Subject: Stuffed Grape Leaves
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Mon Feb 11 2002 - 19:01:22 EST
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F O O D F U N N Y
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Thanks to reader Beth Rookey for this one:
A man walks into a restaurant with his wife. The waiter approaches
the table and asks for their order. "I'll have your biggest, juiciest
London broil," says the man.
"But sir, what about the mad cow?" asks the waiter.
"Oh," answers the man, "she'll order for herself."
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T O D A Y ' S R E C I P E
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In honor of the winter Olympic games in Salt Lake City and to
commemorate the assembly of our very own Team Recitopia, I have
put together an eclectic menu of dishes from the five continents
represented by the five rings in the Olympic logo.
It seemed only fitting to begin our Olympian Feast with a recipe from
the nation that started the whole Olympic thing. Representing Europe,
this dish from Greece will have the crowd on their feet.
Stuffed Grape Leaves
4 Tbs (60 ml) olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 - 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup (80 ml) uncooked rice
3/4 cup (180 ml) water
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbs (30 ml) pine nuts (pignoli), toasted
2 Tbs (30 ml) dried currants or raisins
40 preserved grape leaves*
Lemon wedges for garnish
* Preserved grape leaves can be found in jars or cans in finer
supermarkets and Middle Eastern specialty shops.
Heat half the oil in a skillet over moderate heat and saute the onion
and garlic until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the rice
and stir for 2 minutes. Add the water, salt, and pepper and bring to
a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer tightly covered for 15 minutes,
until the rice is tender. Add the pine nuts and currants. Bring a
large pot of water to a boil and add the grape leaves. Remove from
the heat immediately and allow to sit for 1 minute. Drain the grape
leaves and rinse in cold water. Separate the leaves and pat dry with
paper towels. Layer the bottom of a heavy baking dish with 10 of the
grape leaves. Place about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the rice mixture on
each of the remaining 30 grape leaves and roll up burrito fashion,
folding the sides of the leaves over the filling as you roll to make
compact tight bundles. Place the rolled leaves seam side down in the
baking dish and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Add a few
tablespoons of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the
heat and simmer tightly covered for 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room
temperature, garnished with lemon wedges. Serves 6 to 8.
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