kerasma

It is interesting to notice the journey of soup in urban versus rural communities, as well as in affluent as opposed to frugal times. In times of prosperity, soup is often a way to prepare our body for the solid food that is about to follow, and that is why it is served in small quantities before the main course. This kind of soup is usually lighter and clear.

During recession, or in traditional communities where food is cold-defying fuel so that the body can go on working, soup is a way for the cook to use leftovers or whatever there is available –just like pies- and feed as many mouths as possible. Soup then becomes heavier, creamier, enhanced with pulses or pasta.

Soup can be an inexpensive, nourishing and flavorful meal, provided that it is made with good –if humble- ingredients, like vegetables, herbs, lean meats, good pasta instead of their over-processed counterparts.

The tendency to prefer soup over other comfort foods is reflected in the market. Ready-made fresh soup has made some large gains (25% according to Nielsen marketing information company) in the past 16 months in Europe, testifying to an increasing need for healthy food, albeit, quickly prepared.

Greeks have a peculiar stance to soup: While it is a favorite in many households, it is offered in few restaurants and the fresh soups one can buy in cartons abroad are nonexistent, as if there isn’t a market for them.

Still, the variety and diversity of Greek soups is impressive, ranging from avgolemono (egg-lemon) based soups, to soups with innards, to bean soups with vegetables, to simple, Lenten soups served during times of fasting.

Avgolemono (egg-lemon) is made with egg yolks and lemon juice mixed with broth. The eggs should not curdle, so the mixture is heated until it thickens but before it boils. Usually, Greeks prefer it with chicken stock, although you can find it with meat or vegetable broth.

Trahanas or xinohondros are based on a fermented mixture of grain and yoghurt or fermented milk, usually consumed as soup. It can be cooked with tomato juice or it can be thinned with milk. In traditional Greek societies it would be served for breakfast too. Housewives used to make large quantities of the tiny pasta in the summer when there was enough sun for it to completely dry out. Then, it would be kept in cloth bags, or pillowcases, for the coming winter.

In Greek markets you will mostly find two kinds of trahanas, the sour variety and the “sweet” one –both savoury, just prepared differently.

Here’s a classic Greek recipe for one of our favourite soups, fasolada. Fasolada is a hearty soup of dry white beans, olive oil, and vegetables. Greeks hold it in high esteem and many consider it to be their “national food”.

Fasolada (white bean soup)

For 4 servings

500 gr. white beans

2 onions, finely chopped

2 carrots peeled and sliced

3 celery sticks and leaves finely chopped

4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preparation

Soak beans overnight. Dispose of the water, wash, rinse, place in pot with fresh water and boil for 10 minutes. Strain and re-boil for 30 minutes.

Add onions, celery, tomatoes and some warm water. Boil until beans are tender and then, add olive oil, salt and pepper. Leave the soup until it becomes as chunky as you want it to.

Serve with olives, feta and smoked herring.

See more soup recipes here:

-Mount Athos Tahini soup

-Tomato soup with trahana

-Lentil soup flavored with Glykadi

-Mushroom soup with lavender and mastiha foam

Happy Fall to all. This is the season of mellow tastes and golden hues. Fall is mild in Greece, so we can still enjoy dinner outdoors for the most part. And what better ingredient that the season’s apples? We have some great varieties in Greece and you can read all about them here.

Here are some great recipes with apples to celebrate Fall and may it be fruitful for us all:

Upside Down Apple Cake with Macedonian Halva Ice Cream

Veal Stewed with Tart Apples and Prunes

Chicken Stewed with Apples

Apple-Leek Velouté with Xinomyzithra and Greek Prosciutto

Apple – Spinach Salad with Mint Olive Oil

Fyriki Apple Spoon Sweet

Apple pie with raisins

It is easy to cook Greek! We have chosen some classic Greek recipes, most of them fast and easy, so that you can boast to your friends who will certainly be impressed.  Choose from those served with ouzo (it is an acquired taste, so if you find it difficult to get used to, you can serve them with cold beer) to sample with your favourite people, or try one for a light lunch. Cheese pie and spinach pie can be made ahead and taken to the office as a snack. Gemista (stuffed tomatoes) are even better served the next day with a chunk of feta cheese.

Serve with ouzo:

Tyrosalata (Cheese spread)

Melitzanosalata (Eggplant salad)

Saganaki

Taramasalata

Tzatziki

Serve for a light lunch:

Cheese pie “Tyropitta”

Gemista

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

And a couple of classic desserts:

Classic Baklava

Classic Semolina Halva

Here’s a recipe for the reader who asked for lemonade with a Greek twist using Greek Kozani Saffron, one of the highest quality saffron kinds in the world. This refreshing lemonade with a distinct taste can also be prepared with honey instead of sugar.

For 4 servings
Juice from 8 big lemons
150 gr. Caster sugar
2 tsp saffron threads
Salt

Preparation
In a big jug add lemon juice, sugar and saffron threads. Add 100 ml warm water so that saffron is dissolved as much as possible. Add 700 ml cold water and stir well. If the lemonade is too sour for your taste, add more water.
Rum the rim of a cocktail glass with lemon juice, and dip in salt. Put the glasses in the fridge until you serve the lemonade –with lots of ice and thin lemon slices. The more the saffron stays in the lemonade the more the colour deepens and the stronger the taste grows.

We have been having some really warm days the last couple of weeks here in Greece, and as the sun has been shining longer and stronger, Greek produce is also reaching its peak. Now it’s the time to plan picnics, the perfect excuse to enjoy nature and great food with friends and family.
Along with savory food don’t forget to pack a simple dessert, or even just fruit, and of course fluids like homemade lemonade.
Remember that some food is especially sensitive to travel and heat. Pack a knife and cut your tomatoes at the last minute, once you are comfortably under the shade of a tree.
Forget heavy sauces and salad dressings like mayonnaise and opt for a light vinaigrette that you are going to keep in a separate container.
Picnics are about relaxing and having fun, so don’t bother with elaborate recipes or perfectly ironed tablecloths.
And doing your bit for the environment means that you will minimize your food packaging as much as possible and place your picnic sandwiches, salads and dessert into reusable containers whenever possible.

Picnic food ideas

Cheese pie “Tyropitta”

Greek Village Salad Served Over Grilled Bread

Grilled Octopus

Spanakopita - Spinach pie

Arugula Salad with Citrus, Avocado, and Karpenissi Prosciutto

Greeks have a close relationship to bread (“psomi”). A household without its fresh daily loaf of bread is unheard of and there is always more than enough in restaurants, whether they serve Greek or international cuisine. Sometimes you will find bread and pasta on the same table, or bread and rice, bread and potatoes. We just seem to need a little bite of bread with everything.
To celebrate our national obsession and share it with the rest of the world, here are some recipes that make the most of these beloved carbs. The last one, tsoureki, is a sweet bread, a bit like hot cross buns the English have at Easter. We have it all year round with coffee or a glass of milk, or we pack a slice to eat at work. Either way, it is the most comforting slice of bread you are likely to taste.

-Syros Cheese Bread
-Carob bread
-Warm Tsoureki Sandwich with Whipped Manouri, Figs & Warm Almond Milk

Isn’t cooking a hassle? Isn’t it a pain in the neck when you have a heavy workload and your social life has already been suffering enough? The answer is no. There are recipes that you can easily prepare and invite people over too. A person has to eat. So why not do it with company? Invite a few people that are closest to you and consider yourself nourished. Physically and spiritually. No need to bring out the china.

Here are our recipe ideas for a fast and nutritious meal with friends:

-Spinach salad with graviera, throumbes olives, pine nuts and tomatoes
-Grilled Shrimp with Orzo, Feta, Smoked Tomatoes and Olive oil
-Classic Greek Yogurt with nuts and honey

Isn’t breakfast the best meal of the day? It is relatively easy to prepare, and we invariably get the feeling that we can eat as much as we like. And we don’t even have to talk! We can read our newspapers instead.
Greeks are not very big on breakfast, that’s true. We usually have late, rich, dinners, so having a full breakfast first thing in the morning is not a priority.
Along with any of the following recipes, for a great breakfast, I suggest:
-No bad news, talks about the economy and reports on heavy traffic. Weather reports will do.
-Nice jazzy music.
-Strong coffee or tea.
-A nice view, maybe in a sunny room. That really wakes people up.

What’s for breakfast?
The best thing is a nice, fluffy omelette. Eggs really give you the boost you need first thing in the day. Another great idea is a savoury pie you may have prepared the previous evening or a few days back. It is very common for Greek people to have cheese pie for breakfast, although having to rush in the morning may sometimes mean that this is the kind you find in tyropitadika (cheese pie-making shops).
Also, what about good old toast and marmalade? The best breakfast marmalades are not too sweet, like this citrus marmalade and the peach and orange jam that you can accompany with a cup of Greek herbal teas.
Bougatsa, a creamy custard pie is a favourite Greek breakfast snack, traditionally made with large phyllo sheets that are folded over the filling. This Lenten version is not too fatty, so it is great for breakfast.
Another Greek breakfast staple is yogurt with honey. Make that Greek, unsweetened, thick yogurt with thyme honey, to be exact.
Finally, why not make a batch of Greek biscuits and have them for a quick breakfast snack the whole week? Mastic biscuits are children’s favourites, so why not oblige them?

Greek Breakfast Ideas
-Mastic Biscuits
-Cheese pie “Tyropitta”
-Syros cheese bread
-Feta cheese omelette
-Peach Jam with oranges
-Citrus marmalade
-Scrambled eggs with cured pork
- Lenten Bougatsa