Catching up...

Hello everyone!  A lot has happened since we last blogged...but let's start from the beginning.  On Saturday before Easter it is traditional in Greece to go to church and eat after midnight - on Sunday -with friends and family.  We eat after midnight because the fasting finishes then.  Dinner is usually a soup that is not for the squeamish...and the name is mαgiritsa (μαγειρἰτσα).  This soup serves as a transition.  And this is what I mean by that:  The fasting for Easter is 50 days long.  That means that no meat, fish, or any animal product is allowed except from the ones that have no blood...so seafood is ok.  It is one of the most difficult fasting times because it is lengthy.  Easter Sunday's lunch is usually lamb...rotisserie style.  Because people buy the whole lamb, they also buy the organs that come with it.  So...in Greece we throw nothing away and the organs become the soup.  Yes!  We eat a soup made of intestines and liver and kidneys and all these other stuff.  The soup serves as a transition because you go from not eating meat at all, to starting with something a little on the lighter side, and move to the lamb which we all know is heavy on the stomach type of food.  
So last Saturday we made the soup which is finished with a lemon and egg type of cream called avgolemono (αυγολἐμονο).  And because intestines are not found here, we substituted that with another not for the squeamish type of ingredient - lamb tongue.  We also had some salads and some other dishes to accompany the soup.  But the protagonist was the soup.  If you have never tasted it and you ever get the chance please do so.  I know it is something that a lot will think no way!  but please do try it as it is really delicious.  Try to cook it if you can't find it ready made...personally I would prefer to cook it myself.  
So there are two recipes added this time.  One is the soup and the other is the egg salad.  Now, this is no ordinary egg salad.  First of all, although it is called a salad it is an appetiser for us...so we will put it under that category and not the salad one.  I personally would say that this is the only egg salad where the egg is right there for you to taste it and it is not hiding behind any mayo or mustard.  Not that i don't like those as well, but this one has a more fresh taste because of all the parsley that is added. 
Moving on, Sunday found us at Kostas' company where we all Greeks celebrated the traditional way by having lamb rotisserie style like I mentioned before.  It was lots of fun!  I wish it would remain fun but unfortunately, I ended up hurting my self by dislocating my shoulder and since Sunday night I have been resting.  Thus, the delay in the recipe posting.  Let's hope that I will get better soon so we can continue to cook.  For now please do try the following recipes and we hope you enjoy them! :)
Kali Oreksi and Happy belated Greek Easter!
Dia, Kostas, and Tony 

Egg Salad

Ingredients

• 8 hard boiled eggs
• 1/2 medium size onion sliced thinly
• 1 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp hot paprika
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 45ml extra virgin olive oil
• juice from one lemon

for more information on how to make the Egg salad please click here

Magiritsa

Ingredients

• 800g sheep liver
• 200g sheep kidney
• 2 lamb tongues
• 250g lettuce thinly sliced
• 150g green onions thinly sliced
• 100g dill thinly sliced
• 50g mint thinly sliced
• 70ml extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp pepper
• 70g calrose rice
• 2 eggs
• juice from 2 lemons
• pinch of salt

for more information on how to make magiritsa please click here