NEW YEAR 2019

                                    

I pray that this coming year will bring health, happiness, consensus and love to all mankind.   That terrorist attacks, wars and civil wars will suddenly end and that refugees will fulfil their utmost of dreams to return to their countries.  Also, that wonder drugs against fatal diseases that so torment humanity, will be soon discovered.   Moreover, I pray that all the children of this turbulent world will be nurtured and protected and that we may all live in harmony and peace. 

I have pangs of conscience about actions I could have done but didn’t, of words I should have said but haven’t, during this year.   My apologies, I am so deeply sorry.   I hope that next year I shall become a better person, without the slightest quantity of egoism and greed.

I'm giving you below a few recipes suitable for a celebration meal. 

                                  AVOCADOS STUFFED WITH SEAFOOD

This is a tasty dish for special occasions.

5 ripe avocados, halved, stoned and drenched with lemon juice

2 ½ tbsp very finely chopped spring onions, white part only

2 ½ tbsp sweet red pepper, finely cubed

1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

½ tbsp dill, finely chopped (optional)

1 small tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

Lemon juice to taste

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Few drops Tobasco sauce (optional)

500 g (1 lb) sauteed crabmeat, or baby shrimp, shelled, deveined and sauteed with

                                a sprig of rosemary and a pinch of salt

4 tbsp Naxos Graviera or Cheddar, grated and mixed with

3 tbsp or Parmesan, grated

Scoop out the flesh from the avocado halves, moisten the shells with lemon juice and reserve.

Mash the avocado flesh into a smooth pulp.   Add the chopped onions, the sweet red peppers, herbs, tomato, lemon juice, salt, pepper and Tobasco, if using, and mix well together. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Then add the seafood and fold gently together.   Spoon the mixture into the prepared avocado shells, sprinkle with grated cheese and arrange in a heated baking dish.   

Pour a cup of hot water in the baking dish around the stuffed avocados, place under a very hot grill and cook for not more than 2-3 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and turns golden.   Serve with a green salad.

     

  

                        MEAT OR POULTRY ROASTED WITH APPLE GLAZE

Pork Chops Roasted with  Apple Glaze

Chicken Glazed with Apple Juice, Mustard and Sugar 

This is one of my favourite glazes for roast meat or poultry.

250 ml (1 cup) apple juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

200 g (1 cup) sugar

Prepare the meat for roasting the way you usually do by massaging it with salt pepper and ginger powder, and making small slits into the lamb or pork and inserting small slivers of garlic.   Rub the poultry with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and fill the cavities with herbs of your choice.

Place all the glaze ingredients into a small saucepan and simmer gently stirring until the sugar melts.  Remove from the fire.

Roast the meat or poultry for 30 minutes at 180 C (350 F) degrees.  Then baste the roast lavishly with the glaze, for three or four times, until roasted to perfection.

                                                

                                 BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD

     

                                   

                                  

This is a large, colourful salad.

1 broccoli cut into florets

1 cauliflower cut into florets

1 green, 1 red and 1 yellow peppers, trimmed, seeded, thickly sliced and then halved

2 carrots peeled and sliced

1 garlic clove,  peeled and sliced

Salt, pepper

Sesame oil (not the oriental kind)

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley, and

1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds for garnishing

Salad Dressing:

2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

4 tbsp sesame oil (not the oriental kind)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 scant tbsp honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon juice, if necessary

1 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Place the first four ingredients in a baking tin, lined with baking parchment, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped garlic, drizzle with sesame oil and roast in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F), until the vegetables are tender.   Arrange the vegetables attractively on a flat salad dish.     

For the dressing blend the vinegar with the mustard, honey, salt and pepper and then add the oil gradually, until the vinaigrette thickens.  Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary.  Drizzle the vegetables with the dressing, cover and refrigerate.

One hour before serving, remove the salad from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature. Serve sprinkled with the roasted sesame seeds and parsley.

                                             CHEESE TARTLETS

Here is a recipe for delightful cheese tartlets.

Pastry:

650 g (5 cups) plain flour mixed with

1 tsp baking powder

125 ml (½ cup) melted butter

125 ml (½ cup) mild-tasting olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg

Milk* please see instructions

Filling:

2 tbsp butter

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp plain flour

750 ml (3 cups) milk

½ tsp grated nutmeg

2 medium-sized eggs, whipped

1 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup grated Graviera from Crete or Emmenthal

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

First, prepare the pastry.  Whip the butter for 5 minutes and stir in the olive oil.   Add the flour mixture by the spoonful, the egg, salt, pepper and enough milk and stir, until a soft dough is obtained.  Cover with cling film and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.  Melt the butter, over low heat, add the bay leaf, sift the flour over, sprinkle with salt and nutmeg, and stir and cook gently for 4-5 minutes.   Pour in the hot milk, stir vigorously and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and bubbles.   Remove from the heat to cool.   Then add the whipped eggs and the grated cheese, stirring very well to combine.  Taste and adjust accordingly. 

Brush the sockets of a cupcake tin with melted butter.   Roll out the dough, cut it into rounds and line the buttered cupcake sockets with the pastry.   Spoon in the filling, cover loosely with tin foil and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 35 minutes, until the tartlets are puffed and golden.  
  

 

                              CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RUM CUSTARD

A superb chocolate dessert. 

Cake:

45 g (½ cup) cocoa powder, sifted

195 g (1½ cup) self-rising flour

1 vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

200 g (1 cup) sugar

115 g (½ cup) butter, softened

1 egg

125 ml (½ cup) Greek yoghurt

125 ml (½ cup) boiling water

Rum Custard:

687.5 ml (2 ¾ cups) milk

125 ml (½ cup) dark rum

1 vanilla

3 egg yolks

3 tbsp cornflour

100 g ( ½ cup) sugar

2 tbsp butter

Chocolate powder for sprinkling over, optional

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and line the base of a 28 cm spring-form tin with buttered baking parchment and brush the sides with butter.

Mix the first 5 ingredients for the cake, well together.  In a food processor pulse butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the egg and yoghurt and pulse for 3 minutes more.   Add the dry ingredients and the boiling water, with the processor running, until a smooth batter is formed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake come out clean.  Leave for ten minutes, and reverse on a pretty serving dish.

Meanwhile, prepare the rum custard.  Simmer the milk with the rum and vanilla for 5 minutes and whip the egg yolks with the sugar and cornflour until creamy and thick.   Allow the milk to cool for 5 minutes and ladle it into the egg mixture, beating constantly as you add.   Return to the saucepan and simmer gently, stirring with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens, about 15-20 minutes.   Then stir in the butter and cover with cling-film and set aside to cool.  Then ice for ½ an hour.

Cover the chocolate cake with the rum custard, cover and refrigerate.  Before serving, bring the cake to room temperature sprinkle with chocolate powder, if using, and enjoy this delicious dessert.

   

                                            

                                              NEW YEAR’S CAKE

                                                        Vasilopita

This cake is specially prepared for New Year’s Day.   It is customary to insert a coin in the vasilopita and whoever finds the coin, has good luck for the whole the year.  There are many recipes for vasilopita prepared with chocolate or fruit or crystallised fruit.   I am giving you below a traditional recipe for this delicious cake. 

600 g (4 cups) strong flour

1 tbsp dried yeast

180 ml (¾ cup) warm milk

4 eggs

180 g (¾ cup+ 2 tbsp) sugar

The freshly grated rind of 1 lemon

½ tsp mahleb seeds, crushed

½ tsp powdered mastic

125 g (½ cup) butter, at room temperature

1 tsp salt

1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp of water and reserved


Icing sugar

Place all the ingredients (except the butter and salt) in a mixer and beat for 2-3 minutes. Then add the butter gradually and the salt and beat until the dough is smooth and shiny.     Remove the dough from the mixer, cover it with a cloth and let it rise, in a warm place, until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough and place it in a deep, round baking dish, 30 cm (12 in) in diameter.  Cover and let it prove for 30 minutes until almost doubled in bulk.

Brush the cake with the reserved egg wash and bake in an oven, preheated to 290 C (375 F) for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.   Don’t forget to insert the coin.

Sprinkle with icing sugar forming the number of the year and chronia polla!!  

CHRISTMAS 2018

A very merry Christmas to everyone around the world.   Have a fabulous time with your family and friends, a beautiful day that will be nostalgically remembered for many years to come.

Our heart goes out to all who are sick, in mourning or in need.   Also to residents whose countries are at war, like Syria and Yemen or in conditions of natural disaster with umpteen victims, like Indonesia.  May the first soon overcome all their discrepancies and tribulations and may the Indonesians have the strength to recuperate from their wounds and the courage and resilience to soften their grief.

A Very Merry Christmas to All

TERRORIST ATTACK AGAINST MAJOR GREEK NEWS MEDIA

At 2.37 am, on Monday the 17^th December, a powerful bomb detonated outside SKY, a major Greek TV and Radio station and the headquarters of the prestigious newspaper Kathimerini.   The facade of the building was extensively damaged, with shattered windows and torn out offices, fortunately without victims.

In the Very Early Hours the Greek Anti-Terrorist Squad in front of SKY

A police spokesman said that the explosion followed two anonymous phone calls to a news website and another television station.  They said that the bomb would go off in 45 minutes, and kept repeating “this is not a hoax”.

The building was instantly evacuated, and the explosion was enormous.  The journalists, the technical staff and all the people who are working for SKY fearlessly went back to work, half an hour after the blast.  They are bravely determined to continue broadcasting the latest news from home and abroad and praising or criticising events, politicians and the government.

This is a heinous terrorist attack against democracy and the freedom of the press, that could have cost many human lives.

                  A merry Christmas to you all at SKY and a very happy New Year!

TEN DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS

The week started tragically   A gunman opened fire and killed two and injured twelve innocent people at the Christmas market, in the picturesque medieval city of Strasbourg, shouting "Allahu Akbar" God is great.

A Map of the Strasbourg Area Where the Terrorist Attack Took Place  

Christmas Lights Before the Strike

Witnesses said that the assassin left the scene by taxi and was later recognised as 29-year-old Cherif Checat, a man born in Strasbourg of Moroccan origin, who had been arrested 27 times in France, Germany and Switzerland for robbery and violence and was suspected by the French police of religious extremism.    The centre of the city and the European Parliament building were instantly shut down and the people were instructed to stay indoors for their safety.

At 8 pm, on Thursday, 13^th December Checat opened fire on a police patrol, that had requested his credentials, and he was immediately shot dead.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families and our deep admiration for the citizens and the police of Strasbourg and the whole French population for their courage and strength. 

After the Strasbourg shooting, the Gillets Jaunes (Yellow Vests)  protested against the Macron government, but less violently than before.

With about 3½ months to go, there is still no certitude as to how, or even if, the UK will exit from the European Union.

This week, Mrs Theresa May, being aware of negative results, delayed a parliamentary vote on her deal with the European Union.  She just barely survived a vote of nonconfidence in her leadership and, then, after a desperate petition for help, she failed to win major compromises from the European leaders.

All this leaves the United Kingdom in a deep political crisis to which there seems to be no end.

According to Mr John Craig of SKY news, prime minister Theresa May angrily “hit out” at her predecessor Tony Blair, who told  SKY news that she ought to “switch course” and back a second referendum, because of the Parliamentary deadlock.

After two weeks of talks in Poland, officials from 200 countries around the world have agreed upon rules for the implementation of the 2015 Paris climate accord,  without big interference from Trump’s administration, despite the planned USA withdrawal.

UN Secretary-General Antonio GuterresWarns Failure to Tackle Global Warming  

Critics, however, emphasize that the agreement is not ambitious enough to prevent the effects of global warming.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked the government to “take charge” of rap music after a number of concerts were stopped across the country.

Husky in Jail

As the efforts to ban rap were “impossible” the state should pay a greater role in controlling it, he said. The Ministry of Culture should find a way to “navigate the youth concerts", he continued.  Putin made the above comments after the popular Russian rapper Huskey was arrested, and several of his concerts were cancelled.  The Russian authorities called his planned performance in the city of Krasnodar “extremism”.   Husky was jailed for 12 days after performing, for fans, on the roof of a car.

Experts do not consider Putin’s Russia to be a democracy, because there is a lack of free and fair elections, purges, the jailing of opponents and the absence of freedom of the press.   Human rights organisations and activists have accused Putin of persecuting political critics and activists as well as having them  “tortured or assassinated”.  He has firmly rejected the accusations of human rights abuses.   Moreover, officials of the United States government have accused him of interfering with a programme against Hillary Clinton in support of Donald Trump, during the 2016 US Presidential elections, an allegation that both Putin and Trump deny.

Did Putin Turn Trump into his Puppet? (Vox news)

According to Mark MacKinnon, of the Globe and Mail, "as the Russian economy and Putin’s popularity tumble, anxiety rather than hope is growing among the critics".   Some are extremely anxious that constant repression on the opposition will grow, as the Kremlin tries to stop any visible signs of growing dissatisfaction.  Others worry that the Russian government may try to instigate a new war against Ukraine, that will kindle patriotism and support for the president.

Apparently, the military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said that he has seen evidence, such as the accumulation of troops and tanks along the Russian/Ukraine border and the expansion of new missile systems in the Crimea.   Also, the Ukrainian president Petro Petroshenko has declared martial law in ten provinces, bordering with Russia and has called reserve soldiers for training exercises.   “So both sides are getting ready for a major regional war,” said Mr Felgenhauer in an interview. “The situation is very precarious” he added.

Victor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister considers himself as “a defender of Hungary and Europe against Muslim migrants.”   He won a third term as prime minister, last April, and he puts national sovereignty above all, but he is attacked by his opponents as a racist and a totalitarian.

After the terrorist attacks in France in 2015, Orban spoke on the Hungarian television declaring that he will never allow his country to become a target for migrants.  “We do not want a significant minority of migrants, with different cultural characteristics and backgrounds among us.  We want to keep Hungary as Hungary.”   A fascistic remark by a prime minister of a country that is a member of the European Union, in the 21^st century.   Alarming.

On Sunday, the 16^th December, about 10.000 people, chanting “down with the government” led by trade unionist and students, rallied in Budapest against the new labour laws, which have been called “slave laws” by the opponents.  Police fired tear gas to disperse the protestors.

According to the new labour laws, companies can demand up to 400 hours of overtime a year and delay payment for it for three years.  The Orban government, trying to justify themselves, stated that the labour reform will benefit both workers and companies who need to fill the labour shortage.

The following Friday, angry crowds, demonstrated not only against the labour laws but, also, about the increasing corruption and the limits on academic freedom, under Orban’s nationalist government.

(I sincerely thank the Greek and International press, ERT, BBC, CNN, France 24, Mr John Craig of SKY News, Mr Mark McKinnon of the Globe and Mail and Mr Pavel Felgenhauer for the valuable information for this post.)






I have, already, given you many traditional Christmas recipes, here are several more.

                                     SALMON AND MUSHROOM MOULD

This can be served as a first dish, or as a main dish with a tasty potato salad.

1 kg (2 lbs) salmon fillet, skinned and pin-boned

6 medium-sized eggs

3 cups double cream

The grated rind of ½ a lemon

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

330 g (11 oz) button mushrooms, diced and sprinkled with

The juice of ½ a lemon

30 g (1 oz) butter

1 tbsp grated onion

1 clove garlic, finely sliced

3 tbsp white wine

450 g (15 oz) smoked salmon, thinly sliced

Blend the salmon and the eggs in a food processor, until smooth.  Transfer to a bowl placed over iced water, and gradually mix in the cream.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in the lemon rind and the parsley.   Cover and refrigerate.

Sauté the onion in butter, add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes more, add the wine and cook until the alcohol evaporates, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and remove from the heat to cool.

Brush a loaf tin with oil, and line the tin first with baking parchment and then with the smoked salmon slices, leaving enough, of both, hanging over the sides.  

Spoon half the salmon mixture, evenly, over.  Add the mushrooms in the single layer and add the remaining salmon mixture on top.   Fold the smoked salmon over, and cover with buttered baking parchment.

Place the loaf tin in a large baking dish.  Pour enough hot water into the baking dish to come halfway up the side of the loaf tin.   Bake au bain Marie, in an oven pre-heated to 180 C (350 F) for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the loaf tin, comes out clean.

Leave for 5 minutes before unmoulding onto a serving dish.   Peel off the baking parchment, and cover and chill the salmon mould.   Serve with a lemony mayonnaise.

                                       

                              LAMB, ONION AND CHESTNUT CASSEROLE

                        

 This is an interesting dish.

1 ½ kg (3 lb) leg of lamb, boned and trimmed of excess fat, cut into serving pieces

2 carrots

1 onion, peeled

1 celery stalk with the leaves

1 bay leaf

Salt and a few peppercorns

Enough water to cover the meat halfway

2 small rosemary sprigs

2-3 tbsp honey, mixed with

2 tbsp lemon juice

24 small onions, parboiled, peeled and lightly sautéed in butter and olive oil

24 chestnuts, parboiled and peeled

2 tbsp butter, cubed

Place the lamb in a large, heavy casserole, with the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, a very little salt and peppercorns.   Add the water, bring to the boil and skim.   Then cover the pan and simmer for 30-35 minutes.

Remove the meat and set aside, discarding the bay leaf.    Sieve the cooking liquid into a small saucepan, pressing the vegetables to extract their juices.  Boil briskly until the liquid has reduced to two cups, stir in the honey and lemon mixture and reserve. 

Arrange the meat, onions and chestnuts in the casserole, season lightly with salt and pepper.  Drizzle the lamb and vegetables with the reserved honey and lemon mixture, place the rosemary sprigs over and dot with butter.  Cover the casserole and bring to the boil.    Then, place the casserole in the middle of a medium-hot oven, preheated to 190 C (375 F), for about 30 minutes or until the lamb and vegetables are brown and tender and the liquid has almost evaporated.  

Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and salt, if necessary.   Serve with mashed potatoes and a colourful salad.

                                                                                                                        

                                                 

                                                SPINACH AU GRATIN

                                            

This is another simple dish, excellent to serve with meat or poultry dishes.

1 kg (1/2 lb) fresh spinach

2 cups béchamel sauce *(please see recipe below)

90 g (3 oz) kefalotyri or Parmesan, grated

2 tbsp butter plus extra for buttering the dish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutmeg

90 g (3 oz) mild tasting feta, sliced into slivers

1-2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs

Cayenne pepper (optional)

Wash and trim the spinach, place in a saucepan (it should not require water) and simmer for 5 minutes.    Strain and when cool enough to handle, squeeze the water out with your hands.   

Chop the spinach roughly and mix with 1 cup of the béchamel sauce, grated cheese (reserving 2 tbsp for later), and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.  

Pour half the mixture into a buttered ovenproof dish and cover, sparingly, with the feta slivers.   Arrange the rest of the spinach, evenly over, and cover with the remaining béchamel sauce.   Sprinkle with dry breadcrumbs, the remaining cheese, a little Cayenne pepper, if using, and dot with butter.  

Bake the spinach in a moderate oven, preheated to 190 C (375 F), for about half an hour or until the surface is puffed and golden.

                          *BECHAMEL SAUCE FOR “AU GRATIN” DISHES

                                     

This sauce is prepared with cornflour. It is both light and tasty

4 tbsp butter

6 tbsp cornflour

1 bay leaf

480 ml (2 cups) warm milk, or more

3 eggs, separated, whites whipped to soft peaks

60 g (2/3 cup) San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated

60 g (2/3 cup) Gruyere, coarsely grated

Grated nutmeg to taste

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the bay leaf and the cornflour and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring constantly.  Add the warm milk gradually and continue stirring until the sauce boils and thickens.

 

Take off the heat, discard the bay leaf, and stir in the cheese, pepper and nutmeg.  Cool slightly and stir in the egg yolks.   Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, if needed.  Carefully fold in the egg whites. The sauce is ready to cover any “au gratin” dish you wish to prepare.

                               ROCKET  ORANGE AND FENNEL SALAD

2 bunches rocket, leaves and tender stalks only

3 oranges, peeled and filleted

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and very finely sliced 

2 tbsp snipped chives

Dressing:

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp orange juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Arrange the rocket in a salad bowl, divide the orange fillets and the sliced fennel bulbs evenly over, and sprinkle with chives.

Whip all the dressing ingredients together until thick, pour over the salad, toss and serve. 

                                          CHRISTMAS PUDDING

My Mother was given the recipe for this lovely Christmas pudding by an Irish couple who lived next door when she first went to India.

Candied and dried fruit finely chopped:

200 g (6 3/5 oz) candied lemon peel

250 g (8 1/3 oz) candied orange peel

250 g (8 1/3 oz) candied bitter orange peel

200 g (6 3/5 oz) glace cherries

200 g (6 3/5 oz) candied pears

200 g (6 3/5 oz) dried apricots

200 g (6 3/5 oz) dried prunes

300 g (10 oz) whole raisins

150 g (5 oz) almonds, blanched, lightly roasted and coarsely chopped

200 g (6 3/5 oz) apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

250 ml (1 cup) Metaxa brandy or more

250 g (8 1/3 oz) butter or margarine

400 g (13 1/3 oz) sugar

8 eggs, separated, whites whipped to soft peaks with a pinch of salt

1 ½ cup orange juice

1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp ginger powder

400 g (13 1/3 oz) dried breadcrumbs

125 ml (½ cup) brandy, heated

Cream

Place all the chopped candied fruit with the chopped dried apricots, the chopped dried prunes, raisins and almonds in a large bowl, pour in the brandy and soak for 48 hours stirring 6 times a day.

Prepare two pudding basins by brushing them lavishly with vegetable oil.  Line the base of the basins with rounds of baking parchment oiled on both sides.

Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Add the yolks, one at a time, and keep on beating after each addition.  Stir in the grated nutmeg and ginger powder and pour in the orange juice alternately with the breadcrumbs in three portions.  Then stir in the soaked fruit and finally, gently fold in the whipped egg whites.

Spoon the pudding batter into the prepared basins, cover each with oiled baking parchment and tin foil and steam for about 1 hour.   Remove from the heat to cool.

Before serving, heat the pudding in an oven preheated to 120 C (248 F) for about half an hour.   Press a flexible knife around the edges of the basin and reverse the pudding on a hot pyrex dish.  Ignite the heated brandy and pour over the hot pudding, wait until the flames die, slice and serve with cream.

FIRST MEMORIES

While trying to return umpteen decades back to the first years of my long life, I discovered glimpses of memories that have been deeply impressed on my mind.

I was born in India, of Greek parentage and I consider myself very fortunate as I had loving parents and a very happy childhood.

Every two and a half years we used to go on home leave, so each time, we bordered either an Anchor Line or a Peninsular and Oriental (P & O) vessel and sailed for Greece.

Anchor Line RMS Cilicia

To return to the theme of this post, my very first memory is me bending over, trying to wear my pink ballet shoes and my mother’s voice saying from the background: “Go to Nona (grandmother), she wants to see your dress”.   This took place in Cephalonia, during our home leave, several months before my third birthday.

I, Dressed as a Victorian Girl

Another image that I remember vividly was my beautiful mother, sitting at her dressing table, her hair gleaming in the sunlight.

In our garden, in Karachi, I remember the horror and pain I felt when a "huge" ant bit my finger.  The poor little creature must have been terrified of this gigantic being that was apparently trying to hurt it.  This is yet another unconnected memory, an image, a glimpse, without beginning or end.





I have very tender recollections of my nursery school, all my dear friends and the wonderful birthday parties, that we all so enjoyed.   I also reminisce about the sheer delight I felt while swimming and splashing in the sea at Sandspit and  Hawksbay, the lovely sandy beaches near Karachi, on the Arabian Sea.

Sandspit Beach

Hawksbay

 On the other hand, I remember, when I was sick with diphtheria, the terror I used to feel each time the doctor came to inject me in the tummy with a huge needle.  I used to beseech him, sobbing "Please, don't, I have been a very good girl today,"  After the ordeal, he always very kindly offered me a tiny bunch of violets.

Home leave was the great event that, as a family, we so looked forward to and planned, for almost a year ahead.  I was just under five, during a voyage, when I nearly drowned in the ship's swimming pool and my dear father jumped in to save me.   During the same voyage, I ensconced myself behind an armchair with a book and was lost for hours.   My parents nearly went berserk with anxiety.

When we arrived in Greece, we stayed at Ellinikon which was near a girls' school that my parents intended me to attend, on our next trip when my Mother and I would be settling down in Greece, as planned.

Pierce American College, Hellinikon

We went to Loutraki, a popular spa near Corinth and of course to Cephalonia, our home island, where we saw my beloved grandmother Sophia, my uncles, aunts and cousins.  I was much younger than my cousins but I especially loved visiting  Ioanna Papas, her husband Vassilis, their baby daughter Dia and her sister Aliki because it was a house full of fun, laughter and good vibrations.  I, also, loved cycling with my cousin, Angela Becatoros, who was charming and amiable and told me, eloquently, the most fascinating of fairy tales. It was like a performance!

That year, my parents bought a spacious house in Argostoli with a beautiful garden, made all the necessary alterations and installed central heating.  My cousin Angela and her husband Gerasimos stayed in our new house, while we were living in India.

A Vintage Photo of Loutraki

Argostoli Today

Argostoli From A Different Perspective

When our home leave ended, we returned to Karachi and continued our life.   My dear father worked at Ralli Brothers, my mum, besides being a wonderful wife, mother and hostess, played mahjong and went to coffee mornings with her girlfriends.  I attended Mrs Walton's kindergarten school in the morning and thoroughly enjoyed playing with my best friends during the afternoon.   Needless to say, that all year around I eagerly looked forward to the Christmas and Easter celebrations and my birthday.  It was a very happy period of my childhood, I felt content and protected.

Unfortunately, on the 1st September 1939, World War II broke out, the cause being the German invasion of Poland.  Two days later, the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany, which is still considered "the deadliest conflict in human history".  Although I was very young, I had a smouldering feeling of anxiety that my parents and their friends were extremely worried and concerned about this very disturbing information.

When the time arrived for our next home leave, we went to Greece in late February 1940 and we should be returning to India by November of the same year.   Apparently, almost everyone in Greece was living in a fool’s paradise because they believed that our country couldn't possibly be attacked by the Germans or the Italians.  This was most improbable, and any possible problems could be solved through diplomatic channels, they hoped.   Wishful thinking...

On the 28^th October 1940, Mussolini issued an ultimatum to Greece, demanding the cession of Greek territory, which the Greek Prime Minister Metaxas rejected.  “Alors, c’est la guerre”, he told the Italian Ambassador Grazzi, who had conveyed the message.  

The Italian army invaded Greece, on the 28^th October 1940, before the Italian ultimatum had expired, but they were stopped by the unexpectedly persistent resistance of the Greek army. "The Italian army failed to achieve its objectives and lost prestige in this war."  As the Greek independence and national sovereignty were at stake, the Greeks were determined to drive the invaders outside the borderline.   In contrast, the Italians fought because "the Mussolini regime sent them to fight a war of aggression.   Needless to say, that the average Italian soldier saw no reason, at all, to go and die while conquering Greece."  According to Mark Mazower, "it was the first Axis setback of the entire war". 

It was an ugly war, fought in atrocious weather conditions, in a very difficult terrain.*

Evidently, we stayed in Cephalonia during the war and the occupation from 1940 to 1945.   It was a very difficult period for all the European countries that were occupied by the Axis.  We were deprived of our liberty, our dignity and our pride.   Our currency, the drachma, was being constantly devalued, for instance, one could buy a pound of tomatoes for 1.000.000 drachmas!   Most of us were extremely poor.  Moreover, there was a very serious food shortage in Greece.  During the bitterly cold winter of 1941, most Greek citizens were undernourished and many people died of famine in Athens and in other cities all over the country.  It was slightly better in the countryside and the islands where one could survive by planting pulses, potatoes and other vegetables.   But unfortunately, nearly no meat or poultry could be found as most of it was confiscated to feed the enemy forces.   My resourceful compatriots prepared a rather delicious dark syrup with currents, called “stafidini”, to replace sugar, which had also completely disappeared from the shelves during the occupation.   As for bread, it was made with broad bean flour or cornmeal which was, then, considered a delicacy, if one could find it.

Incidentally, our house was requisitioned first by the Italians and later by the Germans so we lived in a flat that a good friend provided for us, desperately trying to make ends meet.

*(I sincerely thank Mr Apostolos Marinopoulos, Mr Mark Mazover and Wikipedia for the valuable information for this post)

  

I shall give you below several recipes of dishes that young children enjoy eating.

                                                      CARROT SOUP

Do start a celebration dinner with this wonderful soup!

1 kg carrots, peeled and roughly sliced

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces

2 leeks, white parts only, sliced

1 onion, peeled chopped

2 stalks celery, trimmed, threaded and thinly sliced

1 bouquet garni, (1 slice ginger, peeled +1 tsp coriander seeds, slightly crushed + 1 thyme sprig)

1½ litre (6 cups) tasty chicken stock

60 g (2 oz) bland kasseri or Gouda or bland Cheddar

2 tbsp San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated

1 tsp grated nutmeg

1 liqueur glass Metaxa brandy, optional

125 ml (½ cup) thick cream or whipped yoghurt

Place all the vegetables in a large saucepan, pour in enough water to just cover, place in the spice-pouch cover and cook gently, until tender.

Remove the bouquet, and blend the vegetables until smooth.   Pour in the chicken stock sprinkle with freshly ground white pepper and a little nutmeg.  Simmer gently until the soup thickens.  Stir in the cheese, taste and season with salt and extra pepper and nutmeg, if necessary.

Bring the soup to the boil and pour in the brandy, if using, and let it simmer for a little until the alcohol evaporates.   Serve drizzled with thick cream or yoghurt.

                                                 

                                                     CHEESE PUFFS

 This recipe is prepared with choux dough.  The puffs can be served hot or at room temperature.

250 ml (1cup) water

100 g (1/2 cup) butter

A pinch of salt

150 g (1 cup + 2 scant tbsp) flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

120 g (4 oz) San Mihalis or Parmesan or mature Cheddar grated

Bring water, butter and salt to the boiling point. Add the flour all at once and cook, stirring vigorously until the dough forms a ball around the spoon.  Remove from the fire and set aside to cool.

  

Sprinkle the dough with baking powder and stir well.  Then add the eggs, one at a time, making sure that each egg has been well incorporated into the batter before adding the next.  Finally, add the cheese and mix together thoroughly. 

With a piping bag or with the help of 2 wet coffee spoons, place small mounds of the mixture on a baking tin, lined with baking parchment, 3.75 cm (1½ inches) apart.   

Bake in a hot oven preheated to 200 C (400 F) for the first 10 minutes or until puffed, and then reduce the heat to 180 C (350 F), or even lower and continue baking for the next 10-12 minutes.   Serve the cheese-puffs, immediately, or place them on a rack to cool.

                              

                                                      

                                                      CHEESE PIE

Individual Cheese Pies 

Cheese pies are very popular all over Greece.    I very often prepare individual cheese pies with ready-made puff pastry rounds and the same filling.

Pastry:

150 g (5 oz) wholemeal flour

150 g (5 oz) plain flour

Pinch of salt

¼ tsp mustard powder

150 g (5 oz) butter cubed

1 egg

Just enough water to form a soft, pliable dough

2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs for sprinkling over the pastry before adding the filling

 Filling

500 g (1 lb) feta cheese, soaked in water for 5-10 minutes if salty

250 g (½ lb) anthotyro or ricotta cheese

2-3 tbsp kephalotyri or Parmesan or Cheddar, grated

1 large onion, peeled and finely grated

4 eggs

200 g (1 small tub) strained Greek yoghurt or

1 cup béchamel sauce

Salt if necessary, nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper

Sesame seeds

First, prepare the pastry.  Blend the two flours with the mustard powder and salt.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add the egg and very little water until the dough forms a ball around the hook.  Cover and refrigerate for ½ an hour at least.

In a large bowl, crumble the feta and anthotyro and stir in the grated cheese and onion.    Beat the eggs with the yoghurt, nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper, add to the cheese mixture and stir until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper and nutmeg, if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).   Cut the pastry in half and roll out two thin pastry sheets.    Line a buttered baking tin with one of the sheets and sprinkle evenly with the dried breadcrumbs.   Spoon the filling carefully over, cover with the remaining pastry

                                           

                                                 CHICKEN WITH RICE

           

This dish is very popular with children and grown-ups alike.                                    

1½ kg (3 lb) chicken, skinned

1 onion, peeled and studded with 2 cloves

2 tender celery stalks with leaves, trimmed 

2 carrots, scraped and sliced

1 lemon slice

1 bay leaf

1 sliced fresh ginger, peeled

Salt

5-6 peppercorns

Rice

1-2 tbsp butter

1 small onion grated

450 (2 cups) long grain rice

About 83 ml (1/3 cup) white wine

750 ml (3 cups) hot chicken stock, or more

Sauce

4 tbsp butter
1 bay leaf

4 heaped tbsp cornflour

750 ml (3 cups) or more warm chicken stock

2 egg yolks, whipped with

3-4 tbsp cream

A pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp lemon juice or according to taste

Grated Parmesan or any other hard cheese of your choice for serving

Cover the chicken with salted water, bring to the boil and skim well.   Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook for about 1-1 ½ hours until the chicken is tender. Remove from the fire and cool.   Remove the bones from the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces, strain and de-grease the stock and set aside.

Prepare the rice.  Sauté the onion in butter, over low heat, stirring, until limp.  Add the rice and stir and cook for 2 minutes more.  Pour in the wine and cook until the wine evaporates, then add the chicken stock and simmer very gently, adding more stock if necessary, until the rice is tender.

For the sauce, melt the butter, add the bay leaf and the cornflour and stir for 2-3 minutes, over low heat.   Add the warm stock in portions, and each time whisk the sauce until the sauce has thickened.   Add the nutmeg, correct the seasoning and add more hot stock, if necessary, and barely simmer 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, and remove the saucepan from the fire.   

Mix the beaten egg yolks with the cream.  Stir a ladleful of sauce into the egg mixture, and very carefully, stir it back into the saucepan, whisking constantly.  discard the bay leaf, sprinkle with lemon juice and simmer, stirring constantly.   Do not boil.

Arrange the chicken pieces in a heated serving dish, over a bed of rice.  You could alternately place half the rice in a cake tin, cover with the chicken, drizzle with half the sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.  Then add the remaining rice, and overturn it on a hot round platter.  Serve with the remaining sauce, and extra grated cheese.

                                     SPAGHETTI WITH MINCED BEEF SAUCE

Children simply love this dish.

500 g (1 lb) spaghetti, boiled al dente in salted water and drizzled with 2 tbsp olive oil 

Minced Beef Sauce:

1 kg (2 lb) minced beef

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely grated

4 rashers of lean bacon, fat discarded, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

80 ml (1/3 cup) brandy

250 ml (1 cup) white wine

3-4 ripe tomatoes, halved, deseeded and grated, skins discarded

1 tsp sugar or more

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper, optional

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup parsley chopped, optional

Grated kefalotyri or pekorino or Parmesan

Sauté the onions, carrots and bacon in olive oil until the onions are transparent.  Add the ground beef and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring until well browned.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, nutmeg and Cayenne pepper (if using), add the brandy and stir well for a moment or two.  Pour in the wine and cook 5 minutes more until the alcohol evaporates.   Then add the grated tomatoes, sugar and enough hot water to barely cover.   Simmer until the meat is cooked, about 30 minutes, Taste and add salt, pepper and sugar if necessary, sprinkle with parsley, if using, and reserve.

Serve the spaghetti covered with the minced beef sauce, and sprinkled with grated cheese.

                              BLANQUETTE DE VEAU A L’ANCIENNE

This is an old-fashioned stew, a traditional French dish, which is very popular with all ages.  Start preparing this dish one day before you need it.

1½ kg (3 lb) boneless veal breast or shoulder, cut in 5 cm (2-inch) cubes

Water

1½ litre (6 cups) chicken stock

2 carrots, scraped and cut in pieces

2 medium onions, peeled and stuck with

2 cloves

2 tender celery tops, trimmed

1 leek, white part only, trimmed and chopped

1 bouquet garni (3 parsley sprigs + 1 bay leaf +1 sprig thyme)

1 tsp salt

75 g (2½ oz) butter at room temperature

24 baby onions, peeled

a little salt, if necessary

500 g (1 lb) small white mushrooms, champignons de Paris, trimmed

1 tbsp lemon juice

60 g (2 oz) plain flour

2-3 egg yolks

200 ml (4/5 cups) thick cream

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Blanch the meat by placing it in cold water and bringing it to a brisk boil for 2 minutes.  Strain the meat immediately, wash away the scum and place it in a clean saucepan.

Cover the meat with 1¼ litre (5 cups) of chicken stock and add the carrots, onions, celery tops, bouquet garni and salt.  Bring to a moderate boil, skimming if necessary.  Lower the heat and simmer the meat for 1-1½ hours until it is tender.

Meanwhile, place the baby onions, 15g (½ oz) butter, a little salt and the remaining stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring once or twice until the onions are tender. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl.  Add the mushrooms and the lemon juice to the saucepan, simmer for 5 minutes.   Then transfer them to the bowl with the baby onions.  And pour the stock into the saucepan with the meat.

When the veal is tender, remove it to a bowl and strain the stock, pressing the vegetables and bouquet with the back of a spoon to extract as much taste as possible.  Strain the stock, once more, through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and refrigerate it for at least one hour.  Remove the solid fat from the surface of the stock, and boil and reduce it by half.

Melt the remaining butter and sift the flour over, stirring for 2-3 minutes.  Do not let it brown. Remove from the heat, pour in the reduced stock and whip vigorously until well combined.  Return to the stove and simmer gently, stirring constantly for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens, skimming if necessary. It should have the consistency of a velouté soup. 

One hour before serving, heat the meat and the vegetables in a casserole.  Bring the sauce to the simmering point. Beat the egg yolks with cream until very well combined.  Stir 2-3 tbsp hot sauce into the egg mixture, and repeat once more.  Then reverse the process and whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan and bring it to a bare simmer but do not boil. Taste and add salt, freshly ground pepper if necessary.   Pour the sauce over the meat and the vegetables, in the casserole and heat gently for 5-10 minutes.  Serve the blanquette sprinkled with chopped parsley.

                      

                                CREAMY AU GRATIN POTATOES

This is certainly my favourite potato dish.  Traditionally this dish is prepared with raw potatoes, sliced with a mandolin.  I boil them to save time.

1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, boiled in salted water with

A twig of sage and

1 chopped garlic clove

1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half

A knob of butter, for greasing the baking dish

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Freshly ground white pepper

1 heaped teaspoon fresh, chopped thyme, leaves only

300 g (10 oz) kasseri or graviera from Crete or Gruyere or Cheddar, grated

3 tbsp San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated

250 ml (1 cup) full milk mixed with

250 ml (1 cup) thick cream

Season with a pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).   Rub the base and sides of the baking dish with garlic and brush it, lavishly, with butter.

Peel and slice the potatoes and place them in the baking dish in a row, slightly overlapping each other.   Sprinkle the first layer of potatoes with 1/2 of the grated softer cheese and season with grated nutmeg, freshly ground white pepper and thyme.   Place another layer of boiled potatoes over the cheese and repeat the same procedure with the cheese and spices and thyme.   Sprinkle the last layer of potatoes with grated San Mihalis or Parmesan and pour the milk/cream mixture evenly over. 

Clean the sides of the baking dish with a damp cloth, if necessary, and bake for 30 - 35 minutes until the top is slightly golden and bubbly.   Serve immediately.

   

         CHOCOLATE ROLL FILLED WITH CHESNUT AND WHIPPED CREAM

This is a very popular Christmas dessert.

Chocolate roll:

5 medium-sized eggs, separated, whites whipped stiff with a pinch of salt

5 tbsp sugar

Vanilla

4 heaped tbsp self-raising flour sifted with

1 heaped tbsp cocoa

9 tbsp water mixed with

1 tbsp Jamaican rum

Fillings:

1^st    Sweet chestnut cream

        6 chestnuts in rum and syrup (please see recipe below)*, blended with

        2 heaped tbsp whipped cream, until spreadable

2^nd   500 ml (2 cups) double cream, whipped with

        2 tbsp icing sugar

Extra icing sugar for dusting over the roll or

Dark chocolate ganache, to cover

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).

Whip the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla until light and doubled in bulk.   Sift the flour/cocoa mixture over the yolks, in three portions, alternately with the water and Jamaican rum.    Mix very well, after each addition, before adding the next.   Finally, gently fold in the whipped egg whites, until no traces of white are visible, pour evenly into a Swiss roll tin lined with buttered baking parchment and bake for 15–20 minutes and remove from the oven.   

Peel off the baking parchment from the cake, cover with a clean sheet of a parchment and roll up like a Swiss roll, until it is cold.    Un-roll cake and spread it first, with the chestnut filling, then cover with 3-4 tbsp whipped cream, gently roll it up again, cover with baking parchment and refrigerate.

One hour before serving, remove the dessert from the fridge, discard the baking parchment and sprinkle with icing sugar or cover with ganache*. (Please see recipe below).   Serve with the remaining whipped cream.

*Ganache:

• Heat 250 ml (1 cup) full cream and pour over
•          250 g (½ lb) dark chocolate, finely chopped and
•         1-2 tsp honey.  Stir with a hand blender until smooth and glossy.
• 
  

 

Christmas Flowers