Archangel at the Ringwood Library!

I am so excited today! My novel, Archangel, is at my local library, standing proudly on the shelf!

 It looks well worn from reader wear and tear, which I'm thrilled about.

 Andrea Calhoon, the Library Director posing next to my book.

I just had to take a picture of the book listing on the Library's computer system. This is such a great moment for me, it feels like all the brightest colors of fall are bursting out of me. 

Thank you to all the people who made this happen.
Enjoy!

Maria

Halloween

Boo!!

 Yes, I know Halloween has come and gone but I had to show you these fun pictures of Halloween decorations around town.

  Someone went into a lot of trouble to decorate

 Watch out for this guy

 I think he/she is harmless

 The totem pole is here because I just love it!

This blood red sunset sets the stage

Enjoy!

Maria

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette

Fall is a season of vivid colors in nature, whether in the forest, the garden or, in vegetables. One of the most popular and colorful fall vegetables is the butternut squash. With it's meaty orange flesh it flavors and brightens many dishes. In Cyprus, at this time of year, cooks traditionally made turnovers with butternut squash, bulgur wheat, and raisins.

 

My cousin Anna, an amazing cook who turns out trays and trays of traditional Cypriot goodies, just posted photos of her squash turnovers that in Cyprus we call "kolokotes." I had a hankering for those pastries with their gooey, sweet and savory filling and their thin crust.

Alas, the Cyprus pastries were not to be, because I couldn't find bulgur wheat in any of my local shops. However, while perusing the SmittenKitchen food blog, I came upon this butternut squash dish that triggered my interest. The great thing was, I had most of the ingredients at hand.

 Peel and cube about 1.5lbs of butternut squash.

Place on a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil(easier cleanup), drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast in a 375 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes, turning if needed. Let the squash cool.

 While the squash is baking, slice one large onion into thin half moons.

Drizzle a tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan and add onions. Cook onions for about 20 minutes over low heat. Midway through, add a pinch of sugar and a dash of salt. When the onions are done, add 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves.You can substitute for sage(as the original recipe calls for), or rosemary, whatever you like or have on hand.

 Greek, dried, wild thyme flowers.

In a large bowl add the cooled roasted squash, the caramelized onions, 2-3 ounces(about a half cup)grated or shredded fontina or mozzarella cheese and toss gently.

Roll out a sheet of puff pastry on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Place filling in the middle and fold over pastry edges to envelope the filling. Add some grated Parmesan cheese to the exposed filling.

Place pan in a 375 degree preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the pastry has browned well and the filling is bubbling.

 Remove the galette from the oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Slice into it and dig in!

Stelios and I enjoyed it with a glass of Greek wine and a salad for a perfect fall evening meal.

 
Enjoy!

Maria

Fall's Baked Apples

 Baked apples are one of the simplest, most delicious fall desserts.

 
 Apples and spices and sugar is all it takes.

Core your apples- use Cortland or any other good baking apple. Use as many as will fill your roasting pan.

Fill each cavity with a teaspoon of sugar, some cloves and a dash of ground cinnamon. Add a half a cup of water to the bottom of the pan and place the pan in a 350 preheated oven.

While the apples are cooking add water to the pan if it's too dry.They are ready after an hour or until the apples are soft.

Eat them warm, cut up into smaller pieces, over Greek yogurt, or, cut them up and put them in your morning cereal, or just eat them plain with a bit of their own syrup spooned over. The best part is that they will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

Any way you choose to serve them, I'm sure you're going to love this treat.

Enjoy!

Maria

Venetian Castle-Chora, Kythera

I was extremely fortunate to stay at the El Sol hotel in Kythera this summer, in a room facing the magnificent outcrop that is host to the Chora Castle ruins.

Every morning I saluted the sun and the ancient ruins

When you climb to the outermost walls and look down, you'll see the two bays and the small town of Kapsali with it's magical beach. This is where on the last day of my stay I was stung by a jelly fish. But that's another story!

 The Greek flag flies proudly in the salty breeze inside the castle perimeter.

 Icon paintings inside a recently restored chapel. We can see the Virgin Mary holding her Child and the Archangel standing guard to her left.

 The inside of the chapel

A view of the island/rock called Hydra several kilometers off the coast of Kapsali. The island is host to seals, rare wildflowers and a sea cave with azure waters. If you are in the area look for captain Alexandros and his boat and go for a boat ride and a cave swim.

Kythera is one of those special places in the world filled with light, salty surf, rugged landscapes and fragrant wild herbs and, ancient ruins.

Enjoy!
Maria

How to Publish Your Own Book - a workshop at the Orangeburg Library

This past week I was happy to conduct a workshop on "How to Publish Your Own Book" at the Orangeburg Library in New York State.

I'd never done a workshop like that before and I thought about what people, who are interested in publishing their own book, would like to know. There is so much that goes into publishing your own book that it can be overwhelming to someone trying to make a presentation and also to the audience who're trying to learn about the process.

What I decided to do was focus on the main steps I took to get from a pile of written pages to the end product of a paperback and Kindle book, which became "Archangel."

The evening of the event I went to the library not knowing what to expect. However, I felt very positive and  excited and was certain that the outcome of the presentation could only be good.

Sure enough, we had a great group of people thanks to the efforts of Lynne Warshavsky, in charge of special programs and, to the generous hospitality of the Library Director, Mary Kane.We had a great time together, I shared my experience in publishing my book and got lots of feedback and good questions from my audience.
Thank you to all!

Enjoy!

Maria

Mylopotamos- the Kytherian castle on the cliff

Mylopotamos is a village in Kythera with a lot of history and natural beauty. We visited the Castle of Mylopotamos, a Venetian castle built on the edge of a cliff, where, inside it's walls, the local people could be protected. 

The entrance to the fortress. Notice the Lion of Venice at the top of the apse.

The vivid remains of houses of worship and homes with traditional architecture haunt the visitor.

Today, homes are renovated keeping the traditional style and incorporating the ancient walls.

If you continue outside of Mylopotamos, there is a sign pointing to Limnionas, a hard to access beach that rewards the traveler for the precipitous drive.

Greek islands are filled with history, lore and natural beauty. One can explore for years and still discover new destinations.

Enjoy!
Maria