How to Roast a Lamb_ New Greek Classic Cooking - Michael Psilakis [2]
I owe Michael a debt for wonderful meals, for being such a warm and generous person, and for being as good a chef as I had hoped he would be, and for sharing his family stories and his own recipes. Not the least of the thanks is for this wonderful book.
ABOUT THE BOOK
THIS COOKBOOK IS AT ONCE a collection of recipes and a collection of reminiscences. These stories reflect on memories, emotions, and insights that transpired throughout my childhood and into early adolescence. They illuminate the years that would stand as the building blocks for my growth from boy to man and ultimately to chef. The importance of my childhood and the events that are chronicled within this book as chapter introductions are vital to the path that led me to my destiny in the kitchen. Without this foundation, I would be unable to experience the bliss of standing behind a stove and creating dishes that express my emotions in much the same way as a poet, painter, or musician might.
Through these chapter introductions, I invite you, the reader, into my soul as a chef. In following my muse, I have created a book of soulfully integrated chapters—with collections of recipes that flow from the critical stories. This makes for a seemingly haphazard compilation with appetizer, entrée, fish, vegetable, and meat recipes within any given chapter. While this format is somewhat unconventional by the standards of a traditional cookbook, it was more important to me to convey the pride I feel when tying on an apron than to stick to the mold. My hope is that by illustrating the emotion that inspires my labors in cooking, it will bring you closer to the food and ultimately to the passion that defines a true chef—that is, the passion behind the gift that is food.
To combat any confusion, I have included a second listing of recipes set up in a traditional manner, by type of dish, on page 280. This will be helpful if you are interested in using the book in a more conventional and straightforward way—as a means of introducing yourself to the wonders of Greek cuisine. I believe this is the underlying beauty of this book. It may be read as a book of prose with philosophical undertones relating to the soul of Greek food or as a cookbook that allows you to explore its identity through recipes or, as I have intended, both!
ABOUT THE RECIPES
THIS SUN ICON AT THE END of many recipes denotes extra, optional steps. Ingredients called for in optional steps are not included in the ingredients list.
Although the use of stock is an integral part of achieving wide-ranging depth of flavor, for this book I’ve chosen to use only water, just as my mother did when I was a child. This is not to say that I don’t recommend the use of stocks. To the contrary, a stock will always help to enrich the final product. The logic here, however, is to promote my desire to keep these recipes accessible to the home cook. It’s more important to me that you begin to cook Greek food than it is for you to spend hours making a stock. Instead, I always add plenty of fresh, aromatic herbs and spices, season aggressively with salt and pepper, and often add tomato paste or my essential Garlic Puree for body. However, if you have some stock lying around or you have a favorite brand that you purchase when you want to go the extra mile, you have not only my permission to use it, but also my blessing!
In this book, wherever possible, I offer optional shortcuts by doing things like using really good store-bought products (like roasted red peppers in a jar) in lieu of making everything from scratch. If using water instead of stock and store-bought peppers instead of homemade will get you into the kitchen to cook recipes from this book, I’m all for it.
I know everyone is busy, so there are very few fancy techniques. I want my food to be