SAMOUSATHES Makes about 30 pieces Ingredients: For the pastry: 3⁄4 cup strained fresh orange juice 4 large eggs 31⁄2 to 41⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, as needed For the filling: 3⁄4 cup sesame seeds 3 cups finely ground walnuts or almonds (not blanched) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves For the syrup: 2 cups […]

RAFIOLIA In the pastry shops of Monemvassia, the beautiful Venetian fortressed port on the east coast of the Peloponnesos, these little crescents are a main attraction. I love the name—clearly Venetian, although the pastry itself is as Greek as one can get. Rafiolia are a specialty throughout this whole southeastern region of the Peloponnesos, all the way down to Neapoli. This recipe […]

THIPLES Thiples—sometimes called xerotygana—are not unique to the Peloponnesos, but they are very much a part of the region’s culinary life. “A wedding without thiples would be like a wedding without a bride,” one woman told me. While the sweet is made all over Greece, it is shaped differently from place to place. In Crete, for example, strips of dough about […]

Watermelon Feta Salad will give your senses a tingling buzz, instantly transporting you to a balmy Greek summer evening lazing away at a waterside taverna. The colours of the bright red melon and dazzling snow white feta, with a mix of black olives creates a beautiful contrast. You can smell summer in the rich juicy […]

Makes two 12-inch round loaves For the starter: 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 cup warm water 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour For the dough: 8 to 10 cups all-purpose flour, as needed 1 cup sugar Salt 3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 11⁄2 cups warm water, or more if necessary 1⁄2 cup ouzo 11⁄2 cups […]

Ingredients: 5-6 cups all purpose flour 1 cup finely chopped walnuts 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tbsp. ground anise seed 3 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 2 cups vegetable oil 1 3/4 cups sugar 1 cup orange juice 1/4 cup brandy Zest of one orange Method: Using a mixer, beat the oil […]

Dough Ingredients: 2 1/2 cup of fine semolina 1/2 a cup of flour 1 cup of olive oil 1 pack of unsalted butter 1 cup of sugar 1/4 cup of brandy or cognac 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice 2 tbsp of orange zest 1 tsp of baking soda Syrup Ingredients: 1 cup of honey […]

Ingredients: 2 kilos of flour 1 tsp of salt 2 tbsp of dry yeast 1 cup of lukewarm warm water 1 cup of warm red dry wine 1/2 a cup of olive oil 1/2 a cup of orange juice 1/4 cup of brandy 2 tsp of grated orange zest 1 1/2 cup of sugar (1 […]

Ingredients: 1 cup of chopped walnuts 2 cups of flour 2 cups of sugar 1 cup of orange juice ~ 1 cup of corn oil 4 tsp of baking powder 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp of glove powder 7 eggs Ingredients for Syrup: 2 1/2 cups of water 2 1/2 cups of sugar […]

Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups of flour for all uses 3 tsp of baking powder 1/2 tsp of powder cinnamon 1/4 tsp of powder carnation 1/4 tsp of nutmeg 1/2 tsp of salt 1/4 tsp of powder vanilla 1/2 cup of unsalted butter 3/4 cup of brown sugar (crude) 2 eggs 3/4 cup of milk 1/2 […]