Domatoryzo.... Shelter from the Storm

Here in the wild, wild west of British Columbia ,Canada our internet has been down for 2 days. Can you imagine 2 days of no blogging, no checking up on my friends blogs for great recipe ideas...it has been a living.... &%$# ...wink...wink..

We have been having some major snowstorms here in the Okanagan Valley where (you guessed it) it never snows...except in the mountains of course. The skiiers and boarders will be LOVING this!!!! Large, beautiful flakes that would certainly be beautiful if you didn't have to drive or shovel snow. Tomorrow I have a day off so I will enjoy it thoroughly then and take a walk along the Greenway behind my place and enjoy the winter wonderland.



In the meantime I will share a moment in the warm sunshine of the Agean Sea and a recipe from Aglaia Kremezi. She and her husband Costas Moraitis and friends are the proud owners of Keartisinal on the island of Kea in Greece. For anyone who has read my blog previously you have heard of the best 8 days of my life (so far) on the island of Kea about an hour by ferry from Athens. If you have not heard my accolades just head to my sidebar under Greek recipes and you will hear about it endlessly!!!! What I loved about their cooking classes was the complete immersion into Greek culture and their family life. They made you feel like part of their family. In the morning you would prepare many Greek dishes from freshly picked herbs and ingredients from Aglaia's extensive gardens; have a relaxing lunch over some exceptional Greek wines; hike along ancent trails to the sea for some snorkelling and a beach barbeque; or dance to the strains of bazooka music at a local taverna; or visit one of their many island friends homes.

This is a recipe for rice from Aglaia Kremezi . To use her own words,

"My mother cooked this simple risotto very often, especially for dinner. We ate it with feta cheese or a dollop of thick yogurt. Note that domatoryzo, as all Greek rice dishes, should be moist, much like the Italian risotto."

**Domatoryzo**

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups onions, coarsely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup medium-grain rice, such as Arborio
2 cups fresh tomato pulp or canned tomatoes, diced
1 cup plain tomato juice (not flavored like V8)
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon fresh chili pepper, minced or red pepper flakes
Salt
2-3 tablespoons parsley, chopped

In a heavy deep skillet, warm the oil and sauté the onions until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, the chili or pepper flakes and the rice. Stir to coat with oil. In a separate saucepan warm the tomato pulp, tomato juice and stock. When it starts to boil, pour over the rice, add some salt and reduce the heat. Stir with a wooden spoon and cover. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked but not mushy. Sprinkled with the chopped parsley and serve.

Aglaia Kremezi, from The Foods of Greece (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)

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