1 - 2 of 2 Posts

dpappas87

Active member
I am sure I am not alone here, but I didn't always realize that Greeks do sometimes use sourdough starter to make bread.

I had a type of bread last time I was in Greece that was beyond phenomenal and I asked how they made it. They took me back in the kitchen t show me the starter.

Okay, so now I want to learn to bake bread like that. Does anyone have any tips?
 

k_tsoukalas

Moderator
I am sure I am not alone here, but I didn't always realize that Greeks do sometimes use sourdough starter to make bread.

I had a type of bread last time I was in Greece that was beyond phenomenal and I asked how they made it. They took me back in the kitchen t show me the starter.

Okay, so now I want to learn to bake bread like that. Does anyone have any tips?
All growing up, I didn't realize that the Greek bread I love had a hint of sourdough. It wasn't until I moved to California and had a ton of sourdough bread from San Francisco that I detected a similar flavor in some of the Greek breads that I love, and then I looked it up and realized that yes, they do sometimes use a similar technique as sourdough. I found it interesting that no one really talked about it. I have bumped into some Greek Country Bread (horiatiko psomi) recipes that use sourdough starter, but not all of them do...
 

Cooking Greek Cookbook and Baking Baklava Cookbooks On Sale!

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

Cooking Greek Cookbook

Screenshot 2023-11-22 at 1.44.19 PM.png

Buy Cooking Greek Cookbook HERE!

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.

Greek cuisine can seem intimidating, but when presented by chef Pemi it is anxiety free! With a culinary arts degree, experience teaching Greek cooking classes, and thousands of hours in her yiayia’s (grandmother’s) kitchen, chef Pemi brings a unique perspective with her flavor profile, instructions and beautiful full page photos of each dish.

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

Screenshot 2023-11-22 at 1.46.43 PM.png

Buy Baking Baklava Cookbook HERE!

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.

Making the Greek baklava rolls?

I have my family's baklava recipe. They usually make it in a huge round pan.

Can I use this same recipe to make the version where it's all rolled, or do I need to do something different?

My plan was to figure out how to actually make the rolls, and then stuff it with the filling the way my family makes it, then make the syrup the way my family does (orange and cinnamon mostly).

My gut is that yes, this is possible.

I found a video on how to make the rolls. I needed to see it visually:

What to put in a mezze spread for Thanksgiving?

Thought I would put together some mezze for Thanksgiving! Of course, we will have turkey and all that. But, we tend to eat in phases and I thought Mezze would be fun to have laid out when people first arrive.

I thought I would serve something like:
  • An assortment of Greek cheeses if I can find them (feta, I will be able to find of course)
  • Stuffed grape leaves - honestly I will probably buy them, but I have a place that does them homemade
  • Tiropita, spanakopita,
  • Greek meatballs
  • Greek olives, of course
Can you think of anything else? I don't want to go nuts.

My Recipe - Greek Grilled Chicken

I grill year round so I thought I'd share with the group an easy grilled chicken dish I have been doing lately. It's my go-to for a quick meal.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and black pepper.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over them.
3. Seal the bag and toss to coat the chicken evenly. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and up to 12 hours for maximum flavor infusion.
4. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the excess liquid.
5. Grill the chicken for 6-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
6. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

greek-grilled-chicken.jpg

Greek Fava Dip Recipe

I am trying to find easy recipes for mezze-style dishes for potlucks and to share during my holiday gatherings. I had this in a restaurant once but have never eaten it. Thought I'd share in case you guys wanted to try it, too:

I'll just explain it:

The recipe calls for 3 cups of dried fava beans, 1 chopped onion, 3 cloves of garlic minced, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of black pepper, and cherry tomatoes and fresh parsley to garnish.

In a pan, add olive oil, chopped onion, and minced garlic on medium heat. Stir occasionally until the onion becomes partially opaque, then add the cooked fava beans, salt, and pepper. Use a fork or a whisk to whisk the ingredients until they become a smooth.

That's the easiest way. Another option is to put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the texture you want is achieved. I don't always like to use my food processor because it is a pain.
Sign up for a free account and share your thoughts, photos, questions about Greek food, travel and culture!

WorldwideGreeks.com is a free online forum community where people can discuss Greek food, travel, traditions, history and mythology.
Join Worldwide Greeks here!

JOIN COMMUNITY FOR FREE

LOGIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT
Follow Worldwide Greeks:
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Pinterest YouTube
Top