Greek Wines Worldwide thanks you all !!!

The message was clear; Our blog's counter reached the number of 8.200 visitors from 108 countries the past 12 months.

Needless to mention, we are so grateful for your kind words  in your everyday comments  and we would like yo assure you that we will keep up with our goal, as long as we "feel" your love and enthusiasm on your e-mails to us!!

TRADITIONAL GREEK MOUSSAKA

This blog would not be a true guide to Greek food & wines if there wasn't a recipe for Moussaka!

  This traditional dish has become an ambassador to  Greek cuisine all over the world and is found served in numerous types of restaurants.

 The downside of this is that the Mousaka recipe that many people have tasted, probably without even having visited Greece is far from the authentic Moussaka that is served in Greek homes.

However, if Moussaka is what leads you to Greek cuisine and from there to discover the delights of the flavours of the meals of Greece then it has served a purpose.

 

This is an authentic recipe for Moussaka in wich we have used a basic preparation method.

 

Experiment and enjoy.

Ingredients

Approx 1,5 kg of potatoes
640gr minced meat - lamb, beef or a mixture of both
3 tablespoons butter
480gr tinned tomatoes or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup grated  hard cheese  (cheddar, parmesan or kefalotiri)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, finely choppedoil for frying
salt, pepper
approx 8 tablespoons ground french toast, or dried breadcrumbs

Bechamel Sauce
125gr butter
4 heaped tablespoons plain flour
1 litre milk, (warmed, but not boiling)
2 egg yolks
salt, pepper
1/2 cup grated hard cheese ( cheddar, parmesan or kefalotiri )

Preparation

Peel the potatoes, wash well and slice into 1/4 inch round slices.
Fry the potatoes both sides.
Remove from pan and place on absorbent paper to soak up any excess oil.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the chopped onion, fry the ground meat (lamb or beef) until browned.
Add the finely chopped tomatoes (or paste), salt, pepper and parsley.
Cover and simmer until most of the juices are dried up.

Remove from the heat and add 1/3 of the cheese and 3-4 tablespoons of the french toast or breadcrumbs.
In a greased baking tray, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the french toast on the bottom of the tray.
Place half the potatoes in a layer on the bottom of the baking tray.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the grated cheese over the potatoes.
Pour all the mince meat sauce over the potatoes and spread evenly.
Finish with the rest of the potatoes in a layer over the meat sauce.

How to make the bechamel sauce

Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir in the flour and mix over a gentle heat until it turns slightly yellow and starts to bubble.
Remove from the heat and slowly add a little milk and mix in well.
Gradually add the rest of the milk, stir over a gentle heat until the sauce boils and thickens.
(You may need a hand whisk to use whilst the sauce is slowly thickening, to prevent the sauce going lumpy.)
If you get lots of lumps in the sauce, don't worry. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Use an electric mixer to beat the sauce for a couple of minutes and you will get rid of all the lumps. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the cheese.
Leave it to cool for a few minutes, then stir the egg yolks through the sauce until completely mixed in.

Pour the bechamel sauce evenly over the potatoes.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the sauce and then about 2 tablespoons of the ground french toast or breadcrumbs on top.

Bake in a medium oven (180C) for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until it reaches a nice golden colour.
Remove from the oven and leave it to stand for 5-10 minutes to set before cutting into portions.

Serve with fresh crusty bread a  crisp Greek Horiatiki salad and a Greek wine of your preference...both whites and reds are a perfect match to this unique dish!

Here is a short list of wines to choose :

1. NEMEA - LAFAZANIS WINERY

2. RAPSANI - CHRISOHOOUWINERY

3. MERLOT  -  CHATEAU NICO LAZARIDI

4. METHYSTANES - DOUGOS WINERY

"KLEONES" EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL by LAFAZANIS WINERY

      Spyros Lafazanis' vision was always to expand and complete his range with Greece's other top product - besides Wine - and that would be a  Superb Extra Virgin Olive Oil  from the notorious  for their excellent quality of the "raw material", regions of  Kortinthia  &  Sparta, Peloponnese.

      This vision became a reality by the recent launching of KLEONES Extra Virgin Olive Oil, at a limited number of bottles of its very first production (2010).

    By using carefully selected indigenous Manaki & Koroneiki olive varieties and following "cutting - edge" procedures (e.g. cold extraction obtained directly from the olives and solely by mechanical means) the final product  has a gold-green colour, soft and rich taste always  keeping the original  flavours of the olives and a consistent level of superb quality. Kleones extra virgin olive oil  is rich in vitamins and mono -  unsasturated fatty acids; free of cholesterol it is a necessary ingridient of the modern nutrition (Acidity 0,2 - 0,5)

Supported by :

Touch the skies with a Real Greek Bouyourdi and loads of Retsina

One should not be considered as a real Greek, if on his table - at least on a Saturday or Sunday meal -  there's not a "Bouyourdi''....

Let me explain myslef...Bouyourdi, is a tasty appetiser or side dish - very easy to prepare!

The recipe is for 4 people and if you want to serve it in one ceramic dish, it should be about 20 - 25 cm diameter and 5 cm high.

Alternatively you can split it into 2 bowls, like the one in the photo, or even serve it in small individual ceramic bowls.

Ingredients

• 6 medium size ripe tomatoes

• 300g original feta cheese

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red chilli ( no matter if chilli is from Mexico)

• 4 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, preferably Greek

•  Salt, as much as you like

Preparation

Cut the tomatoes into 1cm slices.

Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the ceramic bowl(s).

Put a layer of tomatoes on top of the oil.

Sprinkle a little salt, but not too much as the feta is salty.

Spread 1/3 of the feta crumbled on top.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the chilli on top.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the tomatoes, salt, feta and chilli as before.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil and once more add layers of tomato, feta and chilli.

Add the final tablespoon of olive oil on top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 – 40 minutes.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE

YOUR BOUYOURDI IS CRAVING FOR FRESH & HOT BREAD AND CHILLED RETSINA, SO DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE NOT HAVE LOADS OF THEM WHEN READY TO BEGIN THE FEAST!!

YAMAS!!

LAFAZANIS SELECTIONS IN 1L BOTTLES



Lafazanis Winery - always following the global trends -  has recently launched a new duo of wines tailor made for the Canadian markets, the "Lafazanis Selections 1 liter - stelvin screw caps".

The unprecedented reception of this duo by the Canadian market in both British Columbia & Alberta, led the producer to also present them to other export markets (such as Germany) with very promising results.

Lafazanis wines are available in Western Canada by WHITEHAL AGENCIES INC (www.whitehall.ca) & Eastern Canada by SYLVESTRE WINES & SPIRITS INC (www.sylvestre.ca)

For more information on Lafazanis Selections, please contact us at : dseitanidis@gmail.com

Walnut Cake (Karydopitta) with Greek Dessert wines

The day before yesterday, I had the pleasure to enjoy a couple (!!!) of Karydopitta pieces at a friend's home and I thought to myself.."it's about time to upload a traditional Greek cake for all my friends around the world"...just to give an alternative to those who are willing to try something from my homeland!!

Karydopitta (kah-ree-do-pee-tah) is a moist and flavorful walnut cake that is flavored with cinnamon and bathed in sweet syrup. It’s a great cake to make ahead because it will keep well covered and at room temperature.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time:  40 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Yield: Approx. 24 pieces, enough to feed your family & friends :)

Ingredients:

• For the cake:
• 7 eggs
• 1-cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp. brandy or cognac
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely ground (plus more for topping if desired)
• For the syrup:
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 small piece cinnamon stick
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (strained)

Preparation:

Note: It may seem unusual to be using self-rising flour together with baking powder and soda, but I tried it and it worked well, producing a light and airy cake.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 12 rectangular baking pan or a similarly sized round pan. Kyria Eleni uses a round pan approximately 32 cm in diameter.

If you’d like, you can line the bottom of the pan with parchment to make it easier to remove the pieces.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat the eggs until they are a light yellow color, about 5 minutes. Add the oil, milk, and sugar and mix well. Add cognac, lemon zest, cinnamon and clove and mix until just incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and baking soda.

With the mixer on lowest speed, incorporate the flour into the batter. Stir in the ground walnuts and turn off the mixer once the ingredients are combined.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in to the center of the cake comes out dry.

While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, water and cinnamon stick and bring to a low boil. Simmer uncovered for ten minutes until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat, remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the lemon juice.

Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. Remove the cake from the oven and carefully pour the cooled syrup over the warm cake.

This cake is traditionally topped with more chopped walnuts & ice cream...yummy!!

To complete the feast, accompany your Karydopitta with a Greek dessert wine, such as the notorious VINSANTO by San..torini Winery, FILEMA by Spyros Lafazanis and  Mavrodaphne of Patras or Muscat by George Karelas.

CHICKEN SOUP (KOTOSOUPA) WITH MOSCHOFILERO

CHICKEN SOUP (KOTOSOUPA)

Now that the weather is so cold, what would be better than a hot  chicken soup, made the way our grand mothers used to make and here is the recipe to enjoy it with friends & family. INGREDIENTS One medium chicken 3 onions 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil 1 cup of rice salt pepper COOKING INSTRUCTIONS Clean the chicken well and remove any unnecessary giblets. Put it in a deep pan, add as much water is needed to cover it and boil it. When it starts boiling skim the fat off the soup and add the onions (chopped) and the olive oil. Leave the chicken to boil for an hour. Check that the chicken is coming apart easily; If not, boil it for more minutes (the boiling hour depends on how fresh the chicken is). Remove the chicken from the deep pan and put it on a plate. Boil the rice on the water you used to boil the chicken. While the soup is boiling, remove all the bones from the chicken. Add the clean parts of the chicken on the soup, salt and pepper. Serve the soup when the rice is ready. Chicken soup can also be served with egg and lemon sauce (avgolemono). A fresh & crisp  Moschofilero from Peloponnese would be an excellent choice for those who love to explore the world of wines. For more info on where you may find the nearest importer or distributor of Greek Wines to your location, you may e- mail us at : dseitanidis@gmail.com