DAY OF REST - Phyllo Dough, Eggs and Ricotta Cheese

Everybody deserves a DAY OF REST...

Including hairy knuckled neanderthal fire cookers. I am starting a new series where I am taking a rest from the grill. But that does not mean I don't eat. I am just going to eat someone else's cooking... And today's post is especially funny to me...

Here's the set up... A couple weeks ago, My neighbor invited my wife and I to dinner. His wife was away on a business trip, and he wanted to cook one of his mother's recipes from his childhood. I was hooked when he said he was cooking with Phyllo dough!

Alright, real quick, this will be funnier of you read of my one and only experience with that hunk of crap (my fingers are just to fat and raggedy to handle the delicate stuff. Despite my better judgement, I SMOKED pastry, my Vermont Pecan Praline Cups with a Whiskey Sauce are now near legendary.Possibly the funniest post I have ever written (but a very successful dessert) that you can read by clicking HERE.

So, I get a day of rest as neighbor Jim cooks for me...

And here's the finished product, a baked egg dish... He insisted on calling this dish PETA, but I have not been able to find it anywhere. I would love to have a better name, but for now...

Here's what he did...

6 Eggs
1 cup milk
1 container of ricotta cheese

All mixed together...

AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH... I hate phyllo dough.

He separated each sheet, lined a shallow baking pan, overlapping the edges, and brushed 1/2 pound of melted butter on each sheet. He used half the box to do the bottom...

Then he poured the egg goop into the pan...

Spread the goop around flat, and start layering the remaining phyllo dough crap over the top, again, carefully brushing the butter on to seal the edges.

Once all the dough is laid out, fold those overlapping edges over the sides.

While it was baking, he cut up some olives and made a Greek salad for us.

Isn't he a happy guy? A self professed NON-cook.

He even went to effort for presentation with fancy square plates (they are sweeping the nation) and cloth napkins. And the taste... Fabulous. It was a terrific meal. Had I been making this,, I would have added some onions and sausage, but he assures me this was the traditional meal in a Greek home.

Bon Appetite

As the wine flowed, Jim told us nice stories of his Mom and Sisters. It was a great night! I want to thank Jim for letting me take a few pictures and share his recipe...

And giving me a day of rest!