And the country of the month is

[lorilei]

Ooooh!! Ooooh!! Susann!
This is great. I'm researching Greece for my bi-monthly dinner party (last time it was Jamaica). If you don't mind, I'd like to second your request. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

I would definitely recommend the Easy Greek Chicken from the August issue -- I made it for my husband last night and he thought it was excellent. And the leftovers were even good cold!

[Susann]

Lorelei-How exciting! I have already found a couple of good recipes-one for stuffed grape leaves and one for a greek vegie dish. I will keep you posted and also pass on any web sites I come across.

[Natasha]

For starters, from the old thread on favorite veggies comes this Greek favorite. Also, maybe YOU can get a great recipe for Greek honey cake! (I've been wanting one for so long and would LOVE it if someone else had or found one!) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif http://www.ethnicgrocer.com has some products you might want to use, plus what seems to be a fairly limited recipe source.

Speaking of liking to make meals on a whim, this is starting to sound good for dinner tonight!

P.S. Hope you're feeling much better these days!

(Pardon ugly formatting) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif *

Exported from MasterCook *

Spanakopita

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Miscellaneous Oct '96


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 cup water
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
1 ounce chopped sun-dried tomatoes (about 12) -- packed
without oil
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves -- minced
2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces Feta cheese -- crumbled
8 sheets frozen phyllo dough -- thawed
Butter-flavored cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350º.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes. Place
spinach mixture in a colander, pressing with the back of a spoon
until barely moist. Set aside.

Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and
sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add spinach mixture, rice,
oregano, pepper, salt, and cheese, stirring until well-blended. Set
aside.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface (cover remaining dough to
keep from drying); lightly coat with cooking spray. Working with
1 phyllo sheet at a time, coat the remaining 7 phyllo sheets with
cooking spray, placing one on top of the other. Place a sheet of
plastic wrap over phyllo, pressing gently to seal sheets together;
discard plastic wrap.

Spoon spinach mixture along 1 long edge of phyllo, leaving a
2-inch border. Fold over the short edges of phyllo to cover 2
inches of spinach mixture on each end.

Starting at long edge with 2-inch border, roll up jelly-roll fashion.
(Do not roll tightly, or strudel may split.) Place strudel, seam side
down, on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Score
diagonal slits into top of strudel using a sharp knife. Lightly spray
strudel with cooking spray.

Bake strudel at 350º for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve
warm.

Source:
"Cooking Light, October 1996, p.129"
Copyright:
"© Cooking Light"
T(Baking Time):
"0:35"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 182 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat; (28% calories from
fat); 6g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 13mg Cholesterol; 385mg
Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2
Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Serving Ideas : Serve as a first course or an entrée.

Have fun and don't forget the Greek music in the background! Anyone else remember that (sappy) song "Sagapo"?

[This message has been edited by Natasha (edited 08-01-2000).]

[Lisa 71]

Susann--I lived in Greece for a few years when I was a kid and my all-time favorite meal is pastichio, a Greek lasagna. This however is LOADED with fat and calories. I was therefore very happy to find CL's Mediterranean Spaghetti (cover recipe June 1998)! It is fabulous and the portion sizes are ample (1/6 of an 11x7, I usually do eighths though)
I am not an experienced cook so the proper timing of all the ingredients took me a couple tries but it was well worth it, I make this almost every month with a good loaf of french bread and freeze the extra if there is any.
Hope you have a great month!

[melisa]

Susann, how fun, think feta cheese, Kalmata olives,hummus, gyros, pita and for dessert...baklava. I will go through my recipes and post a few!

Melissa

[KimKelly]

Lorilei - tell us about your bi-monthly parties? Do you put them on yourself or is it a cooking club typt thing? Sure does sound interesting...

Kim

[Susann]

Hi everyone-If you are new to the BB, let me fill you in on what I am talking about. Every month, my husband gives me a country/state/region. I research that country and make recipes. So far, we have done (let's see if I can remember them all) Indonesia, France, Jamaica, New Zealand, Japan, southern U.S., England, Canada, and Texas. This month, the country is Greece. I am so excited because I LOVE Greek food. Coincidentally, I am making the easy Greek chicken casserole (Aug. 2000) tonight. Anyway, if you have any good Greek recipes or web sites, I would LOVE your suggestions. Thanks in advance.

[Ohioan]

Lisa, could you please post the Mediterranean Spaghetti recipe? I can't find it in the CL archives, and I don't have the issue it was featured in. Thanks a lot -- and I think I'll have to start saving my CLs, or at least getting the annual collections. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Cheers, Phoebe

[lorilei]

KimKelly -
Our little parties actually started out quite accidentally. My aunt invited us over for dinner one weekend last February or March and presented a spectacular Thai feast with spicey Coconut Shrimp, sweet tea and a delicious ginger/lemongrass pie.

We reciprocated with a Russian feast -- beat borscht with Russian rye bread, vodka and a deep dark chocolate torte.

It all kind of turned into an alternating "ethinic" party of sorts. Each month we take our turn coming up with something interesting and wonderful to feed one another. Our last "Jamaican dinner party" was a great hit -- plantain chips, habenero crab dip, beans and rice, jerk vegetable kabobs and bananas foster cheesecake.

It's all in fun -- and it's become amazingly intriguing to try to think of a new region as a theme to our next little adventure http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Susann]

Lorelei-I really like your idea. I may have to graduate to entertaining really soon!

I found some sites that you may be interested in. There is a ton of stuff available!
1)go to www.foodtv.com (http://www.foodtv.com) and type in Greek. I think I am going to try one of the Greek salads and the chicken wrap from that.

2)go to www.travel-greece.com/recipes/index.html. (http://www.travel-greece.com/recipes/index.html.)

[lorilei]

Susann -

I found a great site as well -- lots of interesting information about different foods, etc.
www.soulis.com/recipes/greek1.html (http://www.soulis.com/recipes/greek1.html)

You'll have to scroll down a bit before you see anything Greek, as there is a big AD at the top of the page -- but do look here!!

One caveat: a few of the links are outdated, but the ones that ARE there are useful http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Laura B]

Phoebe:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mediterranean Spaghetti

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beef International
June '98 Pasta


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 garlic cloves -- minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes -- undrained
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled Feta cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese -- divided
1 large egg
2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs -- divided
Cooking spray
4 cups cooked spaghetti (about 8 ounces uncooked
pasta)
Fresh oregano sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 375º.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the first 4 ingredients, and sauté 5 minutes. Add the wine and next 6 ingredients (wine through tomatoes). Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until thick.

Combine the flour, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in a medium sauce- pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook for 7 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove milk mixture from heat. Stir in Feta cheese, 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, and egg.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs in a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Place 2 cups spaghetti in casserole, and top with 2 cups beef mixture and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers. Combine 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs, and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake casserole at 375º for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh oregano, if desired.

Serving Size: about 1 1/3 cups

Description:
"Sweet spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg balance the pungent Feta and
Parmesan cheeses to give a bold, intriguing flavor to a familiar
meat-and-pasta dish."
Cuisine:
"Mediterranean"
Source:
"Cooking Light, June 1998, p.78"
Copyright:
"© Cooking Light"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 406 Calories (kcal); 13g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 48g Carbohydrate; 82mg Cholesterol; 598mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Suggested Wine: Zinfandel


Nutr. Assoc. : 9018 0 0 620 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20048 25073 0 0 0 2845
2130706543

[Gail]

You've GOTTA have tzatziki! It simply isn't a greek meal without it (that's a yogurt, lemon, GARLIC and dill dip. Yummy.) Melitzanosalata is also popular (a pureed eggplant dip.) What about either fried calamari or stuffed grapeleaves? Lamb meatballs? Those little spanokopitas I'm always pushing or tiropetes (cheese pies)
I like roast leg of lamb for my main course, but there are LOADS of chicken or fish dishes. Karythopitta (Walnut torte) is a nice dessert, although I have a soft spot for something called Galaktoboureko which is phyllo with a custard filling and sweet syrup. If any of these catch your fancy, let me know and I'll start typing.

[Natasha]

Gail! You're back!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Good to "see" ya.

P.S. Yummy-looking tzatziki in Aug. Bon Appetit. I love that stuff!!

[This message has been edited by Natasha (edited 08-02-2000).]

[lorilei]

GAIL -- how delightful!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I knew if we started spouting about eating Greek you'd hear us and come back (*wink*)

I'd love ALL the recipes you have, but particularly the Galaktoboureko... sounds scrumptious.

I'm getting /better/ with phyllo, but still can't manage it on weeknights... any hints?

[Ohioan]

Laura, thanks heaps for the recipe!

Phoebe

[Angela]

Definitely cook up the Mediterranean Spaghetti, it's excellent. I had posted a recipe for Gyros on the thread about turkey recipes a few weeks back. The Gyros are low-fat, made with ground turkey and of course the yummy cucumber sauce. I would be glad to post it again if you can't find it.

[Gail]

GALAKTOBOUREKO
(Custard-filled phyllo)

4 to 8 tablespoons melted butter
1 pound commercial phyllo pastry
Ground cinnamon (optional)

SYRUP
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
5 to 6 whole cloves
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon strained fresh orange juice
1 teaspoons strained fresh lemon juice

FILLING
1 cup sugar
1 cup fine semolina flour
6 cups milk
1 tablespoon brandy
3 whole eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon orange rind

1. Clarify butter: Place butter in a small saucepan and heat slowly over low heat. Remove pan from heat and cool for 2 to 3 minutes. With a spoon, skim the milky foam from the top of the butter and discard foam. Pour the remaining clarified butter into a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
2. To prepare syrup: In a large saucepan, combine sugar and water and heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add cinnamon stick and cloves. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring slowly and constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately pour in brandy, lemon juice, and orange juice. Set aside and let cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly butter and 9 x 12 x 3 inch baking pan.
4. To preheat filling: In a large saucepan, combine sugar, semolina, and milk and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until mixture is thick and creamy. It should not not appear gelatinous and should still be relatively liquid, although very thick. Two to 3 minutes before removing pan from heat, stir in brandy. Remove pan from heat and cool slightly.
5. In a medium-size bowl and using an electric mixer set at high speed, beat the eggs until pale and creamy. Quickly pour the eggs into the semolina mixture, along with the orange rind, and stir vigorously wood a wooden spoon. Let the semolina cool to tepid before using it.
6. Layer 6 to 8 sheets of phyllo pastry on bottom of prepared baking pan, brushing with ample butter between each layer. Spread semolina and milk mixture ovenly over phyllo andtop with 5 to 6 more pastry sheets, brushing generously with butter between each.
7. With a very sharp knife, gently score the top phyllo layers to form either squares or diamonds. Don't score the filling. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until phyllo is golden brown and semolina filling is set.
8. Remove baking pan from oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the pastry, making sure it's evenly spread. Let cool and serve sprinkled, if desired, with ground cinnamon.

YIELD: 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

(From: The Food and Wine of Greece)

Lori-- I'm not quite sure I follow the comment about phyllo during the week... Whaddyamean?

[lorilei]

PHYLLO on weeknights...
I think it's a "time" issue, Gail. If I just keep working at it, will I actually get FAST with phyllo? Or is it always a bit more laborious than other things?

By the way, I'm interested in any other recipes you highly recommend on this front (Greek things). You can post them -- or just email them at your leisure http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

I'm trying to put together something truly authentic -- and simply to-die-for.

[Gail]

GRILLED LAMB KEFTEDES

1 1/2 pounds minced lamb
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons plain bread crumbs
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
3 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon ouzo or 1 tablespoon anise extract
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat broiler.
2. In a large bowl, knead together meat, egg, bread crumbs, onions, garlic, herbs and ouzo until all ingredients are very well blended.
3. Take a tablespoon at a time and form patties about 2 inches in diameter. Place on a slotted broiler pan 6 to 8 inches from heat and grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once with a slotted spoon.

Yield: About 2 dozen

SAGANAKI

(Fried Cheese)

1/2 pound haloumi, kefalotyri, or any hard, yellow cheese
All purpose flour
Pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil or butter
Strained fresh juice of 1 lemon

1. Cut cheese into wedges about 3 inches long and 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Run each piece under the tap, then pat dry slightly.
2. Dredge cheese lightly in flour seasoned with pepper.
3. Heat olive oil or butter almost to the smoking point add a few wedges of cheese at a time. Flip to cook on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes, and remove at once.
4. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve hot.

(From: The Food and Wine of Greece)

Variation:

Kassieri cheese, 1/3 inch thick (1/3 pound)
Egg
1 tablespoon milk
Flour
Olive oil for pan frying
Brandy
Lemon juice

Cut a slice of kassieri cheese about 1/3 inch thick. Mix the egg with the milk. Dip the cheese into the egg mixture. Then dip it into flour. Fry in a bit of oil in a heavy frying pan or mediumheat until golden brown, then turn. Flame with brandy if you wish, but be careful. Add a squirt of lemon juice when the flame dies down.

Gail Note: This sounds like the one you see served in Greek restaurants with a flourish, making heads turn and mouths fall open. If you're having a party, I'd go with this one-- imagine the expressions on your guests faces as you enter the room with a plate of flaming cheese!

(From The Frugal Gourmet)

MELITZANOLSALATA

(Puree of Eggplant)

2 to 3 medium eggplants (about 3 pounds total)
2 to 5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup walnut meats, coarsely chopped (optional)
Black olive or parsley for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375º F. Wash eggplant, pat dry, and puncture skin in several places with a fork. Bake whole in an ungreased pan for about 1 hour, until skin is shriveled and eggplant is soft to the touch. Remove from oven.
2. While eggplant is still hot, cut off stemand peel off skin. Cut lengthwise in half. Remove and discard as many of the seeds as possible.
3. Using a pestle, crush garlic, preferably in a wooden mortar. Add eggplant pulp to mortar and continue mashing. Slowly add olive oil and vinegar, alternating between each, and continue mashing. Add sugar, salt, and walnuts, and continue to pulverize. Place in a small bowl, garnish with ablack olive or parsley,and serve at room temperature.

Yield: About2 cups

Note: The amount of olive oil,vinegar and sugar may need to be varied slightly depending on the bitterness of the eggplant.

(From: The Food and Wine of Greece)

Variation: (I made the following which isn't as "Greek" by virtue of cream cheese)

Olive oil
1 eggplant
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon fine-chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup yogurt
1 3-ounce package cream cheese
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Brush a baking pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Slice the eggplant in half, the long way and place it, cut side down, on the oiled baking pan. Bake at 375º for 45 minutes or until soft.
Cut the eggplant, including the skin, into small pieces and place in a blender. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, the vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, and garlic. Blend until smooth.
Add the yogurt, cream cheese, and bread crumbs. Blend again, and add salt and pepper. Refrigerate overnight.
Use as a dip with bread, crackers, fingers etc.

Makes 2 cups

(From The Frugal Gourmet)

CALIMARI

Squid
Peanut oil for deep frying
Flour

Clean each squid by pulling the head out from the tubular body. The insides should come right along with the head. Reach inside the tubular body and remove the plasticlike backbone. Discard.
If you wish to use the heads as well, cut off the body innards and remove the eyes. This can be done with a small paring knife and takes very little time. You will also wish to remove the tiny beak found in the midst of the tentacles. Wash the body tubes, and cut the body into circles about 1/2 inch wide. Drain.
Heat a frying pan of about 1 1/2 inches of oil to 375º. Dip the squid rings into the flour, and fry them in the oil for only a minute, or until lightly browned.

(From The Frugal Gourmet)

Gail note: The good news is that very few places sell whole, unprepared squid. If you even find it fresh, they've already done much of the prepping for you and even moreso if you're only able to find frozen.

I will be back with tiropetes and anything else which occurs to me. Please serve ouzo-- it's tasty and fun. Greeks like to mix it with water which turns the clear liquid a milky color, I happen to like it straight. I haven't included any grape leaf recipes as my fingers are too tired (and I also don't happen to particularly like them). Tzatziki is a MUST, for an appetizer as well as a dipping sauce with other things. It's great on lamb, too. Being a good Cuban, I cook a Greek dinner every Christmas, which by no means prevents me from cooking Greek food during the rest of the year.

Oh, and about the phyllo issue, Lori-- I'm not exactly lightening fast at it m'self. (What is it about this board that makes me adopt "folksy" speech?) All the moving, cutting, buttering, covering, rebuttering stuff is rather time-consuming. But, on the other hand if you're a phyllo slob like I am, it speeds things up a bit! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 08-04-2000).]

[lorilei]

Holy cows, Gail!
That's a virtual feast in and of itself.

Allow me a moment of silence while I contemplate http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I am at this moment trying to think of the most effective way to copy EVERYTHING and print it out without calling attention to myself here at work!!

I'm a bit overwhelmed. What about you Susann?? And while we're talking about such things, what have you made so far?

[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 08-04-2000).]

[JeanneW]

Gail,

Do you like diet or regular Coke or Pepsi? If you do, a shot of ouzo (or Sambuca) mixed in a glass of Diet Coke is dynamite! It's refreshing on hot summer days and is about the only thing I drink when entertaining in the summer - no matter what the cuisine! Give it a try. Jeanne

[Susann]

Thanks for all the wonderful responses. I definitely have my hands full this month! Lorelei-Since there is such a wealth of recipes available, I am going to take it week by week. Next week I am going to make a greek salad, one of the eggplant purees, and a greek chicken in a pita w/ a tzaziki-like sauce. I am also going to try my hand at spanakopita. I, like you, have phylo fear. BUT I am determined to end my summer vacation with a bang and get over this fear. So, if you don't hear from me in a while it means I am in my kitchen wrestling with the dough!!

What have you decided to make?

[Gail]

CHEESE PIES

Filling:

1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
3 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 pound butter, melted but not hot
1-pound package prepared phyllo dough

Mix cheese, eggs, olive oil and parsley for the filling. Put a couple of sheets of waxed paper down on your counter. Open the phyllo package and unwrap the dough. Now you must work quickly as the dough will dry out in very little time. Place two sheets of phyllo on your counter and slice lengthwise into three or four strips (depending on how large you want them) Spread with a little melted butter. Place a good heaping tablespoon of filling at one end and fold dough over to make a triangle. (Ever folded an American flag? Same idea.) Keep folding the strip over and over into triangles until you've gone to the end, then move to a baking sheet, seam side down. Brush with a little more butter and move on to the next one. Keep the unused package and flour covered with waxed paper and a damp towel to keep from drying out.

Bake at 400º for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

(From The Frugal Gourmet On Our Ancient Ancestors-- with some changes in rolling from me)

Variation: SPANAKOPITA-- see my second recipe in the archives, popular threads, under favorite/unusual veggies

ROAST LAMB, GREEK STYLE

Serves 4-6

1 5-6 pound leg of lamb
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon whole oregano, crushed by hand
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

FOR RARE LAMB: Allow the lamb to come to room temperature. (With all the bacteria scares these days, I'm not sure we want to do this...) Heat your oven to 400ºF. Mix the oil, garlic, and oregano together and rub the leg completely. Season with salt and pepper and place on baking rack in a pan. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the leg, being careful not to touch the bone. Bake at 400º for 40 minutes, so that the meat can brown. Turn the oven down to 325º and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes, or until the thermometer registers 140º.

Remove the meat from the oven and allow it to sit 1/2 hour before slicing. It will continue to cook during this time.

FOR MEDIUM LAMB: Follow the above instructions but cook a bit longer so that the thermometer registers 145º to 150º.

Slice thin and serve with some of the pan juices.

I will be honest with you. I have not made this one. The recipe I've been using is from Betty Crocker who is probably about as Greek as my Norwegian aunt. Her cake is good, just not terribly authentic. In that I love Greek Walnut Cake and frequently eat it in restaurants, I'm including this recipe from a Greek cookbook, written by a Greek. I'll be trying it myself.

KARYTHOPITTA

(Walnut Cake)

SYRUP
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cup water
4 to 5 whole cloves
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice
CAKE
2 1/4 cups finely ground walnuts
3/4 cup finely crushed zwieback biscuits
1/4 cup sifted, all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
5 1/3 tablespoons butter (interesting amount!)
1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated, plus 2 egg whites
1/4 cup milk

1. TO PREPARE SYRUP: In a heavy saucepan, heat the sugar, honey, and sauce over medium heat. When the sugar is dissolved, add cloves and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice just before removing from heat. Remove cloves, remove pan from hat, and cool completely.
2. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly butter a 9 or 10-inch round springform pan.
3. TO PREPARE CAKE: In a medium-size bowl, stir together walnuts, zwieback crumbs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and orange rind and set aside until ready to use.
4. In a medium-size bowl and using an electric mixer set at high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg yolk at a time and beat well after each addition. Beat in half the nut mixture. Beat in milk, a tablespoon at a time, using only enough to keep the mixture moist.
5. Using an electric mixer set at high speed, beat egg whites (including the two additional whites) until firm peaks form and egg whites are stiff. Quickly fold egg whites and remaining nut mixture into batter so that all ingredients are evenly and rapidly blended. This is best done by hand. Pour the mixture into prepared springform pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the karythopitta is dark golden brown and a cake tester inserted in its center come out clean.
6. Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack. Pour the cool syrup over the hot cake, cover it with a cloth, and let it cool in pan. Cut into diamonds or wedges and serve. Store either refrigerated or at room temperature, covered.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Since both of you ladies already seem to have tzatziki recipes (which I hope include dill) I won't bother with that. The recipes on this thread, plus the tzatziki and recipes in the archive are pretty much my favorites, although I could certainly come up with a lot more.

Whatever you end up with, I wish you a lot of fun-- to me, Greek dining is like that-- a celebration.

(With all this typing, I sure hope I didn't make any mistakes!!) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif



[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 08-05-2000).]

[Susann]

WWWOOOOOWWWWW!!!

Although tonight is not Greek night for us, officially, I made Gail's recipe for eggplant puree (forgive me-I don't trust my spelling ability!). It is absolutely out of this world. Just a few simple ingredients create the most wonderful flavor! Two thumbs up-thanks tons, Gail!

[lorilei]

Question:

Here is my recipe for Tzatziki -- and I've always made it /without/ straining the yogurt (lazy, lazy me). Is this a big mistake??

TZATZIKI

1 pint of plain yogurt
1/2 med. sized cucumber finely shredded
3 cloves of garlic (more or less by taste)
1/4 tsp dill weed

The yogurt is dumped into a strainer lined with a coffee filter and allowed to drain at least 2 hours (you can adjust the consistancy of the sauce by increasing this time up to 24 hours). The shredded cucumber is drained the same way.

Mix it all together and let it steep for at least 2 hours (it's better the next day) and enjoy!

[Gail]

Susann-- So glad to hear you enjoyed the eggplant. Which recipe did you use?

Lori-- About straining. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don't. Depends upon the phases of the moon, mostly. Not a big deal, I think...

[lorilei]

Originally posted by Susann:
What have you decided to make?

Ah, Susann... I am a woman of fickle disposition, so I'd better not answer that question. My dinner is almost a month away yet -- right now I'm researching heavily, but still undecided.

Currently, I'm looking for a supplier for the ouzo habit I plan to acquire. Next week I might try to tackle finding some authentic Greek feta...

I'll keep you posted...

PS
I'm accepting all suggestions with regard to finding that ouzo http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I might be forced to order online!

[Mandy]

Hi Susan! What a good idea you guys have!

I saw this recipe yesterday on The Food Network, and it looked sooooo good, I was sitting there just drooling that entire time. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif I don't think it's light though. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

SPANEKOPITA
Recipe courtesy Kathleen Karapondo
BUTTER MIXTURE:
1 pound melted butter
3 to 5 tablespoons melted solid vegetable shortening

First make the butter mixture and put aside.

CRUST:
1/2 bag flour (2 1/2 pounds)
5 cups warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons of the butter mixture
Flour, for rolling

Mix all crust ingredients, knead as you would bread, until pliable and not sticky, and using extra flour as needed. Shape ball into a long loaf, cut into 12 equal pieces, 6 for top crust and 6 for bottom. Take each piece 1 at a time, and roll until evenly flat, about 14 inches by 14 inches. The size will vary, so don't panic. Start a stack of 6 rolled pieces, painting butter mixture on each piece- cover all but about a 1-inch edge of the dough. Do not butter the top piece, as you'll be rolling this stack out. Do the same with the other 6 pieces. You will now have 2 stacks, 1 for the top and 1 for the bottom. Now you will roll 1 stack out to be very large, somewhat bigger than the pan you will be baking in. Place bottom crust in pan and trim the edges, you'll need a little extra edge to pinch together with your top crust, sealing the filling.

FILLING:
16 ounces cottage cheese
16 ounces feta cheese
6 eggs
3 tablespoons of the butter mixture
2 bunches green onions, chopped fine
3 bunches or 2 bags fresh spinach, washed and patted dry

Mix both cheeses, eggs and 3 tablespoons butter mixture in bowl. Then spread the mixture out evenly on bottom crust. Spread chopped onion on top of that, then spinach on top of that. Place top crust over, trim to fit and seal as you would a pie crust, following with a fork and pressing down to seal well. Bake in the oven for 1 hour in a preheated 350 degree oven. Allow to cool and cut into serving size pieces—3 to 4 inches. Enjoy!

[Susann]

Last week, I made a greek salad and greek chicken in a pita. If anyone is interested, I will be happy to post them. I got them both from foodtv.com and made some changes.

Tomorrow I am making Natasha's spanikopita (wish me luck!!!), Hellinic marinated celery, green beans braised with mint and potatoes, and gyros. I know that sounds like a ton of food, but I start back to school on Monday (sigh) and want to send out the summer in style!!

[emily]

I have to put my two sense in about stuffed grape leaves. I'm Lebanese and grew up on homemade stuffed grape leaves which are amazing. Every time I go to a greek restaurant I order dolmas and am disappointed because they are always so oily. The following recipe is similar to my grandmother's. I think these are defiantely worth the effort.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

50 med. sized preserved grape leaves (1-2 jars)
1 lb very lean ground lamb (my family usually substitued ground beef)
1 16 oz can Italin plum tomatos
1 c raw long grained rice
1 c olive oil
2 bunches scallions, chopped
3 c loosely packed mint, chopped
juice of two lemons

Drain the leaves. Separate and rinse.

Combine the next 6 ingrediants thoroughly with your hands.

Use 1 T filling for each leaf. Place filling in the bottom fat part of the leaf, fold long sides in and roll towards the point. Stack in a large pot (the kind I usually use for boiling water for spaghetti).

Squeeze lemons all over the grapeleaves. Add water to cover. Weight the grapeleaves down with plates. Cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

Delicious with plain yogurt.

[Riba]

I was just in Greece for a few days, and we had a lot of salads, great salads at that. They were mostly composed of just sliced onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, small blocks of (feta?) cheese, roasted peppers, and an oilve oil dressing. Oh -- they also put french fries in their gyros and cucumbers and french fries ON the hamburgers.

[lorilei]

Susann -

You'll have to give me an update on that Hellenic celery... I can't even imagine it.

[Susann]

Lorelei-I confess-I got lazy and did not make the celery, but I still may make it before Greek month is over. I found the recipe from soar. If I were more technologically advanced, I would know how to cut and paste it! Let me know if you want me to post it.

[This message has been edited by Susann (edited 08-15-2000).]

[Susann]

Thank you all for the fantastic recipes. It is only the 19th and already I am declaring Greece my favorite country so far! I really appreciate all your help.

[Susann]

Lorelei-Here is the celery recipe. Sorry (there is that word again!) it took me so long to post it. I do have to make the disclaimer that we have not tried it!

Marinated Celery, Hellenic Style
1 bn pascal celery; 4 cups
1/3 c olive oil
2 tb fennel leaves, fresh; chopped
thyme, fresh sprigs; up to 2 sprigs
2 fresh parsley sprigs, chopped
white pepper;freshly ground

Scrape celery slightly. Using a sharp knife, cut stalks diagonally into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Cut larger pieces in half lengthwise.
To make the marinade: In a saucepan, combine the oil, lemon juice, herbs, seasonings, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to boil.
Drop the celery into the marinade. Stir, and add only enough water to half cover the celery. Invert a dish over the celery. Cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Cool in the marinade.
Store, marinade and all in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator. Serve cold, garnished with lemon and fennel
-from SOAR. Recipe serves 3.

[wendyw]

Susann, Have a wonderful Greek night. Am looking forward to hearing about it.

Everyone who posted recipes, I need a bib as I have been drooling!!

[lorilei]

Susann -

I just noticed your posting -- Thank you! The recipe definitely looks interesting. I'll have to present it to my hubby and see what he thinks. Maybe it will make the cut!!

Keep us posted on your dinners. I'm really quite interested.

[Shirley Panek]

I know I'm a little late in the ballgame, but I think Natasha was looking for a Honey Cake recipe.

This is from my cookbook called Classical Cooking (by Andrew Dalby and Sally Grainger). It "explores the cuisine of the Mediterranean in ancient times from 750 B.C. to A.D. 450." Every chapter has a historical outline and translations of the original recipes w/versions for the modern cook.

I haven't tried it, but it looks interesting. I'd definitely suggest the cookbook for an interesting read.

Shirley



* Exported from MasterCook *

Honey Nut Cake

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 15 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 ounces almonds -- (1 cup)
4 ounces hazelnuts -- (1 cup)
1 tablespoon bitter almonds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
6 ounces sesame seeds -- (1 1/2 cups)
7 tablespoons clear honey
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper -- (this may be reduced if you wish)

Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Combine the nuts and poppy seeds and roast them to give them colour. Roast the sesame seeds briefly, allow them to cool, then pound or process them to a fine texture. Place 3 tablespoons honey in a small pan, bring to a boil and simmer gently for 7 minutes. Add the pounded sesame seeds and stir well. Allow to cool sufficiently to be touched and turn out on to a greased table or marble slab. Grease your hands and knead until firm but still warm. Divide into 2 equal portions and keep one of these warm on top of the stove. Grease a shallow square baking tray or pan with olive oil, then, using a greased rolling pin, roll out the cooler portion of sesame paste into a thin sheet to fit inside the tray.

Place all the roasted nuts in a food processor with the pepper and process for a minute or two till you have a fine texture. Boil the remaining 4 tablespoons honey for 7 minutes in the same way as before, then add the nut mixture and stir well. While still hot, spread this over the sesame layer and level it off. Roll the second layer of sesame paste into a sheet that covers the nuts. Put it in place, leave for an hour to set and without further delay (or it will get too hard) cut into lozenges. Serve with fruit at the end of the meal, or as a sweet at any time.

Source:
"Classical Cooking"
Yield:
"15 pieces"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 172 Calories (kcal); 13g Total Fat; (61% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 3mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : "In Crete they make a little cake which they call gastris. This is how it is done: sweet almonds, hazelnuts, bitter almonds, poppy seeds: roast them, watching them carefully, and pound well in a clean mortar. After mixing the nuts knead with boiled honey, adding plenty of pepper. It turns black because of the poppy. Flatten out into a square. Now pound some white sesame, work with boiled honey, and stretch two lagana, one below and the other above, so that the black is in the middle, and divide into shapes." -- Chrysippus of Tyana, quoted by ATHENAEUS 647f

Bitter almonds are obtainable from Chinese supermarkets. In small amounts they add an unusual tang to the recipe. You can find Greek mountain thyme honey in health-food stores and sometimes in supermarkets. Known as thymeli, it has a wonderful flavour and (though fairly expensive) adds a special touch to the sweet.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 900018 0 0 731 0