Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [66]
Few things are as calming as lifting the lid of a Dutch oven and inhaling its exhilarating aromas. As your nose travels across the many ingredients simmering inside—sweet and acidic, herbaceous and spicy, meaty or deliciously fishy—cooking does for me what doctors say we all need more often: it functions as an instant relaxation pill. To quote British domestic goddess Nigella Lawson, “Cooking … is totally underestimated as a stress killer.” How true, and most of all, how convenient. No need for special attire, for running shoes, yoga clothes, or a swimsuit. Just your apron will do, and a wooden spoon. Time-consuming? Take a shower and pour yourself a glass of wine—soup is low-maintenance and allows for such luxury.
Most important, soups and stews get better as they age, which means you can make them ahead for a busy work week, and you will reap the rewards a couple of days later when you spoon up their layered flavors and textures. In this chapter, try a Greek-inspired fish stew with fennel, tomatoes, and a splash of ouzo served over light whole wheat couscous to mop up the fine sauce. Or surprise guests with a lush, slowly simmered lamb stew with red wine, to which I have added wheat berries for a twist. Or how about a barley-lentil stew, flavored with crisped prosciutto and dill? Some of these recipes can be on the table in 30 minutes; others require a bit more time. Your rewards will be manifold: delicious new flavors and textures, wrapped in the comforting warmth of a soup or a stew.
MANY SMALL BITES AND ONE SHOT OF OUZO
Acorn Squash Soup with Spicy Yogurt Topping
Mediterranean Mussels with Farro and White Wine
Fish and Fennel Stew with Ouzo over Couscous
Bulgur-Lentil Soup with Minted Olive Oil Butter
Chicken Stew with Artichokes and Dried Apricots over Brown Rice
Lamb Stew with Wheat Berries in Red Wine Sauce
Greek Egg and Lemon Soup with Chicken and Brown Rice
Barley-Lentil Stew with Mushrooms, Crisped Prosciutto, and Dill
Fire-Roasted Tomato Stew with Eggplant and Farro
BARLEY: MILD AND ADVENTUROUS
Many Small Bites and One Shot of Ouzo
Going out for dinner with my family in Greece is an all-night affair—so much so that my now much-Americanized self struggles to adjust each time I visit. My extended family—aunts and uncles, cousins, their husbands and kids—rarely pile into their cars to drive to a restaurant before 9:00 P.M. By the time we all get there and settle into our chairs at the table, it can be as late as 10:00 P.M. To say that I am usually famished at this point would be an understatement. One of our family’s favorite restaurants lies on the gulf of Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece. It is one of a string of popular bars and outdoor tavernas serving food and a spectacular view. Sitting at the waterfront, we never stop admiring the dazzling lights of the city spread across the dark mirror of the still ocean.
Of course, what we really come for is the evening meal—and foremost its mouthwatering mezedes, the countless small plates that to me symbolize the slow start to a Greek dinner. While meze traditionally are tiny bites, served midday with wine or spirits as part of a lively debating culture, a ritualistic socializing around food, they have also become cherished appetizer plates served before dinner. Across the Mediterranean, petite plates are served to entice your appetite, help you sit down and relax. In Spain people feast on tapas; Italians enjoy their antipasti. Meze or mezze is also served in Turkey, Lebanon, and Cyprus. The term meze has its roots in the Persian maze, “taste” or “snack.”
These miniature dishes, usually divided into cold and warm plates, are so varied that they can cover forty items on a restaurant menu. You can choose among tiny oregano- or mint-flavored meatballs, marinated octopus, deep-fried