February – Guest Chef: Natalia Fritz
Tiropetes
4
servings30
minutes40
minutesI first learned to cook by sitting at the counter, watching my mother in the kitchen. I recall she did a lot from memory, rarely following a recipe. She would measure ingredients, though never too precisely—just enough to guide, leaving room for instinct. One of the first things she taught me was Triopetes, a traditional Greek appetizer. From the young age of 5 or 6, my palate was already more adventurous than most kids’, and I loved the Mediterranean flavors and textures of this dish—salty feta, fresh parsley, crisp layers of phyllo dough. She would often make Triopetes as appetizers before dinner parties, and I loved them! Finally, at age 10, I wrote the recipe myself so I could have it forever, because I adored my mother so much, and this was something I connected with her… That early experience not only captured my attention but also sparked a lifelong love of cooking, entertaining and sharing food.
Ingredients
1 box of Phyllo dough leaves
1 pound of crumbled feta cheese
3 egg yolks
½ cup whole milk ricotta
1 cup of butter, melted
4 TBLS chopped parsley
1 cup bachamel sauce
Bachemel sauce:
3 TBLS salted butter
3 TBLS all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk at room temperature
¼ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp white pepper
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
Directions
- In medium sauce pan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted and foamy. Whisk in flour,
until well combined. Cook, whisking constantly, until the raw smell of the flour disappears, about
2 minutes.
Slowly add the milk, whisking until no lumps remain. Increase the heat to medium-high, whisking
until the sauce thickens, resembling a white gravy. This takes usually 4-5 minutes.
Use the bechamel immediately, or place in a bowl with plastic wrap directly over the top to keep
it from developing a skin.
1) Prepare you bechamel sauce and allow it to cool.
2) Preheat the oven to 375
3) To one cup of the bechamel sauce add the feta, egg yolks, ricotta, parsley and 3
tablespoons of melted butter. Mix well. Set aside.
4) Carefully remove the phyllo dough from the package. Phyllo dough is super thin and
delicate. It takes a few tries to feel comfortable using it, but its worth it. Sometimes I buy
an extra box just in case.
5) With a basting brush, lightly brush a sheet of phyllo with the melted butter. Cut the sheet
length-wise into 3-inch strips. At the bottom of the strip, place about 1.5-2 TBLS of the
cheese filling. Then, from the bottom working upwards fold a corner up to make a
triangle - repeat this folding all the way up the sheet. You will have a triangle pocket of
the filling. Place on a baking sheet. Continue repeating this process until you have the
desired amount of triopetes.
6) Brush them with a little more butter.
7) Bake them for 15-20 minutes.
8) Serve at once.
January – Guest Chef: Binky McCabe
Chinese Chicken Salad
4
servings30
minutes40
minutesHer Chinese chicken salad was the best and we would eat it on the snake river. Every moment we would fish this was a regular lunch! It is spectacular with lots of fresh and pickled ginger and cilantro.
Ingredients
1 rotisserie Chicken, meat removed from bones
1 bunch fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/4 c pickled ginger
1 bunch scallion, white and light green parts, sliced
english cucumber, skinned and sliced thin
1 head iceberg lettuce
- Dressing
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
1 1/2 t hot chili oil
2 TB avocado oil
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, skinned and grated
Directions
- Remove meat bone and cut into bite size and place in a large bowl with scallions, pickled ginger, cilantro, lettuce, and cucumber.
- For the dressing, mix everything in a jar and give a good shake. Pour over salad and garnish with sesame seeds/peanuts and garnish with cilantro.
