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20 + 1 Greek sweets and desserts
I’ve always had a sweet tooth. Having grown up in Northern Greece, I’ve become an expert in (savouring) Greek sweets and desserts. In the last few years, I have often re-created those sweets and desserts from my homeland, though I am yet to become an expert in baking/making Greeks sweets and desserts. Here are some of the most iconic Greek sweets and desserts, with links to the recipes. Some of these recipes are mine, whereas some are by Akis Petretzikis, a Greek chef that I trust and follow. Μπουγάτσα (Bougatsa) Bougatsa is a pie made with phyllo pastry and typically served in the morning (breakfast or brunch). It is very…
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Kardemummakaka: Swedish cardamom cake
In Sweden (as well as in the rest of Scandinavia), Midsummer’s Eve is one of the most important days of the year. The celebrations involve a lot of dancing and of course eating and drinking. In 2021, it will be celebrated on Saturday 26 June, a few days after the summer solstice and the longest day of the year (at least in the Northern Hemisphere). To mark the occasion, I’ve decided to bake a moist and aromatic cardamom cake (known as kardemummakaka in Swedish). Cardamom is a widely used spice in Swedish recipes. In fact, cardamom buns (kardemummabullar) are an essential part of fika, the renowned Swedish coffee break. Fika is an essential part of…
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Marillenkuchen: Austrian Apricot Cake
Last weekend, Italy won the Eurovision Song Contest with the rock song ‘Zitti e buoni’, performed by Måneskin. This was Italy’s third victory in the contest, following their wins in 1964 and 1990. Neighbouring Austria, however, did not do as well, even failing to qualify to the final. Nonetheless, when I received an invitation to attend a Eurovision party hosted by a friend of mine, I decided to bake an Austrian dessert called marillenkuchen (apricot cake, in German). Not only because apricots are currently in season, but also because my friend had loved another apricot cake I’d previously baked. I am not sure why, but apricots are rather prominent in…
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The best recipe for tsoureki (Greek sweet bread)
This year, Greek Orthodox Easter (Pascha in Greek) is celebrated tomorrow, a month later than Easter observances in the Western Church. Although I am not religious, Easter is one of my favourite holidays, a time of the year that’s all about customs, rituals and traditions (some of which are personal that I religiously follow nonetheless). Sadly, once again they have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. To find some solace, I am baking a tsoureki, a sweet bread made by Greeks during Easter (as well as all year round). But before I share the best recipe for tsoureki I’ve come across (in fact, the best tsoureki I’ve ever tasted), I’d…
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Samali: a traditional Greek mastic-flavoured cake
The 25th of March is a national holiday in Greece. To celebrate, I have baked a samali, a delicious traditional Greek cake, made with semolina (instead of flour), flavoured with ground mastic, and soaked in syrup. Greeks celebrate today for two reasons: a religious (the Feast of Annunciation to the Virgin Mary), as well as a historical one (the starting date of the Revolution or War of Independence, which led to the establishment of the Modern Greek state in 1830). In fact, this year marks the 200-year anniversary of the declaration of the Revolution against the Ottomans, who had occupied Greece since the 15th century. The 400-hundred Ottoman rule has…
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Lagana: the traditional Greek sesame flatbread
Today is a bank holiday in Greece, known as ‘Kathara Deftera’ (lit. Clean Monday). In the Greek Orthodox liturgical calendar, Kathara Deftera is the start of the Great Lent, and as such, it is the equivalent to Shrove Monday. The day falls on the 7th Monday before the (Orthodox) Easter; it follows the 3 weeks of Carnival celebrations (‘Apokries’). Kite-flying is one of the main Kathara Deftera customs, often accompanied by outdoor dining. The menu consists of seafood, taramasalata (fish roe dip), halva, and lagana, a traditional Greek sesame flatbread, baked only on this day. Although most Greeks buy their laganas from a bakery, it is an easy bread to bake…
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Moussaka: a classic Greek dish
I was born on this day quite a few years ago. For many years, I would celebrate my birthday with my friends and family, either in Thessaloniki, where I was born and raised, or in England, where I’ve lived for the last 12 years. This year, however, a birthday party is simply not an option. I shouldn’t be complaining though; instead, I am spending this special day with my mother, who’s come all the way from Greece to London. To mark the occasion, I’ve baked a classic Greek (albeit not Christmassy) dish: moussaka. Moussaka is perhaps the best-known Greek dish. It is a layered dish, traditionally made with fried sliced…
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Melomakarona: Greek Christmas honey cookies
It’s this time of the year that Greeks around the world start eating and/or baking melomakarona, aromatic cookies made of flour and olive oil, flavoured with cinnamon, cloves and orange, and dipped in honey syrup. Melomakarona are traditionally eaten around Christmas time; one may say they are the Greek equivalent to the British mince pies. As I’m baking melomakarona this year, I’m reflecting on my baking journey. I first started baking 9 years ago, soon after I started my psychiatry training in Leeds. Inspired by the culinary murder mystery novels I was devouring at the time (i.e. ‘Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder’ by Joanne Fluke), I started baking batches of cookies…
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Tomato pie with phyllo pastry
Traditional Greek stuffed vegetables (tomatoes and peppers). Baked tomato fritters from Santorini. Spinach and feta cheese pie. Greek semolina halva with orange and honey. These are some of the traditional Greek recipes I’ve recently experimented with. Today, I am using the basic ingredients I used in these recipes to create something different, but as delicious: a tomato pie. For me, the star ingredient in the recipe is -surprise, surprise- the tomato, one of my favourite ingredients and protagonist in my diet. Tomatoes are rich in various antioxidants and the major dietary source of lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.…
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Greek semolina halva with orange and honey
A few days ago, the Great British Bake Off crowned its 2020 winner. But don’t worry if you are yet to watch the final episode, I’m not going to spoil it for you. I am only going to say that it inspired me to take a break from my savoury bakes and make something sweet this week. Staying true to my roots, I opted for a traditional Greek dessert: halva. The word ‘halva’ (‘halvas’ in Greek) is used to describe two different types of desserts: a semolina-based one and a tahini-based one, which is called ‘Makedonikos halvas’ (Macedonian halva). I made the former. Traditionally, the recipe calls for 4 main ingredients:…