Phyllo Feta Torte: Entertaining Menu Option

Guests are very often my kitchen guinea pigs, since I normally use them to debut new recipes that have captured my fancy. Thankfully, my choices are seldom failures--it's a bit risky to mix a new recipe and company. I've been a cooking fiend in recent weeks but got too busy to post. This is a catch-up with some truly must-try dishes that I've made recently.

When my friend Missi was here, I pulled out all the stops for a dinner I hosted for her. Not only did I make the Phyllo Feta Torte mentioned in the title, but I had her teach me how to grill by making Beef Andouille Burgers, and I did Epicurious's Lemon Curd Tart for dessert, which I highly recommend.

The Phyllo Feta Torte is one of my NYT finds. Apparently it's traditional fare at Greek Orthodox Easter celebrations. It's also the single easiest way to use phyllo dough that I have encountered (spanakopita is the hardest, baklava relatively easy). In fact, the whole recipe is a cinch to make, yet everyone gasps at its beauty when you unmold it. While it doesn't hit my cooking-for-myself trifecta of easy, healthy, and yummy, it more than meets my cooking-for-guests trifecta of easy, gorgeous, and yummy. This dish may well be the winningest I have.

When I made it the first time, I was delighted with how it tasted plain, but then I bravely tried the honey--yes, honey with feta and dill!--and ZOMG it was transcendent! A light to heavy drizzle of local honey really should be a requirement for this impressive and easy dish, and everyone who likes flaky pastry and a complex array of flavors should give this baby a go. 

A Winning Recipe: Tortilla Espagnola

(Updated: I was too busy last week to make this, get the photo, and submit it to NYT, but it's still a winner.  I wrote this post on 9/20.)

The NYT Well Blog is putting together a round-up of readers' potluck recipes and photos, deadline 24 September.  I at first felt like I had nothing to submit, but my friends reminded me that very few recipes are truly original--we're all vamping on someone else's idea.  Besides, the entry form asks for the source--hurray for such explicit protection of intellectual property!

I first thought I'd go with a tart, since I have been the Queen of Tarts this summer.  They are impressive--edible at any temperature and with crusts that often permit them to become finger food, which is something of a win.  But I hesitated, because my tarts are seasonal, and I felt a winning recipe should be for all seasons.

And then I remembered Epicurious's Tortilla Espagnola, which I revised pretty heavily and with great success for preparation in my iron skillet.  Not only is it even more of a finger food than tarts, it creates more individual bits, tastes best at room temperature, and is a very easy prep that leaves you with lovely flavored olive oil to use when you cook.  A win!

Found Food: Roasted Squash Seeds

While I am perfectly happy to compost my food scraps and reuse them that way, the best foods are those that have further edible iterations.  The kuri squash that I used to make the Spiced Kuri Squash and Chicken Stew yielded some plump, beautiful seeds that begged to be roasted.  Since these will be higher calorie and a huge temptation, I'm taking them to a neighbor's tonight along with a bottle of Portguese wine.

Roasted Squash Seeds
Makes 2 cups

Seeds from a winter squash such as Kuri
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1)  Take seeds scooped from squash and rinse in colander to get rid of as much squash fiber and meat as possible.  Spread on baking tray and dry out.

2)  Preheat oven to 375 F.

3)  Place seeds in a mixing bowl.  Add oil and stir.  Add spices (improvising as necessary or desired) and stir.  Spread seeds evenly on baking sheet.

4) Place baking sheet full of seeds in oven and bake 20-30 minutes or until seeds begin to brown.  Adjust salt as desired.