Three Cheese Savory Phyllo Pie--Inspired by Gibanica

I have always been afraid to work with phyllo pastry. All the recipes I read seemed very complicated when it came to proper handling the sheets of phyllo dough, which has the tendency to dry too fast. Also, a lot of butter was used in each recipe, which discouraged me even more.

I am not a big fan of phyllo's crispness and ready-made phyllo dishes, like spanakopitas, look appetizing enough, to avoid the hassle of dealing with phyllo at home. But I still remember a dish that my friend made years ago which I liked very much, based on phyllo pastry and cheese. She served it on a spring day lunch with green salad and chilled white wine. And I still remember how good it was.

Then another friend made a similar savory pie, which again tasted very good. It was another version of the same dish and I learned that the original recipe came from Balkans, and the pie was called Gibanica.

Some time ago, when I found myself with a big container of accidentally bought ricotta cheese, I decided it was time to take up the challenge and finally make something with phyllo pastry. I combined some elements from both recipes I got and made a delicious pie filled with a smooth mixture of three cheeses. And although the original Gibanica is a vegetarian dish made with one type of Balkan cottage cheese, when I made if for the second time I added a couple of slices of smoked ham to the filling. It tasted really good.

Also working with phyllo turned out not difficult at all. After opening an original package I put the whole roll into a large Ziploc bag, which prevented it from drying while I was working with sheets. I used butter generously for greasing the baking form, but I did not put it between the layers of the phyllo dough (the cheese is fat enough already), and just put some butter flakes on top of the pie. The whole crust came out nice and crispy, it was not too dry or too greasy, and therefore the delicate taste of the pastry was very detectable.

Three Cheese Savory Phyllo Pie
(Serves six)

Ingredients:
1 package phyllo pastry dough--you will need between 15-20 sheets,
3 cups ricotta cheese,
1 package--8 oz mascarpone cheese,
half a pound feta cheese, crumbled,
4 eggs, yolks separated from whites,
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg,
1/4 tsp salt,
freshly ground pepper.

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 370F.
2. Using stand or hand mixer with whisk attachments beat three cheeses together, and when they are already well combined add egg yolks one by one whisking continuously.
3. Beat whites until stiff and gently fold into the cheese mixture, season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
4. Grease the baking form (springform pan) with butter and spread about 10-15 sheets at the bottom and up the walls of the springform pan, with some overhang over the edges of the pan--see picture.

5. Fill the form with cheese filling and cover it with the remaining 5-10 phyllo sheets, gently wrinkling them and folding the overhang on the top (as if to package the cheese filling in phyllo dough).

6. Bake the pie for 50-60 minutes. When the upper phyllo becomes already dark gold but the pie does net yet rise, cover the top with a piece of aluminium foil.

Serve warm cut into triangles with green lettuce and tomato salad.

Beet Salad Again--And Why Not?

Especially that it is such a winter vegetable. Beets have been very "in" in the culinary world for quite a few years now. But in Polish cuisine they have been in for centuries. So when I see the best chefs in the world proudly throwing them over the green salads, I smile. I smile even more when I look at the price of such dishes on the menu of the most renowned restaurants.

In Poland, beet has always been a vegetable of the poor, a country food. They still are just one of the most basic, cheap, and popular ingredients of our cuisine. And one of the most beloved. No wonder that I can post several recipes featuring beets in a main role to popularize this wonderful and healthy vegetable.

Besides being used for soups (barszcz) and as a warm meat accompaniment, beets are most popular in salads. Although I love Belgian endive with beets, or green salads served with them, I prefer traditional salads that truly capture their taste and the intensive color. They can be eaten on their own or served with cold cuts or grilled meats.

This is a second from probably about ten salads that I have been serving at my house, always with a great success, and not only to my Polish friends. I make it from roasted beets rather than cooked beets. They are more healthy and tasty that way, but cooked or even marinated beets can be used as well, although in the latter case I would cut out lemon and vinegar, which are used in this recipe.

Beet Salad
(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:
4 medium roasted beets, cut first into slices and then into sticks,
2 tsp lemon juice,
2 tsp white wine vinegar,
1 garlic clove, minced,
2 tsp olive oil,
2 tsp sour cream or yogurt, preferably Greek,
2 tsp mustard,
2 tbsp mayonnaise,
freshly ground pepper,
1 tbsp freshly chopped dill (optional),
1/2 tsp salt.

Preparation:
1. Put the beet sticks in a large bowl and season with salt, lemon juice, vinegar, and sugar. Mix well gently and let them marinate for at least two hours or even overnight.

2. Make the sauce: in a small bowl mix mayonnaise, mustard, olive oil, cream or yogurt, garlic, and pepper.

3. Pour the sauce over the beets and mix gently. Let it stand aside for 30 minutes.
4. Season with dill and serve.

Warm Bacon Salad--An Import from Belgium

The common opinion has it that bacon is not good for you, but what is wrong with a little bit of bacon from time to time? Just a couple of slices added to any dish makes it more aromatic and tasty. Scrambled eggs become almost spicy when fried on bacon and many simple soups get a new flair when served with pancetta or hardwood smoked bacon. Also several noodle dishes, especially those made from potatoes--Polish specialty--become a real feast when served with fried bacon on top.

I got this recipe from a friend. The salad is called Liegeoise because it comes from the city of Liege in Belgium. I discovered several recipes for it on the internet and in various cookbooks but none of them was exactly as the one I had.

I followed almost precisely the recipe I got from my friend with the exception of how much bacon to put in. I added a little more of it than the recipe called for, but I used a very lean bacon, mindful of the caloric content. I happened to have white wine tarragon vinegar, which is the exact same vinegar that is used in this recipe. I made it myself, but you can also buy it in many grocery stores.

It is a perfect salad for this cold season, as it is supposed to be served with warm bacon. I really wanted to make it the other day. The same morning I also baked country bread and it was a wonderful addition to the salad, and very fulfilling combination of a hearty salad and freshly baked bread. It can make a comforting weekend lunch, especially if served with a glass of white wine.

Warm bacon and Grean Bean Salad
(Serves four)

Ingredients:
1/2 pack of smoked lean bacon (about 3 oz) cut into small cubes,
1 large onion,
1/2 lb grean beans, can be frozen (I like to use extra fine green beans for this salad),
1 lb baby potatoes,
freshly ground pepper,
about 1 cup of tarragon vinegar, or white wine vinegar.

Preparation:
1. Cut potatoes in halves leaving the peel on, cook them in salted water until soft, drain.
2. Boil water and cook the beans for 3-8 minutes, just to the point when they are still a little bit crunchy (al dente). It will take less time for extra fine beans to cook and longer for the regular ones, drain.
3. Heat the frying pan and add the bacon. Fry the bacon first at high heat, and when most of the fat is melted, turn the heat down and add onion. Fry them all together until the onion becomes transparent and almost all the fat from the bacon is melted.
4. At that point you may take away some grease from the pan, or if the bacon was lean to start with leave it like that. Add some vinegar to the pan (just enough to cover the bacon). Let it boil on low heat for about 3 minutes to reduce the vinegar somewhat.
5. In a large bowl mix potatoes with beans, season with pepper, pour the hot vinegar sauce with bacon on top. Mix and serve.

Vegetables can be cooked ahead, and do not have to be hot, just in room temperature. Hot vinegar sauce will make this dish slightly warm.