Greek Cookbook

Marias Couzina
Authentic Greek Cooking With Maria Drogitis-Stoufis
Its All Greek To Me!
Index
9. A Little About Myself 11. How To Get The Most Enjoyment Out Of Greek Food 13. A Brief History Of Greek Food 15. What Are Those Little Hands Everywhere? 16. Conversion Chart 18. Disclaimer And Legal Information
STARTERS
19. TZATZKI YOGHURT & GARLIC DIP 19. TARAMOSALTA FISH ROE DIP 20. OLIVE PAT (dip) 21 TYROKAFTER SPICY CHEESE DIP 21. MELITZANOSALTA EGGPLANT DIP 21. ANCHOVY & TOMATO DIP 22. GREEK VILLAGE SALAD 22. SEAFOOD SALAD 23. MEDITERRANEAN GREEN SALAD 23. CHEF'S SALAD IONIAN 24. GARLIC PITA BREAD 24. BRUSCTTA TOPPED GRILLED BREAD 25. SAGANKI FRIED CHEESE 25. BAKED FETA CHEESE
2 26. CHEESE PIES 26. SKORDALI GARLIC MASHED POTATOES 27. FRIED ZUCCHINI & EGGPLANT in BEER BATTER 27. KOLOKITHOKEFTDES ZUCCHINI BALLS 28. BAKED EGGPLANT ROLLS 28. FETA CHEESE STUFFED PEPPERS 29. MUSHROOMS in RED WINE 29. MUSHROOMS al CREME 30. GREEN BEANS with TOMATO & OREGANO 30. ASPARAGUS in LEMON & CHEESE 31. DOLAMDDES YIALANTZ RICE STUFFED VINE LEAVES 32. FRIED CALAMARI 32. GARLIC & VINEGAR OCTOPUS 33. MUSCLES in TOMATO FETA CHEESE SAUCE 33. SHRIMPS SAGANKI 34. FRIED GARLIC MUSCLES 35. MEATBALLS in TOMATO & BASIL SAUCE
VEGETABLES / VEGETARIAN
36. IONIAN LENTIL SOUP 36. FASOLDA ZAKYNTHIAN BEAN SOUP 37. BAKED BUTTER BEANS in TOMATO SAUCE
3 37. CAULIFLOWER with BECHAMEL CREAM 38. MEDITERRANEAN OMELETTE 39. ARTICHOKES al POLTA 40. ARTICHOKES with PEAS & HERBS 40. RICE with LEAK & TOMATO 41. SPANAKRIZO SPINACH & RICE IN SAUCE 41. SAFFRON RICE with WINE ONION SAUCE 42. BRIM MIXED VEGETABLE BAKE IN TOMATO SAUCE 42. BROCCOLI with CHEESE SAUCE 43. PATATOVARKOLES CHEESE STUFFED POTATOES 44. BECHAMEL CREAM
SPAGHETTI & PASTA

45. PASTICCIO SPAGHETTI & MEAT SAUCE BAKE WITH BECHAMEL CREAM 46. SPAGHETTI BOLOGNSE 47. SEAFOOD PASTA MEDITERRNEO 48. AEGAN SEAFOOD PASTA 48. MACARONI TONO al CREME 49. FOUR CHEESE MACARONI 49. SPAGHETTI IONIAN VEGETARIAN 50. SPAGHETTI with BASIL & TOMATO 50. SPAGHETTI LIO
4 51. TAGLIATELLES in TOMATO & FETA CHEESE
PIES
52. KEFALLNIAN MEAT PIE 53. EGGPLANT PIE 54. LEAK & ONION PIE 55. FETA CHEESE PIE 55. FOUR CHEESE PIE 56. SPINACH PIE
SEAFOOD
57. MUSCLE SOUP 57. FISH SOUP LINA 58. ROAST STUFFED FISH 'PLAK' 59. HERB FISH FILLET with BABY POTATOES 60. STUFFED GIANT CALAMARI 61. OCTOPUS in TOMATO SAUCE 62. AEGAN OCTOPUS with TOMATO & OLIVES 62. BAKED OCTOPUS with BUTTER BEANS 63. SEAFOOD SOUVLKI SEAFOOD KEBAB 63. BAKALOS DEEP FRIED SALTED COD 64. GRILLED PRAWNS with LEMON & HERB BUTTER 65. ZAKYNTHIAN SQUID in TOMATO
MAIN DISHES
66. BEEF STIFDO BEEF STEW WITH BABY ONIONS 67. MEDITERRANEAN BEEF POT ROAST 67. BEEF & CELERY STEW 68. GRILLED BEEF STEAK with OLIVE OIL & OREGANO 69. IONIAN STUFFED BEEFBURGERS 70. VEAL KOKKINIST ZAKYNTHIAN VEAL STEW 70. VEAL STMNAS VEAL BAKE IN A CLAY DISH 71. EGGPLANT PAPOUTSKIA 72. LAHANODOLMDDES AVGOKOFTS STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES IN EGG SAUCE 73. STUFFED TOMATOES & PEPPERS 74. STUFFED EGGPLANTS 75. SOUTZOUKKIA A TYPE OF BEEF BURGERS IN SAUCE 76. IONIAN ROASTED STUFFED CHICKEN 77. CHICKEN YIOUVTSI CHICKEN & PASTA BAKE IN SAUCE 77. CHICKEN KOKKINIST CHICKEN STEW 78. CHICKEN LEMONTO CHICKEN IN GARLIC & LEMON SAUCE 78. GRILLED CHICKEN FILLET with HERB BUTTER DIONYSA 79. CHICKEN & VEGETABLE SOUVLKI
6 80. FRIED CHICKEN WINGS IONIAN 81. LAMB YIOUVTSI LAMB & PASTA BAKE IN SAUCE 81. ROAST LEMON & GARLIC LAMB 82. ZAKYNTHIAN LAMB FRICASSE with LETTUCE 82. LAMB & ARTICHOKE HEARTS 83. LAMB KLFTIKO THIEF'S LAMB BAKE IN A CLAY DISH 83. LAMB LEMONTO LAMB IN LEMON SAUCE 84. PITA GEMIST STUFFED PITA BREAD 84. GRILLED LAMB CHOPS with ASKS SAUCE 85. GRILLED PORK SPARE RIBS with ROSEMARY 85. PORK BEKR MEZ A DRUNK MAN'S PORK SNACK 86. ROAST PORK with GARLIC & ROSEMARY 86. PORK KRASTO WINE PORK 87. PORK SOUVLKI 87. PORK PAKETKIA LITTLE PORK PACKETS 88. ZAKYNTHIAN RABBIT STEW 89. MOUSSAK
BREAD, SWEET BREAD & BISCUITS

90. COUNTRY BREAD 91. BRIO BREAD ROLLS
7 92. OLIVE BREAD 92. CHEESE BREAD ROLLS 93. LEMON & PECAN BREAD 93. FANOURPITTA SEMI SWEET BREAD 94. TSOURKI SWEET EASTER BREAD 95. TSOURKI POLTICO SWEET EASTER BREAD 96. VASILPITTA SWEET NEW YEAR'S CAKE BREAD 97. CHRISTPSOMO SWEET CHRISTMAS BREAD 98. ORANGE KOTSDA SWEET BREAD PLAIT 99. CINNAMON ROLLS 100. KOURABIDES SWEET SEMI CRUNCHY DOUGH BISCUITS 100. KARIDOKOURABIDES SWEET SEMI CRUNCHY DOUGH BISCUITS 101. KOULORIA SMIRNIKA SEMI SWEET DOUGH BISCUITS 101. CARROT KOULORIA SEMI SPICY DOUGH COOKIES 102. CHEESE KOULORIA SPICY DOUGH COOKIES 103. 2 TONE WALNUT COOKIES 104. HAZELNUT COOKIES 104. AMIGDALOTT SWEET ALMOND COOKIES
DESSERTS
105. MELOMAKRONA SWEET BISCUITS IN HONEY SYRUP 106. HALVS SAMITIKOS 107. BAKLAVS LAYERS OF NUTS AND FLAKE PASTRY WITH SYRUP 108. GALAKTOBOREKO COLD CUSTARD PIE 109. FIGS & PEARS in WINE 109. KARIDPITTA WALNUT CAKE 110. YOGHURT CAKE 110. LOUKOUMDDES EXCEPTIONALLY FLUFFY DUMPLINGS WITH HONEY 111. CREAM CHEESE & HAZELNUT CAKE 112. BAKED APPLES with YOGHURT & HONEY 112. RAVAN CAKE 113. IONIAN BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING 113. SWEET SOUFFL OMELETTE 114. CREAM MANDARINS MARIA 114. ZANTE FRUIT SALAD with YOGHURT & HONEY 115. CHOCOLATE & WALNUT CUSTARD 115. VANILLA & COCONUT CUSTARD 116. RICE PUDDING with SULTANAS & CINNAMON 116. CITRUS CUSTARD with ORANGE SLSA 117. OUZO COCONUT CAKE
A Little About Myself

Hello, my name is Maria Drogitis-Stoufis and I would like to take the opportunity to tell you a little about myself and Authentic-Greek-Recipes.com. I'm a very friendly Greek, the younger of the 2 daughters of Scott and Soula, raised in a very loving, albeit sometimes loud family. I'm a fully grown woman now but I still feel like a teenager every now and again because I have been happily married to my teenage sweetheart (who swept me off my feet way back in our salad days) for 17 years now and I am a blessed mother of 2 wonderful, very lively daughters. Elisia aged 14 and Tanya almost 5. I was born in Greece and, like many unfortunate people during those difficult times, emigrated to Australia in 1967 with my parents and sister. We lived in Australia for 16 often hard but good years and returned to our home island of Zakynthos in 1982. Roots are a very strong bond for any Greek and I have lived here ever since and have never regretted it. Although I have always seen myself as completely Greek, and very proud of it, I believe I am fortunate to have absorbed the best of both the worlds I have lived in. So, where is Zakynthos you ask? Well, if you have a map of Greece look to her west coast lines and you will see a number of islands just off the main lands. At the top is Corfu, then Lefkas, the Islands of Strofddes, Kefallonia and last, but by no means least, Zakynthos. These are the magnificent 'Inia Eptnissa' - or the 7 Ionian Islands. Quite justifiably my home of Zakynthos - or Znte as it is still called by some - was knicknamed 'Firo D Levnte' or 'Flower of the East' by the Venetians who occupied the island for 400 years up until the late 17th century. AGR is a very personally run business which has been put together with a great deal of care and effort both from myself and my tremendous Agent/Publisher and good friend Joe Harris from Carolina Country Cooking whose years of experience and love for his work has made working on our site something I hope I can grow old in and never stop enjoying. A lot of hard work has gone into what we have put together. I believe it shows and keeping in the belief that our members deserve only the very best quality we can possibly give them we both intend to continue giving you our very best efforts. I first tried my hand at cooking when I was about 9 years old growing up in my mother's loving hands. Hands which could work small wonders out of scrap ingredients. Often was the time my father would also treat us with a hefty 'taste' of his considerable cooking abilities too. So much love and effort was put into whatever they could make for us because times were very hard and a little had to go a long way. The love on their faces was enough to make both myself and my sister always feel like princesses. So, following in their foot steps cooking gradually flourished into a passion for me with the same love and care they also showed no matter what they made. Thanks mum. Perhaps I don't say it often enough but you know how much I love you and I owe you so much. This is also a tribute to you and dad, God rest his sainted soul. All the recipes are well tried and tested and, as you may have realised by now, many have been personally handed down through generations of my family eventually down to me. Most were handed down only by word of mouth and by just persistantly nosing around every time we got wind that our parents were up to something in the kitchen. Many were the times that I can recollect that I did nothing but bug my aunties while they were scuffling about cooking just so I could pick their brains and pick up the 'little secrets'. The recipes have only now been put into writing which had been a personal dream of mine for many years.
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Both Joe and I would like to feel that you consider yourselves at home when you are with us and that you are never on your own should you need anything whatsoever. Don't hesitate, I'm only an email away. Greeks love big, closely knit families. It's not only a tradition but a way of life so I would like to extend that warm tradition to you in the hope that you will come to realise that once a member of Authentic Greek Recipes also a member of our family. Kal rexi, fli mou, or Bon Appetit my friends, Maria.
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How to get the most enjoyment out of Greek food... Eat like a Greek!
Food is one of the great pleasures in life (unfortunately for our waist lines) and Greeks are firm believers in this. Greeks can easily be categorized as 'great eaters'. We are particularly good at celebrations and festivities of any and every sort. And, usually if there isn't one going on, we'll simply find an excuse for a get-together. As a people we are generally easy going (despite the hectic pace of modern life), outgoing, spontaneous, sociable and family loving. This love of family and friends, therefore get-togethers, is what has given the Greeks a reputation for the warm welcomes they are now famous for. (Remember 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'?) Most get-togethers are also usually centred around a plate or 2 or 3 or 4 of food. But to really enjoy Greek food you should enjoy it like a Greek. Greek cooking is not just food it is a state of mind. I honestly believe, as a Greek myself, that there is an entire psychology behind enjoying good Greek cuisine. As with any good '''couzna'', you will find such a diversity of dishes that Greek cuisine can cater to anything from formal functions, to family meals and a get-together of friends, to buffets, to an evening sit down of ''mezdes'' - starters and snacks. There is no one way only to serve Greek food. You will find an enormous range of everything and there are no rules about how to put something together other than personal preferences and what common sense dictates. But, if you would like a few tips on how Greeks go about enjoying their food I am quite happy to give them. Firstly, drinks. Greeks enjoy a good wine with any food. Keep in mind that we were the first to press grapes and 'baptise' the blessed juice of the vine 'wine' way back when in Ancient times. The Ancient Greeks even had a god of wine 'Dinysos' and his little mischievous side kick 'Bcchus'. Even today Greece continues the yearly 'Wine Festival' which has its roots in the Festivals of Dinysos and Bcchus. If you're having seafood straight wine will bring out the flavour of the sea. The ever popular Retsina is also good. Mixed wine drinks will only confuse the aromas. A short, straight ouzo also goes hand in hand with seafood and a range of starters and is generally preferred in colder weather. A longer drink of ouzo - just your regular ouzo with a little cold water or ice in it - is usually enjoyed in the warmer months, again with starters and especially with seafood of almost any sort. Greeks also enjoy a good lager beer. Summer or winter with starters or a main meal. Any which way you prefer. Beer blends in very nicely with most Greek cuisine. If you would like to organise a more complete meal (starters, main course, dessert) feel free. Take your pick of anything and everything. What catches your fancy? The only rules that apply, as I said before, are personal preferences and common sense. Keep in mind, however, that Greek food is quite filling and that if you are serving anything with a sauce, bread is a must. No matter how formal the dinner may be dipping bread into the sauce is one of the most enjoyable musts of a Greek meal. Therefore, many is the time you will find a simple salad on the table and the main course. So, there's another option for you. Another, still, is serving starters, and in particular vegetarian starters, and then a pie for a main course and finishing with wine and cheeses. In this case you should avoid too many cheese starters before the main course. A very acceptable alternative indeed for a more informal dine in. And my personal favourite: a friendly 'sit-down buffet'. What is it? Exactly what the expression implies. Would you like a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and having a little of almost everything? Well, here's how we do it in Greece... Of course everyone has their own individual plate but the table is almost COVERED with starters. In Greece group starters are usually the done thing. A plate or large bowl and everyone helps themselves. You will, however, need PLENTY of bread. In this instance make the effort and grill it. It's worth the effort! A real country style addition to the table is sliced fried potatoes sprinkled with rock salt (if you can find it) and oregano.
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By the end of an evening of Greek dining, whichever option you choose, you will surely be purring with satisfaction... and maybe humming a few notes of Zorba the Greek after a couple of glasses of wine or ouzo... 'Kal rexi' my friends, as we say in my part of the world.

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A Brief History Of Greek Food

Greek cooking is extremely popular world wide and Greeks are most capable cooks at making small masterpieces out of the simplest ingredients. But, did you know that in Ancient Greece meat was not a part of the Greeks' staple diet? It was eaten mainly during celebrations, festivities and on religious days. It was also used for religious offerings. During the Ancient Olympic Games the participating athletes, in preparation for the Games, drank only water and ate only olives, bread and raw meat! Of course, as we said before, Greek cooking has come a very long way since then Greek cuisine is not standard countrywide. In Northern and Eastern Greece the sweets have been greatly influenced by the Middle East, after a Greece wide occupation (with the exclusion of the Ionian Islands that had long belonged to Venice) that lasted 400 years. The Aegean Islands are famous for their seafood as the sea has provided the islands with most of their means of income, therefore survival and because many of the islands had little cattle, sheep or goats other than for milk. In contrast, the Ionian Islands in Eastern Greece, namely Corfu, Lefkas, Kefallonia and Zakynthos have many popular meat dishes. These islands have always been green and luscious and able to support a great quantity of domestic animals. In the Ionian Islands, in Eastern Greece, you will find quite a few dishes that are a wonderful cross between Italian and Greek cooking. This is to be expected, however, after 400 years of Venetian occupation of the islands, which ended in the 17th century. Even today Zakynthos (the southern most Ionian Island) is still referred to as the "Firo di Levnte", the Flower of the East. The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world (despite the wonderful sauces). It owes its high quality largely to one of the wonders of nature: its superior olive oil. Up until the 20th century a staple Greek diet, even from the ancient years, consisted mainly of beans, lentils, chick peas (generally all leguminous foods), greens of all sorts, vegetables, olive oil and fruit (both fresh and dried). Even today you will find dozens of terrific recipes to transform the most boring of food into something oh so tasty. Bread is a big part of eating in Greece, and wherever Greeks are found. This stems from the many occupations the country has suffered and the many wars it has survived. Need is the mother of ingenuity. Greeks performed small miracles out of the most basic ingredients. But, often the food was not enough to go around so they hugely supplemented the meal with bread... steaming and piping hot from outdoor woodburning ovens. Henceforth all those delicious sauces to dip the bread in. Greeks enjoy a good celebration every chance they get and will go all out. They have mastered the roasting of meat through the ages because, in the past, rare was the occasion when there was meat on the table and a little had to go a long way. It also had to be prepared in such a way that it would satisfy the soul until the 'next time'. You've not seen a feast unless you've seen Greeks cooking a spiced and herbed whole lamb on the spit outdoors. And what an experience are the aromas arising from rows of 'souvlki' being cooked together in the open over a charcoal fire! Greeks are quite a religious people and although the severity of fasting has greatly lessened in modern day Greece, fasting is still widely kept, by almost one and all. Particularly during the 40 day fasting period before Easter as Easter is the most important of the religious Christian holidays to all Greeks. This fasting at various times of the year gave way to most imaginative and delicious ways to prepare vegetarian and seafood dishes. Bread has always been a very large part of any Greek meal. But how to give a different, happier note to the festive table during difficult times through the ages? Christpsomo - Christmas Bread, Tsourki - Easter Plait, Koulores - Celebration and Wedding loaves (in villages they are given as invitations to weddings and Christenings even today). Sweet bread so delicious, some full of juicy sultanas and nuts that simply buttered they are divine. Fanourpitta - A bread like cake dedicated to Saint Fanorio and when made and offered to him it was said that he would reveal the man a
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maiden girl would marry. This bread is still made today (although not necessarily for the same reason) and while it's baking it slowly fills the kitchen with a wonderful aroma. Did you know that Ancient Greece was not a united country but a collection of many City States individually governed? Each City State had its own customs and often very different cuisine. This largely depended on its geographical location and what nature had to offer as Greece has always been very diversified. This varied cuisine has greatly carried on into modern day Greece and the result today is a smorgasbord of delicious variety.

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The Hand system:

We have included a revolutionary system in the cookbook which will most certainly help each and everyone understand the difficulty level of each recipe before they have even started. We call it the 'hand system'. Every recipe is accompanied by 'hands' and the amount of hands beside each recipe denotes the difficulty level of preparation.
1 hand - very simple 2 hands - easy 3 hands - average difficulty 4 hands - difficult

16 A NOTE ABOUT THESE TABLES

These converters have been designed to help one get almost exact measurements and temperatures regardless if the metric or imperial system is used. The tables are very easy to read and understand and it is easy to convert the measurements from metric to imperial and vice versa but when beginning with one set of measures you should stick to it and not change back and forth as they are not interchangeable. When converting it would be quite alright to round off the measurement to the nearest round figure. i.e. 1.8 pints - 1.75 pints (1 3/4 pints) 5.8 oz. - 6 oz. etc. The measurements are given in metric system but in desserts, particularly in pastries and cakes, where the measurements should be more accurate, both exact metric and imperial are given.
LIQUIDS Recommended metric 1 litre (1,000 ml) 900 ml 600 ml 450 ml 300 ml 150 ml Exact 990 ml 850 570 425 280 140 Imperial (pint) 1 3/4 pints 1 1/2 1 pint 3/4 pint 1/2 1/4
The Glass Measurement:

The 'glass' measurement specified in many recipes is a normal water glass which contains approximately 300 ml which is usually also the average liquid content of a large cup. SOLIDS 28 grammes - 1 ounce (oz)
450 grammes - 1 pound (lb) 1 kilo 2.2 pounds (or approximately 36 ounces)
SPOON MEASUREMENTS
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Please note that a teaspoon holds approximately 5 ml in all three measurements. EUROPEAN (& BRITISH) 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon 2 tablespoons 3 1/2 tablespoons 4 tablespoons AMERICAN 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon 3 tablespoons 4 tablespoons 5 tablespoons AUSTRALIAN 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon 2 tablespoons 3 tablespoons 3 1/2 tablespoons
OVEN TEMPERATURES
Please note that the measurements below are the recommended international equivalents. Degrees C. Very cool Cool Moderate Moderately hot Hot Very hot 110 - 120 140 - 150 160 - 180 190 - 200 220 - 230 240 - 250 Degrees F. 225 - 250 275 - 300 325 - 350 375 - 400 425 - 450 475 - 500

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Disclaimer And Legal Information: All recipes and information provided in this cookbook are provided "as is". We cannot guarantee nor make any claims that the nutritional values, where provided, are accurate and that each recipe is appropriate for everyone. In no event shall the author or Authentic-Greek-Recipes.com be liable for damages of any kind, due to the use of recipes and information provided in this cookbook or on the Authentic-Greek-Recipes.com website. It is your responsibility to decide if the recipes and information is suitable for your personal diet. When in doubt please seek the advice of your physician or health care provider. Please Note: The recipes and all writing contained in this cookbook is copyrighted and no part may be reprinted in any form without written permission from the author: Maria Drogitis-Stoufis. 2004 Maria Drogitis-Stoufis. All rights reserved.
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STARTERS
TZATZKI
YOGHURT & GARLIC DIP The all time classical Greek dip. 2 cups 1 5 2 tbspns 6 strained yoghurt small cucumber crushed garlic cloves olive oil black olives for garnishing salt & pepper a little smooth vinegar to taste
Grate the cucumber without removing the skin. Place it in a strainer and squeeze it well to remove its excess liquids. In a bowl mix the yoghurt, grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper until everything has combined and is thick and relatively creamy. Put the tzatziki into a serving bowl and garnish it with the olives and serve with plenty of fresh or grilled bread. * If you would prefer a softer taste of garlic use only 3 cloves.

20 TARAMOSALTA
FISH ROE DIP Anything that comes from the sea has always been a favourite with Greeks and this is just a simple example of how they have created simple but delicious dishes out of just about all seafood. 200 gr 200 gr 2 tbspns 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1/2 cup fresh fine breadcrumbs pink fish roe finely grated onion olive oil light vegetable oil lemon juice a few black olives for garnishing
Soak the breadcrumbs in only a little water and then squeeze them in your hand to strain them. Put the fish roe, onion and 1/3 of the mixed oils in a bowl and beat with a mixer to incorporate everything well. Add the soaked breadcrumbs, little by little, and then the remaining mixed oils in a gentle even flow. Lastly, add the lemon juice little by little. Empty everything into a blender and blend for about 30 - 45 seconds until the mixture has become a fine thick paste. So the ingredients remain incorporated everything must be done quite quickly. When it is ready for serving add a few black olives and pour just a little olive oil on the top. * Homemade Taramosalata keeps well in the fridge for approximately a week. ** If you find that the paste is too firm add a little more oil before removing from the blender and blend again for a few seconds.

21 OLIVE PAT (dip)

It's no small wonder that the olive has held a place of honour throughout the ages of man. There are no limits to its versatility... you can enjoy it every which way possible... 250 gr 2 tbspns 2 tspns large black olives olive oil oregano (preferably 1 tspn "fresh" oregano & 1 dry oregano) salt (if the olives are not salty)
Patiently remove the pips from the olives. Drop the pipless olives, olive oil and oregano in a blender (add the salt as well only if the olives are not salty) and mix them until they have become a fine mixture. 2 tablespoons of fine breadcrumbs (preferably fresh not packaged) could be added into the blender before mixing the ingredients if you would prefer a firmer paste. Empty the pat onto a dish and garnish with parsley.

22 TYROKAFTER
SPICY CHEESE DIP Bring out the grilled bread and ouzo... 100 gr 100 gr 1 4 tbspns crumbled feta cheese cottage cheese hot pepper horn olive oil a little smooth vinegar to taste
Slice the top off the pepper horn and remove all the seeds, peel it and grill it. Finely chop the grilled pepper. Squash the feta and cottage cheese with a fork and empty it into a blender with the chopped pepper, olive oil and vinegar (taste test and add vinegar gradually until you are satisfied). Blend everything until it has combined into a thick paste and empty onto a serving dish.

23 MELITZANOSALTA
EGGPLANT DIP The humble eggplant is perhaps not as humble as it seems... endless are the ways in which it can be prepared. 1 kg 1/4 tspn 2-3 1/4 cup 1/3 cup 2 tbspns 1 1 eggplants salt crushed & finely chopped garlic cloves vinegar olive oil finely chopped parsley finely chopped small green pepper small tomato, finely chopped & seedless
Wash and dry the eggplants well. Wrap them in aluminium foil and cook them in a dry pan, turning them constantly, for about 15 minutes. When they have cooked the skins should be burnt. Wet them well with cold water and peal them immediately. If they remain in their skins they will blacken. Allow them to strain well and pat them dry with a towel. Place them in a deep dish and finely chop them into small pieces without crushing them. Sprinkle the eggplant with the salt, garlic and parsley. Empty everything into a blender and add the green pepper and tomato. Blend everything for only a second or two. Allow the eggplant dip to stand a while before serving. * A nice variation, if desired, is to add a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise just before blending.

24 ANCHOVY & TOMATO DIP

4 1 cup 2 tbspns 2 grains 2 tbspns This dip is wonderfully accompanied by small grilled bread slices and a drink of ouzo. boneless anchovy fillets tomato pure (not paste) olive oil coriander finely chopped parsley a pinch of salt (taste the anchovies first to see how salty they are)
Place everything into a blender and mix until it is a fine pure mixture. Empty the dip onto a dish and garnish with an olive or two. * A terrific topping for a lettuce salad.

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VEGETABLES / VEGETARIAN
IONIAN LENTIL SOUP
SERVES 6 500 gr 1 2 1 1 cup 2/3 cup lentils chopped onion sliced garlic cloves bay leaf (preferably fresh) condensed tomato juice olive oil salt & pepper A light soup whose recipe has remained relatively unchanged throughout hundreds of years dating back to Ancient Greece.
Remove any blackened or wrinkled lentils and then wash them. Empty them into a pot with enough water to cover them. Place them over a medium flame and as soon as they boil a little strain them throwing out the water. Place the lentils into the pot with enough fresh water to cover them well and add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, tomato juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Boil the lentils over a low flame for approximately 34 - 40 minutes until the lentils have softened and the liquids have thickened a little. * A variation of Lentil soup without the tomato juice can also be enjoyed.

26 FASOLDA
ZAKYNTHIAN BEAN SOUP Any Greek will tell you: "Is it cold outside? Fasolda!" Not just very tasty but a real warmer in winter weather. SERVES 6 500 gr 1 2 1 1 cup 1/2 cup 3 pinches 3 medium sized dry beans chopped onion sliced medium carrots sliced medium celery stalk condensed tomato juice olive oil rosemary chopped garlic cloves salt, pepper
Soak the beans 24 hours prior to cooking. Initially the water should be quite warm with 2 tablespoons of soda powder dissolved in it to soften them. Strain the beans and empty them into a pot with enough water to cover them. Allow them to boil a little and then strain them throwing the water out. Place the beans in a fresh pot of water (the surface of the water should be about 3 cm above the beans). Add the onion, carrots, celery, tomato juice, olive oil, pepper, garlic and rosemary but NOT the salt (it hardens the beans). Allow everything to cook over a low fire for approximately 60 minutes. About 2/3 through the cooking add the salt. If your beans are still tough add a little more water and allow them to boil until they soften.

27 BAKED BUTTER BEANS in TOMATO SAUCE

400 gr 1 4 1 1 1 glass 3/4 glass 3 pinches king butter beans large chopped onion chopped garlic cloves large sliced carrot sliced celery stalk condensed tomato juice olive oil rosemary salt, pepper Either as a light meal or as a side dish you will be nicely surprised...
Soak the beans 24 hours before using them, in initially warm water with a tablespoon of soda powder dissolved in it. Strain them well before using. Spread the beans out in a pan and add the carrot, onion, garlic and celery evenly everywhere. Salt and pepper the vegetables and pour in the olive oil and enough water to cover the beans well. Bake them in a well preheated oven at 180 C until the beans have completely cooked and are soft. When the beans have 1/2 cooked pour in the tomato juice and stir it in with a wooden spoon. Check the beans occasionally and stir the pan. If some extra water is required, until the beans cook properly, add it gradually as the sauce in the pan should not be watery but should have thickened at the end.

28 CAULIFLOWER with BECHAMEL CREAM

This delicious way of serving cauliflower can be eaten alone or as a tasty side dish. Bechamel Cream (see recipe use 1 egg but 1/3 of the remaining ingredients as you will only require 1/3 of the quantity) 2 kg cauliflower 1 glass olive oil 5 sliced garlic cloves 1/2 glass condensed tomato juice 1/2 flat teaspoon oregano salt, pepper Cut the cauliflower into large pieces, cutting away the leaves and the jutting stalk. Wash it thoroughly and strain it well. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the cauliflower and let it brown. Add the sliced garlic and let it soften. Pour in the tomato juice and, stirring it gently to distribute it, allow it to boil and thicken for 2 3 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and oregano and pour in enough water to just cover the cauliflower and let it cook over a medium to high flame until the liquids have almost evaporated and the sauce remains at the bottom. This will take approximately 20 minutes. No more than that otherwise the cauliflower with over soften when it has also been cooked in the oven. While the cauliflower is cooking prepare the Bechamel Cream. When the cauliflower is ready place it in an oven proof dish with only a little of the sauce from the pot as the vegetable will emit more sauce in the pan. Pour the Bechamel cream on the cauliflower and bake it in a medium preheated oven at 180 C for about 15 minutes until the Bechamel cream has become golden brown in places.

29 MEDITERRANEAN OMELETTE
2 1/2 1 3 2 tbspns 1/2 4 1 tbspn 1 tbspn 2 pinches 3 - 4 tbspns 1 tbspn 2 tbspns You're in for a veeery nice surprise with just a couple of eggs and some vegetables. eggs (at room temperature) small finely chopped onion finely chopped garlic clove small fresh sliced mushrooms chopped green pepper small chopped tomato large black olives with no pips & thickly chopped crumbled feta cheese finely chopped Gouda (or any other sweet yellow cheese) oregano salt, pepper olive oil for frying flour milk
Separate the egg yolks and the egg whites. Put the egg yolks in a bowl with the milk, oregano, salt and pepper and beat them well. Add the flour and beat everything again. In an omelette pan add the 3 - 4 tablespoons of olive oil, heat it and saut the onion, garlic, mushrooms, green pepper, olives and tomato until the vegetables are soft. When they have softened well remove the pan from the flame for a few minutes. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt into a stiff meringue and gradually fold it into the egg yolk mixture, gently mixing it until everything combines. Return the pan with the vegetables to the flame and immediately pour in the egg mixture, stirring everything gently with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute the vegetables. Cook it over a gentle fire. When the omelette has cooked on the one side and has become firm enough on the other, turn it over and cook it on the other side. When the second side has cooked add the cheeses evenly over THE ONE HALF of the omelette and then fold the other half over to cover them. Slide the omelette off the pan and enjoy it hot. * An slight alternative is to replace the oregano with a pinch or so of ground basil.

30
SPAGHETTI & PASTA

PASTICCIO
SPAGHETTI & MEAT SAUCE BAKE WITH BECHAMEL CREAM A less well known dish abroad than Moussak but equally loved and enjoyed by Greeks. Bolognese sauce (see recipe & add another 1/2 of each ingredient measurement as you will require 1 1/2 times the quantity) 500 gr 1/2 cup 2 1/2 cup 4 - 5 dabs Bechamel Cream (see recipe) thick spaghetti (with a very big hole through it) melted butter well beaten eggs grated Gruyere cheese butter
Make your meat sauce, remove the bay leaf and leave it to one side for the time being. Boil your spaghetti. While the spaghetti is boiling prepare your Bechamel cream. When the spaghetti has boiled, strain it, scald it with cold water and strain it again very well, shaking it occasionally to remove all the water content from inside the spaghetti. Place 1/2 the spaghetti evenly all over in a deep baking tray, pour 1/2 the butter evenly over the layer of spaghetti and then pour the beaten eggs everywhere. Sprinkle 1/2 the cheese evenly everywhere and then spread out the Bolognese sauce to form an even layer over all the spaghetti. Add the remaining 1/2 of the spaghetti onto the meat sauce, spreading them evenly and sprinkle the remaining cheese over them. Pour the Bechamel cream on top and even it out everywhere making sure it also goes into the edges . Place the dabs of butter in places on the Bechamel cream and bake the Pasticcio in a medium preheated oven at 180 C until the Bechamel cream has browned unevenly in places. Allow it to cool and cut it into servings. (It will still be hot inside.)

31 SPAGHETTI BOLOGNSE
SERVES 4 400 gr 500 gr 1 1 4 1/2 glass 1/2 glass 1/2 1 2/3 glass 2 glasses spaghetti minced beef (minced 3 times) large finely chopped tomato grated onion finely chopped garlic cloves red wine condensed tomato juice full teaspoon oregano bay leaf olive oil water salt, pepper Bolognese needs no introduction other than to say in Greece we like it tasty!
Boil the spaghetti in salted water. Strain it and scald it with cold water and strain it again. Leave the pasta to one side. Pour the oil into a pot and heat it slightly. Crumble the minced beef into the oil together with the onion and garlic. Brown everything well, stirring constantly. Pour in the wine and allow everything to boil until the wine evaporates. Add the fresh tomato, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir regularly while waiting for the tomato to soften well. Pour in the tomato juice, stir everything and allow it to thicken. Finally, pour in the water and over a medium flame allow the minced beef to cook until it is tender and the liquids have evaporated by 2/3 and the sauce is thick. Divide the spaghetti into servings and distribute the sauce evenly on each serving topping each with a hefty sprinkling of the Parmesan cheese.

32 SEAFOOD PASTA MEDITERRNEO

This recipe will only remind you of why seafood has and always will be a worldwide favourite.
SERVES 4 - 5 500 gr 1/3 cup 1 1 1 4 1 tspn 1 kg 1 cup spaghetti or macaroni olive oil medium finely chopped onion small finely chopped zucchini small finely chopped green pepper ripe finely chopped tomatoes basil various seafood (cleaned shrimps, muscles, crab meat, cockles etc.) finely grated Gruyere or Regato cheese salt & freshly ground pepper
Boil the pasta in salted water with 2 tablespoons of oil until ready (don't overboil it - al dnte is always better with seafood). Strain the pasta and scald it with cold water and strain it well again. Leave the pasta to one side. Saut the onions and vegetables well in the olive oil in a pot. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and cook them until enough liquids have evaporated and the sauce is nice and thick. Add all the seafood and cook everything for another 5 - 10 minutes. Warm the pasta and divide it into servings and top each serving with the seafood sauce. Sprinkle each serving generously with the cheese. * A wonderful variation for this recipe is to substitute the spaghetti or macaroni with green (spinach) Tagliatelles (flat long spaghetti).

33
It is inconceivable in the Aegean islands that the first contact seafood should have with pasta would be on the serving plate. This is the fruit of the Greek waters at its very best... SERVES 4 - 5 500 gr 300 gr 4 400 gr 300 gr 1/2 glass 2 1/2 spaghetti medium fresh uncleaned prawns small crabs uncleaned lobster or crayfish muscles in their shell olive oil onions thinly sliced into rings thinly sliced medium leak salt
AEGAN SEAFOOD PASTA
Boil the water with the salt and add the spaghetti, onions and leak. When the spaghetti has half cooked add the crabs, lobster/crayfish, prawns and muscles. Do not mix them yet. First remove the muscles that have not opened their shells almost immediately. Mix the spaghetti and seafood well. Boil everything together stirring regularly. The seafood and the spaghetti should reach cooking perfection together after about 10 minutes or so. Remove the pot from the flame and strain everything. Remove the seafood from the spaghetti and place it to one side. Scald the spaghetti and vegetables with ONLY A LITTLE running water constantly shaking the strainer. If you pour any more cold water over the pasta it will lose that strong seafood aroma and will go cold. Heat the oil a little. DO NOT overheat it as it will fry. Scald the spaghetti and vegetables with the heated oil, mix it in well, divide it into servings placing an equal amount of the seafood on each plate and serve hot.

34 MACARONI TONO al CREME

An unlikely combination but what a lovely surprise!
SERVES 4 - 5 500 gr 400 gr 500 gr 1/2 200 gr macaroni tinned Tuna fish in oil fresh cream medium finely chopped celery stalk salt grated Parmesan cheese
Boil the macaroni in water with a little salt (don't overboil). When it has cooked, strain it and scald it with cold water and strain it again. In a large pot tip in the macaroni. Strain the tinned Tuna fish and add it well crumbled to the macaroni, then add the celery and a little salt. Pour in the cream and place the pot over a medium flame. Mix everything well but gently and constantly until the cream has thickened. Divide the pasta into servings and sprinkle the cheese over them. * The celery can be substituted with finely chopped parsley if it is preferred.

35
PIES
KEFALLNIAN MEAT PIE
1 1/2 gr 4 3 3-4 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 3-4 1 1/2 cups 1 cup 750 gr Kefallonia is famous all over Greece for its pie. Not just a pie but a complete meal. minced lamb finely chopped onions ripe finely chopped tomatoes finely chopped garlic cloves finely chopped parsley finely chopped dill cloves olive oil long grain rice sheet pastry salt and pepper
Brown the onions in the oil in a large pot. Then add the minced lamb and mix and brown them well. Add the tomatoes, garlic, parsley, dill, cloves, salt and pepper. Mix and brown the mixture gently and add a little water. Cook the meat mixture for 20 minutes. A couple of minutes before the cooking is done add the rice and stir well but make sure the mixture still retains some liquid as it is required for the rice to cook within the pie. Grease a low pan with olive oil and add a thick layer of the sheet pastry, greasing each sheet individually with the oil. Make sure the edges of the pastry reach the top of the pan. Evenly spoon the meat and rice, with the liquid, onto the pastry and cover it with another thick layer of pastry. Grease the top layer of pastry with olive oil and lightly dampen the edges, press them together and fold them onto the pie. Bake in a medium heated oven for approximately an hour at 180 C.

36 EGGPLANT PIE
750 gr 4 2 2 1 cup 3 cups 1 tbspn Through the centuries Greeks have become masters of making the most of only basic ingredients shortcrust pastry medium eggplants finely chopped onions glasses of finely chopped tomatoes olive oil grated hard yellow cheese (not spicy) ground coriander salt and pepper
Peel the eggplants completely and put them in salted water for 2 hours. Remove them from the water and squeeze them (to remove the absorbed water). Cut the eggplants into small cubes. Put 1/2 of the olive oil in a pot and gently brown the onions. Add the eggplant to the pot and saute. Finally, add the tomatoes, coriander, salt and pepper. Boil the contents over a low fire until the eggplant has cooked and the tomato juices have been reduced to a minimum. Allow the eggplant mixture to cool. Lay 1/2 the shortcrust pastry on the bottom of a largish round greased pan. Grease the pastry with olive oil before evenly spooning in the eggplants in the thick tomato sauce. Sprinkle the cheese evenly all over the mixture. Cover the mixture with the remaining 1/2 of the pastry and lightly grease it. Bake in a moderately heated oven at 180 C for 1 hour or until the pastry has browned nicely. * A nice variation for those who would prefer a sharper taste is to substitute the 'sweet' yellow cheese with Gruyere or Regato cheese.

37 LEAK & ONION PIE

A less known but nonetheless classical Greek pie. Variations of this pie became very popular through World War II because you can do so much with such 'poor' ingredients. 750 gr 300 gr 1 kg 500 gr 1/2 glass 1/2 glass 1 tbspn 100 gr shortcrust pastry crumbled feta cheese sliced leak onions sliced into rings white wine olive oil sweet paprika crumbled Regato or Gruyere cheese salt & pepper
In a large pan place the leak and onion rings and a little water. Allow them to cook until they are tender. When the water has evaporated add the oil and saut the vegetables lightly. As soon as they turn golden pour in the wine and add the salt and pepper and mix everything. Allow the wine to evaporate and then the vegetables to cool. Mix the crumbled cheeses together and when the leak and onions have cooled well add the vegetables and mix everything well. Grease a pie dish and lay out half the pastry making sure the edges are hanging over the sides. Grease the pastry with a little oil and pour in the cheese and vegetable mix evenly. Cover everything with the second half of the pastry and pat it down gently. Dampen the edges of the pastry, seal them together and fold them over onto the pie. Carve servings into the top layer of the pastry and bake the pie in a moderately preheated oven at 150 C for 30 minutes and then raise the temperature to 220 C for another half hour. If you see that your pie is browning too quickly simply cover it with aluminum foil and remove it only 10 minutes before the cooking is complete.

38
SEAFOOD
MUSCLE SOUP
1 1/2 kg 5 1 1/3 cup 1 cup 1 tbspn 1 tbspn 1 glass For the lovers of shell seafood this dish is a must. Eaten with plenty of bread it's heaven. muscles still sealed in their shells finely chopped onions finely chopped sweet green pepper horn lemon juice olive oil oregano medium mustard white wine
Clean the muscle shells carefully and thoroughly. Saut the onion and green pepper in a deep pot. When they are soft pour in the wine and add the muscles still in their shells. Whatever muscles do not open must be removed and thrown out. Allow them to boil for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, oregano and stir in the mustard gently. Stir well and they are ready for serving.

39 FISH SOUP LINA

A simple way of bringing out the best in fish... from Lina, a dear friend who most certainly knows how to make the best of all the best the Greek sea has to offer. SERVES 3 1 kg 1/2 2 6 1 1/3 glass fresh boiling fish (i.e. cod, sargus, blackfish - heads removed if preferred) thickly chopped celery stalk medium onions each cut into 6 largish potatoes halved large carrot sliced olive oil juice of 2 lemons salt, pepper
Scale and gut the fish, (chop of the heads if preferred), wash them and then salt them thoroughly all over and allow them to stand for at least 1 hour to absorb the salt. (If the skin is thick like that of a blackfish allow the fish to stand for another 30 minutes.) Wash off any remaining salt from the fish and pour no more than 3 - 4 glasses of water into a wide pot. Place the fish into the water and add the potatoes, carrot, onions, celery, oil and pepper. Bring everything to the boil over a very low flame and allow the pot to boil until the fish and vegetables are half cooked. Pour in the lemon juice and allow everything to continue cooking until it has completely cooked, again over a very low flame. By the time everything has cooked the liquids in the pot should be reduced about 1/3.

40
A gourmt way of preparing fish passed down to me by my father and dedicated to him... Your kitchen will fill with the aroma of the Mediterranean.
ROAST STUFFED FISH 'PLAK'
1 kg 100 gr 30 gr 3 2 10 pinches 1 1 2 3 tbspns 1 1/2 glasses 1 kg
sea bass, preferably 2 large fish (or another suitable fish) finely crumbled feta cheese finely chopped very spicy cheese finely chopped garlic cloves sliced garlic cloves rosemary (preferably fresh) small grated onion large sliced onion medium thinly sliced tomatoes olive oil olive oil potatoes peeled and cut into roasting pieces lengthways salt, pepper
Descale and gut the fish but do not remove the heads. Salt them thoroughly and allow them to absorb the salt for 1 hour. Place the fish in a roasting pan. Mix the feta cheese, spicy cheese, chopped garlic cloves, 5 pinches of the rosemary, the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and grated onion in a bowl until it has combined well. Stuff the fish with the cheese mix tightly and well, right up to the heads. Place the potatoes in the pan and then add the sliced garlic, spread out the sliced onion evenly all over the pan and on the fish and potatoes. Evenly place the tomato slices all over the fish and vegetables in the same manner. Pepper the fish and vegetables and salt the vegetables but not the fish. Pour the olive oil evenly all over the pan and then add enough water to 2/3 cover the fish and the vegetables. Roast everything in a well preheated oven at 220 C for about 1 hour until both fish and vegetables have attained an uneven nice brown colour. Baste the fish with the pan juices occasionally to prevent the skin from drying out.

41 HERB FISH FILLET with BABY POTATOES

2 4 tbspns 1 1/2 tspn 2 pinches 10 medium Perch or Sole fillets vegetable cooking butter finely chopped garlic clove finely chopped parsley rosemary the juice of 1 lemon salt, pepper boiled baby potatoes A simple but delicious way to prepare fish fillet without clouding its natural flavour.
Steam the fish fillets until they are 3/4 done. (If you do not have a steamer 3/4 fill a pot with water, place a fine wire rack over the pot with the water. When the water starts boiling place the fish fillets carefully on the rack and continue boiling the water until the steam rising from the pot 3/4 cooks the fish.) When you begin steaming the fish boil the baby potatoes. When the fish is 3/4 cooked heat the butter, rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley in a pan and allow them to soften a little over a low fire. When this is done place the steamed fish in carefully. Cook the fish over a low flame for about 2 minutes and then gently turn it over on the other side and cook it for another 2 minutes. Pour in the lemon juice and continue cooking it for 1 minute over a slightly hotter flame. Divide the boiled baby potatoes onto 2 plates and lift the fish carefully on to each plate and then pour the butter from the pan onto the potatoes and the fish.

42
MAIN DISHES
BEEF STIFDO
BEEF STEW WITH BABY ONIONS An 'all time' Greek classic. There is not a corner of Greece that doesn't love this traditional stew. 1 kg 1 cup 1 cup 3 1 1/2 cup 2 1 kg boneless stewing beef (not completely lean) dry red wine olive oil pured medium tomatoes small chopped onion condensed tomato juice dry bay leaves baby onions salt, pepper
Cut the beef into quite large cubes. Heat the oil in a pot and brown the meat. Add the chopped onion and saut it with the meat and then pour in the wine and allow it to come to the boil and evaporate by half. Pour in the pured tomatoes and tomato juice, the bay leaves, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of water. Cover the pot and allow the meat to cook over a low flame for 90 minutes. Peel the baby onions making an incision like a cross at the base of each. Add the onions to the beef, add another 1/2 cup of water (a little more if you consider that the pot is too dry for the onions to cook), cover the pot and allow it to cook over a low flame for another hour. The sauce remaining in the pot at the end of the cooking time should be thickish and rich. If there are too many liquids in the pot uncover the pot, turn the flame up to high and allow the pot to cook for a few minutes until the extra liquids evaporate. Take caution, however, that the meat and onions do not burn or stick to the bottom. * If you are up to it and would like to seal in all the delicious juices of the stew make a simple dough of flour and water and seal the edges of the lid and the pot together when you have added the baby onions to the pot. This is exactly how it is done in many country homes in Greece, even today.

43 MEDITERRANEAN BEEF POT ROAST

2 kg 4 1 1/2 glass 2 2 pinches It has that extra 'something' that has made Greek cooking so popular. beef joint for pot roasting chopped garlic cloves olive oil whole medium slender carrots peeled rosemary salt, pepper
Push a hole right through the joint of meat and push the one carrot into it, then push half the chopped garlic and 1 pinch of the rosemary into it. Push the other carrot into the incision from the other end and if any carrot protrudes from the meat cut if off. Salt and pepper the meat well and wrap it tightly in aluminium foil. Heat the oil in a deep pot and place the wrapped meat in it and brown it wrapped in the foil. (A little caution here when turning the meat over while browning it so as not to tear the foil.) Add the remaining garlic and rosemary to the oil, saut the garlic, add some salt and pepper and then pour in enough water to completely cover the meat. Cook the meat over a medium flame until it is tender (you may have to add some more water while cooking) and only juices are left in the pot, not excess liquids. Remove the roast from the pot, unwrap it and allow it to cool a little before cutting it into slices. Serve it with mashed or roast potatoes, parboiled rice or combine the side dishes. It can be served with the pot juices as they are or you can add a little water and salt to the juices (if necessary), dissolve a couple of teaspoons of corn flour in a little water and add it to the juices and heat it so they it may thicken into a delicious gravy.

44 BEEF & CELERY STEW

1 1/2 kg 1 1/2 1 2 1/2 tspn 2/3 glass 1 glass 1 kg It will hit the right spot in the cold weather and put a satisfied smile on your face. stewing beef (not completely lean) cut into large cubes thickly sliced celery stalks thickly sliced onion sliced onion cloves oregano condensed tomato juice olive oil peeled potatoes cut into smaller roasting pieces salt, pepper
Heat the oil in a deep pot and brown the meat, celery, onion and garlic well together stirring regularly so the onion and garlic do not burn. Add the salt, pepper and oregano and then pour in the tomato juice and allow it to simmer and thicken a little. Pour in enough water to completely cover the meat and cook it over a medium flame until the meat is 3/4 ready. Add the potatoes to the meat (you will probably need to add some more water for it to be sufficient for the potatoes to cook) and cook everything until both the beef and potatoes have cooked. By the end of the cooking the sauce remaining in the pot should be thick and rich.

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Greeks don't mess around with a good steak. A simple preparation that fills your mouth with delicious flavours. 2 1/2 cup 1/3 cup 1 tspn 1 1 tspn tenderised T bone steaks olive oil lemon juice oregano bay leaf pepper corns salt
GRILLED BEEF STEAK with OLIVE OIL & OREGANO
Before preparing the steaks place a broiling pan with water under the grill. Heat the grill, place the steaks on the grilling rack and sprinkle them on the one side with pepper corns. When the water in the broiling pan has begun to steam place the rack with the steaks on a low shelf to grill so they will not dry out and toughen (the steam from the water will also help keep the meat tender). Mix the salt with the oregano. Beat the olive oil and lemon juice so it completely incorporates and allow the bay leaf to marinate in it for as long as the steaks are cooking. When the steaks have cooked on the one side turn them over and sprinkle them on the other uncooked side with some pepper corns. When the meat has cooked on both sides place them quickly on serving plates and baste them generously with the oil and lemon and sprinkle them with the salt and oregano while they are hot. Serve them in true Greek tradition with sliced fried potatoes sprinkled with the same salt and oregano and a Greek Village Salad.

46 IONIAN STUFFED BEEFBURGERS

500 gr 1 3 1 1 3 tbspns 1 tbspn 100 gr 100 ml 200 gr 1 Bored with beefburgers? Think again... absolutely delicious... minced beef egg large crushed & chopped garlic cloves medium finely grated onion large onion sliced in rings olive oil finely chopped parsley fresh fine breadcrumbs milk chopped gouda cheese thinly sliced and coarsely chopped tomato oregano salt & pepper
Put the egg, olive oil and milk in a large bowl and beat well. Add the garlic, onion, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and beat again so that everything has mixed together well. Add the breadcrumbs and incorporate everything with an egg beater. Immediately upon mixing in the breadcrumbs crumble in the minced meat and knead well so that everything has blended together evenly. Divide the beefburger mix into portions and flatten them into large thin burgers. Place an equal amount of the grated gouda cheese and an equivalent of one slice of the tomato in the centre of the one half of each. Fold the other half of the burger over and cover the half with the cheese and tomato. Gently mold the beefburgers into oval shapes. Place a broiling dish with water in it in a heated oven and then place the beefburgers for grilling, at the halfway level of the oven, until they are evenly cooked on both sides. Just before the burgers have cooked completely saut the onion rings in a tablespoon of olive oil and add some freshly ground pepper on top (if available). Top the beefburgers with the sauted onion rings and serve. * Fresh breadcrumbs are preferable to dry because the beefburgers remain more tender.
** If you find that your beefburger mix is too stiff add a little more milk. On the other hand if you find it is a little too moist and soft, don't worry. Leave the mixture to stand on one side for about 15 minutes. The breadcrumbs will absorb the liquids and the mixture will stiffen. *** The steam emitted from the water in the broiling pan helps the cheese to melt beautifully within the beefburgers and also helps keeps them moist.

47
BREAD, SWEET BREAD & BISCUITS

COUNTRY BREAD
8 cups 3/4 cup 50 gr (1.8 oz) 2 cups 1/4 cup 2 tbspns 1/4 cup 1 tbspn 1 tspn Bring out the sauces and 'kal rexi'! whole wheat flour luke warm water yeast water milk sugar corn oil salt sesame seeds
Dissolve the yeast in the luke warm water. Boil the milk and water together and empty them into a bowl and then add the sugar, oil and salt. When it cools to luke warm add the yeast and 1/2 the flour and beat the mixture until it becomes an even batter. Add the remaining flour and kneed it for about 10 minutes into a dough. Place the dough in another bowl that has been brushed with corn oil and brush the surface of the dough with corn oil also. Cover the dough with a slightly damp kitchen towel and leave it in a warm place until it has risen and doubled in size which should take about 60 minutes. Press the dough down so it deflates and kneed it again for another 5 minutes and role it out into 2 equal loaves and place them into 2 greased bread tins or on a large greased baking tray with plenty of space between the 2 loaves. Brush the loaves with a little water and sprinkle the sesame seeds on them. Place the loaves covered with a kitchen towel on your stove top and turn on the oven to 200 C to preheat. By the time the oven has heated the loaves will be ready for baking. Bake the loaves at 200 C for 25 - 30 minutes. As soon as you remove the loaves from the oven turn them out of the tins immediately and allow them to cool.

48 BRIO BREAD ROLLS

4 cups 1 tbspn 1 1/4 tspn 1 tbspn 2/3 cup 2 tbspns 1 2 1/2 cup 1 Bread rolls so light and so perfect for breakfast. plain flour yeast powder salt sugar hot milk (not scorching) melted butter whole egg egg yolks cubed butter at room temperature egg yolk for basting
Dissolve the yeast in the milk and allow the milk to rise for about 10 minutes and become frothy. Put the flour in a bowl and make a small trench in the centre and pour the milk and yeast in there and add the salt, sugar, melted butter, whole egg and 2 egg yolks. Knead everything into a dough that does not stick much. (If the dough sticks too much add as much more flour as is needed.) Add the cubed butter little by little and incorporate it into the dough gradually by constant kneading until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow it to stand in a warm place for about 2 hours until it has doubled in size. Divide the dough into pieces about 50 grams each. Work the pieces into balls and press your thumb into the ball to form a small well. Place the rolls onto a buttered and floured baking tray, press them down very gently, cover them and allow them to stand until they have doubled in size. Beat the remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the bread rolls with it and bake them in a medium preheated oven at 180 C for 15 - 20 minutes until they are golden. Cool them on a cake rack.

49 OLIVE BREAD
3 cups 25 gr (1 oz) 1 tspn 1 tbspn 1/2 tspn 150 gr (5.5 oz) 1 cup 2 tbspns 1 A very Greek, very tasty twist to bread. plain flour yeast powder salt oregano garlic powder thickly cut black olives hot water (not boiling) olive oil egg
Dissolve the yeast in 2 tablespoons of lukewarm water. Mix the flour, oregano, garlic powder and olives well in a large bowl and make a small trench in the middle. Pour the dissolved yeast into the trench and mix it into the other ingredients. Pour in the hot water, oil and add the egg and mix everything well until it turns into a ball of dough. Place the dough onto a floured surface and knead it with floured hands for 5 minutes until it become smooth. Cover it with a kitchen towel and leave it in a warm place until it doubles in size. Press the dough so it deflates and knead it for another 5 minutes. Divide the dough into halves and mould it into 2 loaves and place the loaves into 2 well buttered bread tins. Allow them to rise in the bread tins, covered, until they double in size. Cut 2 - 3 incisions onto the surface of each loaf and bake them in a medium preheated oven at 180 C for 20 - 25 minutes until they are golden brown. Turn them out of the bread tins immediately and let them cool on a wire rack.

50 CHEESE BREAD ROLLS

3 1/2 cup 1 3 cups 1 tspn 1 tspn 1/2 tspn 1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 cup 1/2 cup A lovely spicy snack, buttered or as is... Greek style... sun dried tomatoes finely chopped onion finely crushed garlic clove self raising flour baking powder (soda) salt sweet paprika milk beaten egg grated Gruyere cheese finely chopped black olives
Soak the tomatoes for 30 minutes, strain them and finely chop them. Saut the onion in 1/2 tablespoon of oil to soften them only. Add the tomatoes and saut everything for 2 minutes. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt and paprika. Add the remaining ingredients and the sauted tomatoes and onion and gently mix everything well so the flour is moistened. Divide the dough into 2 well buttered and floured regular bread tins, or 4 smaller ones. Bake them in a well preheated oven at 180 C for 30 - 35 minutes. Turn them out of their tins while still warm and allow them to cool on a wire cake rack.

51 LEMON & PECAN BREAD

1 1/2 cups 3/4 cup 180 gr (6.5 oz) 1 cup 1 tbspn 1/2 cup 3 3/4 cup 1/3 cup 2 tbspns You're in for a surprise with this recipe. Wonderful with a hot cup of your favourite tea. plain flour self raising flour butter icing sugar (confectioner's) grated lemon rind chopped pecan nuts eggs milk lemon juice sugar
Butter and flour an average sized bread or cake tin. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter. Mix in the sugar, lemon rind and pecan nuts. Beat the eggs and milk and pour them into the flour mix and mix everything well. Place the mixture into a bread tin and bake it in a medium preheated oven at 180 C for 1 hour until it is golden. When it has baked immediately turn the bread out of the tin and let it cool on a wire rack. Warm the lemon juice and icing sugar in a small pot until the sugar dissolves and pour it over the bread.

52 FANOURPITTA
SEMI SWEET BREAD An age old tradition, this bread has been passed down through generations of housewives. 3 cups 1 cup 1/2 cup 1 1/2 tspns 1/2 tbspn 2 1 tspn 10 gr (0.5 oz) 1/2 cup plain flour sugar olive oil ground cinnamon ouzo eggs ground mastic yeast sultanas
Dissolve the yeast in a little luke warm water. Mix all the ingredients, including the yeast, in a bowl and then knead it. If your dough is too brittle and hard add a little water. Butter and flour a bread or cake tin, place the dough in it and cover it with aluminium foil. Place the tin on a smaller pot of boiling water and allow the pot to boil until the dough rises. Remove the tin from the pot and bake it in a medium preheated oven at 180 C for 40 - 45 minutes. As soon as it has baked turn it out of the tin immediately and allow it to cool on a wire rack.

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DESSERTS
MELOMAKRONA
SWEET BISCUITS IN HONEY SYRUP Melomakarona, in Greece, are to Christmas what a Fruit Cake is in English speaking countries. 1 1/2 kg (3.3 lbs) all purpose flour 4 flat tspns baking powder (soda) 4 cups oil (preferably 1/2 olive & 1/2 a lighter vegetable) 2 cups sugar 1 cup orange juice 1/2 cup grated walnuts 1/2 cup crushed hazelnuts 1 cup Amaretto liqueur (bitter almond) 1/2 tbspn ground cinnamon 1/2 tbspn ground cloves 1 tbspn grated orange rind 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts & walnuts for sprinkling FOR THE SYRUP: 4 cups honey 2 cups sugar 4 cups water 2 orange peels Beat the oil, Amaretto liqueur, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and the grated orange rind. Mix the flour and baking powder in another bowl and then sift them and add a little of the juice/oil/liqueur liquid into the flour, kneading it to make a dough. Add the grated walnuts and hazelnuts and knead the dough until it has become neither too soft nor too firm. (If either is the case add a little flour or a little more liquid, depending on which, and knead it again.) Divide the dough and shape into oval biscuits about the size of an egg. Carve shallow lines into the surface of each and press them gently onto a cheese grater (for the design). Cover a baking tray with wax baking paper and place the biscuits on the paper leaving approximately a centimetre between each. Bake them in a medium preheated oven at 170 C for 25 - 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. In a wide pot add the honey, sugar, water and orange rinds. Bring to the boil slowly over a low flame. Stir constantly so the sugar will dissolve and the water will incorporate with the honey. Keep the syrup simmering and individually dip the biscuits well in the syrup one my one (stick them gently but firmly on a fork to dip). Strain the dipped biscuits on a cake rack. On a large cake platter place the Melomakarona in layers sprinkling the remaining chopped nuts on each layer before proceeding to the next. * These quantities make quite a few Melomakarona so if you would like to make less just halve the ingredient quantities.

54 HALVS SAMITIKOS
1 cup 2 cups 1/2 cup 1 cup 2 tspns A semolina pudding from Samos, with a number of variations, popular all over Greece. olive oil coarse semolina sesame seeds raisins ground cinnamon
FOR THE SYRUP: 2 1/2 cups 4 cups 1 sugar water cinnamon stick
FOR THE SYRUP: Boil the water and sugar first. Then add the cinnamon stick and allow it gently to boil for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon. THE PUDDING: Place the oil and semolina in a pot over a medium fire for 5 minutes, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is a golden colour. Add the raisins and the sesame and stir for a few more minutes. Remove the pot from the fire, add the syrup (having allowed it to cool a little) and mix it well with a wooden spoon. Return the pot to the fire and allow it to boil gently for another 5 minutes. Empty the mixture into a cake tin of your choice. Allow the pudding to remain in the tin for a while to solidify and cool a little. Turn the tin over gently and the Halvas will come out. Dust it with ground cinnamon * If you would prefer a lighter Halvas, substitute half the olive oil with another lighter vegetable oil.

55 BAKLAVS
LAYERS OF NUTS AND FLAKE PASTRY WITH SYRUP An age old, traditional sweet which has its roots lost in the Middle East hundreds of years ago. 500 gr (1.1 lbs) 300 gr (10.5 oz) 200 gr (7 oz) 250 gr (9 oz) 1/2 cup 1 flat tspn filo or fine sheet pastry coarsely chopped walnuts fine breadcrumbs fresh butter (not margarine) sugar cinnamon cloves
FOR THE SYRUP: 2 cups water 4 cups sugar juice of 1 small lemon (or half an orange) Mix the walnuts, breadcrumbs and cinnamon. Butter the pan and place 5 sheets of the pastry on the bottom, one by one, buttering each individually as you place it on the bottom. Cover the remaining pastry sheets with a damp towel for the time being so they will not dry out. With a large spoon evenly place 1/2 the nut filling over all the pastry. Cover the filling with another 3 pastry sheets , again individually buttering each as you place it. Evenly spoon in the remaining 1/2 of the nut mixture and place another 5 pastry sheets on top, again evenly buttering each individually as you place it. Pat the top pastry sheets down very gently. Cut the Baklava into triangle servings. Place a clove on every third or so piece , puncturing the pastry with the stem of the clove. Bake in a well heated oven at 180 C for 1 hour approximately or until golden. Prepare the syrup: Boil the water, sugar and lemon juice over a gentle fire for about 10 minutes. Allow it to cool. Pour the syrup onto the Baklava. (Cold syrup - hot Baklava.) When the Baklava absorbs the syrup it is normal for the top layer of pastry to remain crispy. * Under no circumstances must an oven fan be used while baking Baklava. It will burn the top and bottom pastry layers within minutes. ** The lemon juice can be substituted with orange juice (which is generally used in the Middle East). Due to the fact that oranges are larger and generally have more juice, however, only the juice of half an orange should be used.

56 GALAKTOBOREKO
COLD CUSTARD PIE There is, most likely, not a single Greek who doesn't love Galaktoboureko... One of the top 10... A real experience eaten cold from the fridge in summer... 5 cups 1 cup 3/4 cup 4 1/3 cup 1/2 1 450 gr (16 oz) milk fine semolina (#3 if available) sugar well beaten eggs butter flat teaspoon vanilla powder grated lemon rind filo or fine sheet pastry
FOR THE SYRUP: 2 glasses sugar 1/2 cup water juice of 1 lemon Put the sugar, milk and lemon rind in a pot over a medium flame. As soon as it starts to boil add the semolina, butter and vanilla powder and stir well until the butter has melted and the custard has thickened considerably. Remove the pot from the fire and when it has cooled add the beaten eggs and mix well with a whisk. Place the custard to one side for the time being. Butter a large pie dish and place 1/2 the pastry sheets on the bottom covering the sides of the dish as well, buttering each sheet individually as you place it. Empty the custard onto the pastry and spread it out evenly. Place the remaining 1/2 of the pastry sheets on top of the custard, buttering each individually as you place it, again. Pat the top layers down very gently. Cut away any excess pastry from the sides of the pie dish. Carve the top pastry carefully and gently into diamond shaped servings. Sprinkle the pastry with a little water, evenly everywhere. Bake in a moderately preheated oven at 180 C for 40 - 50 minutes until the pastry is golden. When the custard pie has cooled bring the syrup gently to the boil again and pour over the custard pie. When it has cooled cut the pie into servings following the carvings previously made before cooking. * The top sheet of pastry should remain relatively crispy when the pie has absorbed most of the syrup. ** The syrup should drip when lifting each piece from the pie dish. *** Do not, under any circumstances, use an oven fan as this will burn the top pastry.

57 FIGS & PEARS in WINE

6 12 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1 bottle 1 tspn Would you really like to spoil yourself a little? This dessert is almost a sin... pears peeled dry whole figs sultanas halved walnuts sweet ros wine cinnamon a few marjoram leaves
In a large pot place the peeled pears in an upright position. Between them place the figs, walnuts and sultanas, evenly distributed. Pour the wine into the pot slowly and carefully and add the cinnamon and marjoram. Boil over a slow flame for at least one hour, until the wine has evaporated by at least 2/3. Before serving warm them a little over a slow flame (never in a microwave oven - this will wrinkle the pears). In each individual plate place 3-4 spoonfuls of wine sauce, 1 pear, 2 figs, walnuts and sultanas. * This dessert is accompanied beautifully with a couple of scoops of vanilla or caramel ice-cream on the side.

58 KARIDPITTA
WALNUT CAKE How would you like to enjoy Karidpitta? In summer from the fridge with a scoop of ice-cream and whipped cream? In winter with a hot cup of tea or coffee? As versatile a cake as it is Greek. 2 tbspns 2 cups 2 1/2 cup 1 cup 1/2 tspn 3 2 tbspns 4 cups 2 tbspns 3 tbspns 1/2 cup butter sugar eggs milk crushed walnuts cinnamon crushed cloves brandy sifted self raising flour dry breadcrumbs baking powder (soda) the juice of 1 lemon crushed walnuts for sprinkling
Beat the butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar and the eggs, one at a time. Add the milk, walnuts, cloves, cinnamon, brandy, flour and baking powder and beat everything until it has combined well. Careful not to over beat the mixture or it will curdle. Butter a cake tin and sprinkle the breadcrumbs all over the bottom evenly. Pour the cake mixture into the cake tin and bake it in a medium preheated oven at 180 C for approximately 1 hour. When it has cooked do NOT remove the cake from the tin and allow it to cool. To make the syrup place the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a pot, add 2 cups of water and the lemon juice and boil everything gently for 5 minutes, stirring. Cut the cake into diamond shaped servings and pour the syrup over it. Finally, sprinkle the cake evenly with the 1/2 cup of remaining walnuts. * A delicious twist is to pour some melted dark chocolate over the Karidpitta and add some whipped cream.

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Marias Couzina

Authentic Greek Cooking With Maria Drogitis-Stoufis

Its All Greek To Me!

SPAGHETTI & PASTA

4 51. TAGLIATELLES in TOMATO & FETA CHEESE

BREAD, SWEET BREAD & BISCUITS

A Little About Myself

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A Brief History Of Greek Food

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The Hand system:

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16 A NOTE ABOUT THESE TABLES

The Glass Measurement:

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21 OLIVE PAT (dip)

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24 ANCHOVY & TOMATO DIP

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27 BAKED BUTTER BEANS in TOMATO SAUCE

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28 CAULIFLOWER with BECHAMEL CREAM

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SPAGHETTI & PASTA

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32 SEAFOOD PASTA MEDITERRNEO

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AEGAN SEAFOOD PASTA

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34 MACARONI TONO al CREME

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