Today's Drawing - Ayla

I completed this drawing of Ayla yesterday, using 4b and 9b pencils on smooth cartridge paper. I will post more drawings soon including ones by other Artists.

I will post another recipe shortly, filo pastry with a sweet filling.

Next week I will be working on my recipe book, writing and developing ideas for the chapter headings, paintings of fruits and vegetables, including the landscape, flora and fauna of Cyprus.

Have a great weekend

Hani

Update

My studio became a music recording studio for most of last week / half term, for my Son, and his band mates, all very talented, motivated and full of ideas. For a fairly new band, it is quite impressive how much they have deveoped in a short space of time. They are working on some recordings and will set up a website once they are ready. With their permission I would like to add a link to their web site once it is set up.

There is a fully equiped recording studio nearby, that they use regularly. The studio was built and equiped by two young lads, who also run it as a business. They are now in the process of constructing a path and patio area outside their studio.
I am quite chuffed to be surrounded by such enterprising, motivated and creative young people. They are all very inspiring and I wish them every success, they deserve it.

I am back painting this week. I will post it on my blog and discuss it a little more when I have finished. After this, it will be back to writing my recipe book. I will post a couple of recipes and some drawings this week. Appologies for not having done this last week, as my studio was being used, I decided to concentrate on the numerous DIY jobs waiting to be done, including figuring out how to construct a stud partition wall lol!.

Have a good day.

Hani

Food from Cyprus - Recipe for Rustic Bread with Olives and Halloumi cheese.

From my food from Cyprus book.
I spent this morning trying out the above recipe and it works a treat. Very easy to make and the end result is delicious. The photographs show my efforts before and after baking. If you decide to try it out, please let me know, I would love to hear your comments. Here is the recipe.

1 kg Self raising flour
3 tbsp Yeast
1 level tbsp Salt
1 Teacup (5fl oz) Olive oil
15 fl oz Warm water
1 teacup kalamata olives
Small bunch fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh mint or 1tsp dried mint
110 grams Halloumi cheese ( half a halloumi cheese )
1 medium sized onion.

Pour the flour, yeast, salt and olive oil into a large mixing bowl. Add the warm water and mix until you have a bread dough consistency and knead for 5 mins on a floured surface. Place the dough back in the mixing bowl.

Cut the hallouni cheese into small cubes. Peel, wash and finely chop the onion. Rinse and chop up the parsley and mint. Add these to the mixing bowl with the olives and fold all the ingredients into the dough. Pour the dough into a well greased large baking dish or tin. If you prefer, you can divide the mixture into two smaller dishes. This mixture would make great savoury muffins as well.

Cover the dough and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, pre heat the oven to gas mark 5 or 180 for electric cookers. Place dish in the oven on the top shelf and bake for 45 - 50 mins ( less if you have divided the mixture).

My drawing for the day features some of the ingredients from this recipe.


Halloumi Cheese

Recipe Book update

I have been busy researching and gathering recipes and information for my book and writing them up. There are so many delicious recipes for starters, pastries, breads, and main courses. Starting this week, I will start posting some recipes here on my blog. The first recipe will be a lovely, healthy rustic bread with olives, hellim or halloumi cheese and parsley. It is so sustaining, you could climb a mountain on this bread alone!. I am going to bake it myself today, to make sure I have the correct ingredients and measurements. Basically, if I can bake it anyone can!

This week I will be working on my painting for the book cover. I have also decided to start a new regime of one drawing a day no matter how many other things I have to do. I will post some of them from time to time.

Writing a book

Finally ready to begin writing my book, based on my family's olive grove in Cyprus and my Mothers recipes. Plans to travel to Cyprus recently, for research and painting were postponed after a nasty fall at home a few days before flying out. I am looking at doing this later on in the year now.

In the meantime I am doing some on going research and fact finding. I have decided on a size and rough layout for my book, also the number of pages and chapters and what they will be covering. I have been experimenting with ideas for paintings for the front cover and chapter openings and should be able to post new images soon.

First though, I need to write the introduction. I will post more as I go along.

Would love to hear from anyone who has written and published their own book.

Have good day.