After nearly four long months, Greece has still not reached an agreement with our creditors and partners. This is mainly due to the absurd promises given to us, before the elections, by SYRIZA, the governing party, that, obviously, cannot be fulfilled.
Negotiations could be facilitated if the government would change certain terms, by rejecting the dogma of the left-wing components of their party. As time is running short, we should come to an agreement with our EU partners, the soonest possible, otherwise Greece will be heading for a rift and bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, our economy is stagnant, banks are running out of cash, liquidity is drying up, apparently sixty enterprises are shutting down every day and unemployment has reached gigantic dimensions. Most of us are anguished and angry. We are also in urgent need of wise and competent leaders who can rescue our country from this extremely grievous and difficult situation. What saves us, Greeks, when in tragic conditions, is that we are always consoled by Pandora's box.
Public opinion was immensely shocked by the murder of a four-year-old little Bulgarian girl, by her own father. The most hideous and sickening part was the manner, by which, all evidence was destroyed... Our deepest condolences to them who truly loved her.
Another monster earthquake hit Nepal and the neighbouring countries, bringing further death and devastation to the region. The international community are sending medical and structural help and we are certain that the people of Nepal, being strong, resilient and hard-working, will soon overcome this terrible double disaster.
Yemen is in the midst of the most serious crisis in years. Fighting for control of the country are Shia tribesmen from the north and Sunni tribesmen from the south, backed by Saudi Arabia and Iran. There is anxiety, that this very dangerous development might drag more countries into war.
Deep concern at the situation in Kumonovo, FYROM due to the clashes that ended with the loss of life and injuries. The European Commission urges the authorities to restore calm and order and " to investigate the events in an objective, transparent manner, within the Law".
IS terrorists brutally murdered twenty-three Syrians, including nine children, near the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is international concern that the antiquities, a perfect harmony of Greco-Roman and Persian Art and Architecture, might have the same fate as the priceless antiquities in Irak which were destroyed with sledgehammers, bulldozers and high explosives, by the barbarians.
Γλυκαίνω (ylikeno) is Greek for to sweeten. It also means to comfort, to appease, to soften. After all the awful news given above, I owe you a few recipes for desserts and sweets, that will certainly comfort, appease and soften your mood,
Public opinion was immensely shocked by the murder of a four-year-old little Bulgarian girl, by her own father. The most hideous and sickening part was the manner, by which, all evidence was destroyed... Our deepest condolences to them who truly loved her.
Another monster earthquake hit Nepal and the neighbouring countries, bringing further death and devastation to the region. The international community are sending medical and structural help and we are certain that the people of Nepal, being strong, resilient and hard-working, will soon overcome this terrible double disaster.
Yemen is in the midst of the most serious crisis in years. Fighting for control of the country are Shia tribesmen from the north and Sunni tribesmen from the south, backed by Saudi Arabia and Iran. There is anxiety, that this very dangerous development might drag more countries into war.
Deep concern at the situation in Kumonovo, FYROM due to the clashes that ended with the loss of life and injuries. The European Commission urges the authorities to restore calm and order and " to investigate the events in an objective, transparent manner, within the Law".
IS terrorists brutally murdered twenty-three Syrians, including nine children, near the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is international concern that the antiquities, a perfect harmony of Greco-Roman and Persian Art and Architecture, might have the same fate as the priceless antiquities in Irak which were destroyed with sledgehammers, bulldozers and high explosives, by the barbarians.
Γλυκαίνω (ylikeno) is Greek for to sweeten. It also means to comfort, to appease, to soften. After all the awful news given above, I owe you a few recipes for desserts and sweets, that will certainly comfort, appease and soften your mood,
CHOCOLATE DESSERT
I have already given the recipe for this dessert in an older post, but as it is my family's favourite chocolate dessert, here it is again,
You can prepare this delicious dessert, drenched with a chocolate cream sauce garnished with strawberries or any other fruit of your choice. You can, also serve it as a cake, dusted with icing sugar.
200 g (6 2/3 oz) good quality dark chocolate cut in small pieces
200 g (6 2/3 oz) butter
300 g (10 oz) sugar, halved
6 eggs, separated, whites stiffly beaten with a pinch of salt and quarter of the amount of sugar
1 scant tsp vanilla
100 g (3 1/3 oz)) self-raising flour mixed with
1 tsp baking powder
Chocolate Cream Sauce:
100 g (about 3 1/3 oz) dark chocolate, cut into small pieces
100 g (about 3 1/3 oz) cream
1 tsp honey
Melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water and stir until thoroughly blended. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, and pour in the cool chocolate/butter mixture and stir. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and stir the batter lightly, until well combined. Carefully fold in the whipped egg whites, stir until not streaks of white are visible and pour into a buttered cake tin, lined with baking parchment.
Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for about 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean. Remove from the oven, reverse the cake and set it aside to cool.
For the sauce, place the chocolate pieces in a bowl. Heat the cream just below boiling point and pour over the chocolate, add the honey and stir very well together until the sauce is cold, smooth and glossy.
Place the cake on a platter, spread the chocolate sauce evenly over the top, and garnish with either fresh strawberries or chocolate covered crystallized chestnuts.
STRAWBERRY TART
This is a lovely strawberry tart.
To make fresh strawberry coulis blend and sieve the strawberries and mix with the icing sugar and brandy, if using. Serve the strawberry tart in wedges with some strawberry coulis on the side.
JAM TART
My Mother was a wonderful, imaginative cook. Here is the recipe for delicious sablés biscuits she offered for tea, so many years ago.
PEACH ICE-CREAM
This is a lovely strawberry tart.
Pastry
250 g (8 oz + 1 tbsp) plain flour
2-3 tbsp fine semolina
120 g (4 oz) sugar
150 g (5 oz) butter
A pinch of salt
1 egg
Grated orange rind of 1 orange
A scant amount of orange fizz
Filling:
3 egg yolks
60 g (2 oz) sugar
A pinch of salt
300 g (10 oz) Greek yogurt or cream
330 g (11 oz) strawberries, blended and sieved
Garnish:
10-15 medium-sized strawberries, sliced
Strawberry Coulis:
200 g (about 7 oz) ripe strawberries, blended with
2 tbsp icing sugar
2 tbsp Metaxa brandy, only for grown-ups
2 tbsp Metaxa brandy, only for grown-ups
For the pastry blend butter, orange rind, sugar, salt, semolina and flour together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and just enough (1-2 scant tsp) orange fizz to form a soft dough. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare the filling. Beat sugar, salt and egg yolks until light and fluffy then add the yogurt or cream, the strawberry pulp and mix well together.
Roll out the pastry thinly and line a 24 tart tin. Prick the pastry with a fork, pour in the filling, sprinkle with brown sugar and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool and cover with sliced fresh strawberries. Slice in wedges and serve with a fresh strawberry coulis.
To make fresh strawberry coulis blend and sieve the strawberries and mix with the icing sugar and brandy, if using. Serve the strawberry tart in wedges with some strawberry coulis on the side.
JAM TART
This is a favourite recipe that needs excellent butter and jam.
200 g (7 oz) butter, softened
260 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
2 level tsp baking powder
55 g (1/3 cup) semolina
75 g (1/3 cup) sugar
1 egg
Pinch of salt
¼ cup brandy
500g (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 inch) tart dish and spread thickly and evenly with jam. Then roll 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 (350 F) for about 40-45 minutes or until the pastry turns golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve.
APRICOT JAM
You can prepare peach jam the same way.
1 kg (2 lb) apricots, halved and stoned
750 g (1½ lb) sugar
Place the apricots with a little water (about ¼ cup) and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the sugar and cook for 15 minutes more. Remove the saucepan from the fire and set aside for 24 hours. The next day simmer for about ½ hour or until the jam thickens.
Fill prepared jars with the scalding jam, seal and turn them upside down. Leave them undisturbed until the next day or until they are completely cold. Then turn the jars over and store them in a cupboard. When you open a jar, be sure to refrigerate it.
(Makes about 1 litre (4 cups) jam)
RENEE’S TARTLETS
My Mother was a wonderful, imaginative cook. Here is the recipe for delicious sablés biscuits she offered for tea, so many years ago.
330 g (11 oz) plain flour sifted with
1 tsp baking powder and
One pinch of salt
“a fistful of sugar’
1 medium-sized egg
6 tsp milk
1 cup jam
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add all the other ingredients, except the jam. Knead gently to obtain a pliable dough, cover with cling film and let it rest for half an hour in the fridge.
Roll out the dough and cut into rounds with a liqueur glass. On half of the rounds, cut small holes in the centre, using a thimble (!) Naturally you can use biscuit cutters. Bake in a moderate oven 190C (375F) for about 10-12 minutes.
When the biscuits are cold, spread a little jam (apricot, raspberry) on the whole rounds. Sprinkle the rounds with the hole in the middle with icing sugar and sandwich them carefully together!
There can be nothing more satisfying on a hot summer’s day than ice creams or water ices made with fresh fruit or fresh fruit juice. Use the same recipes for peaches and apricots.
FROZEN STRAWBERRY YOGURT
560 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh, ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
125 g (4oz + 1tbsp) caster sugar or more if preferred
125 g (4oz + 1tbsp) caster sugar or more if preferred
1 liqueur glass good quality brandy or orange-flavoured liqueur
2 tbsp orange juice
A few drops of lemon juice to accentuate the taste
A pinch of salt
250 g (8 1/3 oz) thick yogurt
Marinate the strawberries with the sugar, alcohol, lemon and orange juice and salt, cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours. Then blend, taste for sugar and add some more, if necessary, blend again and sieve. Combine the fruit pulp with the yogurt and mix very well together
The easiest way to freeze the strawberry yogurt is in an electric ice cream machine. Alternatively freeze it in a covered ice cream tray, and when half frozen, beat well and quickly return it to the freezer. Repeat the same procedure, twice more.
PEACH ICE-CREAM
This is an amazing ice cream made with tinned fruit. You can make it either with tinned apricots or tinned peaches.
One 800 g (about 13 ½ oz) tinned fruit (peaches or apricots) in their syrup
One 375 g (an ample 13 oz) sweetened condensed milk
A good pinch of salt
250 g (1 cup) light cream
The juice of 1 lemon or more
Place the first four ingredients in a deep bowl and blend until smooth. Taste and add as much lemon juice as you prefer. Peaches need more acidity than apricots.
Cover the bowl with cling-film and freeze. After two hours remove from the freezer and whip energetically. Cover and place the bowl in the freezer. Repeat the procedure twice more. Serve the ice cream garnished with sliced of fruit.This is an amazing ice cream made with tinned fruit. You can make it either with tinned apricots or tinned peaches.
One 800 g (about 13 ½ oz) tinned fruit (peaches or apricots) in their syrup
One 375 g (an ample 13 oz) sweetened condensed milk
A good pinch of salt
250 g (1 cup) light cream
The juice of 1 lemon or more
Place the first four ingredients in a deep bowl and blend until smooth. Taste and add as much lemon juice as you prefer. Peaches need more acidity than apricots.
Cover the bowl with cling-film and freeze. After two hours remove from the freezer and whip energetically. Cover and place the bowl in the freezer. Repeat the procedure twice more. Serve the ice cream garnished with sliced fruit.
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