FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: St. Basil's pie "a la Polita" - Another version of the traditional New Year's cake

That special time is knocking at our doors again... The time to say "good bye" to the current year and "welcome" the New one full of hopes and expectations for us and our beloved. And in Greece, today on New Year's Eve, in most households the main star of the day is the "Vassilopita" cake (St. Basil's pie). That delicious cake (mainly sweet but also savoury in some regions) which is not just any cake. It is a special tradition and festivities would not be the same without it. I have told you in the past about St. Basil, his role and what he means to the Greeks and the significance behind the preparation of this cake. There are different versions of Vassilopita around the country but all of them have something in common. The coin we put in while preparing it and which, according to the tradition, brings luck and good health for the rest of the year to the person who might end up with the specific piece of the cake. One quite popular version of this cake is the one resembling the traditional Tsoureki sweet bread and which we call "Politiki Vassilopita" ("a la Polita") probably because its origin goes back to the Greeks from Asia Minor, whom we have to thank especially for all the delicious culinary treasures they brought with them years ago. Admittedly this is not the fastest or easiest version of Vassilopita. Like the Tsoureki bread it demands time and patience to rise properly and perhaps it is not the best choice for those who are not so experienced in home bread making. But for those who'd like to try it out I have to say that their time and effort will be fully rewarded! Full of taste and aromas thanks to the aromatic spices this fluffy cake/pie/bread could become a favourite and for the non-Greeks a year round sweet delicacy to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Party mini kebabs served with two delicious dips

If you want to give a nice spicy touch to your parties this Festive season try out these delicious mini kebabs, which of course you can also cook any other time! To plan a buffet dinner for family and friends is not so easy after all... So many ideas in our heads for various dishes we could present but when the time comes the whole thing makes our heads spin... So, it's good to plan ahead and prepare some of the dishes the day before or even a few days before the party. For example today's recipe can be prepared the day before and kept in the fridge until cooking time. As for the dips, they can be easily prepared just a while before serving

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Baked rabbit cooked in sweet red wine and mild spices sauce

Rabbit is one of our family's favourite meats and thankfully it is so versatile that we had the chance to try quite a few recipes through the years. It is, also, popular in Greece and in many areas around the country it is the first choice when it comes to Holiday season cooking. The most common dish probably is the luscious "Rabbit stifado" (made with hare too) but so many other recipes exist  in various regions of the country. You can never really fail with rabbit as its meat is always so tasty and tender and, at the same time, so light. Today's recipe has a delicious subtle sweet and sour taste cooked in a richly flavoured sauce thanks to the sweet wine and the full aromas of mild spices, orange and rosemary and they are accompanied by mellow oven baked potatoes

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Easy fully-chestnut chocolate truffles with rum

These small, cute and really delicious truffles can be made in advance and stay with you during the whole Festive season to be served any time! If they survive all these days that is!:-) So easy to pick one up every time you pass by them and it is hard to ignore them I'm telling you! The recipe it is a rather classic version for truffles and as you'll see not complicated at all to prepare. Although it differs in more than one element, it reminds me of the recipe my mother's sister used to make every year. I still remember how anxious I was as a kid when I knew that the time for "auntie's truffles" arrived.... I know, this is rich coming from somebody who declares in every chance how a big fan of savoury dishes she is but .... everybody has their sweet weakness I suppose....:-)  

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: The easiest savoury puff pastry biscuits - Ideal for the Holidays and every buffet party!

Today's post I would not count it so much as a recipe but rather as a nice idea.... Christmas is over but the Festive season still goes on (and in Greece won't be over before the 7th of January) which means that there is still plenty of time left for cheerful gatherings with friends and family! These cute pastry biscuits are a great idea to serve at a buffet party among other similar dishes or simply to accompany your drinks. The fact of being so easy to prepare and so versatile makes them so popular for any party occasion really and not only during the Christmas period. You can use your imagination to garnish these biscuits with anything you like or simply to serve them as they are because they are so tasty

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Baklavas with hazelnuts garnished with dried figs boiled in a red wine syrup - A modern twist to the traditional dessert

I hope that all you had a wonderful Christmas day yesterday with your beloved ones and that you still have some space left for one more dessert.... Baklavas in Greece is very popular all year round but in various areas around the country it is considered as the main dessert during the Festive season. The recipe can differ from region to region but the principal idea remains the same. The today's version has a rather modern twist to the classic with the hazelnuts as the main ingredient of the filling instead of the customary walnuts or almonds. Then the syrup is infused with the less sharp flavour of a lime instead of lemon. And for the end the dessert is served garnished with dried figs nicely cooked in a red wine syrup.... Well, no need for any dinner at all!:-)) Joking aside, my opinion is that this Baklavas is very tasty and quite filling but for somebody like me, who is more of a savoury dishes fan, one piece is enough to keep them for days without craving any more sweets. You will also notice that classic spices we usually put in the filling mixed with the nuts are missed in this version. No cloves and cinnamon are involved and that had me intrigued the first time I saw the recipe. So, when I first made it I followed it to the letter because I was so curious... I thought it was very fine but still as if something was missing ... The second time I had it my way but then I wondered if the hazelnuts do really go with cloves and cinnamon, at least in sweets of this kind.... I'm not sure really and I think that I will probably stick to the original recipe after all. And, quoting my husband when he often teases me, "I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure"....:-))))