Friday 31 October 2014

BREAKING NEWS : THE GREEK LARDER RESTAURANT & FOOD STORE OPENS ITS GATES AT KING'S CROSS LONDON UK






My words might seem rather biased speaking about the excellent Greek chef - and a dear friend of mine - Theodore Kyriakou and his new masterly planned endeavour by creating the "Greek Larder Restaurant & Food Store" which actually opens its gates this evening (October 31st, 2014) in the heart of London at King's Cross, so the least I can do for all of you my good friends in UK, is to urge you going there at first chance and savour authentic tastes of the European South -  dressed up in a "gourmet" outfit "ma non troppo" - harmoniously blended with an unprecedented hospitality Theo knows very well at a beautifully decorated environment ... and the rest is yours to discover!!!

www.thegreeklarder.co.uk 






Wednesday 29 October 2014

VIN DE LIQUER by ESTATE MANOLESAKIS




1.000 (375ml)  Bottles of a "sweet" Merlot like no other......








Thursday 23 October 2014

ANASTASIA ROSE by ESTATE MANOLESAKIS




Named after Stavros Manolesakis' youngest daughter, Anastasia is a beautifully balanced semidry rose wine made of selected Cabernet Sauvignon grapes of the Estate.

Stavros' original idea was to create a wine with specific "feminine" characteristics in order to approach newcomers to the world of wine and especially women who mostly appreciate fresh and aromatic wines with a touch of sweetness and it is no coincidence that Anastasia became one of the hits of the past 2 summers wherever it was available.

Next time you find yourselves either somewhere in Greece or at your nearest Greek restaurant, ask for a glass of chilled Anastasia and remember my words!

For more information on Estate Manolesakis distribution network, you may contact us at : dseitanidis@gmail.com 




Wednesday 15 October 2014

RECIRES WITH MAVRODAPHNE OF PATRAS





Mavrodaphne of Patras, beyond an excellent  red dessert wine, it is used by the chefs as an ingredient on various recipes as well as for the preparation of exquisite sauces.

We have picked one recipe & one sauce so you can easily make them at home and surprise your guests at your next gathering.




Pork fillet with pleurotus mushrooms and Mavrodaphne


A great combination of Mavrodaphne, cream, pleurotus mushrooms and pork meat. Accompany it with rice or if you feel really hungry with nice pasta like papardelle! 


Ingredients:
  • 1 Pork fillet, sliced 
  • 1 / 2 kg Plevrotus mushrooms 
  • 1 / 2 cup olive oil 
  • 2 medium onions, 
  • 2 carrots, sliced 
  • 1 green pepper 
  • 1 red pepper 
  • 250 ml Cream 
  • 1 / 2 tsp Cayenne pepper 
  • 1 1 / 4 cup Mavrodaphne 
  • Salt 
  • Freshly ground pepper 

Preparation:


1. Sauté the onions and carrots in a big pan. Add the peppers and continue to sauté until vegetables are soft.
 
2. Add the meat and sprinkle with the cayenne and freshly ground pepper. Allow the meat to brown on both sides.

3. Finish with 3 / 4 cup Mavrodaphne and cook over low heat until the alcohol evaporates.

4. Remove the meat and vegetables and place the mushrooms in the pan at higher heat. The plevrotus mushrooms will release many fluids; leave them as long as it takes for the fluids to evaporate.
 
5. Add the rest of the Mavrodaphne and lower the heat.
 
6. After 3 minutes add the meat with the vegetables and continue for another 2-3 minutes.

7. Finally add the cream and continue cooking for another 3 minutes for the sauce to become firm.


Mavrodaphne Barbecue sauce

Ingredients
  • 1 small glass of Mavrodaphne
  • 3/4 cup of  sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or salt
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce or grated pepper
  • 6 cloves of garlic finely chopped or 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 green onions, chopped or 3 tablespoons chopped onion
Preparation

Pour the Mavrodaphne in a saucepan and add the sugar while stirring at low heat.
when the sugar melts, add the rest of the ingredients.
The result is a sweet delicious dark sauce like the one used in Chinese fried lamb chops (Chinese spareribs) 

The sauce is suitable for all kinds of meat, goes perfectly though  with pork & lamb.








An alternative Mavrodaphne-based sauce is the one known as “Mavrodaphne sauce” consisting of mayonnaise, sugar, soy sauce, salt, hot sauce garlic and onion. 



MAVRODAPHNE OF PATRAS by GEORGE KARELAS