Here we go, again.
Today is Tuesday October 29, 2013 and I am absolutely positively getting back into writing this blog. It has been embarrassingly long since I last wrote and I am no longer going to put this off. After all, I am aspiring to become a food critic, so this is probably one of the best things I can do to get myself out there.
I've been giving my blog some thought for a while now and have always told myself I would start back up...but, as you can see, I have failed miserably. Yesterday however, I was truly inspired to pursue my dream. One of my oldest and best friends, Liz, came over and told me she had something for me. I had no idea what it was or why she had a gift for me; but, I opened it and immediately began to cry. I guess I should give you the back story, in order for you to understand why this was so important to me.
I have had a love for cooking my entire life, as I wrote in my first blog post forever ago. I have always loved to cook, loved to eat, loved to read different recipes, etc. I was always doing something in the kitchen. Back in July though, all of that stopped. My father, my hero, my everything, suddenly passed away. It caused a major tragedy in my family...that we are still dealing with today. Needless to say, I lost my love for everything, including cooking. I didn't want to do anything. I stopped buying food magazines, stopped watching the Food Network, etc. So, my amazing girlfriend handed me a book filled with different recipes from people who love and care about me.
After about 10 minutes of crying, I looked through the book and quickly became excited again. It truly made me realize that I should not stop doing something that I love because I lost someone that I love. I know my dad would be so proud of me if I started cooking again, especially because he always loved everything I made. So, thanks to Liz, I decided it was time to restart my passion.
On top of the wonderful cookbook, I got another sign that inspired me to start cooking again. I received an e-mail from this company out of Old Saybrook called Tantor Media. They are an Audio book company specializing in fiction and nonfiction titles. I was asked to interview for the Audio book proofreader position which includes: proofing recordings, researching pronunciations and notating narrator corrections. It isn't a food writing job; but, it is definitely a step in the right direction!
In the midst of receiving that wonderful news, I was grocery shopping for a Lentil soup that I was planning on making. I'd been planning on making it for the past week or so but for some reason or another, I hadn't gotten around to it. So, finally, I put my procrastination aside and started cooking.
Lentil soup has been a huge staple in my family for my entire life. In the Greek tradition, it is made during the 40 days of Lent, which is when the most religious of Orthodox Greeks are fasting. During this time, one must not consume dairy, meat, poultry, fish, or anything processed. Basically like a vegan diet. It was always during this time that Lentil soup was most prominent, because its ingredients include only lentils, vegetables, oil and spices.
I remember my Yia-yia (Greek for Grandmother) in her kitchen, stirring a steaming hot pot of soup as my brother and I anxiously awaited its completion. The aroma of garlic, onion and stewed tomatoes caused my mouth to water, as it does, even to this day. When I close my eyes, I can still see my grandmother in her little apron and can smell that pot of Lentil soup, simmering to the perfect thickness.
Although it is the end of October and not nearly close to Lent, I decided to try and make my own version of this delicious soup. The temperature has drastically dropped over the past couple of weeks, which means it is the perfect time for a nice hot bowl on a chilly night. I had no intentions of it tasting anything like my Yia-yia's, because, of course, nothing can ever beat any grandmother's cooking; but, I wanted to give it a shot.
I was inspired by a recipe in one of my mother's countless Greek cookbooks and decided to put my own spin on it. So, here is my 2013 version of Greek Lentil Soup.
I purchased a 1 lb package of Organic Full Circle green lentils (probably nothing close to what my grandmother used) and rinsed them in a colander under cold water.
Meanwhile, I prepared my mise en place. The recipe called for vegetables of onions, celery, carrots, garlic and green pepper. Now, from what I can remember, I have never had a Lentil soup with green pepper, so that ingredient was quickly omitted. First, I cleaned 3 stalks of celery and diced them into even pieces. I then peeled two large carrots, (I never want the skin on carrots when making a soup) and diced them into tiny pieces. Next I diced up one yellow onion and finished by smashing and mincing 3 cloves of Organic garlic.
After prepping the vegetables, I measured out 1 teaspoon of Greek oregano (straight from my families village in Greece), got out 3 Turkish bay leaves and poured 1 cup of Greek extra virgin olive oil. I then opened a 28 oz can of Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes and poured out 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar. I'm sure most people won't have the type of oregano that I used, so any dried type works as well. If you do find the chance though, you should definitely try it, because I feel it really creates that authentic Greek flavor.
After preparing the mise en place, I separated the lentils by discarding the brown and/or yellow ones and dumped them into a pot. I covered the lentils completely with water and boiled them on high for 5 minutes with the lid on. When the lentils came to a rapid boil, I added in all of the ingredients but the tomatoes and vinegar and added 1 cup of water. I turned the heat to low, let the mixture come to slow boil and left it uncovered to simmer for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, I added the vinegar and the entire can of crushed tomatoes. Now, the original recipe called for just a 16 oz can, but I thought a little extra tomato would just add more flavor. I also added 2 cups of water to allow the soup to boil without becoming too thick and sticking to the bottom of the pan. This time, I let the soup simmer for an hour with the lid on but slightly exposed. This helps to create a creamy thickness, without allowing the water to completely evaporate.
Finally, after another few cups of water and numerous stirs of my wooden spoon, my delicious soup was ready. I added a bit more oregano, some salt and pepper to taste and a final drizzle of olive oil. I then scooped myself a small bowl and topped it with crumbled tangy feta cheese...after all, any Greek will agree that feta completes just about every meal.
So, there it was, my first ever rendition of Greek Lentil soup. I'm usually very critical when it comes to my cooking, but I can honestly say that it came out fantastic. It was a bit more tomato-flavored than what I was used to, but it still tasted delicious. Next time, I know to add way more oregano than I originally thought (at least 5 tablespoons) and a bit less of the crushed tomatoes. In all though, I was very happy with my dish...as were my mom and aunt, considering they each finished off 2 bowls a piece.
Here is my recipe for Greek Lentil Soup (Soupa Faki):
1 lb of lentils (preferably organic)
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, cleaned and finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 bay leaves (Turkish if you have them)
5-6 TBSP dried Greek oregano (added gradually throughout)
1/2 C Greek extra virgin olive oil
1 28 oz can Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes (use 3/4 of can)
1/4 C red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Feta cheese (optional)
Rinse and sort the lentils. Put the lentils into a pot and add fresh water to cover. Boil for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except tomatoes, vinegar, salt, pepper and feta. Add 1 cup of water. Allow mixture to come to a slow boil and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. Add the remaining ingredients and 2 cups of water. Let the lentils simmer for an hour covered, but slightly ajar. If the soup is not thick enough, let it simmer for longer until the desired thickness is required. It should be nice and creamy and thick enough to slide slowly down your spoon. Finally, add a drizzle of olive oil and top with a generous amount of crumbled feta cheese. Dip your spoon in and enjoy!
Serves 8.
As Greeks would say, Kali Orexi! (Enjoy your meal) !
