mix together lemon juice and olive oil, and pour evenly over chicken
       and potatoes. Add water until potatoes are just about covered.

  Add salt, pepper to taste.  Cover chicken and potatoes with generous
       amounts of oregano.

  Bake at 350 degrees, until tops of chicken are reddish brown.

  Turn chicken, stir potatoes, and sprinkle on more oregano. If potatoes
       aren’t at least half-covered with liquid, add water.

  Return to oven for about 15-20 minutes.  Chicken is done when both
       sides a lightly browned and potatoes are soft when touched with
       a fork.

  Serve with a crusty bread, or with pita bread.

This recipe contains meat and is from Southern Greece (The Peloponysos).  

Yiayia's Dolmades

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c. white rice
1 egg
1/2 c. dry mint
1 T. butter, softened
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
dill, if convenient
3-4 T. lemon juice
salt
pepper
water, if needed

Knead all ingredients in a bowl.  If the consistency is too hard, add
water, one tablespoon at a time (up to 4 T.).

Grape leaves are best picked from Grape Vines in the Spring, while they
are still tender.  They can be washed and frozen between layers of waxed
paper and will keep for a year.  They are also available in jars from
some fruit markets (especially ones that carry a lot of Greek/Italian
imported foods).

Depending on the size, you will need 20 to 40 grape leaves (Fila -
pronounced fee’-lah).  Small leaves tend to be more tender.

Boil grape leaves until they are soft, but not tender.  The time will depend
on the leaves.  Fresh ones will only take a minute.

Fold grape leaves around small spoonfuls of meat mixture, sealing
completely.

In a large pot (preferably one with a large surface area on the bottom),
melt 1/2 stick (4 T.) butter.  Arrange rolled dolmades on top.  Do this
all at once, not as you roll them.  Pour 3-4 cups water or chicken broth
over dolmades, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.

Avgolomono
1 egg
3-4 T. lemon juice
corn starch

Separate egg.  Whisk egg white mixed with 1 tsp. water;  add yolk and mix.
Add corn starch (she gave no measurement) to lemon juice and stir; add
to egg mixture.  Skim broth off dolmades (it is now a chicken/beef broth
and should be greatly reduced because of the rice) and add 1 T. at a time
to the egg mixture, whisking well.  Egg mixture should thicken.

Remove dolmades from heat.  Arrange dolmades in a bowl for serving.  Mix
remaining broth into egg-lemon mixture.  Stir well and pour over
dolmades.

Dough
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp spoons oil
1/2 spoon oregano
dash of salt

Mix ingredients; knead for about 2-3 minutes; adding flour to until it
doesn’t stick to the hands - separate into 3 equal parts

Filling
A couple of chopped green shallots (can replace with 1/3 white onion)
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup whole milk or better still, half & half
3 eggs
salt, pepper, thyme

beat eggs;
mix all other ingredients; heat in pot until cheese starts melting;
allow to cool to room temperature; then mix in eggs

Assembly
Roll out the 3 dough balls- so that each one is a bit bigger than your
baking pan (use 8×12 in.)- the amount of dough, for that size will
give you the right thickness

place the first layer on the greased pan, with ends hanging over the
pan rim - add half the filling

follow on with the second dough layer -add the rest of the filling

finish off with the last dough layer; fold the dough layers together

pluck a few holes, making sure you go through the second layer of
dough

bake for 3/4 hour at around 400F

enjoy, with a simple tomato and cucumber salad

Contents

• Briami
• Lathera
• Fried Zucchini

Briami

5-6 large zucchini, cut in 1 in. cubes
3-4 medium potatoes, cut in similar cubes
2 eggplants (the purple, zucchini look-alike) cut in cubes
1 can stewed tomatoes
3-4 cloves garlic crushed
1 onion, cut in large chunks
a couple of bay-leaves
1/2 cup oil (preferably olive, but any kind will do)
a dash of nutmeg, thyme
salt and pepper

arrange (really throw in!) all the ingredients in your baking pan, and
give them a good mix (another name for this dish is TOURLOU, i.e.
mix-mix)
and bake for about 1 hour at a medium heat oven
keep adding a touch of water to keep the stuff from frying
allow to cool before eating-
serve with a generous amount of oil and juices
and with some bread to clean up the plate!

Lathera (translates to THE OILY DISH)

the following is a variation of the above theme, different presentation
the vegetables come out crispier this way

4-5 medium size zucchini, cut in 1/4 in. disks
3-4 medium potatoes, cut in 1/4 in. disks
1-2 medium onions, sliced in thick rings
1-2 medium tomatoes, sliced in 1/4 in. disks
6-7 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
1/2 cup olive oil (or any other oil)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons oregano (save for the end!)

arrange in loose layers in the baking tray. try and keep the onion
rings at the bottom of the pan, they get nice and crispy, and the
tomatoes go at the top of the assembly, to let the juices drain down
onto the vegetables
bake for about 1 hour, at medium oven
the oregano should be added a few minutes before taking the tray out
of the oven- burnt oregano loses its flavor, and has a bitter taste
allow to cool before eating

Fried Zucchini

for the batter:
1 egg (beaten)
1/3 cup milk
1 cup flour
salt, pepper,
water if needed

stir batter ingredients until batter is smooth- if it's too thick add
water- otherwise add flour -

for the zucchini
5-6 zucchini- cut either steak fries style, or in 1/4 in. disks

dip zucchini in batter
deep-fry in preheated oil (set the stove on medium high) until
batter is crispy
serve with that good tsatsiki that you've made already   

Contents

• Roast Leg Of Lamb
• Authentic Greek Lamb
• Bahamian Lamb
• Yucatan leg of lamb
• Julia Child’s Lamb (adaptation)
• Greek Lamb

Roast Leg of Lamb

Leg of lamb (about 6 pounds)
8 clove garlic
juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325F.  Cut eight shallow slits in the surface of the
lamb and insert a clove of garlic in each slit.  Brush the lamb with
lemon juice, sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper.  Insert a meat
thermometer into the thickest part of the roast so the bulb reaches
the center but does not touch a bone.  Place the lamb on a rack in a
roasting pan and roast for about 20 minutes per pound or until the
thermometer reaches 150F.  Remove from oven, and let the leg stand
uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Mint sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cider vinegar

Place the mint in a bowl and sprinkle the sugar over it.  Crush mint
and sugar together with the back of a spoon.  Pour in boiling water and
let mint steep for five minutes.  Add vinegar to mint and water mixture.
Taste the sauce and add more sugar if needed.  Heat before serving.

Authentic Greek Lamb

Place many cloves of garlic under the skin/into the meat all around the
leg.  Sprinkle lots of oregano, pepper, lots of lemon juice, and a bit of
salt on to the meat.  Cover with aluminum foil & bake.  The meat should
still be brown/pink when done (Approx 1.5 hrs).  I like to uncover the last
1/2 hour to get a crust on the leg.

Bahamian Lamb

Bake leg plain (no spices), covered w/ aluminum foil, 1 hr till mostly
done.  Take out of oven, cover with  Dijon mustard and Italian breadcrumbs.
Bake for 1/2 hour more (until breadcrumbs are browned).  Take out of oven,
slice meat & put back into the juices of the pan.  Serve hot.

Yucatan leg of lamb

1 whole leg of lamb (approx. 6.5 pounds)
1.5 tbsp. cumin seeds
3   tbsp. black peppercorns
3   tbsp. dried oregano leaves
3   tbsp. dried thyme leaves
..5  tsp.  sea salt (I use regular salt)
3-4  dried chipotle chili (essential - these are smoked jalapeno)
3   tbsp. olive oil
8 - 10 prickly pear cactus pads (optional - these are sold as nopales)
salt and pepper to taste
6 cups reserved lamb stock (I use beef stock with equally good
results)

Preheat oven to 325

Trim fell and fat from leg of lamb. (The fell is is what gives lamb
its strong taste. It is important to remove it as thoroughly as
possible). Remove hip bone with a boning knife (I usually leave this
on, it just makes carving the lamb a little more difficult). Re-form
the lamb and tie tightly with kitchen string. Make a stock with the
bones and trimmings and set lamb aside, covered with plastic wrap.

In a small iron skillet, sauté the cumin seeds, peppercorns, oregano,
and thyme over medium heat to release their flavors. Stir frequently
and remove when they turn brown and start to smoke. Add salt and one
broken chipotle chili, and grind the mixture into a fine powder in a
clean coffee grinder.

Rub lamb with olive oil and then coat uniformly with generous amounts
of the spice mixture. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting and roast
for 1 hour and 15 minutes - until a meat thermometer registers an
internal temperature of 120 F. Raise heat to 450 F to brown exterior
for 5 to 10 minutes (the meat thermometer is important to judge the
doneness of the meat). The internal temperature should rise to 130 F.
Remove from oven and let rest for 15 min. before carving to allow the
meat juices to be reabsorbed.

While the lamb is roasting, wash the prickly pear cactus pads in cold
water, after removing the thorns with a paring knife, brush with olive
oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over a low charcoal fire
or under a broiler for about 5 min. per side or until tender.

To make the sauce, pour the fat from the roasting pan and add the
lamb stock (or beef stock in my case), and remaining broken chipotles.
Reduce over high heat, stirring occasionally, until stock is reduced
by two-thirds. Adjust seasoning. Carve lamb and serve on the platter
with rice, garnish with cactus pads and spoon sauce over meat.

Note: Lamb can marinate overnight in the refrigerator, covered with
plastic wrap. It is important to let it sit at room temperature for
4 hours before cooking.

Julia Child’s Lamb (adaptation)

Julia Child's method of butter-flying the leg is best in my opinion.
Simply butterfly it and place in a dish or glass roasting pan to marinate
with lots of garlic, some ginger, rosemary, little soy sauce.  Let sit for
at least 2 hours.  Broil it or grill it until pink -- about 15 - 20 minutes.
Let sit for 10 minutes after cooking before slicing.

Greek Lamb

Make slits in the lamb and insert slivers of garlic and fresh rosemary
Rub the lamb all over with lemon juice and olive oil (I use my hands).

Leave the lamb overnight in a (very cool) kitchen or put it in the fridge.

On Sunday morning, I get up, rush around and realize I am late for
church.  At 10.30 I wrap the lamb loosely in foil and sit it in a
roasting tray.  I put it in the oven, light the oven and set it to
150deg.C.  Then I run out the door.  At about 12.45 I walk back
through the door to the gorgeous smell of cooking lamb.  I unwrap it
and replace it in the over for as long as the potatoes and vegetables take to
cook.  When the vegetables are done, the lamb is juicy, falling of the bone
tender and wonderful to eat.  It is not remotely pink, though - pink
lamb is a treat I save for restaurants.

Index

• Authentic Greek Lamb
• Zuchinni Dishes
• Greek Cheese Pie
• Greek Dolmades Avgolemono
• Greek Homestyle Chicken
• Greek Spinach Pie
• Souvlaki
• Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas)
• Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves (2)
• Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves (3)

Sauerbraten
Serves: 10

4 lb. top or bottom round roast
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
10 peppercorns, crushed
1 onion, sliced thin
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons pickling spices
2 cups water
3 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup gingersnaps, crushed fine
1/2 cup sour cream

Two days before you plan to use it, put the beef in a deep glass or pottery
bowl. In a saucepan, mix the wine, salt, peppercorns, onion, bay leaves
and pickling spices with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Remove from the
heat. When it is cool, pour over the beef. Cover the bowl tightly with foil,
and refrigerate for at least two days, turning the meat in the marinade twice
a day. 

Preheat the oven to 350. Melt the shortening in a covered roasting pan or
casserole. Remove the meat from the marinade, pat it dry with paper towels,
and brown it well on all sides in the hot shortening. Drain off the fat,
strain the marinade, and pour it over the meat. Cover and cook in the oven
for 2-2 1/2 hours, or until tender. 

Remove the meat and keep warm on a platter. Put the roasting pan on a burner
and add the gingersnap crumbs, stirring until the gravy is smooth and
thickened. Stir in the sour cream, letting it get hot, but not allowing it
to boil, lest it curdle. Slice the meat, pour the gravy into a sauce bowl,
and serve with the sauerbraten.