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| The Old Family House in Kefalari, Kifissia |
Once more, we were utterly spoilt by Aleco's large family, who had already become mine.
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| The Island of Corfu |
With our Fiat Cinquecento, we drove along the lacy cost of the Nothern Peloponnese to Rio to catch the ferry to Antirio, on the mainland. After ten long but interesting hours, we arrived in Igoumenitsa and boarded a ferry-boat to Corfu, where we had rented a house.
A friend from India, Pitsa Dendrino was there to meet us and we drove to Perama, which was, then, a picturesque village, south of the town of Corfu.
When we arrived, I was completely captivated with the quaint, strawberry pink cottage, built on a hillock covered with pine trees. It had a beautiful Mediterranean garden, with flowers and herbs and its own private beach. Evidently, beaches are not private but, as this particular one could, only, be reached by sea, we considered it our own... The property also had a shady pergola and a pond with goldfish. One of the most treasured objects of this tiny house was a toilet made of blue and white antique china, which should have been exhibited in a museum! The owners of the cottage, Tony and Elle Palatianos, a charming, sophisticated and generous couple, welcomed us warmly.
Corfu was a revelation to me, it is such a beautiful island, Aleco had very fond memories of the town, where he had lived for several years with his family when he was a child. Early every morning we used to sit on the patio, with a cup of coffee, waiting for the sun to rise over the hills of Albania, across the glittering blue Ionian Sea. Then, we used to go swimming on "our beach" and later we either visited local landmarks or explored the island.
Here are several paragraphs about the historic monuments of the island. It is estimated that the ancient town of Corfu, Palaeopolis, was situated opposite the grounds of Mon Repos and the Acropolis on top of the Kanoni Peninsula.
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| A Google View of Palaeopolis |
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| The Monument of Menecrates |
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| The Ruins of the Temple of Artemis |
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| A Replica of the Temple of Artemis the Goddess of Hunting |
A significant ancient monument of Corfu is the Temple of Artemis Gorgon. a 6th century BC construction, which is located near the monastery of St Theodore. It was discovered in 1822 but unfortunately, only a few elements were saved.
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| The Temple of Hera (?) |
Two more ancient temples were discovered in the vicinity of Mon Repos. One is situated on the precipitous east shore of the Peninsula of Analipsis "slightly higher than the spring of Kardaki" from which the temple derives its name. This Doric temple, dating back to 510 BC. is considered to be the best preserved archaic monument in Corfu, despite the fact that part of it has slid down to the sea. The popular belief is that it was dedicated to Apollo, the god of light, but archaeologists are not convinced. Unfortunately, I could not obtain a photo of this beautiful temple.
The other temple was supposedly dedicated to Hera, the mother of the gods.
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| The Tower of Neranzicha |
The Tower of Neranzicha is situated behind the cemetery and was part of a 4th century BC, 6-metre high defensive wall, which it still exists because it was, later, converted into a Byzantine Church.
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| The Old Fortress by Nikiforos Kouris |
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| Contrafossa the Moat that Separates the Castle from the City of Corfu |
The Old Fortress covers the peninsula that once included the old town of Corfu. The first fortifications were built during the Byzantine period, therefore, Corfu was considered a "strongly fortified" city.
During the early 15th century the Venetians started replacing the old Byzantine fortifications by constructing bastions and towers, which still exist today and are "considered masterpieces of military engineering". They, also, erected the Contrafossa, a moat that separated the castle from the city Corfu, thus converting it into an island.
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| The Belfry of the Church of Saint Spiridon the Patron Saint of Corfu |
The Cathedral of Saint Spiridon, the patron saint of Corfu, was built during the late 16th century. it is situated in the old town of Corfu and houses the relics of the saint. It has a single nave basilica and its belfry is the highest in the Ionian Islands.
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| The Palace of St Michael and St George - Museum of Asiatic Art |
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| Indian Art |
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| The Interior of the Palace |
The Palace of St Michael and St George was built during the British occupation of the Ionian Islands. It was commissioned by Sir Tomas Maitland and was initially used as the residence of the High Commissioner. It is situated on the Spianada, a large square in the city of Corfu, it has magnificent gardens and, presently, houses the Museum of Asiatic Art.
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| Panagia Antivouniotissa |
The Byzantine museum in Corfu is housed in Panagia Antivouniotissa, a church of the 15th century that has an outstanding collection of Byzantine icons from the 13th to the 17th century. Many are the works of famous hagiographers such as Michael Damaskinos, Nicholas Tsafouris, Emmanuel Lombardos, and Emmanuel Tzanes.
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| The Gorgon Pediment from the Temple of Artemis |
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| The Lion of Menekrates |
The small Archaeological Museum of the city of Corfu contains, among others, two magnificent works of ancient Greek architects and artists, the Gorgon Pediment from the Temple of Artemis and the Lion of Menekrates, which is among the earliest European animal carvings in stone.
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| The Corfu Banknote Museum is housed in the Ionian Bank |
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| Various Greek Banknotes Showcased in the Museum |
The Banknote Museum is situated in the town of Corfu and showcases a collection of Greek currency from 1822 to present times. It presents around 2000 items including "the first treasury bonds issued by Greece in 1822 until the drachma was replaced by the Euro in 2002". Sketches and printing plates of Greek banknotes are, also, exhibited in this museum.
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| Serbian Museum of Corfu |
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| The Serbian Museum |
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| Showcase Depicting the Torture and Pain of War |
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| Serbian Soldiers Marching on to War Just Before the Collapse |
The Corfu Serbian Museum contains unusual exhibits, pertaining to the 150.000 Serbian soldiers, who found refuge in Corfu for three years, after the tragic consequences of the defeat of the Serbian Front, by the Austro-Hungarians in October 1915, during World War I.
One can find "photographs, pamphlets. uniforms, arms and ammunition of the Serbian army, also regimental flags, decorations of the Kingdom of Serbia" etc. It is ever so sad to realise how many thousands of young Serbian soldiers were killed during this terrible attack. There can be nothing worse than war, where so many members of the armed forces and civilians are killed, including young children, due to greed, fury, hatred and insanity. Presently, I have a nagging apprehension that certain of the leaders of this planet could easily start a disastrous armed conflict die to greed, fury, hatred and insanity
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| Mon Repos |
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| A Few Rooms of this Beautiful Palace |
Mon Repos Palace is situated on top of Analipsis in the area of Kanoni. It was built in 1826 by the British High Commissioner Frederic Adams as a gift to his Corfiot wife, Nina Palatianou. It is a very beautiful small palace "with many colonial elements".
In 1864, when the Ionian Islands were united with Greece. Mon Repos was offered to King George I of the Hellenes as a summer residence for the royal family. Many royal babies were born in this small palace, such as Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburg and Princess Alexia of Greece. Mon Repos belonged to the former Greek royal family, until December 1967.
Today it has been beautifully restored, it belongs to the municipality of Corfu and has been converted into a museum that includes many Ionian treasures.
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| Achilleion Palace |
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| The Terrace of the Muses |
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| The Staircase |
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| A Painting Depicting Achilles Triumphant by Franz von Matsch |
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| Achilles Triumphant by J.G.Gotz |
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| Achilles Dying by Ernst Herter |
The beautiful and imposing Achilleion Palace is built on the outskirts of the picturesque village of Gastouri. It was constructed by the Empress of Austria Elizabeth of Bavaria, known as Sisi. She had a powerful personality and loved beautiful people, buildings and objects, but she was, also, in deep mourning due to the tragic death (suicide or assassination?) of her son Prince Rudolph of Austria and of his lover, 17-year-old Baroness Maria (Mary) Vetsera, in the Mayerling royal hunting lodge, in 1889.
The Achilleion was constructed, in an extensive park running right down to the sea, between 1890 -1892. It is, evidently, named after Achilles, the triumphant and handsome young hero of Homer's Iliad, who died so young, fighting against the Trojans, because he was pierced by an arrow in the only vulnerable part of his body, the heel.
The Achilleion has beautiful terraces with numerous statues and in its lush gardens one can find several statues among the trees, the two most important masterpieces being Achilles Triumphant and Achilles Dying.
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| Corfu Town by Alex Damien |
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| "Corfu Old Town" by Theresa Nicolas |
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| Ta Mourayia - Corfu Town by Samir Sokhn |
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| A Painting of the Old Town by Alan Smith |
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| Clothes Drying in a Narrow Alley |
The old town of Corfu is a maze of "kantounia", argot of the Ionian Islands for narrow lanes, leading to beautiful squares with colourful buildings and old churches. Some of the charming four-storied, semi-detached houses date back to the Venetian period, while others were constructed during the early 19th century.
It really is a gem of a town, beautiful, interesting and friendly. Everybody thoroughly enjoys visiting both the town and the island, young and old, sportsmen and intellectuals, artists and bons viveurs, even students on a very low budget.
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| Liston by Night |
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| The Town Hall of Corfu |
The Town Hall stands on Voulgareos Street, on one of the most beautiful squares of the old town. Its construction started in in 1663 and ended in 1693 and primarily it housed the Society of the Nobles. In 1720, it became Saint James' Lyric Theatre and finally, in 1903, a floor was added and it became the Municipality of Corfu.
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| The Ionian Parliament |
The Ionian Parliament was designed and constructed, in 1855, by Ioannis Chronis, It is a Neoclassical building with a Doric Arcade and has inscriptions in both Greek and English referring to the annexation of the Ionian Islands to Greece, in 1864. Later, it became a Protestant Church and in 1978, it was fully restored and it is now a museum dedicated to the "Freedom Fighters" of the Ionian Islands.
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| Ionian Academy |
This building was initially built by the Venetians in a "gamma-shaped design" and was used as a barracks. It is situated at the corner of Acadamias and Kapodistriou Streets, facing the Spianada.
The Ionian Academy was established by Frederic North, the 5th Earl of Guilford, in 1824. during the period of the British Protectorate. Initially, it had three faculties the Philological, Law and Medical schools. After the annexation of the Ionian Islands with Greece it became the Municipal Library.
It was partially destroyed by Italian bombs, during World War II. Today, after being restored, it is the seat of the Rectorate of the Ionian University, dealing with the administrative services.
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| Kapodistrias Mansion |
The above photograph depicts the residence of the famous Greek diplomat and politician, Ioannis Kapodistrias, in Corfu town. It was designed by the architect Ioannis Chronis and it was used by the Ionian Parliament as a seat of the President of the Senate.
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| Angelokastro |
Angellokastro is considered one of the most important examples of Byzantine architecture in the Ionian Islands. It is situated on a precipitous knoll, above the sea, on the Northwestern coast of Corfu, near Paleokastritsa.
It was supposedly built during the period of Angelos Komnenos I and completed by his son Angelos Komnenos II, both Despots of Epirus, to whom the name of the castle was attributed.
Angelokastro after being occupied by the French and the Normans of Sicily became the official capital of Corfu, during the Venetian period. It was also the seat of the Provvenditore Generale di Levante, Governor of the Ionian Islands and commander of the Venetian fleet which was stationed in Corfu.
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| Mount Pantokrator and Medieval Villages |
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| Monastery of the Transfiguration of Christ |
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| The Interior of the Monastery |
Mount Pantokrator, 900 metres (2.927 feet) tall is Corfu's highest mountain. and is situated in the North-Eastern area of the island.
We drove up the zigzag mountain road and passed through Sideri and the medieval village of Spartias to reach the summit. The view was extraordinary and panoramic. We saw the lush countryside and the lovely coastlines of Corfu, the mountains of Albania and mainland Greece to the East, the island of Paxos to the South and the tiny Diapontian Islands to the North. Apparently on particularly clear days, one is able to discern the coast of Italy. We didn't.
We lit candles in the magnificent 17th-century monastery of the Transfiguration of Christ and admired the beautiful murals.
Then, we zig-zagged down from the other side of the mountain, passed through the villages of Leuki and Petalia. and enjoyed a delicious pastitsada with an excellent moschato wine, in a small tavern.
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| On the Hilltops of Kanoni |
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| The Above Cafe with a Fabulous View |
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| Pontikonissi and Vlaherna Monastery (Foreground) Seen from Cafe Kanoni |
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| A Luxury Hotel Built on Kanoni Beach |
Kanoni is a quarter of the city of Corfu, a few kilometres from the centre of the town and its name is due to the battery cannon that is on the top of the hill since 1798, to protect the island from vicious invaders. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, it was a popular meeting place where Corfiots strolled in the cool of the evening, and where many a romance, apparently, started.
In 1956, it was considered a suburb of the city of Corfu, with beautiful houses. Today. it is a cosmopolitan part of the town, with luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants, popular cafes and trendy bars.
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| Paleokastritsa Beach and Coves |
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| An Arial View |
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| The Monastery of Paleokastritsa |
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| The Monastery Seen from Above |
Although tourism has defiled parts of Corfu's coastline, Paleokastritsa has remained unspoilt. For me, it is the most beautiful spot on this beautiful island and, amazingly, it is quite and it awakens feelings of tranquillity and peace. It was even more so, back in June and July 1956.
We often spent the day there, swimming and underwater fishing. The scenery was spectacular and the sea was a clear, almost cobalt blue and full of fish. For obvious reasons I hated fishing but as I loved seafood, I decided that I was being hypocritical, to say the least.
I still remember the luscious food we used to eat in small tavernas in Paleokastritsa. A delicious fish or lobster "bourdetto", a Corfiot dish, cooked in a spicy tomato sauce with fresh herbs and a touch of garlic. Incidentally, lobsters were quite cheap during those good old days, when the sea was not overfished.
We visited most of the spectacular beaches of Corfu.
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| Agios Georgios Bay Beach |
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| Agios Geordios Beach |
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| Glyfada Beach |
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| Ipsos Beach |
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| Nissaki Beach |
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| Sidari Canal d'Amour |
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| A Thick Forrest Fringes Dassia Beach |
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| Thanking atCorfu.com for the Photograph of the Dassia Club Mediterranee Camp |
The Dendrinos introduced us to their friends and as Corfiots are very hospitable, we were invited to their homes and parties, and to our great joy, we soon became part of the crowd.
We very often met with Tony and Elli Palatianos and their young son. The Manessi brothers and their wives and mother invited us to their beautiful homes. We went swimming together and they taught us underwater fishing, which, for many years to come, became our favourite sport. Also, Jenny Saramandaris and her Italian husband Carlo held at least two large cocktail parties that summer and they often had us over for the most fabulous meals. I must, also, mention a naval officer, Dimitris Soutsos, a childhood friend of Pitsa Dendrino, who was, then, an aide-de-camp of King Paul I. He used to, frequently, pick us up in his speedboat to visit beautiful, small coves, to which no roads led to.
(Most of the information for this post was from Wikipedia, Wikitravel, Greeka.Com, TripAdvisor, atCorfu.com and hearsay from dear friends, all of whom I sincerely thank. I am especially thankful to Maria Rallis, a warmhearted and wonderful young friend, who is, moreover our Yianna's cherished sister-in-law.)
Finally, I'm grateful to my fading, but persistent, memory for recollecting the exceptional holiday my husband and I enjoyed on the beautiful island of Corfu, sixty-two years ago.
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| A Landscape of Corfu by an Unknown Artist |
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| "Corfu from Ascension" by Edward Lear 1862 |
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| "Corfu from Gastouri" by Edward Lear 1862 |
I'm giving you below a few recipes for the luscious dishes we enjoyed in Corfu so many years ago.
BOURTHETO WITH GREY MULLET
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| A Wonderful Way to Start a Meal |
Bourtheto is one of our favourite fish dishes in a spicy, sybaritic sauce.
1 1/2 kg (3 lbs) grey mullet, scaled. cleaned, washed and sprinkled with salt for 30 minutes and then rinsed to remove the salt
About 80 g (1/3 cup) olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp roast garlic paste* please see recipe below
1 heaped tbsp sweet paprika
1 tsp Cayenne pepper or according to taste
2 heaped tbsp tomato paste
250 ml (1 cup) dry red wine
375 ml (1 1/2 cup) hot water or more, if necessary
Thyme leaves
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Gently saute the onions, garlic paste in olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, stirring constantly until the onions wilt. Then sprinkle with sweet paprika and Cayenne pepper and stir for a few minutes more. Add the tomato paste and saute, stirring for a moment or two, pour the wine over and cook for 3-4 minutes until the alcohol evaporates. Add the water and bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the sauce thickens a little.
Place a few thyme leaves in the cavity of each fish, and arrange them, side by side over the sauce. If the fish are large cut them in half, adding a little hot water, as they ought to be partly submerged by the cooking liquid.
Cover the saucepan and simmer very, very gently until the grey mullets are tender and flake easily when tested with a fork. Taste the sauce and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a tiny pinch of Cayenne, if necessary, then sprinkle with chopped parsley and cook very gently, for two minutes more.
Place the fish on a hot platter and spoon the sauce over. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
PASTITSATHA
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| A Tasty Festive Dish |
A delicious Corfiot dish fit for special occasions.
1 kg (2 lb) stewing beef
1 heaped tsp spetseriko* (please see recipe below)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
3 onions, peeled and finely sliced
1 tbsp roasted garlic paste* (please see recipe below)
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp tomato paste diluted in
125 ml (1/2 cup) white wine
Hot water or beef stock
1 1/2 litre (6 cups) hot, tasty beef stock
500 g (1 lb) thick macaroni
1 tbsp olive oil
Grated Corfu or Parmesan cheese for sprinkling over
Rub the meat all over and with salt, pepper and spetseriko. then sautee it in olive oil and butter until brown, transfer to a plate and reserve.
Saute the sliced onions in the same saucepan, sprinkle with a little salt and cook for 6 minutes stirring occasionally. Then add the garlic paste, bay leaf, the reserved meat and pour in the tomato paste and wine mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes more, until the alcohol evaporates. Then pour in just enough hot water or stock to cover, place on the lid and simmer gently, until the meat is tender and the sauce thick. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Meanwhile, boil the macaroni, "al dente" in the beef stock and strain, reserving the stock for a soup perhaps. Return the macaroni to the saucepan, pour 1 tbsp of olive oil over, and swirl.
Serve the pasta on hot plates, cover lavishly with the meat stew and sprinkle with grated cheese.
*Here are the recipes for spetseriko and garlic paste:
SPETSERIKO
This is the notorious spice mix of Corfu!
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
Mix everything well together. Place in a jar and seal the lid tightly. This spice mix is always combined with a bay leaf.
ROAST GARLIC PASTE
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| Roast Garlic Bulbs |
This is a recipe my Mother gave me, ages ago. Roasting makes garlic deliciously tasty and removes the strong odour.
Bulbs of garlic, the exterior skin removed and part near the stems sliced off
Olive oil
Wrap the trimmed garlic bulbs in foil and roast in an oven preheated to 180 C (370 F) for 40 minutes or until soft. Allow to cool, unwrap and squeeze each garlic clove to extract the delicious paste. Place in a jar, cover with olive oil, seal and refrigerate.
SOFRITO
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| Add caption |
Another delightful dish of the Corfiot cuisine.
1 1/2 kg (3 lbs) thinly sliced veal
Salt to taste
1 heaped tsp spetseriko (spice mix please see above) or
Freshly ground black pepper
130 g (1 cup) plain flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp roast garlic paste (please see above)
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
250 ml (1 cup) white wine
1 liqueur glass vinegar
Hot water
1 cup finely chopped parsley
Season the meat with salt and spetseriko or freshly ground black pepper, and dredge with flour, shaking each slice to remove the excess.
Saute the veal slices in olive oil, in two or three batches and transfer the meat to a dish, with a slotted spoon.
In a clean frying pan add a little olive oil and butter and gently simmer the onions, roast garlic paste, a tsp of the spice mix, the rosemary twig and the bay leaf, stirring, until the onions become translucent. Place the meat slices evenly over, pour in the wine and cook gently for 3-4 minutes, until the alcohol evaporates. Then lower the heat, even more, add the vinegar and enough hot water just to cover and swirl the saucepan. Simmer very, very gently, covered, until the meat is cooked and the sauce thickens. Add the parsley and cook for 2 minutes more.
Discard the rosemary twig and bay leaf, and serve with chips or steamed rice and a zesty green salad.
ROCKET, FENNEL AND ORANGE SALAD
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| A Delightfully Fresh Salad. |
This salad resembles the one that was brought to Corfu, in the 12th century, by Jews after they were expelled from Spain, during that barbarous and shameful period of Christianity, the Inquisition.
1 bunch rocket, leaves and tender stems only
2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and shaved
The fillets of two oranges
Dressing:
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp orange zest
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
(Mix well together until the dressing thickens)
Arrange the salad ingredients in a pretty dish or bowl and sprinkle with dressing. You might not need all the dressing, so pour the rest into a jar, seal and refrigerate for no longer than 4 days.
PASTA FROLLA
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| JamTart |
Pasta frolla is a favourite tart that needs excellent butter and jam.
210 g (7 oz) butter, softened
260 g (2 cups) self-raising flour
1 level tsp baking powder
1/3 cup semolina
An ample 66 g (1/3 cup) sugar
1 egg
Pinch of salt
62 ½ ml (¼ cup) brandy
500 g (1 lb) jam, preferably apricot
Mix all the ingredients together (except the jam) and knead until a soft, pliable dough is obtained.
Roll out 2/3 of the dough and line a 30 cm (12 in) buttered tart dish. Press the pastry up the sides, trim it neatly and spread thickly and evenly with jam. Then, shape fine pencil-sized cylinders with the remaining dough and form a lattice pattern on the top of the jam.
Bake in a moderately hot oven, preheated to 180 C (190 F) for about 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Cool, cut into wedges and serve.
TSITSIBIRA
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| Fresh Ginger Cut into Medallions |
This is my version for preparing Tsitsibira which is Greek for ginger beer. I first prepare fresh ginger medallions in syrup or just a plain ginger syrup, and whenever we want a ginger beer we stir 1 tablespoon of this delightful, aromatic syrup into a glass of iced lemonade made with fresh lemons.
Fresh Ginger Medallions in Syrup:
250 g (1/2 lb) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into medallions
250 g ( 1/2 lb) sugar
Water
Place the ginger in a saucepan that will hold it comfortably. Cover well with cold water and, simmer for about an hour, until the ginger is tender when tested with a sharp knife, adding more hot water when and if necessary.
Stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt and simmer until a syrup is formed that has the consistency of runny honey. Spoon, immediately into sterilized jars and store in a cupboard. Once a jar is opened, place in the fridge.
Fresh Ginger Syrup:
A 250 g (1/2 lb) piece of peeled fresh ginger, cut into very small pieces
500 ml (2 cups) water
400 g (2 cups) sugar
1 tbs lemon juice, to accentuate the taste
Simmer the ginger in water until soft. Prepare a thick syrup with the sugar and the aromatic water that the ginger was boiled in. Strain and pour into a sterilized bottle and store in a dark cupboard. The pieces of ginger can be kept for making puddings or desserts or just enjoyed as a delightful morsel.
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| A Bush on our Front Porch at Perama |
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