Hey Lena......

How are you sweetie??? I've miss you and it was so good to
hear your voice and laugh yesterday....i know it's hard to hold
back from laughing too loud (especially at your mom) while
your in the library!! It's always been very hard for me to hold
back in quiet places.....I used to get in trouble for giggling in
church all the time when we had weekly masses in grade school.
And sometimes it still can cause problems.....two weeks ago I told
a funny story to a co-worker before doing a couples facial and just
one look at her during the treatment and I started to lose it!! At
first I pretended I was having an 'allergy' attack...excused myself,
and then started shaking....then convulsing......and then busted out
laughing.......and LUCKILY....BOTH the clients and my co-worker did
as well......it was soooooo good for all of us.........so bust out that
joyous spirit of yours sweet girl.....it's in your blood.....pure joy;)))

I love you,
momxoxo below is the recipe you wanted for Bechamel sauce to go
on top of the frozen Pastitsio.....I would take the Pastitsio out of the
freezer about an hour before so it can thaw.

Bechamel Sauce by Kristin Efthimiou
(thick style)

1 stick butter
1/4 cup flour (generous 1/4 cup)
2 eggs
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp sugar
a pinch of nutmeg
3 cups milk (or a tad more if needed)

In a med sauce pan melt butter over low heat. When butter is completely
melted add all of flour with metal wisk until you have made a smooth
creamy texture. Add milk and continue to stir over medium heat. Do not
leave unattended or flour/butter mixture may clump or burn on bottom....
you are trying to achieve a type of creamy sauce here. Once milk thickens
with flour/butter (roux) take off stove and let sit for 10 min to cool off. Once
mixture has cooled down a bit, stir in 2 eggs. This will give a beautiful yellow
hue to the sauce and help it rise a bit in the oven. Then add a pinch salt, 1/2
tsp sugar and nutmeg.........pour over Pastitsio and top with parmesean cheese.
It's a bit advanced, but an essential in every cooks kitchen......love ya!!!XOXO

Some how whipped up 2 pans of Greek Pastichio
to send up to my daughter this morning in Minnesota
....her friend was home visiting for the weekend and
offered to take 'whatever' back for her.....ok Miss
Lena, they are ooooon the way.....one for tonight
and one for your FREEZER......i'll post the recipe so
you can make your own bechamel when you're
ready to dive into the other one (wasn't sure how
that would freeze!).......Your father went shopping
this morning and also sent you his love with some
groceries and fruit.........WE LOVE YOU!!;))

Mama and BabaXOXOXO

(p.s. i'll post the recipe later.....i really need a NAP!!);)

(p.s.s.).....the bread i sent needs to be BAKED BEFORE
you eat it;))X

"Cinnamon Girl" Sherried Beef Ragu....tossed with fusilli pasta and
topped with Greek oil cured olives

inspired by my greek mother-in-law, Eleni, loved to
throw a stick of cinnamon in all her red sauces, and
dedicated to my daughter Lena who was baptized in
her Yaya's name...........and Neil Young, because I'm
a fan;))

The thing about 'Red Sauces', I found out about living
over in Greece, is that they are never very 'heavy', the
sauce is usually, if you can imagine a 'fragrant' carrier
used to transport and infuse the spice into the
food........OR that's the way my husband's mother cooks
and simply the way I learned from her.....she always freaked
out a bit when I got heavy on the tomatoes.......so go gently
and aromatize;))

Eleni would never make this sauce in the summer.....'her'
version of it, which would be w/out the Sherry.....(these thicker
red sauces, and grant you she is from the region of Thessaly)
are really only made in the colder months, and using any meat
at all, as least in my husband's family, was a rare occurance. For
a recipe such as this, it would often consist of left over meat that was
from a different meal, then slow cooked with a tomato purree, scented
with a bay leaf and cinnamon stick and served with pilafi (pilaf)......
simple.....

Mine is a bit different......but runs along the same vein.....

This what you'll need:

1 2 lb chuck roast cut into med size pieces
1/2 cup Sherry
* place meat in bowl, toss with Sherry and
set aside for 20 min.......

Saute: (use a larger dutch oven -translation- a covered pot
that can go in the oven to slow cook)
1 large yellow onion
4 med cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 bay leaf
4-5 T olive oil
*saute until the onions are clear (translucent) and
start to brown a little....

Deglaze:
Take ANOTHER 1/2 cup Sherry and deglaze the onions,
stirring gently to 'unstick' the brownish 'fond' (yes, a term
i learned from my brother...thanks Paul!!) from the pan
and turn heat on LOW......

Browning the meat:
Place 5-6 T olive oil in a separate pan
Let pan heat up before you place pieces of beef in, or it will
stick.......i prefer to use olive oil, rather than butter,

Cook beef until it's about 80% done, then spoon out pieces
and add to your onions, garlic, bay leaf and sherry......

To this: add 1 can crushed tomatoes.....

Then 1 stick cinnamon
And approx 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (or 4 shakes;))
And another splash of Sherry
Salt to your liking, I use sea salt
And ANOTHER 1/4 to 1/2 cup OLIVE OIL....yes that much!
2 cups water

Let simmer on stove, then cover and place in oven
on Convection Roast at 325 for 1.5 hours or until
beef is very tender and can be shredded.....add
additional water if needed while in oven, and stir
slightly, paying attention that bottom of dutch oven
doesn't burn.

For the Pasta:
Boil 1 package Fusilli
Toss with olive oil and set aside

When beef is tender.....remove from oven and
shred the pieces in the sauce with two forks...

Toss in your pasta that you've set aside.......

And top with a few oil cured olives.....

My family likes this with a greek feta on the side
and of course BREAD!!!!! Lord forgive me if i don't
have any;))

ENJOY! It's a lovely pasta dish that fills hungry boys..
I'm home cooking for my husband and son and trying
to teach my daughter how to cook while she's away
at college........I know I'll be getting a phone call from
her soon;)

warm regards,
kiki

thinking about.....

lemondrops and maralade

let a ray of the sun

become undone

and a bowl full of jelly

bring joy to your belly

spread it on the toast

put it in the tea

watch it shine across your lap

and pounce upon your knee;)


(for my friend Alizia)XOmama

this is what I get when i wake up with the chickens.....


there's a love song
that i'd like to tell....
it's a little journey 'bout a trip
to hell.....

and there's a love song
that i'd like to share....
it was so bad she was
pullin' her hair....

there's a long song
about a little woman...
kneadin' in the kitchen
and a cryin' at the stove.....

now she's gotta somthin' a bakin'
in that oven

in that oven

in that oven

somethin' really special

real special

real special

real special

it's a story of old..........

one day
when she was little
a heart shaped bird
with silver wings
landed on her chest

and hands fluttered on her head
while the piano roared
and folks shared bread

their tongues fluttered
and called upon a name
while she sat

obediently
under the warmth
of their breath....

she now feels
that silver winged bird
flutter and open

from the roof tops
under a blue sky

while white birds wings
flutter....and open
in her eyes