Shepherd’s Pie “Moussaka” – A Culinary “Mash-up” of two Old World Classics

For those of you that aren’t hip (like me…I don’t have an iPod which automatically makes me not hip), a “mash-up” usually refers to a DJ taking two different songs and mixing and “mashing” them together to produce a new musical creation. My personal favorite, the Jay Z/Linkin Park mash-up MTV did a few years ago. If you haven’t heard any of that, and you’re under 60 years old (Hi, Mom), then check it out, it’s great stuff. Big Pimpin for real. Anyway, in that same spirit of combining two great things to make a new even greater thing, I present today’s video recipe clip.

I love classic Greek “Moussaka.” Layers of lamb and eggplant, exotically spiced and topped with a rich, almost custard-like sauce. I also love a good Shepherd’s Pie, what’s not to like about a pie made out of ground meat and mashed potatoes? So, I thought I would try a Shepherd’s Pie using the flavor components of the Greek “Moussaka.” Did it work? Damn right! It was really good, and next to a green salad, made for a very satisfying supper on a foggy San Francisco night.

A few suggestions before you watch the clip. The potato topping I do is relatively bland since I was topping a very highly seasoned meat base. You should use my spice amounts below as a rough guide, and add the cumin, cinnamon and hot pepper in increments until you have something that tastes right to you. The lamb and eggplant mixture is NOT subtlety spiced in this dish, and the ingredient amounts reflect that fact. This dish should explode with exotic and aromatic flavor. To me that’s what makes the “crispy and browned on the top, but moist and tender underneath” potato topping such a great contrast. And don’t forget the fresh mint. As you hear me say in the clip, I used chocolate mint, which you can find at the better garden centers (or order the seeds online – it’s an amazing herb), but plain supper market mint will work beautifully. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
2 lbs ground lamb
2 eggplant
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
3 russet potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 grated parmesan cheese
1/2 stick butter
salt to taste
1 egg
fresh mint
2 tbl olive oil
Spice Mix:
2 bay leaves
3 tbl ground cumin
1 tbl cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne
1 tbl black pepper
1 tbl salt (at least, taste and adjust)
2 tbl herb de provance (or Italian or Greek dried herb mix)
1 tbl paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes
*Baked at 400F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown

Stuffed Summer Squash with Goat Cheese and Romesco – Our least terrible test yet!

Well, the new microphone is hooked up and I think the sound is better. The intros and endings of these test clips still need a lot of work, and I just realized that I need to go out and pick up a digital camera for the still shots. Other than that, I think I’m starting to figure this new stuff out.

This has always been one of my favorite summer side-veggie dishes. Any summer squash you can cut in half will work. Anyone that has, or knows someone that has, a vegetable garden really needs to try this dish! I mean, what the hell are you going to do with all those squash? The completely irregular green starburst squash you see in this video were not the best choice to do a demo with since they are hard to slice in half evenly, but hey, if it works with these, it will work with any squash as I said.

The deep, rich flavor of the romesco mingling with the sweet blandness of the squash combined with the creamy tang of the warm goat cheese makes this dish a summer classic. Don’t serve too hot! This dish shines best served warm or at room temp. If you’ve never tried romesco, this is the dish to taste it in. It’s a medium-spicy, “pesto-like” sauce made from roasted red peppers, garlic, almonds, anchovy and other spices. We use it a lot in summer, as it is the perfect instant sauce for any grilled meat, fish or vegetables. One of these days I’ll show you how to make your own romesco, but for now you should be able find it at most high-end grocery stores. If you can’t find or make it, any flavorful sauce will work; salsa, roasted red pepper relish, olive tapenade, etc. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
3 small summer squash
6 tbl goat cheese
3 tbl romesco sauce
3 tbl olive oil
2 tbl plain bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

I Can't Decide. What Do You Think?

I just ran across some polling software that I thought I would try out this week. Yes, another test! I'm not going to describe the recipes listed on the poll, so don't ask. Just pick the one that sounds the best to you, and click the button (if you feel like it). It's more of a test of the polling software than an experiment in culinary democracy. Thanks for participating. Speaking of polls and voting, in true American political tradition, I will be voting for which ever 2008 candidate’s campaign donates the most to this site. Yes, my vote can, and hopefully will, be bought.

Which recipe would you most enjoy seeing this week? (by the way, you have to vote without any recipe desciptions)
	"No Slice" Potato Gratin
	Romesco Glazed Salmon
	"3 Corn" Polenta
	Chicken Parmesan
Free polls from Pollhost.com

A Scene from the Best Food Movie Ever!

This is a scene from a movie called "Big Night." It came out in 1996, and I've probably watched it over 30 times. I consider it the best restaurant movie ever made, and no movie that I've seen before or since has captured the experience of the food business so brilliantly as this one. The film is the story of two Italian brothers who own a restaurant called "Paradise". Primo (played by Tony Shalhoub), is an intense, passionate chef who can't cope with his customers' expectations of "real" (Americanized) Italian food. The other brother, Secondo (played by Stanley Tucci), is the restaurant manager, who is in a constant battle with his brother over the balance between making money, and staying true to their culinary roots.

This is a great movie, even if you are not a "foodie," as its very funny, sweet, sad, and has an amazing sound track of music from that period. Also, any movie with Isabella Rossellini is worth seeing, and try and see if you can identify the buss boy who later (in real life) goes on to have quite a successful music career. Anyone thinking of going to culinary school and/or starting a restaurant, should be made to watch this movie first. It gives such a perfect study of the agony and ecstasy of the restaurant experience. Find and rent this movie!!! Enjoy.


If you can't find this older movie I've added a link here to Amazon. This is a "must have" for any real foodie.