Campbell's Gourmet Cottage information

291 N. Hubbards Lane

Louisville, KY 40207

502 893 6700

New Classes for Campbell's gourmet cottage

Campbell's Gourmet Cottage hasn't updated yet the fall classes but my next class there, is the 22nd of Oct., 5th of Nov., and 2nd of Dec., 6.30 p.m until 9.00 p.m
The 22nd of Oct class is called "Authentic Greek Breads and Dips"
"The mystery will be revealed tonight as Chef Maria teaches us how to make the best Greek pita bread you will ever put in your mouth! And what is bread without fantastic dips? This class is sure to sell out quickly!
Menu: Greek Pita Bread - Olive Bread - Skordalia - pureed baked potato garlic dip - Melitzanosalata-delicious eggplant dip-
Taramosalata-thick and creamy carp fish eggs dip-Tzatziki-cucumber, yogurt sauce
So, call today to reserve your seat
$45.00 p.p

Campbell's gourmet cottage

Maria Bell
Gyros Express
Maria Bell is a native of Greece, born in Ierapetra, Crete Greece. She came to the United States in 1997
and setttt led in Fort Knox, KY. Maria frequently cooked Greek dishes for pot luck dinners and the more
she cooked, the more her friends suggested she open a restaurant. Finally in 2000 she opened Greek
Paradise Cafe in Radcliffff , KY and subsequently moved to Louisville several years later. Aftft er her
divorce she moved back to Radcliffff , purchased a building and opened a new restaurant called Gyros
Express. Everything is made fresh daily and her customers from Louisville come to see her regularly.
Chef Maria has taught many classes as well as making many public appearances. Gyro Express is
located at 661 Knox Blvd., Radcliffff , KY (270) 351-2009. Classes: 7/29, 8/12, 9/4

Secrets of Louisville Chefs

Tonight I saw the show Secrets of Louisville Chefs with my self cooking lamb and making tzatziki. I loved it.
Thank you Sullivan University.


Secrets
Of
Louisville Chefs
Live!!

Information
Packet

Greetings esteemed Chef, Maria Bell

Congratulations on being selected to spotlight your talents on “Louisville’s Premier Cooking Showcase…Secrets of Louisville Chefs Live.” Your hard work, skill, and dedication have reserved for you a spot in “Sullivan University’s Kitchen Theater,” and we want to make sure that you have all the information necessary to make the taping of this show an enjoyable experience for you, and for the live audience.

In this packet you will find guidelines, data, and checklists that will guarantee your success. Please take some time to look these over, and get back in touch with your menu selections, recipes, or any questions that you might have.

So, have fun, be yourself, and relish the experience. Louisville has a proud culinary heritage. We are glad to have you become a part of it.

Hummus,Tzatziki,Baklava,Spinach pie.

This is spanakotiropita,spinach pie.

This is tzatziki

This is baklava.

Hummus needs one can of garbanzo beans, (remember you can find that at some supermarkets easy) half drained, one medium onion, half teaspoon of crashed garlic, one teaspoon tahini, (this one you need to look at Mejiers) salt to taste. Optional, parsley, lemon.

Puree' the half drained garbanzo beans in a food processor, check if it needs more of the liquid if not you can discard the liquid. Add the rest of the ingredients and kali orexi, or buon appetite on pita bread, or on plain artisan bread or cracker or celery stick.

Tzatziki takes 24 oz sour cream, 5 tablespoons of crashed garlic, one medium cucumber and salt to taste.

Take the sour creme out of the container, place it inside a bowl and add the cucumber, the garlic and a dash of salt.

The cucumber you need to grind it in a food processor but don't puree' it make it chunky like the size of the little finger, the piggy one, that's how you call it, right?

Don't forget to squeeze all the liquid off the cucumber, remember, that's the secret and Please, don't peel it. All the vitamins are under the skin.

Baklava, wow! do you remember, baste the phylo every two sheets until you use the one roll from the package. Then you add the crashed walnuts, (somebody mentioned pecans, you can try to use them but not by themselves, mix them with one cup of bread crumbs). Sprinkly some sugar like 2 tbsps and a dash of cinnamon. Then you continue with the second roll until it's finished. Cut it triangle or square pieces and bake it 350 o for 25 min or till brown.

Make the syrup by mixing one cup of sugar, one cup of honey and one cup of water,bring it to a boil until the bubbles are thick. Wait until both baklava and syrup have cooled down and then you pour the syrup over the baklava. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Spinach pie or spanakopita is as simple as baklava.

Baste the phylo every two sheets when you come to the end of the roll, then add the spinach and crumbled feta on the top.

To cook the spinach you will sautee' half cup of olive oil with one medium onion fine chopped. Add the spinach, no cans, please, frozen or fresh, 2 pounds for fresh one pound if it's frozen. You can add fresh dill just a couple of pieces and cook for 15 ' ,then using the fork place it on the phylo in the pan and discard excess liquid.

Add small pieces of feta cheese around one cup or if you like more you can put more, some people love it with a lot of feta.

Continue with the rest of the phylo, when it's finished, you cut it, remember, square pieces or it will blow and break. Bake it in 350 for 25' or till brown.

In Greece, spinach pie is an appetizer or an afternoon snack and when it's served it's served by itsself. In my restaurant I serve it with some tzatziki and it's Delicious.

Call me, please, for any questions 502 240 8797.

Vinaigrette or vinegraitte (both are correct) for the Greek salad: 2 tbs of olive oil one tsp red wine vinegar mixed with oregano. Shake well and pour over the Greek salad.

Remember that's all we have in Greece for the salad, sorry no ranch or thousand island.

I have enjoyed you ALL in the Camp Crescendo.

I hope to see you again.

Thank you

Chef Maria Bell

Girl scouts class continue

Girl Scout Retreat‏
From:
Diana Mitchell
Sent:
Thu 9/25/08 8:29 AM
To:
maria@gyrosexpress.com
Hello Maria~

I attended your Greek cooking seminar at Camp Crescendo. I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your class. I thought the class would be boring since we weren't going to be actually cooking. Fortunately I was wrong. You were interesting and delightful to listen to. I loved the way you simplified everything. Sort of 30-minute meals gone Greek!

I would like copies of your recipes for hummus, tzatziki, baklava, spinach pie and the vinaigrette for the Greek salad.

I would also like to know. If you were serving spinach pie to your family in Greece, what would you serve with it?
Thank you so much for coming out to our weekend retreat. I hope to see you there again in the future! I'll be in the front row!


Diana Mitchell
Shelbyville KY-- Plant a Daisy,Watch a Girl Scout Grow!

Ask me anything about Greek cuisine.

I have so many people walking in my restaurant the Gyros Express in Radcliff KYand look around and when I ask them "What can I do for you? their response 65% of the times is "I don't know".I am thinking you are a hero, because you are hungry and you enter a restaurant that you've never been before and you don't know nothing about that restaurant's food.

So, as polite as I can be, I guide them through the paths of the Greek cuisine, starting from gyros, moving on to moussaka, pastitsio, grape leaves, saganaki, and what do they get, is YEE'RO. I think it's a good choice but we got to move on, come on, Greek cuisine is not just YEE'RO!!. But we have to do that slowly. We need to take one day at a time and you might think one item at a time? No, no way!! When they come back they still get gyro. It's alright. I got patience.

But, please, ask me anything and I will explain it. Give yourself a chance.

Girl Scouts class update

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RE: Cooking Class‏
From:
Linda Austin (laustin@kyanags.org)

Sent:
Wed 9/24/08 7:18 PM
To:
maria bell (mbell51@hotmail.com)


We have had many, many people tell us how much they enjoyed you and your class on Greek cooking. They also said it was the best. The committee that worked on this event plan to have an evaluation meeting in a couple of weeks and plan to come to your restaurant in Radcliff for the meeting. Hope to see you then.

Thanks again,
Linda

Girl scouts class 13th of Sept. 2008

Girl scouts class‏
From:
RuthE
Sent:
Wed 9/17/08 1:05 AM
To:
maria@gyrosexpress.com
Hi Maria,
I just wanted to drop you a quick note to tell you what a wonderful class you taught this weekend at our retreat. You have such a great personality. You are fun and very interesting to listen to. I enjoyed your class more than any other. And we all learned alot about food and Greece. You really made it a great time. Thanks so much for coming and I hope you can come again. The ladies and I cant wait to come to Radcliff.
Thanks so much
Ruth in Bardstown,Ky

Gyros

Gyros you might call it gairo or I don't know what, it's something you want to try.

There is a big rotisserie that the meat turns around and when you try to cut with this knife that costs $600.00 it burns your face. But just remember it's the best meat that you probably ever tried.

Come to the restaurant and we will give you a discount between 2.00p.m and 5.00p.m so you can get used to it. It's lamb and beef together so don't worry you won't get stuck with the mutton smell, does it really have a smell? I grew up with it I nevere smelled it, it's probably when you don't know how to cook it, that's when it smells.

Well, we know how to cook it so come on over!!!!!

Becki's review

I have dined at Gyros Express on several occasions over the past two years with my husband and his parents, John and Anne Flanagan. Whenever James and I come to Radcliff they treat us to a meal out, and more often than not we end up at Gyros Express.

Each time we visit, the place looks different. There is a plethora of kitsch which provides a dive-like atmosphere but belies the true jewels of the restaurant. There are three: the varied menu that provides for both the picky eaters (James and Anne) and the more adventuresome (me and John); Manolous, the chef’s brother and courteous server, and Maria – the charming, diminutive chef and genius behind the food.

Our visits are always greeted by the ubiquitous scent of garlic and oftentimes by Maria herself. We are promptly served beverages after we are seated. The picky eaters always order the same thing, but James reports that his fajitas come different every time. I’m not sure why this happens, but it is notable that he always cleans his plate despite the changes.

I don’t believe I have ever ordered the same thing twice; each visit I try to experience something new and different. I have had crisp Greek salad with gyros meat, kalamata olives, and feta; made-to-order hummus with freshly-baked pita bread; lamb shanks and rice topped with toasted garlic, and delicious gyros. At the end of a recent visit, Maria told John and I that the next time we came just ask her to “fix us something to eat.” The culinary adventurer in me could not resist this suggestion, and on our last visit we did just that.

So after the picky eaters ordered their usual, Maria asked me what I liked and didn’t like. Yes to lamb, garlic, feta, vegetables, chicken, shrimp, pasta. No to organ meat, bivalves, eggplant. I was giddy with excitement just imagining what would be served.

About 25 minutes later, Maria served our meal and she did not disappoint. An ordinary round cake pan was placed before us as she announced that it was lamb pie. The pie consisted of golden flaky layers of phyllo filled with lamb gyro meat, fresh spinach, garlic, a sprinkling of fresh tomatoes, and feta cheese. It was cut into wedges and it was served with tzatziki sauce. We were also served fresh green beans topped with home-made tomato sauce laced with oregano, garlic, and olive oil.

The pie was rustic and exquisite. For as flaky as the top layer of phyllo was, the bottom was compressed and almost chewy. The filling provided a wonderful contrast to the crust and was a perfect concert of flavors; the tzatziki sauce was pungent with garlic and its cool sharpness was mouthwatering. I could not have dreamed of something more wonderful. The green beans were piping hot and cooked just right, and the tomato sauce was delicious.

What baffles me most about Gyros Express is why it is not packed with customers. Maria said it is busy at lunchtime thru the week and there is a fair amount of take-out business. She said people just don’t know about Greek cuisine.

From this diner’s experience Gyros Express is a welcome change to the chain theme restaurants serving predictable American fare. If you love garlic, feta, and home cooking made with the freshest ingredients, just walk in and ask Maria to fix you something to eat. You won’t be sorry you did!



Becki

my profile

I am from Greece the most beautiful island,

Crete.

I was born in the most southern eastern part of

Crete. Which one is that? I let you find out.

Whoever finds my birth place will earn a free

gyros.

Radcliff Ky

Well, this is just the start.

Wait till you see the rest.