kerasma

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.

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