Baked feta with honey and sesame is a Greek appetizer or “mezze” that perfectly combines the flavors of savory feta, buttery phyllo, sweet honey, and crunchy sesame seeds. If you want to add a little extra flair to your presentation, use black and white sesame seeds. You can also serve with honey on the side for each person to drizzle over top. These baked feta with honey and sesame bites make for the perfect finger food, something to consider when you’re planning your next party! These can be served hot out of the oven or at room temperature. Ingredients Preparation
Baked Goods
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Continue ReadingThis syrup drenched sweet semolina cake is traditionally topped with a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar or a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. Being chocoholics, our family is partial to this ganache topped version. Add some candied orange slices and specs of gold leaf to jazz things up, making this simple sweet semolina cake as fancy as it is tasty. Ingredients For the cake For the syrup For the ganache For the candied orange slices Preparation
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Continue ReadingGreek Easter bread or “tsoureki” shares the same shape and texture as Challah bread. However, it is slightly more aromatic due to the addition of mahleb, a spice derived from sour cherry seeds, and mastic, a dried resin gathered from mastic trees. Given that neither of these ingredients are traditionally used in American cooking, you’ll need to look to specialty spice shops, Greek import stores, or the internet to find them. It is also worth noting that while mahleb is an essential component of this recipe, some include mastic, while others don’t. If you’re having trouble getting your hands on…
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Continue ReadingThe best celebrations are those commemorated with food — barbecue on the 4th of July, turkey at Thanksgiving, lamb for Easter. It wasn’t until marrying into a Greek family that I discovered the fun of cake on new year’s. The festive part of Greece’s Vasilopita, named after “Agios Vasilis” or Saint Basil, is its hidden coin. Whomever receives the slice containing the coin is said to enjoy good luck for the rest of the year. When it comes to the cake’s recipe, there are seemingly endless variations. Our family prepares a version reminiscent of lemon pound cake or the French…
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Continue ReadingBougatsa or sweet semolina pie is one of my favorite specialties found at Greek bakeries. With its warm vanilla flavored semolina custard filling, flaky buttery crust, and sprinkles of confectioners sugar and cinnamon, it’s comforting yet delicate and makes for a great dish to enjoy with family and friends over breakfast or brunch. Bougatsa is best served warm and leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Simply hold the confectioners sugar and cinnamon from any portions you plan to store in the refrigerator. When ready, reheat the sweet semolina pie in a 350 degree oven…
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Continue ReadingWith the exception of fresh slices soaked in Grand Marnier, that my mother would serve at dinner parties and I would covet as leftovers, orange flavored desserts were never my favorite. Greek orange cake, featured in cookbooks and displayed on bakery shelves, never captured my fancy… until this summer. While on a weekend getaway to the port town of Gytheio, my husband and I relished the hotel’s complementary breakfast buffet. The kitchen served a handful of traditional Greek dishes, in addition to the standard fare, which is how I took my first bite of Greek orange cake, known as “portokalopita”.…
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Continue ReadingOf the many food memories from my childhood summers, few are as pronounced as French fruit tarts. Layered on a thin butter crust, apples, apricots, pears, or cherries, are baked and glazed into a beautifully delicate slice of summer sweetness. The glossy apricot tarts displayed in the window of the neighborhood pâtiserrie announced the end of the school year, which was cause for celebration in and of itself, but also a tell-tale sign that we were only weeks away from our annual pilgrimage back to the US, where I would indulge in peach cobblers and blueberry pies. Just as I longed for…
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Continue ReadingGreek koulouri are found in bakeries throughout Greece and are emblematic of Greek stall foods. The city of Thessaloniki, in northern Greece, is the epicenter for the koulouri, where street vendors delight both big and small with their freshly baked goodies. Following our return from Greece, we found ourselves longing for these tasty baked rings. But, alas, with no Greek bakery in town, we set out to make them ourselves. Finding a recipe in the cookbook “Culinaria Greece“, the result satisfied our longing – a hint of sweetness with a crunchy exterior and sesame savouriness. It is a joy to share…
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Continue ReadingThis Greek jam tart is as tasty as it is beautiful. It resembles German Linzer Tortes and is a perfect accompaniment for afternoon tea or coffee. Apricot, peach, and red berry are all popular fillings but there are no hard rules as to what does or doesn’t work. Pecan pie filling comes to mind as a delicious alternative. Whichever flavor you choose, it is sure to be a hit with family and friends. Ingredients 3 eggs 1 pound self-rising flour 1 and 3/4 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup orange juice 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 11 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature) 13 ounces…
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Continue ReadingBiscuits are the mascot of Southern cuisine and one of my cherished childhood memories. Every Sunday, my father would rise before the rest of us, and prepare a fresh batch. Staying true to my mother’s Appalachian upbringing, he always used buttermilk and shortening. After spending 15 years in the Northeast, I had forgotten about biscuits, until relocating to North Carolina a few years ago. By then, I had become weary of shortening, and developed a deep appreciation for extra virgin olive oil. Not only did I value its health benefits, I was also learning from my Greek mother-in-law how to use…