25th MARCH 1821

Germanos Blessing The Flag  by Theodoros Vrysakis 1865

                                  THE GREEK WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

The Greek war of independence was waged successfully by the Greeks against the Ottoman  Empire between 1821-1830, years of exaltation but also of bloodshed and carnage.  

Several decades before the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, in 1453, the greatest part of Greece was under the Ottoman rule.  

During this period, there were several revolt attempts by the Greeks to gain independence from the Turks.  In 1814, a secret society was founded, called Filiki Eteria, whose goal was to liberate  Greece.   The Filiki Etairia planned to start revolts in the Peloponnese, the Danubian Principalities and in Constantinople and the surrounding area.

The first revolt began on the 6^th March 1821 in the Danubian Principalities but was soon savagely put down by the Turks.

These events encouraged the Greeks from Mani, in the Peloponnese, to declare war against the Ottoman Empire and by October 1821 they had captured Tripolitsa.  The Peloponnesian revolt urged the Cretans, the Macedonians and the Greeks of Central Greece to rise against the Turks.  Meanwhile, even the makeshift Greek navy was successful in the sea battles fought against the Ottomans, in the Aegean.

Unfortunately, tension developed between various Greek factions, leading to two consecutive civil wars.   In the meantime, the Ottoman Sultan and Mehmet Ali of Egypt negotiated and came to an agreement that Egyptian forces would be sent to Greece to suppress the revolt.    

They landed in the Peloponnese in February 1825 and were, initially, defeated by the Maniots but by the end of that year, most of the Peloponnese was under Egyptian control.   The city of Messolongi fell in April after a year-old siege by the Turks and Athens had been recaptured.  The Greeks felt desperate and humiliated by these tragic consequences, although the "insurrection itself quickly became an international media event throughout Europe."  European public opinion admired Greece, this small, impoverished country in Southern Europe that bravely revolted against the powerful Ottoman Empire.

Then Russia, Britain and France decided to intervene in the conflict, so each country sent their navy to Greece.  When the Ottoman/Egyptian fleets decided to attack the island of Hydra the allied fleet stopped the enemy fleet at Navarino, and after a fierce battle, the Ottoman/Egyptian ships were destroyed.

By 1828, the Turks withdrew under the pressure of a French force to which the Ottoman garrison in the Peloponnese surrendered, while a Greek regiment proceeded to Ottoman-controlled Central Greece.

Greece was, finally, recognised as an independent, sovereign state, under the London Protocol of February 1830.   Later, the London Conference and Treaty of Constantinople defined the final borders of the new state, on the 7th of  May 1832.  Since then, the 25th of March is our national day.

(The information for this post is mainly from Wikipedia, "The Greek War of Independence" by Ioannis Zelepos and "The Greek War of Independence"  by David Brewer, all of whom I sincerely thank)





Here, is an appropriate menu to celebrate Independence Day:


                                                         Sea Urchin Salad
                                                         Fried Salt Cod
                                                         Garlic Sauce
                                                         Fried Calamari Rings
                                                         Pickled Beetroot
                                                         Fruit Salad

                                                    SEA URCHIN SALAD

                                                         (Ahinosalata)

 

Sea urchin roes are delicacies and apparently aphrodisiacs.   Several years ago, it was very difficult to find them, due to overfishing.   The Greek governments have, since, applied very strict restrictions on sea urchin fishing during the reproduction period.  Today one can buy sea urchin roes, in Greece, without their shells.

 I’m giving you, however, the recipe of sea urchins in their shells, the way we enjoyed them in the medieval fortress town of Monemvassia, so many years ago.  

6 female sea urchins, their needles must be moving

Seawater

Lemon juice

Mild-tasting olive oil

Snipped chives

Parsley, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

It seems monstrous to kill a living creature in order to eat it, like boiling a live lobster, but, anyway here are the instructions.

Waring special gloves, with a pair of scissors, cut through and around the shell at the mouth opening of each sea urchin, forming a prickly cup.   Rinse thoroughly but gently in seawater to remove all the green parts and any sand.  

Then, either squeeze some lemon juice over and enjoy this delicious hors d’ oeuvre by the sea or detach the roes, very carefully, with a spoon and place them in a bowl with a little seawater to keep them moist, while you prepare the dressing.

Place them back into their shells, drizzle with latholemono (olive oil and lemon dressing) and sprinkle with snipped chives, chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.    Serve immediately. with crusty brown bread and a  glass of ouzo or a good white wine.

                                     FRIED SALT COD WITH GARLIC SAUCE

                                    

Fried salt cod with skordalia is served all over Greece on the 25^th March, the Greek National Day and on Palm Sunday.

1 kg (2 lb) salt cod, cut in serving pieces and soaked in cold water for 24 hours at least, changing the water several times

                                                                                  

Corn oil for frying

Frying batter* (please see recipe below)

Remove the skin and bones from the cod and dredge it with flour, shaking off the excess.   Dip the pieces in the frying batter for lent and deep-fry until crisp and golden and drain on kitchen paper.   Serve immediately with garlic sauce and boiled beetroot salad.

                                        

                                                 *FRYING BATTER

Coat sliced aubergines or courgettes with flour, shake off the excess and dip them in the following batter.  Fry and drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with garlic sauce.  You can also fry courgettes flowers in this batter.

150 g (5 oz) self-raising flour

Salt and pepper

The grated rind of one lemon, optional

1 tbsp olive oil

2 eggs, separated (whites whipped into soft peeks)

120-180 ml (½ - ¾ cup) beer or more, if necessary

Place the flour in a bowl.  Add salt, pepper, lemon rind (if using), olive oil and beaten egg yolks and mix very well together.   Then, stir in the beer gradually until you have a creamy texture.  Set aside to rest for at least ½ hour.   When ready to use the batter, fold in the whipped egg whites.

                                           

                                          

                                       * FRYING BATTER FOR LENT

150 g (5oz) self-raising flour

Salt and pepper

The grated rind of 1 lemon, optional

1 tbsp olive oil

Beer

Combine the flour with salt, pepper, lemon rind (if using) and olive oil, and mix well together. Whisk in enough beer to make a smooth, rather thick batter.   Set aside to rest for at least ½ hour before using.

                                       GARLIC SAUCE WITH POTATOES

Alliada

“Alliada”, as garlic sauce is called in the Ionian Islands, is usually served with fried salt cod, fried aubergines and courgettes, and boiled beetroot salad.

3-4 medium waxy potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed

2 ½ tsp crushed garlic or according to taste

1 scant tsp salt

4-6 tsp lemon juice or according to taste

125 – 250 ml (½ - 1 cup) warm water

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

The traditional way to prepare alliada is to crush the garlic with salt with a pestle and mortar.  Add the warm potatoes, a few at a time, and pound well until they form a sticky paste.  Stir in the lemon juice, enough warm water and half the amount of olive oil until the sauce is smooth but stiff enough to hold its shape.  Naturally, the procedure is much easier and quicker to prepare in a blender or food processor. 

Transfer the alliada into a bowl, cover with cling film and chill.  Just before serving, sprinkle with remaining olive oil.   

                                           GARLIC SAUCE WITH BREAD

Skordalia

                                            

250 g (8 oz) day-old bread, crust removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry

2½ tsp crushed garlic, or according to taste

1 scant tsp salt

2-4 tsp wine vinegar, or according to taste

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Blend the first four ingredients together until smooth and creamy.  Place in a covered bowl and chill.   Just before serving, sprinkle with the olive oil.

                                                  FRIED CALAMARI

Calamari needs a little expertise to be cooked to perfection.  It must be tenderised and not overcooked.  Some cooks pound them gently a few times on each side.  Here is another method.

500 g (1 lb) calamari, cleaned and washed, tubes cut into rings and tentacles left whole

½ a lemon, the juice

2 cups plain flour, mixed with

½ tsp Cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt
Freshly ground white pepper to taste

500 ml (2 cups) of milk or less

Corn oil for frying

Place the calamari into a bowl with the lemon juice for 30 minutes in order to tenderise it

Divide the flour mixture into 2 bowls and pour the milk into another bowl.  Remove the calamari from the lemon juice and cover each piece in seasoned flour, shaking off the excess, then dip it in milk allowing the excess to dribble off, and then dredge it again in the second bowl of flour.  Repeat this procedure with all the calamari.

Fry in batches for about 2-3 minutes total, until the calamari become golden brown and drain on kitchen paper.   Sprinkle generously with salt and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

                                 

                                                 PICKLED BEETROOT

This pickle can last for a month or more in the fridge.

1 kg (2 lb) firm beetroots, boiled or roasted, peeled and sliced

Vinegar brine:

2 cups water

½ cup good wine vinegar

2 tbsp sugar, or according to taste

2 ½ tsp salt, or according to taste

6-10 pepper corns

1 garlic clove, unpeeled (optional)

Olive oil to cover the jar

Some red wine, if necessary

 Place the sliced beetroots in a sterilised pickle jar.

Bring the vinegar brine ingredients to the boil, remove the garlic, and pour immediately over the beetroots.  If they are not completely covered with brine add a little red wine and set aside to cool. Pour olive oil up to the brim, seal and refrigerate.

After 2 days the pickle is ready. 

Serve sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil, and a few capers.

                                                       FRUIT SALAD

1 melon, peeled, seeded and cubed

2 cups seedless grapes

4 pears, peeled cored and, cubed

The juice and grated rind of 1 orange mixed with

The juice and rind of ½ a lemon and

2 tbsp honey

Garnish:

2  fresh figs, peeled and cut in four

½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

2 sprigs of mint

Mix the first three ingredients together, sprinkle with orange/lemon/honey mixture and lightly toss together.   Arrange in an iced bowl and garnish with figs, walnuts and sprigs of mint.    

Lord Byron at Messologi by Theodoros Vryzakis

Greece on the Ruins of Messolongi by Eugene Ferdinand Delacroix

The Battle of Navarino by Thomas Luny

The Massacre at Chios by Delacroix

SUPER MOON

Yesterday, the 20^th March 2019, an enormous super moon lightened the skies.

The Parthenon with the Super Moon Rising in the Background

The Super Moon and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion

This supermoon coincided with the vernal equinox, which marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.  In the Northern Hemisphere it is, therefore also known as the “super worm moon”, as it corresponds with the time of the year when earthworms emerge from the melting snow-covered ground.

Let us all take the time to admire the beauty of nature, a precious gift that is offered to us so lavishly, particularly, during this very crucial and difficult period.



Here are the recipes for a meal that served to my bridge group the previous Friday.






                                                    ASPARAGUS SOUP

Greek asparagus are of excellent quality.   You can either use the white or the green variety for preparing this soup.


500 g (1 lb) asparagus, washed and trimmed
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 onion peeled and chopped

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1 bay leaf
250 ml (1 cup) milk
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
250 ml (1 cup) cream


Cut off the asparagus tips and set aside.   Chop the tender part of the stalks and reserve. also, chop and reserve the tough parts.

Bring the stock to a boil, add 6-8 asparagus tips and simmer for 5-7 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.

Add the chopped tough stalks to the stock and cook for 25 minutes.  Remove the stalks and discard. Add the remaining asparagus (tender stalks and uncooked tips), onion and garlic to the stock and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and set aside to cool.  Blend the vegetables with the stock and sieve back into the saucepan.

Melt the butter and stir in the flour, pepper and bay leaf and cook gently for 3-4 minutes.  Add the milk to the roux and cook, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens.   Discard the bay leaf.   Mix the sauce with a cup of warm soup and sieve back into the saucepan and stir.

Correct the seasoning with salt and freshly ground white pepper, if necessary.  Then add the cream and heat without boiling.   Serve garnished with the reserved asparagus tips.

                                             SMOKED SALMON TART

This is a lovely, tasty tart.

Pastry:

200 g (1 tub) plain Greek yogurt

1 egg

200 ml (4/5 cup) olive oil

A pinch of salt

500 g (1 lb) self-rising flour

Filling:

210 g (7 oz) smoked salmon, cut into small pieces

 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped dill

3 medium-sized eggs whipped with

200 ml (4/5 cup) cream

First, prepare the pastry.  Whisk the yogurt and the egg until smooth.  Add the olive oil and stir until very well combined.  Stir in 250 g (8 oz) of the flour, adding the rest gradually until you have a stiff dough.   Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180 C (350 F), roll out the dough, thinly, between two pieces of baking parchment and line a buttered 30 cm (almost 12 inches) tart dish.   Cut the pastry that is hanging over the sides of the dish and crimp the sides into a pretty pattern.   Pierce the dough with a fork all over, cover with crumpled foil and bake blind for 10 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes more.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Then, place the smoked salmon and the spring onion pieces evenly over the cold tart shell and sprinkle with chopped dill.  Pour in the egg and cream mixture and bake for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) until puffed and golden.

Serve with a green salad.

  

                                            VEAL BRAISED WITH LEEKS

A delicious main dish that my dear friend Maria Skarlatidou gave me.

1.5 kg (3 lb) rump of veal cut into serving pieces

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp olive oil

1.5 kg (3 lbs) leeks, trimmed, sliced lengthwise into 2 pieces and thoroughly washed and cut into 4-5 pieces

1 large onion, peeled and grated

1 garlic clove peeled and mashed

250 ml (1 cup) good white wine

Tasty meat stock to cover

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

A knob of butter

Sauté the meat in olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and suspicion if salt.  Then, transfer it to a dish with a slotted spoon.   In the same saucepan sauté the leeks all over and transfer to a dish with slotted spoon.

Over low heat. cook the onion and garlic until soft.  Return the meat to the saucepan and pour in the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the alcohol evaporates.  Then add the meat stock, cover with a lid, and simmer gently until the meat is almost tender. Arrange the leeks over the meat and simmer until the leeks and the meat are cooked.   Add the butter and swirl the saucepan. 

Discard the bay leaf and serve over rice or with smashed potatoes and cream.

                                CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RUM CUSTARD

One of our favourite desserts.

Cake:

195 g (1½ cup) self-rising flour

45 g (¼ cup) sifted cocoa

1 vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

115 g (¼ cup) butter, softened

1 egg

125 ml (Greek yogurt)

125 ml boiling water

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

Mix the five first ingredients of the cake together.   Whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the egg and yogurt and whip until well combined.  Add the dry ingredients and the boiling water and stir until the batter is smooth.   

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and wait for 10 minutes the reverse on a dish and allow to cool.

Rum Custard:

687.5 ml (2¾ cups) milk

125 ml (½ cup) dark rum

1 vanilla

3 egg yolks

100 g (½ cup) sugar

3 tbsp cornflour

1 tbsp butter

Simmer the milk the rum and the 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 the saucepan to the fire and simmer gently, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens, about 15-20 minutes.  Stir in the butter, cover with cling film and set aside to cool.  Then place it in the fridge for ½ an hour.

Cover the chocolate cake with the rum custard and make a pretty design on the top with the help of a spoon and refrigerate covered.

Bring to room temperature before serving. 

The Super Moon by Cora Downing

The Super Moon by Bob Ross

Moon and Stars by Jan Matson

  Super Moon by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on the 8th March, since 1910 and is a central point in the movement of women’s rights.

The Socialist Party of America organised a Women’s Day on the 18^th February 1909, in New York and the following year, the International Socialist Women’s Conference proposed that Women’s Day would be held annually.   After women gained suffrage in the Soviet Union in 1917, March the 8^th became a national holiday, in Russia.   The day was celebrated mainly in communist countries until it was accepted in 1975 by the United Nations.

Today, "International Women’s Day is a public holiday in some countries, and largely ignored in others.   It is a day of protest and it celebrates womanhood".

Women Protesting for Their Rights

Celebrating Womanhood

The theme for International Women’s Day, this year, is “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate the Change” and it places innovation by women and girls at the core of the efforts to achieve authentic equality. 

Attaining a gender-equal world requires social changes for women and men alike.   "The future is exciting, so let us build a gender-balanced world.  We observe its absence and celebrate its presence so let us all help to create a balance for better.   Everyone has a part to play, always, everywhere".

Parents should teach their young daughters to be sure of themselves and convince them that they can become whatever they dream of like boys do.  An astronaut, a world-renowned author, architect, mathematician, physicist or physician, a director of a large multinational company or the Prime Minister of their country.  They can achieve whatever men can, and they should, certainly, not become victims of the notorious dream gap.

Incidentally, we had hoped that, on Women's Day, the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, would withdraw his government's disgraceful decision of paying widows only 152 euros per month, but unfortunately he didn't.  Beyond their deep bereavement for their husbands' loss, these desperate women and their children are condemned by their own government to live in profound and utter poverty.

(Some of the information for this post is from the international press, television programmes and Wikipedia all of whom I sincerely thank.)





Here are the recipes for desserts, for which most women crave:

                                                APRICOT TART TATIN

Here is a recipe for a crumbly tart that can be served hot with whipped cream or ice cream.

10 apricots, stoned and halved

2 tbsp butter

6 tbsp sugar

Pastry:

120 g (4 oz) butter, very cold, cut into small pieces

200 g (almost 7 oz) plain flour

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp icing sugar

Pinch of salt

To make the pastry, rub butter and flour with fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.   Stir in the egg yolk, icing sugar and salt and press the ingredients together, to form a ball of soft dough.  Flatten the dough, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.

Place a round baking tin over low heat and let the sugar and butter melt until they form a thick caramel.  Remove from the heat and push the apricots, cut side up, into the caramel.

Roll out the pastry larger than the top of the baking tin, drape it over the fruit and tuck the surplus down the sides of the dish.    Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 45-50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the caramel is bubbling around the edge.  Cool for five minutes, overturn on a dish and serve. 

            CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT ROLL WITH CHOCOLATE PRALINE FILLING

This is one of the best chocolate rolls I’ve ever tasted.

Chocolate Sponge Cake:

60 g (2 oz) self-rising flour sifted with

½ tsp baking powder and

30 g (1 oz) very good quality cocoa, then stir in

60 g (2 oz) hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely ground

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

200 g (almost 7 oz) caster sugar

Vanilla

Filling:

200 g (6 .2 oz) finely chopped chocolate

125 g (¼ lb) butter, cubed

One 304 ml (an ample 10 fl oz) tin, sweet condensed milk

100 g (3.3 oz) hazelnuts, toasted and finely ground

250 ml (1 cup) thick cream, whipped to the soft peak stage

Icing sugar for dusting over

First, prepare the filling.  Melt the chocolate, in a bowl, over simmering water, stirring until smooth.  Then add the butter, condensed milk, and the finely ground hazelnuts. Mix thoroughly until the butter melts and everything is well combined.    Cool, pour the mixture into sterilised jars, seal with airtight lids and store in the fridge.    Before using, bring the hazelnut praline to room temperature.

For the chocolate sponge, heat oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a 30x40 cm (12x16 inches) baking tin with buttered baking parchment, letting the parchment extend over the sides of the tin and brush with melted butter, once more.

Whip the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt very well together, until pale and fluffy.  Fold in the flour/cocoa/hazelnut mixture until just combined.   Stir in ¼ of the whipped egg whites to lighten the batter, then, gently fold in the remaining egg whites.   Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared tin and bake for about 12-15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 1-2 minutes.

Place a piece of baking parchment on a kitchen counter and sprinkle with icing sugar.  Reverse the chocolate sponge over, discard the parchment which covers the cake, then roll it up, cover with tin foil and set aside to cool completely.

Fold the whipped cream into 1 cup of praline and mix thoroughly until no traces of white are evident.  Taste and add more praline if you prefer a sweeter filling.

Unroll the cool sponge cake, spread it with the prepared filling and roll it up again.    Trim the ends, if necessary, place the roll on a pretty dish and cover with cling film.   Refrigerate for 3 hours at least.   Serve sprinkled lightly with icing sugar.

                                             STRAWBERRY PAVLOVA

Here is a recipe for my favourite dessert which was initially made in honour of the famous prima ballerina Pavlova.   

6 egg whites of medium-sized eggs

A pinch of salt

300 g (10 oz) caster sugar

1 tsp vinegar to make the meringue chewier (optional)

1 tsp vanilla essence

500 g (1 lb) whipped cream

500 g (1 lb) hulled strawberries, sliced in half

60 g (2 oz) dark melted chocolate or milk chocolate if preferred

Whip the egg whites with a little salt to the soft peak stage, add the sugar by the spoonful, whipping continuously until the mixture is thick and glossy.  Add the vinegar, if using, and the vanilla and beat for a minute more until well combined.

Trace two circles, on baking parchment, about 26 cm (10 in) in diameter each, brush with oil and place the parchment in a baking tin.   Pipe the meringue to shape two equal disks.  Bake in an oven preheated to 150 C (285 F) for about 1 hour.  Then, turn off the heat and remove the meringues from the oven the following day, when they are completely cold.

Place one meringue disk on a serving dish, spread with a third of the whipped cream and the sliced strawberries and cover with the second round.  Garnish the Pavlova attractively with the remaining whipped cream and with strawberries, dipped in melted chocolate.     

GREECE (Continued)

The Old House in Kifissia

In my post called GRECCE (Continued), dated the 18th October 2018 I had written:

It was a satisfying and very happy period of our lives, My husband, Aleco, and I were pleased with the boys' progress, we were very fond of their girlfriends and we thoroughly enjoyed working at our office, which was doing rather well, acquiring considerable profits.

It was also a very busy period in our lives because besides achieving all mentioned above we also kept an eye on my parents who lived in a flat quite near our house.   My father was strong and active in his nineties, and my mother was still attractive in her seventies and a fabulous hostess.

Our son Spiros was studying Chemistry at the Technical University in Munich where he had met Yianna Christou a lovely Greek girl whose parents lived in Salonica.  Her mother, Caterina, taught at a local high school and her father, Chryssanthos, was a university professor.   

Spiros and Yianna were very much in love and although very young they wanted to get married, so they were officially engaged, much to our delight.  They, then, returned to Munich where they shared a flat. 

Unfortunately, my beloved father passed away on the 18^th of January 1981.  

Yiannis, after getting a Bachelor’s degree in Athens was in London then, visiting the London School of Economics, after being accepted to study for a Master’s degree the following academic year.  His girlfriend, Olga Dretakis, a charming Greek girl was, then, studying biology in Paris.

On the 1^st May 1981, Spiros and Yianna got married at the beautiful, medieval castle town of Monemvasia, near Sparta, where Yianna has a house.  It was a beautiful, traditional wedding and both Caterina and I shed tears of happiness.   Then, they flew to Germany where they both continued their studies at the Technical University of Berlin. 

Meanwhile, we met Olga's parents, Aliki who was a journalist and Manolis who was a famous orthopedist and we liked them very much indeed.   In September 1981, Yiannis left for London to study for a Master's Degree at the London School of Economics and Olga went to resume her studies in the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris.

Much to our delight, Yianna was pregnant so we would soon become grandparents!!

Here are a few recipes of dishes that I prepared, then, for my growing family.

  

                                  POTATO AND COURGETTE SOUP

I have already given you the recipe for this lovely soup from the Cyclades.

2 medium-sized courgettes, cubed

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 tender stalks celery, threaded, trimmed and finely chopped

2 tbsp butter or

2 tbsp margarine

1½ litre (6 cups) tasty vegetable or chicken stock

1 sprig of dill

Tyravgoulo:

1 cup grated bland kasseri or Graviera from Crete or Naxos or Cheddar

4 egg yolks

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Grated nutmeg

Sauté the vegetables in butter or margarine, for 10 minutes, over very low heat.

Pour in the stock, add the dill sprig and simmer gently until the vegetables are cooked but not mushy. discard the dill sprig and remove the saucepan from the fire.

Beat the egg yolks with the cheese.  Very slowly, add about 1 ½ cup of the hot soup into the egg/cheese mixture, whipping constantly until well combined, pour it back into the soup and swirl the saucepan.  Return the soup to the fire, with the saucepan uncovered and bring it to a bare simmer.  Do not let it boil!  

Taste and add salt, if necessary, freshly ground pepper and grated nutmeg.   

    

                                              

                                                   MUSHROOM TART

                                            

This recipe was given to me by my dear friend Athena Papamichael.  I just added the turkey bacon, the Parmesan and the béchamel sauce.

Pastry:

300 g (2 cups) flour

225 g (7½ oz) butter

Salt
2 tbsp or more iced water

(2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs)

 Filling:

1 large onion, chopped

1 heaped tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

1 clove garlic, finely sliced

500 g (1 lb) Portobello mushrooms or any other fresh, white mushrooms, cut into small pieces

4-6 turkey bacon rashers, cut into small pieces and sautéed in a little olive oil

1 heaped tbsp flour

250 ml (1 cup) cream or more, if necessary

½ cup grated Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

1 tbsp butter cut into small pieces

Béchamel:

2 tbsp butter

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp plain flour

2 cups hot milk

2 eggs separated, whites whipped to soft peaks

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated nutmeg

½ cup grated Parmesan

First, prepare the pastry.   Mix the flour with salt and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.   Sprinkle with water and knead into soft, pliable dough. Cover and refrigerate for half an hour at least.  Then roll out the pasty and line a buttered tart dish.  Cover with baking parchment and dried beans and bake for 10 minutes, then discard the beans and the parchment and bake for 7 minutes more.

Sauté the onion in butter, until soft.   Add the fresh mushrooms and the finely sliced garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover the saucepan and simmer until the mushrooms are cooked and dry.  Sprinkle with the flour and stir for 3-4 minutes.  Then pour in the cream, and stir and simmer gently until the sauce thickens.   Season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.  

Sprinkle the cold pastry shell with dried breadcrumbs, cover with the sautéed turkey bacon pieces and spoon over the mushroom filling.    Level the surface with a spatula, dot with butter and bake in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 20-25 minutes.

 Prepare the béchamel.   Melt the butter, add the bay leaf and the flour and stir for 4-5 minutes.  Then add the hot milk in portions, stirring each time, until the sauce bubbles and thickens.  Remove from the fire and cool.  Discard the bay leaf and add the egg yolks, one at a time.  Season with pepper, nutmeg and a little salt, and finally, fold in the whipped egg whites.  Spoon carefully over the mushroom tart (you will not need all the béchamel), sprinkle with ½ cup Parmesan and bake in an oven preheated to 160 C for 25-30 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve with a zesty green salad.

                             

                         CHICKEN WITH CREAM AND SWEET WHITE WINE

                                       

Chicken with Cream over Mashed Potatoes

 One could, alternatively, use chicken breasts for this dish.

1 kg (2 lb) chicken legs, skinned, boned and cut into bite-sized pieces

Plain flour mixed with

Salt and freshly grated white pepper and

½ tsp ginger powder

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp clarified butter

1 onion, grated

3 spring onions, trimmed and sliced

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 sweet red peppers, sliced

125 ml (½ cup) Moscato of Samos or any other sweet white wine

250 ml (1 cup) hot chicken stock or more

250 ml (1 cup) cream

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Roll the chicken pieces in seasoned flour, shaking off the excess and sauté in the olive oil and butter. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Remove all, but one tbsp of the olive oil and butter mixture, add the onion, red peppers and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent.      

Return the chicken to the saucepan with the vegetables, douse with wine and simmer for 3-4 minutes more, so that the alcohol evaporates.  Add the hot chicken stock and simmer about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender.    Then pour in the cream, taste and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg if necessary.   Finally, stir in the chopped parsley.   Serve with steamed rice or mashed potatoes. 

                            BEEF FILLET WITH MUSHROOMS AND HERBS

                                    

You could alternatively prepare this dish with a dry red wine.

10 slices beef fillet 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick, marinated, for at least 1 hour in:

4 tbsp garlic-scented olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp chopped marjoram leaves

Herbed Butter:

4 tbsp soft butter

1 spring onion, very finely chopped

1 tbsp parsley, very finely chopped

½ tsp lemon juice

Salt and, freshly ground pepper

Mushroom Sauce:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large onion, chopped

500 g (1 lb) fresh mushrooms, stalks chopped, caps quartered

2-3 tbsp duxelles* please see below

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp brandy

360 ml (1½ cup) or more, chicken or mushroom stock

1 tbsp tomato paste, diluted in ¼ cup water

1 tsp fresh marjoram, finely chopped

1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

60 ml (¼ cup) sweet red wine

*Duxelles:

250 g (½ lb) mushroom stems and a few caps chopped

1 onion chopped

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp olive oil or

1 tbsp olive oil +

1 tbsp butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp chopped parsley

(Sauté the onion in olive oil or butter and olive oil until the onion is transparent.  Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is quite dry.  Then add the seasoning and parsley.  Simmer 1-2 minutes more, discard the garlic and store in a jar, cover with olive oil and refrigerate.)                    

  

First, prepare the herb butter.  Combine all ingredients together, place on a piece of cling film, shape a small cylinder and freeze.

 

For the sauce, sauté the onion and the garlic, in olive oil, until soft.  First add the mushroom stalks, then the caps and chopped marjoram and sauté quickly until quite dry.  Sprinkle with brandy and cook until the alcohol evaporates.  Add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes more.  Pour in the stock and simmer, stirring, for 5-8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the duxelles and simmer for 2 minutes more.   Sprinkle with parsley, and keep hot.

Cook the steaks in two batches.   Place a frying pan over very high heat and brown the steaks quickly on one side, season with salt and pepper, then turn, brown and season the other side.  Lower the heat and cook until the meat is cooked as preferred, from about 5-10 minutes.  

 

Arrange the fillet steaks on a hot serving dish, place a slice of herbed butter over, and keep hot.  Add the mushroom sauce in the frying pan, and quickly cook and stir.  Pour in the sweet red wine cook for a bare moment and spoon half the sauce over the steaks.  Serve immediately with potatoes, sautéed vegetables and the remaining sauce.

    

                          SMALL CREAM PUFFS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

                                                            Profiteroles

 A scene of an old Greek film depicts a well know actor trying to order profiteroles in a pastry shop.   He couldn’t remember the name of the dessert, so with gestures and grimaces, he tried to make the astounded waiter understand what he wanted to order.  After a few hilarious scenes, he managed to get his favourite dessert.

Choux Pastry:

110 g (½ cup) butter

240 ml (1 cup) water

A pinch of salt

150 g (1 cup) strong flour

4 eggs

1 extra yolk beaten with a ½ tbsp water

Filling:

500 thick cream, whipped with

2-3 tbsp icing sugar

1-2 tbsp of the same liquor used in the chocolate sauce (optional)

Extra icing sugar for dusting, chocolate scrolls and almond flakes for garnishing

Chocolate Sauce:

480 g (about 1 lb) good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

480 ml (1 cup) cream or half cream half milk

1 tsp honey

1-2 tbsp black rum, or brandy or Grand Marnier (optional)

Bring the water, butter and salt to the boil, and when the butter melts, remove from the heat.  Add the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, until the dough forms a ball around the spoon.  Return to the fire and cook stirring for 2-3 minutes more.  Set dough aside to cool a little.

Then add the eggs, one at a time, stirring thoroughly until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next.

With the help of a piping bag (or with a coffee spoon) make small mounds of choux dough, 2 ½ cm (1 in) apart, on baking tins, lined with baking parchment. 

Lightly brush each profiterole with the egg and water mixture, and bake in a hot oven preheated to 220 C (425 F) for 12-15 minutes or until puffed.   Then reduce the heat to 170 C (340 F) and bake 15-20 minutes more until golden brown.  Turn off the oven, make a small slit in each choux and let them rest in the oven for 5 minutes more. Then place them on a rack to cool.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Place the chocolate in a large bowl with the honey.  Heat the cream or cream and milk mixture, pour it over the chocolate and whip until the sauce is cold, smooth and shiny.  Finally stir in the alcohol, if using.

.

An hour before serving, fill the choux with whipped cream, (if there is any left over, set aside for garnishing) and dust lightly with icing sugar.  Place the profiteroles in layers in a bowl, covering each layer with the chocolate sauce. Garnish with the reserved whipped cream, chocolate scrolls and almond flakes.

Watermelons 1954 by Frida Kahlo