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dimi_pat

Active member
I went to Aegina recently and enjoyed the pistachios while there (it was during the Pistachio Festival!). They are soooo good - so much tastier than the store bought ones here in the US.

Anyway, I brought home a lot - I want to do something with them. I had pistachio baklava while there. I have enough to make a batch at home. Can I use my regular baklava recipe and just use pistachios instead of walnuts?
 

PemiKanavos

Administrator
Staff member
The pistachio festival on the Island of Aegina is beautiful. The pistachio are amazing and yes very different taste then what we get here in America. Also the color, a beautiful green.
To answer your question, yes you can sub any nut in your baklava. You can even use a combination of nuts. Experiment see what you like.
We are currently working on our next book and it’s a baking book about BAKLAVA. Different nuts different combos different flavors and Baklava inspired dessert. Stay tuned!
 

k_tsoukalas

Moderator
The pistachio festival on the Island of Aegina is beautiful. The pistachio are amazing and yes very different taste then what we get here in America. Also the color, a beautiful green.
To answer your question, yes you can sub any nut in your baklava. You can even use a combination of nuts. Experiment see what you like.
We are currently working on our next book and it’s a baking book about BAKLAVA. Different nuts different combos different flavors and Baklava inspired dessert. Stay tuned!

I agree! You can use any kind of nut you want- the Greeks seem to use what they have, so I have had baklava with walnut, almond, and pistachio depending on where in Greece I was.
 

Exploring the Hotter Side of Greek Spices

I know that traditionally, Greek food doesn't use a lot of spices. But, when I was in Greece, I saw that they are more adventurous than we may have realized. Spices from other cultures have made their way into the cuisine, and chefs experiment. I thought I would make a lost of some of the spices that could possibly be used in Greek cooking.

Paprika

Paprika is a bright red spice made from dried and ground peppers. It's a common ingredient in Greek cuisine, and is used to add smoky, slightly sweet flavor and deep red color to dishes. Paprika can also vary in heat intensity, depending on the type of pepper used, ranging from mild to hot. In Greek cooking, sweet paprika is often used to add flavor to stews, soups, and roasted meats, while hot paprika can be added to dips and sauces for an extra kick of heat.

Cumin

Cumin is a spice with a warm, earthy flavor and a slightly bitter undertone. It's a popular ingredient in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, and is often used in Greek dishes like moussaka, stuffed peppers, and lentil soup. Cumin has a moderate level of spiciness, and can give dishes a subtle kick of heat while also adding depth of flavor.

Red Pepper Flakes

Red pepper flakes, also known as crushed red pepper, are made from dried, crushed chili peppers. They're commonly used in Greek cuisine to add heat to dishes like pizza, pasta, and grilled meats. Red pepper flakes pack a substantial amount of heat, measuring in at around 30,000 to 50,000 SHU. However, their spicy kick is often balanced by the sweet, fruity flavor of the peppers used.

Harissa

Harissa is a fiery Tunisian hot sauce that's popular throughout North Africa and the Middle East. In Greek cuisine, it's often used as a marinade for grilled meats or fish, or as a dip for bread or vegetables. Made from a blend of chili peppers, garlic, caraway seeds, and other spices, harissa can range from mildly spicy to extremely hot, depending on the brand and recipe. To be honest I didn't really see this much, but when I researched online I found that it is available in Greece.

Cooking Greek Cookbook and Baking Baklava Cookbooks On Sale!

See our popular Cooking Greek and Baking Baklava Cookbooks this holiday season!

Cooking Greek Cookbook

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This visually beautiful cookbook contains over 200 pages of flavorful and delicious classic Greek recipes presented in a simple and easy-to-follow manner for all level at-home chefs.

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Cooking Greek: A Classic Greek Cookbook for the At-Home Chef, is the perfect cookbook for foodies and makes a great gift for any occasion.

Discover how to cook some of the most popular, authentic Greek recipes including baklava, tiropita (cheese pie), dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), pastitsio (macaroni pie), spanakopita (spinach pie), moussaka (eggplant and ground beef pie), Greek meatballs, loukoumades (Greek donuts), tzatziki( cucumber yogurt dip), souvlaki (meat skewers), galaktoboureko (milk pie), Greek style octopus and many more mouth-watering Greek recipes.

Chef Pemi Kanavos and Tanya Stamoulis of Worldwide Greeks, have created a visually stunning, classic Greek cookbook for all levels of at-home chefs. Pemi Kanavos is a classically-trained pastry chef with a culinary arts degree and a love of feeding people, and sharing her Greek culture and cuisine.

Baking Baklava Cookbook

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This stunning 100-page, 27 recipe, high quality baking cookbook is a perfect handbook for bakers and baklava lovers alike.

The Baking Baklava cookbook pays tribute to baklava, a renowned delicacy treasured in many countries around the world, with simple and easy-to-follow baklava recipes for all skill levels. Also included are over dozen delicious dessert recipes inspired by the flavors and textures of baklava.

People are often intimidated by baking, particularly with a delicate dessert like baklava, but when presented by Chef Pemi it is anxiety free! With a culinary arts degree in pastry, experience teaching cooking classes, and thousands of hours in her kitchen, Chef Pemi brings a unique perspective with her flavor profile, instructions and beautiful full page photos of each dessert.

Baking Baklava: Classic and Inspired Recipes from Around the World, is the perfect cookbook for dessert lovers and makes a great gift for any occasion with 27 traditional and inspired baklava recipes.

Explore baklava recipes from various countries including: Greek Baklava, Persian Baghlava, Turkish Soguk or Cold Baklava, Albanian Bakllave, Syrian Pistachio Lady’s Bracelet Baklava, Azeri Pakhlava, Lebanese Baklava, Armenian Chor Paxlava and Jordanian Warbat Baklava.

Chef Pemi has also created delicious Baklava-inspired recipes paying homage to a classic with modern twists such as: Baklava Cheesecake, Chocolate Hazelnut Baklava, Caramel Apple Baklava Rolls, Caramel Chocolate Peanut Crinkle Baklava, Bacon-Pecan-Cognac Baklava, Baklava Ice Cream Tarts, Chocolate Peanut Butter Baklava and more…

For those with dietary restrictions, Chef Pemi has adapted classic Baklava recipes to include Gluten-Free Baklava, Nut-Free Baklava and Vegan Baklava variations.

Do Greek really like their lamb well done?

Is it a myth that most Greeks like their lamb well done?

I ask because in my family - we tend to like it medium well or medium. We all feel that well one lamb is too tough!

With lamb shank it is a different story.

We make leg of lamb a lot, as well as lamb souvlaki and lamb chops. Especially with the souvlaki, well done doesn't taste as good to me.

It's hard to gauge how long to cook a leg o lamb, and I find I naturally gravitate towards pieces that are more on the medium side. Are we the exception not the rule?

Street corn like in Greece?

One of the things I like to eat on the street in Greece is the street corn. I have been trying to replicate making it at home because I grill all the time.

I can find corn year round, but I admit that it tastes so much better when the corn is in season.

Anyway, when I first started doing this, I didn't boil it first! I am pretty sure they boil the corn first in Greece. Is this true? It's starting to taste a little closer, but I have a few missing pieces.

How do they season it? I favor butter with corn, but when I use it, I admit it doesn't taste "right". Has anyone tried to make the corn at hime and can offer me some advice?

greek-street-corn.jpg

Making gyros at home

I love gyros and it isn't always realistic for me to go out and find a gyro shop. I only know of one, and it is a bit of a ways away for me.

I found a video that I want you guys to review. I know he isn't Greek, but his method looks pretty solid and he even makes homemade pita! They look good.

Here's the video:

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