MADDIE here, delighted to welcome my friend and fellow Kensington cozy author Tina Kashian! She has a new Christmas book out and will give away a copy to one lucky commenter. Read down for details. Take it away, Tina.
Moussaka
Thank you for inviting me as a guest in your kitchen!
I love to cook all types of cuisine, and I grew up in a family-owned restaurant
in southern New Jersey. My Kebab Kitchen Mystery Series is set in a
Mediterranean restaurant at the Jersey shore.
In my new release, Mistletoe,
Moussaka & Murder, Lucy Berberian is a recovering lawyer who returns to
Ocean Crest, NJ to manage her family’s restaurant, Kebab Kitchen. As you can
tell by the title, it is a holiday themed book and Mediterranean food plays a
major part of the festivities.
Some people ask me what is moussaka? The easiest way
to describe the importance of this dish is simple: moussaka is to the Greeks what
lasagna is to the Italians. It’s a staple dish. The recipe has many steps, but
the food is well worth the effort. Of course, you can always order it at your
favorite, local Mediterranean restaurant.
Moussaka
by Tina Kashian
This Mediterranean dish is often served at
holidays and family dinners.
Prep
Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1
large finely chopped onion
2
pounds ground beef
4
tablespoons tomato paste
½
cup red wine
½
cup chopped parsley
¼
teaspoon cinnamon
Salt
and freshly ground pepper to taste
2
large eggplants
¼
cup vegetable oil
¼
pound butter
6
tablespoons flour
1
quart full-fat milk
4
beaten eggs
teaspoon
grated nutmeg
2
cups ricotta cheese
1½
cup fine breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
For
the ground beef:
Heat
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet and cook the onions until they turn
transparent. Add the ground meat and cook until fully cooked. Transfer the meat
to a large strainer set over a bowl and drain off any excess fat. Return meat
to the pan and heat. Add the tomato paste, wine, parsley, and cinnamon. Season
with salt and pepper to taste. Stir and simmer over low heat until all the
liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.
For the eggplant:
Cut
unpeeled eggplants into ½-inch-thick slices. Lightly salt the slices and let
them sit for five minutes. Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a separate skillet.
Working in batches, fry the eggplant slices until they are golden brown on both
sides. Set eggplant slices aside on sheet pan lined with paper towels to absorb
the oil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
For the béchamel sauce:
In
a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly,
until the mixture is smooth. In a separate saucepan, bring the milk to a boil
and add it gradually to the butter-flour mixture. Whisk constantly. When the
mixture is thickened and smooth, remove it from the heat. In a bowl, whisk
together beaten eggs, nutmeg, and ricotta cheese. Add it to the béchamel sauce
and whisk until smooth.
Putting it all together:
Spray
an 11-x-16 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs.
Layer half the eggplant in pan, then add half of the meat sauce. Sprinkle with
breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add the rest of the eggplant and then the meat
sauce. Pour the béchamel sauce on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is
browned and bubbly. Allow it to cool for twenty minutes before serving.
You can top it off with fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and even tomato sauce if you prefer. Here’s a dish from my favorite Mediterranean restaurant. Enjoy!
Readers: Please share! What’s your favorite type of ethnic cuisine? Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Thai, or anything else?
Tina Kashian is an attorney and a former mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. Tina spent her childhood summers at the Jersey shore building sandcastles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business, as her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two daughters. Please visit her website at www.tinakashian.com to join her newsletter, receive delicious recipes, enter contests, and more!
You can also connect with Tina at:
Website:
www.tinakashian.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TinaKashianAuthor/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TinaKashian1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinakashian/ Kebab Kitchen Mystery
Not
even her impending nuptials can keep Lucy Berberian, manager of her
family-owned Kebab Kitchen, from the Jersey Shore’s annual Polar Bear Plunge.
But her dive into the icy ocean is especially chilling when she finds a fellow
swimmer doing the dead man’s float—for real . . .
Who would kill a man in cold blood during Ocean Crest, New Jersey’s most
popular winter event? When Lucy learns the victim is Deacon Spooner, the reception
hall owner who turned up his nose—and his price—at her wedding plans, she can’t
help wondering who wouldn’t kill the pompous caterer . . .
Perhaps the culprit is the wedding cake baker whose career Deacon nearly
destroyed? Or the angry bride whose reception he ruined? With her maid of
honor, Katie, busily planning Lucy’s wedding without her, Lucy will have to get
to the bottom of this cold-hearted business in time for Kebab Kitchen’s
mouthwatering Christmas celebration—and before her hometown’s holiday spirit
washes out to sea . . .
Recipes included!
“With a warm cast of characters and an ingenious main character, this
is a series that will prove delightful for cozy fans.”
—Parkersburg News & Sentinel on Stabbed
in the Baklava
“Clever and charming . . . A culinary delight that will have readers
salivating over the food and hungry for literary answers.”
—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars, on Hummus
and Homicide
BUY LINKS
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3d6TK2V
Barnes &
Noble: https://bit.ly/2V2R4NV
Google Books: https://bit.ly/3hrFS73
iBooks: https://apple.co/3hyqMfI
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2ABK3wc
My favorite ethnic cuisine would be Czech. Potato dumplings, kolaches, sauerkraut, Jiternice (a type of sausage) dbahn@iw.net.net I'd prefer a print copy, if I am the lucky winner!
ReplyDeleteHi Dianne! The Czech sounds delicious. I've never had this but would like to try it. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteOh my, Moussaka sounds absolutely wonderful. It made my mouth water early this morning just reading the recipe. This one is a keeper for me and I'll definitely be trying it.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up as an Army brat and even though we didn't travel like a lot of military families, I was exposed to a lot of different nationalities and their cuisines. Mom was often in the kitchen learning authentic Italian, Mexican or Japanese dishes to name just a few. I feel fortunate to have been passed on how to make dishes from around the world.
One of my favorites has to me the lasagna that an Italian neighbor taught Mom. We were eating lasagna before it became a popular dish and loving it. As were the times, recipes weren't written down, but where passed down from one to another by showing. I'm forever grateful that many years back and before Alzheimer hit my Mom that I decided to make a family cook book of tried and true recipes. It often meant being in the kitchen with Mom taking exact measurements of spices and ingredients after she measured them by eye in her hand. Then I would make the dish and Mom would tweak it telling me what I needed more or less of until we got it just right. When the urge for some fine Italian hits now, I can reach for my cookbook and know it's going to taste just like Mom. Although it lacks one important ingredient - Mom's love, the sweet memories of the past add an extra ingredient to make up for it a little bit.
"MISTLETOE, MOUSSAKA & MURDER" sounds like a wonderful book and has been on my TBR list since I first read about it. Absolutely LOVE the cover! Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy! I would love the chance to read and review. Shared and hoping to be the very fortunate one selected.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Hi Kay. What a wonderful story and I'm glad you had a chance to be with your mom in the kitchen and write down all her recipes. I remember doing this with my own mom before she passed away. I was fortunate enough to find one of her recipe boxes when we were cleaning out the house and I treasure it to this day. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your touching story.
DeleteSounds wonderful. Would love a print book. Thanks for the chance ❤ Kris Harn : kharn63@earthlink.net
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by, Kris!
DeleteSounds great! I would love a print book! Happy book Birthday!
ReplyDeleteThank you and have a great day!
DeleteWould love to read this book. Print for me. Thank you for this chance!! pgenest57(at)aol(dot)com Paula
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting, Paula!
DeleteI am a foodie and love all ethnic foods.
ReplyDeleteKitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net
Hi Christine. I'm definitely a "foodie." I like to try all different types of cuisine. Mexican and Italian are also favorites with my kids.
DeleteI love lots of different ethnic cuisines. My all time favorite has to be Mexican food.
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Hi Nancy! My kids like Mexican food and we had enchiladas last night. Always a hit in my house.
DeleteLove ethnic foods -hard to pick a favorite one.
ReplyDeletejtcgc at yahoo dot com
You sound like me. I always tell my kids to try a different dish at least two times before making up their minds if they like it or not. We all usually end up liking it.
DeleteMy favorite cuisine would probably be Chinese with mexican a close second. That said I enjoy a number of different ethnic cuisines. I do not however like Thai or Indian cuisine.
ReplyDeletelaurie(dot)anismom2(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi Laurie! I like Thai and Indian, although I can't handle spicy like I used to. I have to pick dishes that aren't super spicy.
DeleteMexican is my favorite. Followed by Chinese.
ReplyDeletebmedrano34@yahoo.com
Hi Beth. Yes to both of Chinese and Mexican. We have two great restaurants near us that we order from.
DeleteMoussaka! Have added this recipe to my Pinterest for next years garden party if my eggplants do well. I’ve always salted my eggplant to reduce bitterness but I’ve always peeled it. This is interesting. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJoliver284@yahoo.com.
Hello! Yes, eggplant can be bitter, and salting them helps. Sometimes you can peel the eggplant, then salt it. That also helps. Thanks for the tips!
DeleteLove Italian food! Yum. Would enjoy a print book! Love your books! Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeletejarjm1980@hotmail.com
Lasagna is always a delicious choice. Thanks for reading my books!
DeleteChinese would be my choice. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteIt really depends what I’m in the mood for but my favorites are Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean.
ReplyDeletesgiden at verizon(.)net
Hi Sandy! I forgot about Korean. One of my aunts through marriage was Korean and we always enjoyed her cooking.
DeleteI've changed my mind about which is my favorite 3 times since you asked! I like them all! I guess, if I had to choose, it would be Italian. Of course, nothing beats good old Southern cooking! Would prefer print book. Hope I win!
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoyed southern cooking when we visited Alabama a few years ago. It was all from local and fresh produce and it was delicious!
DeleteIts not really Ethnic, but i love Japanese . Lived there 4 years and fell in love with their food, my 2nd choice would be Italian, love pizza, pasta etc
ReplyDeleteWhat a great experience to live in Japan for four years! I'd love to visit, and I'm sure the food was fabulous, too!
DeleteMexican (I love burritos) and Italian. I live in what was once a Hungarian neighborhood so I love chicken paprikas and I've also had crepes at the festival, palacsintas with fillings such as apricot or cinnamon.
ReplyDeleteI just bought the book so if I win maybe I could choose a different book in the series.
Catbooks72(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi Michelle, I've never had chicken paprikas, but they sound good. I do love breakfast crepes with fresh strawberries or apricots
Deleteoh but this book looks like fun. thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. i love italian but it doesnt love me anymore. so i have gone to meat and veggies and by body is happy now. LOL age LOL
ReplyDeletequilting lady 2 at comcast dot net
Hi Lori, my husband can have marinara sauce, but he can't tolerate tomatoes, so he has to be careful with some Italian dishes. But he loves lasagna and moussaka.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that marinara sauce is ok since it is made from tomatoes.
DeleteI love German and Italian. And every year we hope to get cabbage big enough to make holubchi, a Ukrainian recipe from my grandpa. We've have a lot of trouble with critters getting to the cabbage so at one time my mom adapted it into a casserole so smaller leaves wouldn't matter. Still good, though not quite the same.
ReplyDeletekozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com
Hi Alicia. I love cabbage recipes, especially if they are stuffed with meat. Your grandpa's Ukrainian recipe sounds good. Smart of your mom to adapt it into a casserole, too.
DeleteMy tastes seem to change on a frequent basis but right now my favorite foods seem to be Thai. But, I may have to try that recipe for Moussaka. It sounds delicious! cindystamps(at)juno(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI used to love Thai but I can't tolerate too spicy anymore. But I will still order it if they can make it less spicy. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteWay back when (1972) my not yet husband and I went into Greenwich Village in NYC to look for an engagement ring.
ReplyDeleteWe weren't having much luck (either plain single diamond solitaires or designs that looked possessed-not in a good way) so we stopped to eat in a Greek shop. We had moussaka.
It may have been Greek magic, but after eating we went around the corner onto MacDougal and found The Den of Antiquity. In the window was a set of wedding rings. We ended up getting rings that were copies from the Art Nouveau period.
Hi Libby! What a nice story. I think the moussaka gave you luck and you found the perfect engagement ring.
DeleteI love Italian and Mediterranean food. I worked in a Greek restaurant for years and loved all the food. My boss made moussaka and it was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy! It must have been nice to work in a Greek restaurant and to get to try all the different dishes.
DeleteI like Mexican, Chinese and Italian mostly but am not averse to trying others.
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
Hi Linda. Mexican is a favorite in my house.
DeleteIt’s a tie between Mediterranean and Mexican. I’m not a fan of eggplant so I’ve never tried moussaka. A friend of mine loves it, though. I can’t wait to read your new book! cking78503(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThank you Chris. I hope you enjoy the book!
DeleteKaren B
ReplyDeleteI'll try anything if it's not spicy and/or covered with a sauce! I have to be careful what I eat in my old age. I'd love a print book.
kpbarnett1941(at)aol(dot)com
Hi Karen. I can't eat spicy food any longer either. My husband can eat sauce, just no too much. Thanks for stopping by today!
DeleteI like Chinese food because I don't make it! I have loved this series from the beginning and it makes me think I would like Greek food! Thanks for a chance to win! ljbonkoski@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteHi Lori. Thank you for reading the series! I'm happy to hear you enjoy it. I also think you would like Greek food. Hummus makes for a great appetizer.
DeleteWhen I was getting married 35 years ago, a friend made moussaka for us as a wedding gift. It was nice to have a quiet evening with friends before the big to do!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite cuisine, however, is Indian, and I am fortunate to have a friend from India who has also cooked for me!
I would love to read this book!
Lisacobblestone(at)aol(dot)com
Hi Lisa. I love tandoori chicken, as long as it's not spicy. I also like Indian rice. The seasons are wonderful.
DeleteI can't decide if Italian or Indian is my favorite. I've never had Moussaka. It looks & sounds so good.
ReplyDeleteturtle6422 at gmail dot com
Indian and Italian are both great choices, Jana. Thanks for stopping by today.
DeleteI enjoy German/Polish food and I also enjoy Greek food. Thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you, Dianne!
ReplyDeleteMediterranean is my favorite. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom
ReplyDeleteYay! Mine too.
DeleteItalian is my favorite. Thanks for the chance! JL_Minter(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeletethank you, Jaime!
DeleteChinese and Mexican are my favorites but I like other cuisines and would like to try more. My dad used to order moussaka at Zorba's years ago. I wasn't a fan but I did love Zorba's. I made haluska from Julia Buckley's Hungarian series. Stay safe and well.
ReplyDeleteI never had haluska, Sally, but I'd try it. Sounds like your dad liked moussaka.
DeleteI tend to stay more American than anything. But I do enjoy Italian and Mexican. journeybound2010 AT gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI love Thai food. My favorite is shrimp pad Thai. I think I enjoy it so much because when I was younger my older brother would take just me out for Thai. We’d eat at a place where we sat on cushions on low benches! It was a great memory!
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa. I like grilled shrimp or shrimp in pasta. I wish my kids liked it. I usually get this dish out at a restaurant because I'm the only one who eats it at home. Maybe they will like it when they are older.
DeleteMy all time favorite is Mexican, particularly chicken mole. I also like Chinese. We used to go to a place that had moussaka and I loved it. Would love a print book if I win.
ReplyDeletekaye,killgore(at)comcast(dot)net
Glad you had a chance to try moussaka, Kaye. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteMexican would probably be my favorite ethnic food, but we have been making a lot more Italian and Chinese foods lately. I honestly didn't know what moussaka was until I read your recipe and it sounds yummy. I think it is going to be my "try it" recipe for this weekend!
ReplyDeleteI like more than one type of cuisine so can't pick a favorite. Italian, Greek., Chinese and Mexican are my 4 favs.
ReplyDeleteLasagna and I like cabbage recipes and tacos too. Thank you for the chance Donakutska7@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteAll types are good for a change, but Italian and Mexican are my favorites. And this moussaka sounds and looks delicious - and easy enough to make at home. Thanks fr the giveaway.
ReplyDeletesallycootie@gmail.com
I’m in love with German food. Back when I lived in WA - there was a wonderful Bavarian town called Leavenworth that goes all out at Christmas time and we would visit and enjoy roasted chestnuts, sauerbraten, German beer... the works!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy Mexican food and Chinese food! Thanks for offering this giveaway! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI love Indian food! Thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeleteJess
maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com
This is amazing. I have never done an Eggplant. I adore it eat it. I made it once
ReplyDeleteWith horrible horrible results :-( reading this recipe so well written...I wonder if I could maybe do it.
Your book looks absolutely spectacular- I would be so delighted to have a signed one on my shelf your cover is Fabulous.
Blessings for much success
gkathgoldin@yahoo.com
I enjoy different cuisines from around the world, and regional American specialties, so it'd be hard to pick one favorite. Italian, Mexican and Asian seem to be eaten most often in our house. One night last week I made Thai Green Curry Chicken and a few nights later it was souvlaki with tzatziki and a big pan of briami, which included eggplant since I've been craving it. Now the family's waiting for me to make moussaka as I only do it once or twice a year. Your recipe and book both sound delicious! lola777_22 at hotmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI love ethnic food and tend to favor the asian cuisines like Thai, Indonesian, Indian and Chinese.
ReplyDeletewskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thai is probably my favourite even I love all food
ReplyDelete