Raised by Greek parents in Sydney, Kordalis, who later moved to the United Kingdom, believed firmly in letting good-quality ingredients do all the work so people need to treat them with respect.
"Remember the beauty of Mediterranean-style food is its simplicity. These are recipes I return to again and again."
Kordalis, a food stylist and writer, has tested and developed recipes for the likes of the late chef Bill Granger for his restaurants in London.
She hoped her book Mediterranean Summer would transport people to the shores of the Mediterranean wherever they are and provided inspiration for entertaining, whether a lazy weekend brunch, a last-minute al fresco lunch or a stylish celebration dinner.
The traditional Mediterranean diet based on mainly vegetarian meals with protein for celebrations, is continued by Kordalis in her book.
She has included recipes for drinks to accompany small bites, ideas for sharing platters or dishes showcasing fish and meat or nutritious grains, pulses and seasonal vegetables.
She also wrote about classic Mediterranean ingredients, and explored the role of seasonings such as salt, mustard and spices, olive oil, vinegar and honey, which were the cornerstones of so many recipes in Southern Europe.
Other foundations such as bread were covered with easy "yet satisfying" bakes such as pita and foccacia as well as desserts and cakes.
THE BOOK
Mediterranean Summer Table by Kathy Kordalis, published by Ryland Peters & Small
Distributed by bookreps.co.nz.
RRP $49.99
Walnut and espresso cake
An afternoon pick-me-up or a great cake to serve to a crowd. Incredibly moist and tasty with the classic combination of coffee and walnut, this will become a family favourite.
Serves 6
Ingredients
220g golden caster sugar
4 eggs, separated, plus 1 extra egg white
130g walnuts, finely chopped, plus extra to finish
100g plain flour sieved
Sea salt
Espresso cream
100g pure icing sugar, sieved
100g softened butter
30ml espresso
100g dark chocolate, melted
22cm round cake pan
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C. Line the cake pan with non-stick baking paper.
Whisk the sugar and egg yolks together in an electric mixer for about 4–5 minutes until very thick and pale and the mixture resembles frosting. Transfer to a large bowl, stir in the walnuts, then the flour, a little at a time, until combined (the mixture will be very stiff).
Whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer for about 2–3 minutes until firm peaks form, then stir half of this into the walnut mixture. Fold through the remaining egg white and spoon into lined cake pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until lightly golden and firm to touch. Cool in the pan, then turn out, trim the sides and cut in half horizontally.
For the espresso cream, beat the sugar, butter and espresso in an electric mixer for about 6–8 minutes until pale and fluffy. Swirl the melted chocolate through the cream. Spread the bottom half of the cake with half the espresso cream, sandwich with the top half and set aside to set for 20–30 minutes.
To serve, pile the remaining espresso cream on top and scatter with extra chopped walnuts.
Ratatouille tart with mascarpone, mozzarella & basil
A perfect tart to serve to friends. It can be eaten warm or at room temperature, so can sit until you are ready to eat. This goes well alongside a charcuterie board and a crisp salad. Best eaten on the day of making.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 courgettes, cut into 5mm slices
1 aubergine, cut into 5mm slices
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
3 large tomatoes (a mixture of different colours looks nice), cut into 5mm slices
1 x 320-g sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
4 Tbsp mascarpone
2 mozzarella balls, sliced
1 egg, beaten to glaze
fresh basil leaves, to garnish
100g roasted red (bell) peppers from a jar, sliced
sea salt and black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C fan.
Lay the courgette and aubergine slices out on a couple of large baking sheets and brush them on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season, roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until starting to soften, then leave to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pat the tomato slices dry and leave to drain on paper towels.
Put a large baking sheet on the top shelf of the oven to heat up. Unroll the puff pastry sheet on a floured work surface and roll out further in one direction to make a square about 3mm thick, then trim off the corners to make a 30cm round disc. Transfer the pastry circle to a large piece of non-stick baking paper so that it’s easier to move once it’s assembled.
Spread the mascarpone over the centre of the pastry, leaving a 5cm border all round the edge and season with salt and pepper. Layer up slices of courgette, aubergine, tomato, red peppers and mozzarella and arrange on top of the mascarpone in a spiral or concentric circles.
Drizzle with another tablespoon of oil and fold in the sides to overlap the filling slightly, making a 3 to 4cm wide crust. Brush the crust with egg, sprinkle with a little salt and slide the tart, on its paper, on to the hot baking skeet in the oven.
Bake for 20–25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden and the vegetables have softened.
Leave to rest for at least 20 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature, scattered with basil and drizzled with more oil.
Pork skewers on yoghurt flatbread & home-made sweet potato chips with crispy salad & lemon, oregano yoghurt dressing
My father Theo Kordalis always marinates souvlaki in lager overnight, which tenderises and deeply flavours the meat, resulting in succulent souvlaki. He cuts the pork tenderloin a little larger and threads the skewers with sage. The best way to eat it is with pitta and chips and with an extra squeeze of lemon on the souvlaki.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp dried oregano, plus extra to garnish
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
125ml extra virgin olive oil
1kg pork tenderloin, cut into 2cm pieces
500ml lager
½ bunch of fresh sage, leaves picked
Sea salt and black pepper
To serve
Lemon wedges
Sliced red onion
Sweet potato chips
8 yoghurt pittas
Green pepper pickle
Greek yoghurt
Chilli sauce
Lemon oregano dressing
Metal skewers
Method
Pound the garlic and oregano in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt until a coarse paste forms. Transfer to a large bowl, add the vinegar and oil and stir to combine. Add the pork and toss the pieces until well coated. Add the lager and leave to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator for best results.
When ready to cook, thread the marinated pork pieces on to metal skewers, adding sage leaves between each the piece as you go.
Heat a chargrill pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the pork skewers on the chargrill, turning occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes until browned and cooked through. Season to taste and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
Scatter the pork skewers with some extra oregano and serve with lemon wedges, sweet potato chips, yoghurt pittas, green pepper pickle, Greek yoghurt and the lightly pickled onion.
