I hosted a gathering and a friend brought these delectable little appetizers that flew off platter. I had to know what they were and how to make them. She told me what they were called and gave me the recipe, which she knew off the top of her head. With only 6 ingredients it is easy to remember and once you’ve made them you will see that they are equally as easy to make.

For years we massacred the name of this tasty, savory treat. We came as close to a phonetic spelling as possible. We called them “suh-garrah bo-reh-gah”. I did a little research and discovered that this is a widely enjoyed meal in countries such as Turkey, Greece, Armenia, Bosnia, Serbia, and Albania just to name a few.

The actual spelling is Börek (Turkey) as well as Burek(Bosnia and Serbia) and Boereg (Armenia). No matter how it is pronounced it is basically the same thing: a filled pastry made with phyllo dough. They are often filled with feta, minced meat, potatoes or other vegetables. The common denominator for these Borek, Boereg, etc. is the phyllo dough.

Sigara böreği or”cigar börek,” named so because of its shape (cigar-like) is filled, in the Turkish version, with feta cheese, potato, parsley and sometimes with minced meat or sausage. And, what I have been making is a variation of this version with one major difference. My friend’s recipe called for use of egg roll wrappers or won ton wrappers instead of phyllo. The version we make is vegetarian as well.
I asked my friend why she didn’t use the phyllo and as with many recipes it was a matter of using what was in her refrigerator. She had the wrappers and not the phyllo. Necessity, as the saying goes, is the mother of invention.

When using won ton these make great little appetizers by themselves. When made in the egg roll wrappers and served with black olives, hot peppers and cold, plain yogurt they make a delicious meal. Serving them as a meal in my home doesn’t quite work out. We never do get to sit down and eat them with the olives accoutrements.

When I make these my family doesn’t wait for me to finish cooking. They are so delicious that they are often eaten as soon as they have cooled from melt-the roof- of-your-mouth hot to only singe-the-roof-of- your-mouth hot. My family generally ignores the warning that they just came out of the frying pan.

Sigara böreği

Ingredients

1 ½ cup plain feta cheese, crumbled
2 ½ cup shredded mozzarella
1 medium sweet onion, diced
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 ½ tbs paprika
2 egg yolk
Vegetable oil for frying
1 package egg roll wrappers

Directions

1. Place the feta, mozzarella, onion, parsley and paprika in a large bowl and mix well.

2. Place the egg yolk in a small bowl and break mix with a fork.

3. Place your wraps on a clean surface so that the points are up and down and left and right (should appear as a diamond, not a square). Brush egg yolk over the two top edges (The triangular edges that form the top of the diamond shape.)

4. Place the filling, about 2 tablespoons, onto the rolls, towards the center, but closer to the bottom point.

5. Take the bottom point of your wrap and fold it over top of the filling. Fold the sides in towards the middle and roll the filling towards the top point of the wrapper. The egg will act as glue, sealing the wrapper when frying.

6. Heat about 1-2 inches of oil in a medium deep fry pan. Place rolls in the hot oil. Rotate the rolls so that they are evenly browned. Do not overcook.

I hosted a gathering and a friend brought these delectable little appetizers that flew off platter. I had to know what they were and how to make them. She told me what they were called and gave me the recipe, which she knew off the top of her head. With only 6 ingredients it is easy to remember and once you’ve made them you will see that they are equally as easy to make.

For years we massacred the name of this tasty, savory treat. We came as close to a phonetic spelling as possible. We called them “suh-garrah bo-reh-gah”. I did a little research and discovered that this is a widely enjoyed meal in countries such as Turkey, Greece, Armenia, Bosnia, Serbia, and Albania just to name a few.

The actual spelling is Börek (Turkey) as well as Burek(Bosnia and Serbia) and Boereg (Armenia). No matter how it is pronounced it is basically the same thing: a filled pastry made with phyllo dough. They are often filled with feta, minced meat, potatoes or other vegetables. The common denominator for these Borek, Boereg, etc. is the phyllo dough.

Sigara böreği or”cigar börek,” named so because of its shape (cigar-like) is filled, in the Turkish version, with feta cheese, potato, parsley and sometimes with minced meat or sausage. And, what I have been making is a variation of this version with one major difference. My friend’s recipe called for use of egg roll wrappers or won ton wrappers instead of phyllo. The version we make is vegetarian as well.
I asked my friend why she didn’t use the phyllo and as with many recipes it was a matter of using what was in her refrigerator. She had the wrappers and not the phyllo. Necessity, as the saying goes, is the mother of invention.

When using won ton these make great little appetizers by themselves. When made in the egg roll wrappers and served with black olives, hot peppers and cold, plain yogurt they make a delicious meal. Serving them as a meal in my home doesn’t quite work out. We never do get to sit down and eat them with the olives accoutrements.

When I make these my family doesn’t wait for me to finish cooking. They are so delicious that they are often eaten as soon as they have cooled from melt-the roof- of-your-mouth hot to only singe-the-roof-of- your-mouth hot. My family generally ignores the warning that they just came out of the frying pan.

Sigara böreği

Ingredients

1 ½ cup plain feta cheese, crumbled
2 ½ cup shredded mozzarella
1 medium sweet onion, diced
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 ½ tbs paprika
2 egg yolk
Vegetable oil for frying
1 package egg roll wrappers

Directions

1. Place the feta, mozzarella, onion, parsley and paprika in a large bowl and mix well.

2. Place the egg yolk in a small bowl and break mix with a fork.

3. Place your wraps on a clean surface so that the points are up and down and left and right (should appear as a diamond, not a square). Brush egg yolk over the two top edges (The triangular edges that form the top of the diamond shape.)

4. Place the filling, about 2 tablespoons, onto the rolls, towards the center, but closer to the bottom point.

5. Take the bottom point of your wrap and fold it over top of the filling. Fold the sides in towards the middle and roll the filling towards the top point of the wrapper. The egg will act as glue, sealing the wrapper when frying.

6. Heat about 1-2 inches of oil in a medium deep fry pan. Place rolls in the hot oil. Rotate the rolls so that they are evenly browned. Do not overcook.

Casting Call: Guest Bloggers for Oscar Week Wanted

MyFudo™ Presentations is casting for immediate guest bloggers for Oscar Week.

Do you see yourself tripping the light fantastic up the myFudo red carpet? If you do then submit your post (see requirements below).

Contact us at info (AT) myfudo (dot) (com) to submit your photos and recipes, to inquire more information about this contest, please by contact us through our contact us page.

At the end of Oscar Week, February 26, 2012, myFudo will select winners in the following categories:

1. Creative Writing
2. Photography
3. Recipe
4. Best Post (Combined superiority in writing, photography and recipe)

The Prizes: Essential Pepin Jacque Pepin’s latest cookbook will go to Best Photo, Best Creative Writing, and Best Recipe. For Best post, the contest winner gets a $50 Gift Card to Crate and Barrel. The winners will be featured on our site.

Shoot for the stars and submit your post now!

Rules for Submission:

1. The Subject for guest bloggers: Favorite movie and favorite food that would be eaten while watching favorite movie. No other topics are eligible. Please be specific regarding movie choice, no generalizations. A specific movie title must be in the post. The recipe should be relevant to the movie whether it corresponds to movie topic, movie location (regional food), a meal served in the movie, etc.
2. Entry must include a written text of 400-600 words, no more, no less.
3. Entry must include at least one photograph and no more than three (300 dpi, 600 pixels on the widest side). You must be the owner of the photograph/s and are giving permission to have them displayed as part of your post.
4. Entry must include a recipe. Recipe does not have to be original. If the recipe is not original proper credit must be given. Recipe is not included in total word count for text.
5. Please include your blog name (if you have one) and your email.
6. Submit entry no later than February 17, 2012, 12am (midnight) Eastern Standard Time (New York City time zone.)
7. Guest bloggers will be posted during Oscar Week (February 19, 2012-February 26, 2012)
8. MyFudo™  will announce winners on February 26, 2012.

We at MyFudo™ may at times showcase recipes, photographs, and other content created by external parties. These sources are given proper attribution when required. There may be times when the source information itself is lacking or incomplete, in which case we credit the source based on available information provided.

We truly appreciate our guest foodie bloggers who are generous with their expertise and experience. When submitting a guest post, all photographs included in your post should be owned by you, either these were taken by yourself or you have the rights to their use. Please make sure you will not be violating any copyright laws.

Submit to info (at) myfudo (dot) (com)

Contest Cancelation:

We are truly sorry to have to inform our contestants about our contest cancellation. We were hoping to extend the cut-off date in hopes that we still might get last minute interest in the “Oscar Contest” however, it was determined by sheer lack of interest we should cancel the contest. We did attempt to come up with an alternative date, idea or contest but we were afraid this would be too impractical at such short notice.

We would like to apologise for the cancellation, especially to those of you who have already took out time and put forth the effort to submit their posts.

Unfortunately, these were circumstances which were beyond our control but we intend to make our next contest or giveaway even more spectacular so I hope you can join us then.

Yours sincerely,
The MyFudo Team

The Recipe…

Add caviar to any hors d’oeuvre and you will instantly add glamour to your party. And, what do most of us love about the Academy Awards? Well, yes, the movies…but it is the glamour of course! When hosting your Oscar Night party take it to another level with simple, yet classy finger foods. Your guests will give you a standing ovation.

Smoked Salmon with Caviar and Whipped Crème Fraîche Hors d’oeuvre Spoons

Ingredients

4 oz. (1/2 cup) crème fraîche
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 oz. of black caviar or salmon roe
1 lb of smoked salmon, cut in slivers
Fresh dill or chives for garnish

Directions

1. Place crème fraîche in a large bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, whip the cream with an electric hand-held or stand mixer until the cream just barely reaches the firm-peak stage. With a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the whipped cream into the crème fraîche and then gently fold in the remaining half. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. When ready to serve place a dollop of whipped crème fraîche in each hors d’oeuvre spoon. Top with a folded sliver of smoked salmon and hint of caviar. Garnish with a sprig of dill and serve immediately.

Note: To add additional flavor finely dice fresh dill (do not used dried!) and add ½ teaspoon to the whipped crème fraîche. Do not use more than ½ teaspoon as it will overpower.

Photography Tips: Softbox Lighting and an ISO 100

Guest Artist: Debra Hughes
Guest Photographer: Margouillat

ApertureFNumber: f/25.0
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 7D
ExposureTime: 1/250
FNumber: 25/1
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MeteringMode: 6
Flash: 9
FocalLength: 50/1

This gorgeous tart is an essential. It makes a flavorful main dish at breakfast, lunch or dinner. It can be served as an appetizer or a side. It is visually pleasing and looks particularly handsome on a Thanksgiving Day table. The recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. We made two minor adjustments to the tart. First, the original tart is a corn and shitake tart. However, we felt that a mushroom mix tastes superb, adding more depth to the tart. Secondly, the amount of corn was adjusted from two cups to one and a half. There was just too much corn in the original recipe.

The dough for this tart is a cornmeal pâte brisée . This dough is a flavorful complement to this and many other savory tarts. One of the fun aspects of this dough is using the trimmed scraps after the tart pan is fitted with the dough round. See below for how we use the trimmings.

Corn and Mixed Mushroom Tart

Ingredients

3 tbspn extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces mixed mushrooms (shitake, Portobello, button)
1 medium onion finely diced
1 ½ cups corn kernels
¼ cup chopped (fresh) chives
½ cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
3 large eggs

Directions

On a lightly floured surface roll out ½ cornmeal pâte brisée (see recipe below) to a 13 inch round that is ¼ inch thick. Fit dough into a 10 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim any excess dough. Chill in refrigerator until firm. Save the excess dough. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Line chilled shell with parchment, fill pie with weights (or large dry beans. such as kidney beans) Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool while preparing the filling.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until they give off moisture. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the corn and the chives and cook. Remove the filling from heat.

In a bowl mix together milk, cream and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mushroom filling into the tart shell. Place tart on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour in the egg mixture. Bake until custard is set in the center. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.

Cornmeal Pâte Brisée

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

Place the flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter, and process, until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, until the dough just holds together (do not process for more than 30 seconds). Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten each to form a disk. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before using.

The cornmeal pâte brisée is a delicious dough that should not go to waste. Take the trimmings left from fitting the dough into the tart pan and reroll to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into fun shapes and sizes. Brush with an egg/milk glaze. Line a baking sheet with parchment and bake the trimmings until golden. Serve with your favorite jam, jelly or marmalade. It is a tasty way to use the trimmings.

This gorgeous tart is an essential. It makes a flavorful main dish at breakfast, lunch or dinner. It can be served as an appetizer or a side. It is visually pleasing and looks particularly handsome on a Thanksgiving Day table. The recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. We made two minor adjustments to the tart. First, the original tart is a corn and shitake tart. However, we felt that a mushroom mix tastes superb, adding more depth to the tart. Secondly, the amount of corn was adjusted from two cups to one and a half. There was just too much corn in the original recipe.

The dough for this tart is a cornmeal pâte brisée . This dough is a flavorful complement to this and many other savory tarts. One of the fun aspects of this dough is using the trimmed scraps after the tart pan is fitted with the dough round. See below for how we use the trimmings.

Corn and Mixed Mushroom Tart

Ingredients

3 tbspn extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces mixed mushrooms (shitake, Portobello, button)
1 medium onion finely diced
1 ½ cups corn kernels
¼ cup chopped (fresh) chives
½ cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
3 large eggs

Directions

On a lightly floured surface roll out ½ cornmeal pâte brisée (see recipe below) to a 13 inch round that is ¼ inch thick. Fit dough into a 10 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim any excess dough. Chill in refrigerator until firm. Save the excess dough. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Line chilled shell with parchment, fill pie with weights (or large dry beans. such as kidney beans) Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool while preparing the filling.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until they give off moisture. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the corn and the chives and cook. Remove the filling from heat.

In a bowl mix together milk, cream and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mushroom filling into the tart shell. Place tart on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour in the egg mixture. Bake until custard is set in the center. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.

Cornmeal Pâte Brisée

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

Place the flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter, and process, until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, until the dough just holds together (do not process for more than 30 seconds). Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten each to form a disk. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before using.

The cornmeal pâte brisée is a delicious dough that should not go to waste. Take the trimmings left from fitting the dough into the tart pan and reroll to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into fun shapes and sizes. Brush with an egg/milk glaze. Line a baking sheet with parchment and bake the trimmings until golden. Serve with your favorite jam, jelly or marmalade. It is a tasty way to use the trimmings.

To launch our Kitchen series, we thought we would start off with a “Red” kitchen to complement our MyFudo™ colors. Photos taken by the talented Michael Higginson, and Irina Danilova. It’s bold, vibrant, and eye-catching. I’d also love to hear some ideas from all you readers out there. What is your dream kitchen? What color schemes would you like to use? What kitchen gadgets would you like to adorn your space? Have you ever heard the saying “everyone gathers around the kitchen?” It’s supposed to be THE place that brings friends and family together. Food, wine, and conversation make the kitchen the liveliest and most fun place in the house.

What would you consider the perfect outfit in your kitchen? Would it be casual clothing? Bunny slippers and all? A couture apron with red lipstick? Or simply your birthday suit? My whims of fancy really depend on what the occasion calls for. More importantly, my footwear remains uncomplicated with a pair of flats or barefoot (nothing is a sexy as having no shoes.) However, if I’m spending the whole day cooking or baking in the kitchen, it’s all business. You bet I’ll be sporting “Chef Crocs” no matter how unbecoming they may look. Comfort is my priority and I chuck all notions of fashion out the window from the knees down (well, maybe from the ankles down.) I may well just be the first one to raise my hand and admit my feet usually hurt if I’m standing on them for more than a few hours.

Kitchen designs all depend on your style, from sleek and modern to rustic wooden cabinets. Some may think a kitchen is incomplete and would simply be naked without a back splash under the cabinets. As for me, a kitchen should look great but also be practical. Out with the 50’s look of laminate cabinets since over time, they start to peel.

Today’s post we featured the model above, photo taken by Oxilixo, stay turned below for some photography exif data that might help you on your next food-fashion-photo shoot.  Fashion in the kitchen, why not? Putting together your classic ensemble look takes a lot of mix and match. Knowing what goes with what is a passion I’d like to share with all of you. Let’s start off with the war paint. Okay, maybe the term war paint can be a tad drastic. Let’s try to accentuate your features and start with pouty, luscious lips. Try CENTRIFUCHSIA opaque lipstick by Lime Crime for $16. To give onlookers a sexy dare to stare, try Estée Lauder ‘Pure Color’ Eyeshadow Palette in Blue Dahlia for $45 at Saks Fifth Avenue. This palette will give you those sultry smoky eyes without going completely “Jerseylicious.” We adore all the gals on “Jerseylicious” but if you want a more subtle look, this palette is just for you. To cap off your winning look, check out the printed cocktail dress from Lord & Taylor, the SHOSHANNA STRAPLESS FLORAL-PRINT COCKTAIL DRESS, on sale for $196. You might instead want a beautiful Xhilaration® Juniors Spaghetti Strap from Target for $24.99.

However way you put your kitchen together, it should have an inviting ambiance where family and friends, both old and new, can share a delicious meal and have a great time enjoying each other’s company.

Exif Data for First Photo
ApertureFNumber: f/6.3
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ExposureTime: 1/200
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MaxApertureValue: 4/1
MeteringMode: 2
Flash: 9
FocalLength: 67/1

Exif Data for Second Photo
ApertureFNumber: f/16.0
Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
DateTime: 2010:04:24 08:02:54
FNumber: 16/1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
DateTimeOriginal: 2010:04:23 12:24:59
FocalLength: 2400/100

To launch our Kitchen series, we thought we would start off with a “Red” kitchen to complement our MyFudo™ colors. Photos taken by the talented Michael Higginson, and Irina Danilova. It’s bold, vibrant, and eye-catching. I’d also love to hear some ideas from all you readers out there. What is your dream kitchen? What color schemes would you like to use? What kitchen gadgets would you like to adorn your space? Have you ever heard the saying “everyone gathers around the kitchen?” It’s supposed to be THE place that brings friends and family together. Food, wine, and conversation make the kitchen the liveliest and most fun place in the house.

What would you consider the perfect outfit in your kitchen? Would it be casual clothing? Bunny slippers and all? A couture apron with red lipstick? Or simply your birthday suit? My whims of fancy really depend on what the occasion calls for. More importantly, my footwear remains uncomplicated with a pair of flats or barefoot (nothing is a sexy as having no shoes.) However, if I’m spending the whole day cooking or baking in the kitchen, it’s all business. You bet I’ll be sporting “Chef Crocs” no matter how unbecoming they may look. Comfort is my priority and I chuck all notions of fashion out the window from the knees down (well, maybe from the ankles down.) I may well just be the first one to raise my hand and admit my feet usually hurt if I’m standing on them for more than a few hours.

Kitchen designs all depend on your style, from sleek and modern to rustic wooden cabinets. Some may think a kitchen is incomplete and would simply be naked without a back splash under the cabinets. As for me, a kitchen should look great but also be practical. Out with the 50’s look of laminate cabinets since over time, they start to peel.

Today’s post we featured the model above, photo taken by Oxilixo, stay turned below for some photography exif data that might help you on your next food-fashion-photo shoot.  Fashion in the kitchen, why not? Putting together your classic ensemble look takes a lot of mix and match. Knowing what goes with what is a passion I’d like to share with all of you. Let’s start off with the war paint. Okay, maybe the term war paint can be a tad drastic. Let’s try to accentuate your features and start with pouty, luscious lips. Try CENTRIFUCHSIA opaque lipstick by Lime Crime for $16. To give onlookers a sexy dare to stare, try Estée Lauder ‘Pure Color’ Eyeshadow Palette in Blue Dahlia for $45 at Saks Fifth Avenue. This palette will give you those sultry smoky eyes without going completely “Jerseylicious.” We adore all the gals on “Jerseylicious” but if you want a more subtle look, this palette is just for you. To cap off your winning look, check out the printed cocktail dress from Lord & Taylor, the SHOSHANNA STRAPLESS FLORAL-PRINT COCKTAIL DRESS, on sale for $196. You might instead want a beautiful Xhilaration® Juniors Spaghetti Strap from Target for $24.99.

However way you put your kitchen together, it should have an inviting ambiance where family and friends, both old and new, can share a delicious meal and have a great time enjoying each other’s company.

Exif Data for First Photo
ApertureFNumber: f/6.3
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ExposureTime: 1/200
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MaxApertureValue: 4/1
MeteringMode: 2
Flash: 9
FocalLength: 67/1

Exif Data for Second Photo
ApertureFNumber: f/16.0
Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
DateTime: 2010:04:24 08:02:54
FNumber: 16/1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
DateTimeOriginal: 2010:04:23 12:24:59
FocalLength: 2400/100