Greek Easter cookies

We have so many different recipes for cookies to choose from and I could not decide which one to post. In the end I chose this one which is a rather classic recipe and not so difficult to make

Greek Easter Tsoureki bread

This traditional semi-sweet bread is one of the many delicacies prepared for Easter time and the households around the country smell sooooo nicely on Holy Thursday when this bread is traditionally made. There are various versions of it (in different shapes as well) so its texture and taste differ a bit from recipe to recipe. Most versions include active yeast and there is a correlation between the tsoureki and Easter period. The recipe includes yeast and as we know when yeast is involved in a dough then the dough will rise again... Tsoureki needs patience and time to be prepared when yeast is involved. Some experience in bread making is needed as well so not so easy for those who are not familiar to this procedure but it is really worth the trouble. The version I'm giving you today is the one that we call "Smyrneiko" (from Smyrna) and it is one of those delicious recipes of the Greeks of Asia Minor, full of aroma and delicate spices

Mageiritsa --- Classic Greek Easter Soup

This is the king of the Holy Saturday evening meal and people after coming back from the evening service at church (the Resurrection service) gather together to enjoy their meal (which will include other delicacies as well) and in this way the Lent period is over. Now, Mageiritsa soup is not for everybody and I can appreciate that. There are those who are not familiar with the cooked inner parts of an animal (like lamb in this case) and I can understand them turning their heads around the other side.... Those, though, who like liver or kidneys or those who are familiar with dishes like the Scottish "haggis" for example, should not be put off by this delicious soup. On the other hand, for those who don't like meat anyway (inside out) there is also the vegetarian version of Mageiritsa which I will present to you in the next few days. Mageiritsa has its hassle that's for sure and that's why the households begin its preparation in the morning of Holy Saturday and its slow cooking starts sometime in the late afternoon so to be almost ready before they go to church (around 11 p.m.) and when they are back and before they gather around the table they only have to give the final touch to it. The recipe varies from region to region or even from house to house, but the main concept is the same. Here is my mother's version of mageiritsa with not too many greens and not too much rice in the soup

Labropsomo - Traditional Easter bread

This is a delicious Easter bread with a flavour and texture something between the classic bread and the Tsoureki. Traditional recipe from the Argolida region where they prepare the bread on Holy Thursday but they present it at the table of the Holy Saturday feast, after the Resurrection church service

Greek Orthodox Easter

And this time of the year has arrived again... With all its preparations and of course the mourning period of the Holy Week which starts today with Palm Sunday and it is in its climax towards the end of the week. Easter for the Greeks is the most sacred and the most hearty and important period in the year regarding our faith. There are many different customs from region to region but there are some which remain the same all around the country.

Day by day there are different themes regarding the services people attend at church every evening. Until we get to Holy Thursday where things get quite dramatic and mournful for the faithful. But, at the same time, preparations for the big day of Easter Sunday start and every year the Greek households are busy with certain things which have to be done on certain days during the Holy Week.

On Palm Sunday, the morning service, includes offering of the "vayia", small branches of bay leaves commemorating Jesus's entrance into Jerusalem. And the evening service "officially" starts the period of the week of the Passion of Jesus. We are allowed to eat fish that day.

Usually, Holy Monday and Tuesday are dedicated to making the Easter cookies and the forthcoming Easter shopping begins... There are relative services at church in the evenings.

Holy Wednesday, the service of Holy Unction is performed while the faithful kneeling before the priests are anointed with the Holy Oil to receive forgiveness. In the evening at churches, the centre of the ceremonies and services is the "Washing of the Disciples' Feet" that takes place at many areas. For example, in Patmos island, a platform is set up in the square of the main town, which is always crowded for the occasion. During the ceremony, which lasts about an hour and a half, the Bishop, who "plays the part" of Christ, washes the feet of twelve monks -the Disciples- in imitation of the action of Christ before His Crucifixion

Holy Thursday is when the "tsourekia", a traditional Easter semi sweet bread, is to be baked.
Most important though is the preparation of the dyed red eggs. You can find households without any homemade Easter cookies or tsourekia but you will not find many households without having prepared their own Easter eggs. And Holy Thursday is the day to prepare them. Not before then and if, for any reason, you don't have the time to prepare them, then you have to wait until Holy Saturday.

Nowadays, you can find eggs dyed in various cheerful colours but in general the red ones are significant to the Easter feeling. Red because it is the colour of life and also represents the blood of Christ and because the egg always was a symbol of the renewal of life- it is also a message of victory over death...

Holy Thursday evening, church services last longer than the previous evenings because all the 12 Gospels are being read. Just before the 5th Gospel is about to finish the enactment of Christ's Crucifixion is taking place inside the church. The faithful offer wreaths to Him at the bottom of the Cross and the period of mourning begins. In many places - villages but even in big cities - women will stay in the church throughout the night in traditional mourning and when Holy Friday dawns they start preparing Christ's "Epitaphio" (the bier) with flowers.

Holy Friday, the most dramatic and mournful day in the Holy Week. The day of the culmination of the passion of Christ with his burial. It is a day of mourning, everything is closed (public services, schools, shops) and the housewives do not do any house chores. It is not that they are not allowed, it is just that they don't feel like doing it. Everybody feels numb that day, they really have that feeling of Loss in their hearts, as if somebody in the family has died. So, no housework that day and not even any cooking.
But if they do cook, the food of that day is something very simple. Maybe a bean or lentil soup, just boiled in water (since that day oil is not allowed, they are still in Lent phase) with some vinegar added to it (the vinegar  has it's significance, vinegar was what they gave to Jesus when he was thirsty while on the cross...). Flags are hung at half-mast and church bells ring all day in a slow mournful tone.

In the church that morning they keep preparing Christ's bier and the morning service includes the deposition of Christ's body off the cross. The Epitaphios is lavishly decorated with spring flowers and they place a symbolic image of Jesus's body on it. Nowadays, mainly for practical reasons, the shops open only after the morning service is finished, around 12 p.m.

In the evening service the Lamentations are chanted, followed by the exit of Epitaphios which is carried on the shoulders of the faithful and a procession takes place going through the parish streets and back to the church. In small towns or villages this procession also passes by the local cemetary and then back to the church. In both cases members of the congregation follow, carrying honey coloured candles.

 On Holy Saturday, everybody is anxious for the big night service at midnight. During the day time the households continue preparing the traditional food for that evening and also for the Easter Sunday. The mageiritsa soup is prepared, which will be eaten after the midnight service of Resurrection and the fast will finally break.

That day a morning prayerful church service is performed. The priests are dressed in white, scatter balm leaves and rose petals while church bells ring happily and chanters sing hymns in praise of Lord. At many areas the custom of 'the earthquake' is carried out. This is a re-enactment of the earthquake that took place after the Resurrection, as described in the Bible. The congregation beats the pews rhythmically, while outside chaos reigns, with gunfire, firecrackers and fireworks. This is a part of the 'First Resurrection' ceremony. Another custom is to close the doors of the church, and the priest, having made three circuits of the church while chanting, kicks open the central door and enters, singing the psalm "Arate pilas" which means "Open the Gates".

Another special tradition of the morning service is the 'Pot Throwing' custom that takes place at some Ionian islands, especially Corfu. Local people throw pots out of their windows, smashing them onto the streets below. Some times pots are filled with water to make a louder crash.

The midnight Service of the Resurrection is a big occasion attended by almost everyone while they are holding white candles. The white candles are only used for one Easter midnight service.

Shortly before midnight, all lights are switched off in the churches and you can see only the Holy Flame on the altar held by the main priest of the church. Every year this unique flame comes directly from the Holy Grave of Christ in Jerusalem and it lights miraculously without any human involvement. He passes it then to the congregation and one by one the faithful get their own Holy Flame (the light of the Resurrection) with the aim to bring it home safely for good luck and a blessed rest of the year.

When the clock hits midnight, the Priest calls out "Christos Anesti" (Christ is risen).
The night air is filled with the singing of the Byzantine Chant "Christos Anesti," and the "kiss of love" and wishes are exchanged between family members and friends and neighbours. Everybody exchanges the same wishes- "Christos Anesti" (Christ is risen) says the one and the other replies "Alithos Anesti" (Truly, he is risen) or "Alithinos o Kyrios" (True is the Lord). And these wishes and greetings go on for the next 50 days, until the Pentecost day, when Jesus appeared again to his people.
The tradition has it, as soon as "Christos Anesti" is called out, the church bells  start ringing joyously non-stop, ships in ports all around Greece sound their horns, floodlights are lit on large buildings, canons in Lecabetus hill (in Athens) bang and great and small displays of fireworks and noisemakers are set off. It is a representation of the noise that sounded when Jesus rose out of his tomb...


People then return home to have their traditional midnight food and enjoy the happy feeling of the Resurrection. The message in their hearts is that of the victory of life against death.
Once home, family and friends gather around the table for the traditional meal to break the fast, which includes the mageiritsa soup, the tsoureki and of course the red eggs. But before the eggs are eaten, there's a traditional challenge: the "tsougrisma", the cracking of the eggs!!
Holding your egg, you tap the end against the end of your opponent's egg, trying to crack it. Eggs are often made in very large quantities since the game continues on the next day with more friends and family.

On Easter Sunday whether it is a city or a village people get up quite early. It is a big happy day and in the case of being in a village or small town, it means you might have the chance to enjoy some traditional lamb or goat on the spit and other delicious Easter food.


In the afternoon of that day the "Second Resurrection" takes place, at which the Gospel of the Resurrection is read at churches in seven languages. This is the "Service of Love" and expresses the fact that the message of Christ's Resurrection transmits it's redemptive Power to the people of the world.

Later on, in many areas of Greece, the custom is to burn an effigy of Judas. The young people make an effigy of Judas out of old rags, put into it's hands the price of betrayal (a bag containing 30 pebbles) and hang it in the courtyard until the rags catch fire and go up in flames.

So, the preparations of the food for the day start early in the morning. First to prepare the fire in the right way so to be sure that the lamb and the rest of the meaty meze will be cooked thoroughly and nicely.  The customary main attraction of the day is a whole roasted lamb or goat (kid) to represent the Lamb of God. But for those who are not so lucky there is always the home oven. Great Greek wines, ouzo, and other drinks flow freely, and preparations for the meal turn into festive celebrations even before the main eating begins. These high-spirited gatherings often last long into the night.

On Easter Monday processions take place at many areas. Early in the morning, after the services, each church brings out its standard and its Cross. In other places the main icon of each church is placed in another church for a period of time, during which daily prayer services are held. Depending on the calendar of the year, if Easter is celebrated after the April 23rd, then the Easter Monday is dedicated to Saint George, a beloved Saint for all Greeks. Many festivals take place on his memory and if it happens that April 23rd is during the Lent or the Holy Week, then no celebration can be performed and is moved to Easter Monday which is a National Holiday anyway.

Other than that Easter Monday also is meant  for people to take things slowly.... Nothing is open beside cafés and restaurants and people, while trying to recover from the previous day's big feast, continue eating whatever was not eaten on Sunday!!! All those delicious leftovers! They never learn...

"Pastitsio" - Baked macaroni with ground meat, topped with béchamel sauce

Moussakas is (probably) the most well known Greek dish abroad but Pastitsio is not far behind in popularity in Greece and it seems that nowadays more and more people outside the country knows about it. It is an easy and convinient dish to make because, if you want, you can start preparing it the previous day. It is very filling and very tasty and it is such a suitable food for all seasons. With the Pastitsio at your table you'll never fail to please your guests! The method for the béchamel sauce is not the most common one you'll find but I wanted to show you something a bit different

Deep fried salt cod

The Greek version of the famous (and one of my favourites) English dish "Fish and chips"! I was really amazed when I first discovered that the English cook the cod in the same way as we do in Greece! The difference is that we use the salt cod and we follow a certain procedure before the frying and that (usually) we don't accompany this recipe with fries (or I should say chips...). We cook the salt cod in many different ways and all year round. But this specific recipe is probably the most popular version on the 25th of March and usually the dish will have two other classics coming together with it on the table that day- the "skordalia -garlic dip" and the "beetroot salad". Enjoy and learn a bit more about the salt cod, you might want to try it for a change. You never know...

This is the form you will find the salt cod in the shops

Let me tell you first a few things you have to be aware of regarding the fish and the recipe in general.

First of all the salt cod fillets you will buy have to be fleshy and the colour white-ish and not yellow because that would mean it is old and not good.

Second if you can not find salt cod fillets the alternative is fresh cod fillets (or frozen) or pollock or haddock or even halibut. All these fishes work with this recipe nicely.

**** If you decide to use salt cod be aware that you have to start preparing the fish in advance. You need to cut the fillets into portions and put them in a big plastic bowl full of water and let them soak for at least 1-2 days before cooking, so to extract the salt and you also have to remember to change the water many times through the day. This is very important!

Lets get to the recipe now

BIG DAY - DOUBLE CELEBRATION - What about recipes?

Today is a double, very important, celebration in Greece. First of all March 25th is one of the two national days we have and commemorates the beginning of the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire.

At the same time it is a big religious holiday for the Greeks connected to the Annunciation of Mary, Mother of God. And although we are in the middle of Lent, today is one of the two breaks during fasting period where fish is allowed (the other one is Palm Sunday). Every year most of the households around Greece cook the same menu which includes: fried"salt cod", "skordalia -garlic dip" and "beetroot salad".

The Greek War of Independence, was successfully waged by the Greek revolutionaries between 1821- 1829 and led to the Independent State of Greece in May 1832.

Following the fall of the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman Empire (in 1453), most of Greece came under Ottoman rule. During this time, there were numerous revolts by Greeks attempting to gain independence.

In 1814, a secret organization called "Filiki Eteria" ("Society of Friends") was founded with the aim of liberating Greece. The Filiki Eteria planned to launch revolts in the Greek area of Peloponnese, the Danubian Principalites and Constantinople.

By the end of March 1821, the Peloponnese was in open revolt against the Turks and was to become the heartland of the revolt. The atmosphere in the Peloponnese was tense, and by mid-March, sporadic incidents against Muslims occurred, heralding the start of the uprising.
The leader of the Revolution in Peloponnese - and one of our biggest heroes - was the experienced general Theodoros Kolokotronis who actually had participated in the Napoleonic Wars on the side of the British!

The Revolution was declared on 25 March 1821 by Archbishop Germanos of Old Patras who raised the banner with the cross in the Monastery of Agia Lavra in Kalavryta town, in Peloponnese.

It was there that the call "Freedom or Death" was first heard launching the revolution against the Ottomans. That was and still is the motto of Greece and is symbolically evoked by the use of 9 stripes (for the nine syllables of the motto) in the Greek flag

The motto symbolizes the resolve of the people of Greece against tyranny and oppression. That day, the Bishop performed a service and administered an oath to the Peloponnesian fighters. The revolutionary flag was raised by Bishop under the plane tree just outside the gate of the monastery.

It is believed that they chose the specific day to combine it with the religious day of the Annunciation of Mary.

The war lasted for 9 years and only a small part of modern Greece was finally liberated and it was declared an independent nation.
The struggle for the liberation of all the lands inhabited by Greeks continued. In 1864, the Ionian islands were added to Greece; in 1881 parts of Epirus and Thessaly.
Crete, the islands of the Eastern Aegean and Macedonia were added in 1913 and Western Thrace in 1919. After World War II the Dodecanese islands were also returned to Greece.

The Greek National Anthem was written by Dionysios Solomos in 1824 and the music by Nikolaos Mantzaros in 1828. It was adopted in 1864

It was translated into English by Rudyard Kipling in 1918

We knew thee of old,

O, divinely restored,

By the lights of thine eyes,

And the light of thy Sword.

From the graves of our slain,

Shall thy valour prevail,

As we greet thee again,

Hail, Liberty! Hail!

Classic cheese Saganaki - Fried Greek cheese

Those of you who have tasted this meze dish I'm sure can start feeling your mouth watering.... For those who don't know let me tell you just a few things. The term "saganaki" in the title of the recipe refers first of all to the special kind of pan the food is prepared in. Usually is a quite small in size pan (for one or two people at the most) and the recipe cooked in it is served as a meze or first dish. If the recipe is to be fried then the pan is a small, usually cast iron, frying pan with one or two handles. When the recipe requires to be cooked in the oven small, usually clay pots, are used to cook in. There are various dishes prepared in Greece in this way having the term "saganaki" next to a meat, cheese, sea food or vegetables recipe and all are sooo delicious!

Greek "dessert spoon sweets"

Just after Spring comes the housewifes start planning of making this year's jams and fruit preserves or "Spoon Sweets" as we call them. Spoon sweets (Glyka tou koutaliou) are a big part of the Greek cuisine and in many ways are equal to the meaning of "Greek hospitality". They are traditional sweet preserves made of various fruits and even vegetables. They are very sweet because of the syrup they are preserved in and that's why we serve them as a couple of spoonfuls- usually on a small china or crystal bowl/dish using a spoon of the size of the (English) tea-spoon (so to have an idea what kind of spoon we are talking about). The right way to accompany them with is a glass of cold water. Often, though, you will see them as a topping on Greek yoghurt or vanilla ice cream or kaimaki ice cream (another special delicacy).

Unfortunately at some point the "spoon sweets" have started not being so popular any more. I mean, people still liked them but they didn't consider them as a special treat for their guests as they used to do in the past, so the traditional recipes had started disappearing, at least in the big cities. On the other hand the modern day housewives could not really get bothered or they didn't have enough spare time to prepare their own "spoon sweets" and they prefered to buy them at the market- which is something that you would not even imagine happening in the past and to be honest I don't think you could find them at all at the market. But the last few years I see that more and more housewives go back to the traditional way of making them at home and they actually find them quiet trendy!!!...

"Spoon sweets" can be made of almost everything and I'm not exaggerating.
You can use the peel of oranges, bitter oranges, quinces, grapefruit, frapa (=citrus maxima) a sour/bitter fruit similar to grapefruit but bigger, the bergamot, lemons, tangerines and mandarins....
Even the watermelon rind!! In other words many fruits or parts of them which normally are not edible.

Various types of seedless grapes and berries, cherries and sour cherries, apricots, figs, prunes. Flower petals like roses or citrus blossoms. Various types of nuts like the walnuts when they are still unripe with their green skin on.... As for the vegetables... the baby eggplant is a good example.

One of their main purposes is to capture the essence of a particular season. Here are some examples:

Spring
Unripe (immature) whole walnuts with their green skin on (still soft)
Immature pistachios (unsalted) - A specialty of the pistachio-producing island of Aegina.

Summer
Rose petals - Typically from Chios island and the Peloponnese area
Watermelon, made from the rind of the young fruits
Sour cherries
Cherries
Apricots, the fruit in whole 
Small tomatoes
Immature figs, when still small and green

Late Summer
Various types of seedless grapes
Raisin, traditional to Crete
Baby eggplants
Ripe figs

Fall
Quinces
Firiki, a small type of apple originated and a specialty of Mt. Pilio
Pumpkin, a specialty of Naoussa (up North Greece)

Winter
Bitter oranges, preserved whole when immature and in pieces of rind when ripe.
Oranges
Bergamot
Kumquat, originated (in Greece) and a specialty of Corfu

The "spoon sweets" are made by slowly and gently boiling in water and sugar over several hours or (in some cases) even days, until the syrup sets. The traditional saying about what it takes to make a really good spoon sweet is "patience and a heavy pot"....  Some lemon juice is often added to preserve the fruit's original color, as the citric acid prevents oxidation. A small quantity of blanched almonds, slivered or whole, are often added for crunch, especially in fruits like apples, quinces and grapes.

The overall method of preparation is really the same as that of marmalade or jam, except that the fruit pieces remain firm and whole; a well-made spoon sweet holds the original shape, color, aroma and taste of the fruit.

For years and years they used to use pickling lime to make some of the "spoon sweets"!!!!!!!!! My mother, actually, she kept doing it this way up to a few years ago especially when she wanted to turn the watermelon rind into a "spoon sweet". It was not easy to find it though so they would compromise by going to building sites and ask for some "quicklime for the watermelon...." and the builders knew immediately what they meant... amazing is it not???

You see, the quicklime helps the fruits or the vegetables meant to become "spoon sweets" to be crunchier and hold their shape during and after boiling. The watermelon rind is a good example and also the whole apricots and the sweet and sour cherries. They would dissolve 1 cup of quicklime in about 2 litres of water and then soak the fruits in this water for a few hours or overnight. Next day they would wash the fruits very well and continuing with the rest of the procedure.

For those who don't know, they must be warned that quicklime can be dangerous and if they decide to use it they have to be very very careful. So, in my opinion, always is better to use the pickling lime if you can find it otherwise maybe it is wiser to skip this step of soaking the fruits in this liquid and proceed as normal.
I found out last year that my mother didn't get bothered to find any quicklime for her watermelon rind and she still had the same success.

One classic Greek "spoon sweet" (and my personal favourite) is the snow-white, sugar rich and intensely aromatic "vanilla submarine" as we call it and there is a good reason for its name!!!!!! It is a confection flavoured with vanilla (the classic flavour) but you can find it with other flavours like the pistachios or the mastic (a rare tree growing exclusively in the Aegean island of Chios) and it looks like a thick paste. This delicious "spoon sweet" is served as a generous dollop on a teaspoon and then dived into a tall glass full of ice-cold water and because of that it has the nickname "submarine"....

The Greeks from Asia Minor made it famous and brought it to the mother land. For decades it was the favourite sweet treat of the children and you can still find it at the market and at traditional "Kafenia" (Cafés)..

Eggs "Strapatsada" or "Kayianas"

In other words the Greek "scrambled eggs" cooked in fresh tomato sauce, a very tasty Summer dish. The "strapatsada" comes from Corfu and because of the Italian influence it is believed that the name of the dish derives from the Italian word "strapazzare" meaning to "handle roughly", to "beat"....  You can also find the recipe with the name "Kayianas" and "Sfouggato" depending on the area the dish comes from. And although the "eggs with tomatoes" (as a lot of people referred to them) is the basis of the recipe, you can easily find small differences here and there throughout Greece. It is a very easy and fast recipe and you can have "strapatsada" as a side or even a light main dish

450gr. ripe tomatoes, roughly grated or 1 tin of tomatoes (400gr.), diced
2-3 tbsp of good quality olive oil
Salt
black pepper
1 tsp. of sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped (if you use the fresh tomatoes )
or
1/2 tbsp of dry oregano (if you use the tinned tomatoes)

Method:In a non stick frying pan add the grated tomatoes, the olive oil, the sugar, salt and pepper and let the tomato sauce cook, in medium heat, until most of the water has evarporated. You need a rather dry-ish tomato sauce. You stir, while cooking, regularly so to avoid sticking on the pan. Taste the sauce and if you think it is too acidic add a bit more sugar.

In a bowl whisk the eggs lightly. Turn the heat to low, add the eggs into the frying pan together with the mint or the oregano and, while stirring regularly with a wooden spoon, let the eggs cook until they form small curds. The eggs, when served, should not be totally dry but still a bit juicy.

Notes: A well known common combination of strapatsada is the one with diced green pepper and crumbled feta cheese added in it

Savoury cake with lentils and feta cheese

Another unusual combination of ingredients to make a very tasty savoury cake. The recipe comes from Mrs Parliarou, author in cooking section of newspapers and magazines in Greece. You might have already noticed from previous posts, that in some of the recipes the measurements of the ingredients come in a bit of a strange way, like in tea-cups or wine glasses or water glasses. Personally, that confuses me a bit because I'm used to do everything in grams (using a kitchen balance) but it is a very common way in Greece (making it very handy for the older generations of houswives) and in the end you can't really get it wrong. Each place with its own habits....



Gemista - Stuffed tomatoes and peppers with rice and herbs

This is a dish which needs a bit of preparation but when it is done it's soooo tasty. For many people it is the king of the Summer dishes in Greece. Every time we go this is one of the dishes I ask my mother to cook for us. The specific version has just a small touch of the Greek cuisine of Asia Minor, since there are a couple of ingredients we find mainly in the versions of Smyrna and Constantinople. The "gemista" can also be cooked with ground beef mixed with the rice, a recipe which can be found in the blog here

Chicken wings in the Greek way

A very easy, simple and quick recipe without being essential to cook them on the BBQ. The oven of your home cooker is just fine and the taste is something else

Aginares "à la Polita" - Artichokes in lemon sauce

Another delicious vegetable Greek dish and very easy to cook (apart from the bit of cleaning the artichokes in case you have fresh ones). The term "à la Polita" has its origin in the old days Constantinople (the modern day Istanbul) when this "city of the cities" was the base of the Byzantium empire and thousands of Greeks used to live there. Constantinople = Constantine's (the Byzantium Emperor) City, City = poli..... a lot of people used to refer to it just as the "Poli" and everybody knew which place they meant. The recipe came to us (like others from the area of Smyrna (Izmir) as I have mentioned in another post) along with Greeks who, after living in Asia Minor for centuries, thousands of them had to abandon their land and move over to Greece in the early '20s. Those people brought with them their culture and habits and their delicious cuisine (like those who came from Smyrna and Efxinos Pontos at the same period) and now this recipe is one of the most well known dishes under the term "Politika" (the one from "Poli")

Greek "Country Style" Salad

You have tried it and you liked it and it's so easy to have it at home because  you can find the ingredients easily whichever country you come from! The secret is the fresh vegetables and the very good quality of olive oil. Here is the "horiatiki" (country style) version with feta cheese. Enjoy!

Classic Ryzogalo.....

....... the Greek rice pudding. Smooth and creamy this dessert brings back many happy childhood memories

"Briam" - A Summertime "must" of the Greek cuisine

"Briam" is the most easy summer dish you could put together with no hassle cooking it. Soon the courgettes will be in their season, so don't miss the chance to have this tasty and light food. There is the version I'm giving you today with potatoes and courgettes but the dish can be cooked also included aubergines. There is the oven version of the recipe but also the version cooked in the pot

Spinach and feta cheese triangles

The spinach and cheese triangles (based on the famous spanakopita pie) - together with the cheese pie triangles- are two of the most well known Greek pastry snacks. Once you master the technique of how you can fold properly the phyllo pastry into triangles you'll cook them more and more often

Traditional little apple pies

Home made individual apple pies are very tasty! This recipe is a traditional one and comes from the monasteries of Mount Athos. The monks follow the big Lent and other fasting periods very strictly and they have some very nice recipes for each occasion. Of course this recipe it's not only for those who fast, it is suitable for everybody and it is a very nice sweet snack

Greek okra stew

Okra is a popular vegetable in Greece because beside their sweetness it is also very versatile. They can be cooked in the pot or in the oven as a simple vegetarian dish (see Note in the end of the post) or with meat or chicken. Very simple ingredients are used in this recipe which is not complicated to prepare and if you get okra in their season they are so tasty. Here I give you the pot version of the dish with no meat involved

Authentic Tzatziki

Tzatziki! One of the most famous Greek mezedes around the world. The tzatziki is a standard recipe but every now and then you find it with different herbs, not so much from region to region but from cook to cook depending on their personal preferences. But I have seen the Greek--foreign version one, which is a disgrace since, for some reason, some Greek restaurants abroad use instead of yoghurt fromage frais!!! What a sacrilege this is!! Anyway, this one here is the one I learnt from my mother and the most well known version

Fasolada - Classic Greek harricot bean soup

Still nowadays this dish is considered as the Greek "national dish" and it has filled the hunger of many generations. Again there are some variations of it, from region to region, but I'll give you the one I grew up with and is a speciality of my mother's

Cucumber salad with yoghurt

Another refreshing and light salad which can accompany your Easter table but you can enjoy it at any time of the year. A very good idea for your upcoming BBQ sessions to go nicely with any kind of meat or fish on the coals

Hylopites with feta cheese

"Hylopites" is a Greek type of pasta (resembling to the Italian Tagliatelle) and they can be found in long or short size. It is a great part of our culinary culture, it is a tradition and hylopites have raised many generations of Greeks (and still do). We can cook it in so many different ways and it has become one of our favourite foods. Here is a very easy, quick, light and thoroughly delicious recipe cooked, in a way, like a risotto

Beef cooked in beer with peppers and marjoram

A delicious Sunday dinner recipe to please family and friends. Marjoram gives a special taste and aroma to the whole dish and the red Florina peppers a great taste