Traditional Recipes

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This section is under development and we will continue to request of all the geat cooks out there to send in their favourite and traditional recipes. We need to capture this information so we can maintain a catalogue of our culinery delights which we are considering to also publish at a later date.

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RECIPE by MARIKA BISAS (Nee. KOUTSOUKIS)

"My two favorite Kastellorizian sweets are Katoumari and Strava.
Both recipes have been handed down to me by my mother, Evangelia (George) Koutsoukis and my mother-in-law, Vayiani Bisas. They are traditional Kastellorizian sweets, served for newly-weds, and for any other special occasion."

KATOUMARI

This delicious feather light pastry requires skill.
To obtain this paper thin pastry one must, with a rolling pin, roll it backwards and forwards lightly.
Ingredients:
2 Lbs. of Flour
2 Lbs. of Butter
Water (warm)
Ground cloves
Sugar (mixed spice optional).
Sieve flour in a bowl; add sufficient warm water to make a soft dough. Knead the dough until it is soft and pliable.
Cut into 4 portions. Begin to roll one out as thin as possible, then brush it all over with butter (melted).
Make a hole in the middle and roll it back into a round rope. Cut the rope and coil the rope until ends meet, with one on top of the other.
Flatten and roll out again to the size of your fry pan.
Follow this method with your other pieces. Heat your pan, put in the Katoumari turning it over while buttering it alternately. When golden brown, remove from pan. Sprinkle with water, sugar and ground cloves (to taste).
Before serving, break up Katoumari, so it reveals its flaky form. Serve warm. Marika Bisas of Scott Grove, Glen Iris.

STRAVA

"This Kastellorizian sweet takes its name from the angle on which it's cut. Again, it is made only for special occasions."

Pastry Ingredients:
2 Lbs of Plain flour
½ cup of Oil
1 cup of Water
Juice of half a Lemon.

Make a soft pliable dough. Cut into 4 pieces.
Leave for 2 hours. Roll out thinly.
Sprinkle; Coconut, Sugar, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves and Walnuts, thickly – (not too much pastry).
Roll over into a long rope, cut into oblique shapes.
Syrup Ingredients:
4 Cups of Sugar
2 Cups of Water
1 Cup of Honey
Juice of 1 Lemon (1 Cinnamon stick).

Heat oil and simmer the oblique shaped pastry pieces until golden brown. Strain and dip into syrup while these Strava are still hot. Enjoy.

Marika Bisas (Nee Koutsoukis), Scott Grove, Glen Iris.

VASILOPITA 1: THE BREAD OR TOUREKI VERSION

1/2 cup Milk

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup tepid water

2 tbsp sugar

2 pkts (14g) dried yeast

3 eggs, well beaten

6 - 7 cups plain flour

1 tbsp Mahlepi powder

1 silver coin, washed, & wrapped in foil

Note: all ingredients should be at room temperature and place bread to rise in a draught free warm place

Preheat oven to 190 °C.

Scald the milk and stir in sugar and butter and let mixture cool.

In a large bowl, combine tepid water, 2 tbsp sugar and yeast. Leave for 15 minutes until it doubles.

Stir in cooled milk into yeast mixture and add in eggs.

Slowly add 3 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Add Mahlepi and 2-3 more cups of flour.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

Then place dough in a buttered bowl, cover and allow to double in size (about 2 hours)

Once the dough has risen, knead again

Split the dough in two and make 9 inch rounds. Insert a coin in each and place onto a greased tray or

10 inch cake tins.

Cover and allow to rise for approximately 1 hour.

Brush top of loaves with the beaten eggs and sprinkle with sesame seeds or blanched almonds or

arrange the almonds on the cake in a decorative pattern "such as the year or abstract design or a

flower or a cross."

Bake at 180 °C for about 40 -45 minutes or until golden brown.

VASILOPITA 2: THE CAKE VERSION

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tspn baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, 2 whole, 1 separated. Reserve 1 egg white.

Peel of 1 orange, grated

1/4 tspn nutmeg

1/4 cup cream

1 tbsp Greek brandy

1/8 cup almonds

1 silver coin, washed, & wrapped in foil

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Sift flour and baking powder, set aside.

Beat butter until fluffy.

Add sugar and cream together about 4 minutes.

Add 2 whole eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, while beating.

Add flour and baking powder mixture, mixing well with wooden spoon.

Then place in foil-wrapped silver coin and stir in as well (or you can leave it out and place in the

bottom of the cake after the cake is baked and cooled.)

Pour batter in into a heavily greased round pan.

Arrange the almonds on the cake in a decorative pattern "such as the year or abstract design or a

flower or a cross." Alternative bake plain and dust the cake with icing sugar after it is baked and

cooled.

Bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes.

Remove cake from oven.

Beat reserved egg white until white and fluffy.

Brush beaten egg white onto cake.

Return cake to oven and bake about 15 more minutes, until toothpick inserted into

centre of cake comes out clean.

"Kali epitixia" kai "Kali proto Xronia" Evelyn Salvaris

"KOKKINA AVGA" Red Dyed Easter Eggs using commercial dye

INGREDIENTS

Approximately 12 to 24 eggs

Water

3/4 cup Vinegar

Red food dye or colouring*

Vegetable oil

UTENSILS

A large, preferably old saucepan

Cotton Balls

METHOD

1. Wash and dry each egg carefully.

2. Boil a large pot of water.

3. Add a red dye or food colouring and

3/4 cup of vinegar to the water.

4. Boil for a few minutes.

5. Slowly lower the eggs into the pot,

and when the water comes to a boil,

lower the heat to a simmer.

6. Simmer eggs for 15 min and remove

carefully from the pot.

7. Before cooking more eggs, add an

additional 2 tbs. vinegar to the water.

8. Wipe cooked/dyed eggs with an oil soaked

cotton ball,

9. Wipe each egg again with a clean dry

cloth.

ONION SKIN DYED RED EASTER EGGS "Natural dye recipe"

INGREDIENTS

Approximately 12 fresh and uncooked Eggs

at room temperature

Water

3/4 cup White Vinegar

Golden/Brown Onion Skins for the colouring

Vegetable/Olive Oil

UTENSILS

An old large Stainless Steel Saucepan

Strainer

Bowl

Slotted spoon

Paper towel or cotton wool

METHOD

1. Wash and dry each egg carefully.

2. Make Dye.

a. Place the skins of 15 onions in a saucepan.

b. Add 2 tablespoons white vinegar and 4.5 cups of water

c. Bring to boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes.

d. Strain orange coloured dye into a glass bowl and cool to room temperature.

3. Add 12 eggs, dye to a stainless steel saucepan. Make sure eggs are in a single layer. Cover eggs with the dye from step 2.

4. Bring to boil over medium heat

5. Lower heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes, then check eggs for red colour. Do not cook for more than a total of 20 minutes. If eggs are not red enough after 20 minutes leave in the pot and remove from heat. When the pot has cooled, place in refrigerator and let sit until desired colour is reached.

6. If the colour is to your liking (after 12 - 20 minutes) remove eggs with a slotted spoon and cool on rack or in egg cartons

7. When cooled coat lightly with oil, polish with paper towelling

8. Place in a basket.

9. Serve cold following the Anastasi Service.

Helpful hints:

Save onion skins in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Do not use any porous (wood, ceramic, plastic, etc.) materials as they can be coloured

by the dye.

If stainless cookware and utensils get coloured by the dye, wash with regular detergent and

a small amount of chlorine. Rinse very well.

BE CREATIVE AND DECORATE!