Day: March 17, 2014

The numbers speak for themselves…

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… but are the powers that be actually listening?

A clear majority of Quebeckers feel the Parti Québécois will not have a legitimate mandate to launch a third referendum on sovereignty if it wins the April 7 election, a new Léger poll has found. The poll suggests a majority of Quebeckers simply do not want to focus on the divisive issue, with 69 per cent of respondents saying they want less talk of sovereignty during the campaign. A clear majority wanted a greater focus on public finances (77 per cent), health (84 per cent) and jobs (85 per cent). Asked whether a PQ government would have “the mandate to hold a referendum on sovereignty,” 54 per cent said “no,” and 29 per cent said “yes.”

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[Recipe] Stavros’ Spanakopita

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Spanakopita

Stavros was a contractor we had for 6 months at the NIHS. He made this for the xmas potluck and promised to send the recipe. He has sent the most detailed set of cooking instructions I have ever seen, and I can’t wait to try it! The text below is taken from the PDF he sent, with full color step-by-step illustrations :)

Ingredients
-­‐ 500gr Spinach
-­‐ 2+1 eggs
-­‐ 200­‐250gr. Feta
-­‐ 1 yogurt
-­‐ 1 cream fraiche (~ 250ml)
-­‐ 1 tsp of honey
-­‐ 2-­‐3 fresh onions
-­‐ 1 big leek or 2 small
-­‐ Dill
-­‐ pâte feuilletée
-­‐ 1 tsp. of salt
-­‐ 4 tbs flour
-­‐ 1 small glass of olive oil
-­‐ 50g butter (optional)
-­‐ White wine

Step 1: Prepare the spinach
Try to find baby spinach with small leaves. If you can’t find baby spinach, it is better to remove the stems from spinach leaves (fold each leaf in half, then with your hand pull the stem towards the top of the leaf). It will take years

Put the spinach into boiling water for about 5­‐10 mins. Place it into a pasta strainer and let it get back to a normal temperature (~20mins).

Take a handful of spinach. Squeeze the spinach between your hands roughly, so it drains out. SQUEEZE IT REALLY HARD for 2-­‐3 mins. It might take you about 15 mins to drain completely all of the spinach. This step is important because you don’t want to end up eating a spinach soup.

Step 2: Stir-fry

Chop the onions and cut the leeks like in small slices. Cut the drill and set aside. Put some olive oil in a pot and heat the stovetop to maximum. Drop in the pot the leeks and the onions. Let them stir-­fry for a while (for 5 mins) stirring frequently. Drop the drill in the pot and keep stirring for 5 more mins. At the end add a small glass of white wine and let the alcohol evaporate.

Step 3: Mix In a big bowl:
-­‐ Crumble the Feta
-­‐ Add
o The eggs
o Cream fraiche
o Olive oil
o The mix from step 2
o Honey
o Salt
o Yogurt
o And the drained spinach
o Butter (melt in the microwave for 30 sec)

Mix very-­‐very well with your hand. Add the flour and mix again

Step 4: Cooking Pan

Take a pastry brush and spread some oil on it. Unroll the pâte feuilletée but do not remove the paper. Place the pâte into the baking pan with the paper on it. Then remove slowly the paper. With your hands carefully lay the pastry to take the shape of the baking pan and gently lift the sides. The olive oil helps to do this smoothly. With a spoon spread the mix on the pastry. Over the mix place the next pâte with the paper and remove it slowly as you did before. With a knife close the edges. With a fork open small holes over the pâte. Brush with an egg. Brushing the pastry top with a little beaten egg will give you a golden color and help it crisp up

Step 5: Oven

Ensure the oven is preheated to 200C. Bake for 45 mins until the pastry is brown and crispy. Enjoy!

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