A smile with food

Tags

ATHENS, chicken, cuisine, Food, Greece, lemons, Potatoes

I just saw this and I like Chef John and his recipes. I thought this is a great recipe and it reminded me a lot of my years in Greece.  This is a real Greek recipe and tasted it, I am sure you will enjoy it. We need good news, we need that sunshine now. So why not think happy thoughts and for those of you who have been to Greece this will for sure bring memories.

Greek Lemon Chicken and potatoes:

Ingredients for 4 Portions Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes:

1 whole chicken, about 4 pound, cut in sections,

OR 4 pounds chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on

3 russet potatoes, cut in quarters

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 rounded tablespoon dried oregano

pinch of cayenne

6 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

2/3 cup chicken broth for the pan, plus a splash to deglaze after roasting

fresh chopped oregano to garnish

Roast at 425 for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is well browned and cooked through.

The video will show you how to do it all:

Fondant Potatoes

Tags

Food, Potatoes, Recipe

This is a recipe I love and want to share with you, so elegant, your guests will be impressed. Very old School of cooking but so worth it using only Russet potatoes.

Just follow the recipe here and enjoy:

Only 20 days to go.

Tags

art., Ballet, Canada., Holly, painting, PEI, Potatoes, Schiaccianoci, XMAS

It occurred to me today that the Winter in PEI is a lot like the Winters in Poland.  Same gray skies and cold. Also PEI produces a lot of potatoes like Poland, in fact the Frito Lays you eat are made from PEI Potatoes from the Monahan Farms on Graham Road near Summerfield.

Another fun activity in Charlottetown in Winter is Art Classes given in Bars and restaurants, attendance is fairly high, from 50 to 125 people. The painting classes are given by established artists or art teachers. Per example the PEI Brewing Company is giving what is called ART Battle 475 on December 23. From what I have seen it goes beyond the cute pictures.

Today we started the Christmas decoration, in fact we started two days ago, a lot of prep work goes into it, a whole day polishing the 30 Sterling Silver Xmas tree balls from Neiman Marcus and other Sterling Silver ornaments like the flower medallions . Then setting up the tree and then deciding which decorations will go on this year. We have enough decorations we collected over 39 years in various countries to make 7 full grown trees. So we rotate them. While unpacking the decorations I came across tickets from 2008 Christmas Season programme for the ballet Lo Schiaccianoci at the Opera di Roma, that is Italian for Nutcracker.

Today our friend L.P. brought us a fresh bouquet of Holly branches, just beautiful. So it is all falling into place for the Holiday.

We still have to plan our Christmas Eve and Day, what will we do? I do not know, but am sure something will fall into place, am not averse to having just a quiet dinner at home.

As for Xmas gifts, I do not want anything, I have everything I want and then some. Same for Will, we are happy with our lot.

close-up our Tree 2016 edition.

The decorations and ornaments are from Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Sicily, Ireland, UK, Austria, France, Germany, Poland, Hong Kong, USA, PEI, Canada, handmade, most one of a kind by artisans and bought in privately owned shops or local markets.

 

A year ago, August 2015

Tags

Anne of Green Gables, Anniversary, Atlantic, AZ, Cavendish, Charlottetown, Friends, moonshine, PEI, Phoenix, Potatoes, tourism, visit

In late July 2015 in the wee hours of the morning at the Ottawa General Hospital E.R., Will suddenly said to me, you know we have never been to PEI. We visited all other territories and Provinces, in my case with the exception of Newfoudland. I was not expecting that sort of suggestion but two weeks later we were off to PEI.

The week we were in Charlottetown and PEI saw the Annual celebration of Old Home Week and the Gold and Saucer Cup Harness races which has been taking place since 1888, Parades and much celebration in the Capital City. This is when we had the first idea of moving here. Our friends in PEI did warn us to visit in Winter, pointing out that the Island is much different, there are no tourists and the tourist shops and sites are closed. So we returned in February 2016 to see what life was life. The fact that there were no tourists did not bother me at all.

For many Winter weather is the big obstacle, however being Canadians, Winter is Winter no matter where you are. My family has been in Canada since 1662, we have had a few winters. We left a bitterly cold and icy Ottawa and flew East to the Coast. The weather in PEI was much milder, cold rain, grey skies and fog was the norm. There was snow but none of the icy conditions of Ontario, it was an Atlantic sea side climate. There was plenty to do, arts and culture are dominant here. Life was more quiet but you could still shop and be occupied with various projects. We moved to PEI in May and now a year later we are established here. I got a job at the Art Gallery http://www.confederationcentre.com/en/

This week we are welcoming to Charlottetown friends from Phoenix AZ who are visiting us in our new home. https://sporeflections.wordpress.com

There will be much activities, I told them that we could go to the Fringe Festival straight from the airport at 11PM. to sing Karaoke style the score of Hamilton. I also bought PEI Island Red Beer, they want to try some of the craft beer of the Island. Tomorrow morning is the Farmer’s Market, then a garden party in New Glasgow. Theater tickets for 3 plays, visit to a distillery, we make absinthe and moonshine on the Island 75% proof, there is also wineries. A visit to Cavendish to see Anne of Green Gables farm, and many more sights.

How time flies when you think of it, a whole year and such a different life now.