Nistisima
Pastitsio is a staple food for all Greek families and I cannot think of anybody who does not like this dish. However during lent we abstain from eating any kind of meat or products derived from animals and although I have seen some vegan recipes, most of them have milk in the béchamel. For this [...]
The Béchamel sauce was introduced to Greece at the beginning of the previous century by a Greek Chef, Nicolaos Tselementes. I believe all of you know what béchamel is but can you imagine a béchamel sauce without milk and eggs, to be rich and tasty and to be used by vegetarians and for Orthodox Lenten [...]
Traditional Greek Macedonian Halvas, is one of the main Lenten sweets. It’s main ingredient is sesame, which is turned into tahini and used to be sweetened originally with threpsini, which is a natural sweetener produced from raisins. During the War, when the Germans had confiscated all the production of raisins in Greece, other sweeteners were [...]
Daktyla kyrion (meaning ladies fingers) is one of the most known Cypriot pastry desserts and a speciality offered during the pre-lenten period called «Sikoses» in Cyprus. Pounded almonds are mixed with cinnamon, sugar and blossom water and the filling is wrapped in thin phyllo. It is then fried and bathed in an aromatic syrup [...]
The period of the Great Lent started yesterday with Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday) and this is called Saracosti. During the period of Saracosti the faithful fast for a period of 48 days and not 40, as it is usually said: the six weeks of Lent and Holy Week. This year the Orthodox Easter is on [...]
Continue reading about Nistisimes Syntages – Food for the Soul (Lenten Recipes)
Olive oil is a base for many Greek traditional cookies. There are many kinds of these cookies starting with the famous melomakarona (honey cookies), moustokouloura (must cookies), Sousamokouloura (sesame cookies), krasokouloura (wine cookies) and Ladokouloura (meaning olive oil cookies) , each one having a unique taste according to the ingredients added. Every Friday morning we [...]
Continue reading about Nistisima Ladokouloura Portokaliou (Vegan Orange Olive oil biscotti)
It’s been like crazy the last few days. I’ve had too many things to do and so little time. Today I was out all morning and I’ve been cooking and baking since noon. We started fasting and they wanted something to eat. I made this cake today and it is very easy to make. You [...]
Loukoumades or Lokmades, as they are called in Cyprus, take their name from the Arabic words «luqma(t) plural luqūm«, lokma and lokum, meaning morsel or mouthful, and are made in many places on earth. I realized this when I participated in the eventIt’s time to make Doughnuts, where I participated with a doughnut from Symi, Greece, Called Akoumia Symiaka. [...]
Continue reading about Lokmades (Loukoumades) Kypriakoi (Cypriot Doughnuts)
At the beginning of Greek Orthodox Lent, Kathara Deftera or Clean Monday, I prepared several dishes and told you that I was going to post them during this period of lent. However, due to all the events and other things popping up I have delayed. Shall try and post the other recipes within the next [...]
I shall try in the next few days to write some of my Lenten recipes, which were prepared on Kathara Deftera but have not managed to post them yet. I shall start with one of my favourite Lenten desserts, Halvas Katsarolas, which means Pot halva to distinguish from the one we bake in the oven. [...]
Continue reading about Halvas Nistisimos with Fruit and Almonds
