Showing posts with label ARTICLES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ARTICLES. Show all posts
Friday, 3 August 2012
Home prepared dried apricots for the Winter
This velvety, fragrant and delicious fruit is still in season so why not prepare your own dried apricots at home? It's so easy to do and while the sun still shines you should take advantage and try it out!
Sunday, 25 March 2012
BIG DAY with a BIG FEAST!!!
HRONIA POLLA ELLADA!
Once again the time came to celebrate the 25th of March which means a lot to the Greeks since it is a double celebration! And for those (Greeks or not) who shake their heads ironically all I have to say is GREECE NEVER DIES!!
Check out the recipes most households cook today around Greece: here, here and here and if you are in the mood for a bit of Greek history check out this article
Monday, 27 February 2012
Is "Clean Monday" again! - Why not fasting while feasting!?!?
The Carnival period finished in Greece yesterday. Today we are back to "Sarakosti", the 40-day fasting period until the Holy Week before Easter.
Friday, 28 October 2011
28 OCTOBER 1940 - THE DAY OF THE BIG "NO" - A NATIONAL DAY WHICH WE'LL NEVER STOP REMEMBERING AND HONOURING
The Greek National Anthem was written by
Dionysios Solomos in 1824 and the music composed 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! "
Dionysios Solomos in 1824 and the music composed 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! "
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Bougatsa - A delicacy dating back to Byzantium
This is absolutely delicious! The sweet version of it probably will remind you of the "Galaktoboureko" but it's totally different. "Bougatsa" is not only the name of the dessert but also the type of pastry used to make it. It's not like the phyllo pastry sheets or the puff pastry but something totally different that needs skills and patience of a professional. That's why is not possible to make "Bougatsa" at home to taste exactly like the one we buy in (specialized) pastry shops. Traditionally there are two types of "Bougatsa", the one with the sweet custard-type of cream and the one with cheese. Nowadays, though, more and more often we find "Bougatsa" with other type of fillings like vegetables, ground meat and God knows what else...
In Greece, there are two "schools" of traditional "Bougatsa" with differences between them. The one coming from Serres area (with the sweet creamy filling and sprinkled on top with icing sugar and ground cinnamon) in Northern Greece and the other one from Chania area, in Crete (with the local myzithra cheese as a filling and sprinkled on top with granulated sugar). Following in popularity and taste there are also the Bougatsas coming from Thessaloniki in North and Heraklion in Crete.
The initial idea of bougatsa, according to old reports, comes from the Byzantium times. It appears to be a special delicacy from Constantinople even before 1453, when the "City of all Cities" was captured by the Ottomans. It is known that in the Byzantium there was a big tradition in making sweet and savoury pies. Even after Constantinople was captured, bougatsa continues excelling, according to travelling testimonies of 16th and 17th century. The traveller Evlia Tselempi reports that in Constantinople two bakeries prepared "bougatsa kourou”, “kigmali” (with groundmeat), “peinerli” (with cheese) and "santé bougatsa" (with caster sugar).
The name "bougatsa" or "bougkatsa", probably meant to describe the type of pies savoury or sweet where the filling was "wrapped very well in a tight pastry". This is one of the basic differences between "bougatsa" and the other type of pies we have in Greece. Another difference is that the phyllo is not rolled out with the help of flour and a rolling pin as the classic pies, but only with the help of oil and soft butter.
Very important factor of making bougatsa is its perfect pastry. In order to become as it should flour, oil and soft vegetable butter of the most excellent quality are required. In the traditional recipes of bougatsa the only electric machine that is needed actually, is the mixer. From the moment Bougatsa is kneaded the rest of the procedure until the final result is absolutely handmade.
After the dough is shaped, it is divided in small balls coated with oil and butter and left for certain hours to rest in order to be soften, raised in volume and doubled in size. From a small ball, the craftsman with his skills and patience creates a perfect (and of enormous dimensions) very thin pastry sheet, roughly 1,5x2 metres.
In the beginning he flattens and widens the ball until it reaches the size of a small pizza and then begins to throw the pastry in the air, 3-7 times for each sheet, until it becomes thin and in the desirable dimensions. The pastry sheet of bougatsa (nowadays also called "air-sheet") in order to achieve an excellent result needs very good skills and patience. The next step is simply to enclose tightly the savoury or sweet filling in the pastry sheet.
Bougatsa first arrived to Greece with the Greeks coming from Constantinople and the region of Eastern Thrace after the exchange of the population between Greece and Turkey.
In the old days, when Bougatsa first appeared in Greece, not too many people were going to bougatsa shops in order to buy this delicacy, because this would be quite offensive for their wives!! Back in those days, it was strongly believed that a woman would be considered as "a good housewife" only if (among other things) she could cook perfect sweet and savoury pies!!! If people saw somebody eating bougatsa in one of those shops it led to the conclusion that his wife does not make any pies or if she does, they are not good enough.... In other words she was not a good housewife.....
Later on of course, as the years passed, people began to get used to the idea of buying pies from a shop and that old taboo stopped annoying people's conscience.
In Greece, there are two "schools" of traditional "Bougatsa" with differences between them. The one coming from Serres area (with the sweet creamy filling and sprinkled on top with icing sugar and ground cinnamon) in Northern Greece and the other one from Chania area, in Crete (with the local myzithra cheese as a filling and sprinkled on top with granulated sugar). Following in popularity and taste there are also the Bougatsas coming from Thessaloniki in North and Heraklion in Crete.
The initial idea of bougatsa, according to old reports, comes from the Byzantium times. It appears to be a special delicacy from Constantinople even before 1453, when the "City of all Cities" was captured by the Ottomans. It is known that in the Byzantium there was a big tradition in making sweet and savoury pies. Even after Constantinople was captured, bougatsa continues excelling, according to travelling testimonies of 16th and 17th century. The traveller Evlia Tselempi reports that in Constantinople two bakeries prepared "bougatsa kourou”, “kigmali” (with groundmeat), “peinerli” (with cheese) and "santé bougatsa" (with caster sugar).
The name "bougatsa" or "bougkatsa", probably meant to describe the type of pies savoury or sweet where the filling was "wrapped very well in a tight pastry". This is one of the basic differences between "bougatsa" and the other type of pies we have in Greece. Another difference is that the phyllo is not rolled out with the help of flour and a rolling pin as the classic pies, but only with the help of oil and soft butter.
Very important factor of making bougatsa is its perfect pastry. In order to become as it should flour, oil and soft vegetable butter of the most excellent quality are required. In the traditional recipes of bougatsa the only electric machine that is needed actually, is the mixer. From the moment Bougatsa is kneaded the rest of the procedure until the final result is absolutely handmade.
After the dough is shaped, it is divided in small balls coated with oil and butter and left for certain hours to rest in order to be soften, raised in volume and doubled in size. From a small ball, the craftsman with his skills and patience creates a perfect (and of enormous dimensions) very thin pastry sheet, roughly 1,5x2 metres.
In the beginning he flattens and widens the ball until it reaches the size of a small pizza and then begins to throw the pastry in the air, 3-7 times for each sheet, until it becomes thin and in the desirable dimensions. The pastry sheet of bougatsa (nowadays also called "air-sheet") in order to achieve an excellent result needs very good skills and patience. The next step is simply to enclose tightly the savoury or sweet filling in the pastry sheet.
Bougatsa first arrived to Greece with the Greeks coming from Constantinople and the region of Eastern Thrace after the exchange of the population between Greece and Turkey.
In the old days, when Bougatsa first appeared in Greece, not too many people were going to bougatsa shops in order to buy this delicacy, because this would be quite offensive for their wives!! Back in those days, it was strongly believed that a woman would be considered as "a good housewife" only if (among other things) she could cook perfect sweet and savoury pies!!! If people saw somebody eating bougatsa in one of those shops it led to the conclusion that his wife does not make any pies or if she does, they are not good enough.... In other words she was not a good housewife.....
Later on of course, as the years passed, people began to get used to the idea of buying pies from a shop and that old taboo stopped annoying people's conscience.
Monday, 7 March 2011
Kathara Deftera - "Clean Monday" of Greek Lent
7th of March 2011, is the "Clean Monday" (also known as Ash Monday or Monday of Lent) and it is the first day of the Greek Orthodox Christian Lent period. It is a moveable feast (the first Monday after the Greek Carnival period) and we also refer to this period as "Sarakosti" meaning "40 days" of fasting, which actually is more than 40 days if you include the Holy Week before the Easter Sunday.
The term "Clean Monday", refers to the leaving behind us the not so nice attitudes and the non-fasting food. From the religious point of view, Clean Monday - and thus the Lent itself - begins on the preceding (Sunday) night, at a special Church service called Forgiveness Vespers. In this service all people present will bow down before one another and ask forgiveness. In this way, the faithful begin Lent with a clean conscience, with forgiveness, and with renewed Christian love. The entire first week of Great Lent is often referred to as "Clean Week," and it is customary to go to Confession during this week, and to clean the house thoroughly.
Clean Monday is a public holiday in Greece, where it is celebrated with outdoor excursions, the consumption of shellfish and other fasting food, a special kind of azyme bread (a lightly or at all fermented/ leavened bread), baked only on that day and named "Lagana".
Some of the best fare in all of Greek cooking are the dishes culled from the tradition of abstention, from the 40 day (plus) period before Easter when one shuns all animal products. Until just a few decades ago, the majority of Greeks abided by the dictates of the religious calendar, fasting not only before Easter but before many other major holidays, so that they actually kept off meat and dairy products for nearly half the year.
The happy, Springtime atmosphere of Clean Monday may seem at odds with the Lenten spirit of repentance and self-control, but this seeming contradiction is a marked aspect of the Greek Orthodox approach to fasting.
Another widespread custom of the day, when the weather is good, is flying kites. Something that children and adults enjoy the same!
The term "Clean Monday", refers to the leaving behind us the not so nice attitudes and the non-fasting food. From the religious point of view, Clean Monday - and thus the Lent itself - begins on the preceding (Sunday) night, at a special Church service called Forgiveness Vespers. In this service all people present will bow down before one another and ask forgiveness. In this way, the faithful begin Lent with a clean conscience, with forgiveness, and with renewed Christian love. The entire first week of Great Lent is often referred to as "Clean Week," and it is customary to go to Confession during this week, and to clean the house thoroughly.
Clean Monday is a public holiday in Greece, where it is celebrated with outdoor excursions, the consumption of shellfish and other fasting food, a special kind of azyme bread (a lightly or at all fermented/ leavened bread), baked only on that day and named "Lagana".
Some of the best fare in all of Greek cooking are the dishes culled from the tradition of abstention, from the 40 day (plus) period before Easter when one shuns all animal products. Until just a few decades ago, the majority of Greeks abided by the dictates of the religious calendar, fasting not only before Easter but before many other major holidays, so that they actually kept off meat and dairy products for nearly half the year.
As a result, a whole culinary repertory evolved that is a mirror of the ingenuity of home cooks who relied on the bounty of the season to provide filling, nutritious meals. There are several standard preparations, but the foods of the Greek Lenten table really comprise a wealth of vegetable, grain, and seafood dishes.
Eating meat, eggs and dairy products is traditionally out of the question for the Greeks (most of them anyway) throughout Lent, with fish being eaten only on major feast days, but shellfish is permitted. This has created the tradition of eating elaborate dishes based on seafood (shellfish, molluscs, fish roe etc.).
The happy, Springtime atmosphere of Clean Monday may seem at odds with the Lenten spirit of repentance and self-control, but this seeming contradiction is a marked aspect of the Greek Orthodox approach to fasting.
Another widespread custom of the day, when the weather is good, is flying kites. Something that children and adults enjoy the same!
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Greek Christmas & New Year Traditions & Celebrations
Even though the Greek Christmas is regarded by many as not so popular as Easter period, we really have some very rich and colourful Christmas traditions. The Advent period is often taken very seriously by Orthodox Christians and those wishing to take communion on Christmas morning will be expected to fast during the whole period (or at least for the last three days). Fasting means abstaining from meat, eggs and dairy products as well as oil for those who are in a strict fast.
Christmas service takes place very early in the morning on Christmas Day and people gather at the church by the hundreds. If one sees someone at the end of Advent the traditional wish is “Good(Merry) Christmas” yet on Christmas Day the usual wish is not this but “Chronia polla” or “Many Years” (which is also the Greek traditional wish for important feast days, name days and birthdays).
We normally start decorating our homes rather late comparing to other European countries ie. just a week or ten days before Christmas when housewives will start making the traditional Christmas sweets such as “Kourabiedhes” and “Melomakarana”.
In Greece, initially, the Christmas tree was not among the traditional customs. People used (and fortunately still do in some areas) to decorate a small wooden (even handmade sometimes) boat, which was incorporated to the Greek tradition because we are a nautical country and much related to the marine traditions. This Christmas ship is sometimes carried around by carol-singers on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and on the Eve of Epiphany Day.
The Christmas tree became part of the Greek tradition when we started adopting many Western customs and habits. One of these was the Christmas tree in 1833 (after the revolution against the Ottomans and when we got our independence and Greece got her first Monarch, King Otto from Germany) and then the colourful lights we put on our balconies or in our living rooms and windows in order to add a touch of festive mood and ambience for these holy days. Decorations last till January 7th, on the day of Saint John, the next day of the Epiphany.
Christmas cards are not exchanged between members of the same family living together nor among friends who live near enough to be wished in person and on the phone. We tend to send cards to those friends and relatives who live far away and don't see often.
It is usually little children who sing the carols holding metal triangles and pass by houses very early in the morning and as an appreciation the housewifes treat them with Christmas sweets or some coins. There are three different carols in Greece, sung on Christmas Eve, on New Year’s Eve and the day before the Epiphany. The carols feature different verses, although their common ground is the offer of blessings and wishes to the household. There is an ancient song from the Homeric period which can still be heard today - with small changes - in the carols they use to sing in the area of Thrace:
"In this house we came of the rich-landlord
May its doors open for the wealth to roll in
The wealth and happiness and desired peace should enter
And may its clay jugs fill with honey, wine and oil
And the kneading tub with rising dough"
We tend to exchange holiday gifts on New Year’s Eve which is the most special day for children, according to the tradition of Father Christmas. The equivalent of St. Nicholas/Santa Claus for the Greeks is Saint Basil. He is the one who brings the gifts and leaves them below the tree for the kids and we leave a plate full of sweets and other delicacies for him. Saint Basil is not the same person as Santa Claus though; Saint Basil comes from Caesarea and not from Northern Europe....
On New Year's Eve, when the year changes at midnight, we usually turn the lights off and turn them on again a few seconds later; this is a move that symbolizes the new beginning. Then we sing the New Year's carol and exchange embraces, kissing and wishes with friends and family.
New Year’s Day is also St. Basil’s feast day (and the name day for anyone called Vassilis or for girls called Vassiliki – not to mention the day when the Orthodox Church celebrates the circumcision of Christ). Early in the morning on New Year’s Day a child (invariably a boy) does the "first-footing", as we say, by bringing a strange plant called a “dog onion” to the house and it is for good luck. This is a plant with a few thick green leaves and a bulb that is wrapped with aluminum foil. This plant has several names depending on which area it comes from. The boy who brings this plant to the house will be given a small amount of money as a gift for the New Year. Also on New Year’s Day there is the interesting custom of breaking a pomegranate at the door-step for good luck, health and prosperity.
A special cake is eaten on this day (or on New Year's Eve just after midnight) called the “Vassilopita” or St. Basil’s Cake in which a lucky coin has been baked in. Yet before this can be found, the head of the house must first cross the cake with his knife and then cut the first slice for God, then the next for the baby Christ, followed by the “All Holy”, as Mary is called, then the next slice for the house and after for each member of the family starting with the eldest. The one who finds the lucky coin in their piece will have good luck for the rest of the year. At the meal table there is also a special decorated round loaf called St. Basil’s bread (which is really identical in form to the “Christopsomo” (“Christ bread”) eaten on Christmas Day and the “Lights bread” that will be eaten on Epiphany Day).
Holiday meals are a big part of the overall Christmas tradition in Greece; we prepare the sweets first of all, because in many areas sweets are associated with happiness and hospitality. Preparation of Christmas sweets starts usually towards the second half of December, when the festive mood is much more evident. The most common sweets are Melomakarona and Kourabiedes for Christmas period and of course the Saint Basil's cake made for the New Year.
On Christmas day the family meal usually is roasted piglet with baked potatoes, salads and soups. "Lamb fricassee" or "rabbit stifado" are two other very popular dishes. In many households they prefer a roast Turkey which is a dish that becomes more and more popular nowadays and we usually cook it with a filling containing chestnuts, pine seeds, ground meat and raisins stuffed in the bird's belly.
On New Year’s Eve and first day, there is no particular food that has to be prepared, although the table should be rich and full – prosperity is always an issue for the coming year and a full dinner table is synonymous to good fortune and richness for the household.
Throughout the Twelve days of Christmas it is of interest to note that all houses are vulnerable to a malicious type of pixy called “Kallikantzari” (sing. “Kallikantzaros”) who play tricks on housewives, put out the fire and urinate on the Christmas food if it is not covered at night. They also saw the root of a huge trunk on which rests the foundations of the world.... the myth says. When the Good comes, the Evil has to leave and hide in the dark where it keeps living and grows based on its evilness. This is what happens with the Kalikantzaroi, the little black, hairy monsters that come up on earth a little before Christmas, but are forced to go down to the bowels of the Earth before the sanctification on the Epiphany day. The legend of Kalikantzaroi is a very common legend in Greece, and these creatures are associated with everything evil and bad.
The Greek Christmas celebrations conclude with the festival of “The Lights” as Epiphany Day is also called in Greece. In the Orthodox Church this feast is important commemorating Christ's baptism at Jordan river and is also associated with the blessing of the waters and can be quite spectacular in some towns. On the Eve of this day the priest will go round all houses and sprinkle holy water to bless the houses and all those who live there. On the day of Epiphany there is the "Great Holy" service in the church. In some larger churches, in Athens and elsewhere, a pair of doves are released from the bell-tower. In the port of Pireus (and other ports around Greece) and in most islands the priest throws the cross into the sea and a few young men will dive in to retrieve it – the one who catches the cross is being blessed.
Epiphany can really be seen to be the culmination of the Christmas season. The next day is St. John’s Day (i.e. 7th January). On this day everyone called Yiannis and Ioanna (John/Joanna) has their name day and relatives and friends who visit will still see the Christmas decorations up in the home. The decorations will be taken down on 8th January. This is also the time when children go back to school – i.e. on the first weekday after St. John’s Day.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
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...
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...
Thursday, 25 March 2010
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
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.
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!
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
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)..
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"....
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