GENERAL ELECTIONS ON THE 7th JULY

On the 7^th of July, general elections will  be held in Greece and it is imperative that we should all cast our ballot, during these very crucial times.   By no means, must we allow others to decide for us on this very vital issue, because, then, we shall have no right of complaining, if events change for the worse.    

Abstention from voting will be, certainly, considered deplorable and unpatriotic as Greece votes for its future!

The Map of Greece Showing the Landslide of  New Democracy

On the 7^th July Greece voted for New Democracy, a landslide victory with 158 seats in the 300 seat Greek Parliament.  

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greece’s new Prime Minister, a reformist who has modernised and overhauled one of Europe’s most conservative parties, moved the country towards the centre since he was elevated to the helm of the party, in 2016. 





Let us celebrate with a chocolate dessert and a champagne cocktail.

          CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH ALMOND POWDER AND CAYENNE PEPPER

I have no words for this cake….

200 g dark chocolate (Ygeia’s Pavlidou), finely chopped

200 g butter

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 tsp instant coffee

(Melt butter and chocolate, add the Cayenne pepper and instant coffee, mix well together and set aside to cool)

300 g sugar, * three tbsp. reserved for the egg whites

6 eggs, separated, whites whipped to soft peaks with a pinch of salt, then whipped stiff with the reserved sugar

1 vanilla

60 g self-raising flour mixed with

40 g almond powder or more and

½ tsp baking soda

Ganache:

100 ml cream

100 g finely chopped chocolate (Ygeia’s Pavlidou) 1 tsp honey

(Heat the cream, pour over the chocolate and honey and mix very well together)

A few hulled strawberries for garnish

Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.   Add the flour/almond flour mixture and stir well together.

Pour in the chocolate/ butter mixture and stir until no streaks are visible.   Gently, but thoroughly, fold in the whipped egg whites and place the batter in buttered tin, lined with

baking parchment.  Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C for 30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin, then reverse on a dish, spread with ganache, garnish with strawberries and serve.

                                       BELLINI STRAWBERRY COCKTAIL

This is considered to be the best Champagne cocktail in the world.  It was first prepared at Harry’s Bar, in Venice in 1938.   It was named after Giovanni Bellini, the Venetian painter, because the colour of the cocktail matched the painter luminous sunsets.

1/8 kg (1/4 lb) ripe but firm strawberries, hulled

Icing sugar to taste

1 tsp lemon juice to enhance the taste

Sparkling wine (I use Amalia Brut)

Iced Champagne flutes

Blend the strawberries with the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth, do not over blend.   Pour into a glass jug, cover and ice for three hours, at least.

When ready to serve, pour 30 ml (1 fl oz) strawberry pulp in each Champagne flute and slowly top with Champagne or sparkling wine.  Let it settle a little, then mix well together and enjoy.