Kokoretsi ---- Greek Easter meze

Well..... what can I say? It goes the same with the comments I made yesterday about the mageiritsa soup. Kokoretsi is not for everybody, only for those who are familiar with cooked internal organs of an animal and the.... bold ones. Kokoretsi is the main meze dish on Easter Sunday table. While the lamb or the goat is on the spit (slowly cooking) the kokoretsi - cooked on the spit as well - is done already and along with other tasty mezedes and wine and/or ouzo keeps company to the people under the sounds of cheerful Greek folklore music. The recipe may vary a bit from region to region but, again, the idea is the same. One of the areas of Greece which is famous for the kokoretsi and other kinds of meat on the spit (as well as many other delicacies like pies etc) is the prefecture of Fthiotida in Central Greece and its capital Lamia is full of great meat tavernas with all these delicacies in the best quality. All these mezedes can be found in tavernas all year round (in Athens as well) but some of them, like kokoretsi, are related more to Easter period. Like mageiritsa it has its preparation but the result is worth the trouble

Vegetarian Easter mageiritsa soup

For those who don't eat meat or those who don't feel comfortable with the idea of eating the internal organs of an animal there is a solution and actually a very tasty one. The vegetarian version of the classic "mageiritsa soup" is an alternative for Holy Saturday's evening feast. Definitely it is lighter and according to many people healthier, and has nothing to be jealous of the meaty version. This is only one of many vegetarian mageiritsa soups but I think it's the most easy and quick one in case you have to prepare a big feast for the Easter weekend

Easter cheese pie with four cheeses

The Easter table is full of various mezedes and drinks. Don't forget that family and friends are gathered to celebrate since middle morning, while the lamb and the kokoretsi are on the spit, and in the meantime various tempting dishes are passing in front of them, together with plenty of drinks, helping even more their cheerful mood... One of the dishes that never misses an Easter table is a pie and especially a cheese pie like this one which is very easy to prepare

Easter Lamb leg in the oven

Lambs and baby goats (kids) will be the king of the meat on Easter Sunday in Greece. Some of them in whole on the spit (the classic Easter tradition), some of them cooked in the pot and some of them in the oven. Regardless the way of cooking the spring lamb or goat are delicious! For those who live abroad the "on the spit" method is not so easy for various reasons, even if you live in a house outside the big city.... the alternative is to have the lamb in the pot or in the oven (wrapped in baking paper or not) and the most common way is together with potatoes in the same oven pan. We are not the greatest fans of lamb in this house, so the version I'm giving you is quiet adjusted to our preference regarding method and spices etc.

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