Greek Proverb: Μπουκιά και συγχώριο. “One bite and all is forgiven.”

Καλώς ήρθατε (kalos irthate)- Welcome! 

Next on our culinary journey is to my hometown Kerkyra, more typically known as Corfu. Part of the Ionian Islands, Corfu is every holidayers and food enthusiasts' dream.  It hasn't, however, always enjoyed the peace and tranquility its picturesque coastlines and sleepy fishing villages would have us believe. Corfu has had a turbulent but interesting history. It resisted several Turkish sieges during the Ottoman Empire before falling under British rule in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. It was once again unified with its motherland, Greece, in 1864. 

Depicted below is 'Liston' Esplanade. Liston was built in 1807 by Mathieu de Lesseps, a French imperial commissioner, and is typical of Napoleonic architecture. It is believed to inspired by the Rue de Rivoli, Paris.

Liston. [Internet]. 2014. Loutses House.com website. Available from:http://www.loutseshouse.com/local-things-to-do/ [Accessed 28 Jul 2014].

In the summer months, Greeks and tourists alike flock to Liston to enjoy an iced cold 'frappe' (iced coffee) whilst taking in the town's night life. This proves to be the busiest part of Corfu Town, with little chance of finding a quiet spot amongst the jovial conversations and cicada songs. 

Whilst there remain an abundance of beauteous mementos documenting Corfu's French and later British rule (most notably in the adoption of the sport of cricket), it is the influence of its Venetian rule from medieval times into the late 17th century, that is most felt in modern times. 

Our relationship with Italy has proliferated in a shared culture of things, not least of our love of food. Giacomo Casanova (yes, THE Casanova), when not philandering, was a officer of the Venetian Army and resided for some in Corfu.  

Giovanni Giacomo Casanova. [Internet]. 2014. The Biography.com website. Available from:http://www.biography.com/people/giovanni-giacomo-casanova-38011 [Accessed 28 Jul 2014].

Casanova once said "I am bound to add that the excess in too little has ever proved in me more dangerous than the excess in too much; the last may cause indigestion, but the first causes death". Similarly, I don't think the Greeks really caught on to the idea of everything in moderation. My father certainly hasn't. 

I digress. 

For it is today I turn to our neighbour for my next culinary offering: Pastitsio. My Italian friend informs me that this translates to 'mess'; its origins being a pie of sorts. So is this an Italian or Greek dish you may ask? Well it's both, and is particularly popular in Corfu who have lovingly embraced their brethren's love of pasta into their regional cuisine.  It represents a bridging of two cultures. It's the very best of Italian technique with Greek flavours- what contemporary gastronomers may call 'fusion'. Whatever it's origins, and without resorting to the usual Greco-Roman debate on Magnificence; it's delicious. So step aside lasagne-you have some stiff competition.  

This photo depicts a Greek 'Yia-Yia' (Grandma) size portion of around 20 slices. For those of you with normal sized families with normal appetites, a lasagne dish will suffice! 

Now that I have set your tastes buds satisfactorily alight, I shall get down to business. You will need:

125 ml of olive oil 

1kg minced lean beef or veal (or lamb if you prefer) 

1 large white onion 

3 cloves of fresh garlic 

2 cans chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoons of Tomato purée 

125ml Red wine (good quality- no scrimping) 

Beef stock cube

1 teaspoon of cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon of all spice

2 bay/ laurel leaves 

(If making the dish with lamb, rosemary is a great addition) 

Large oven proof lasagne dish 

2 eggs, separated and whisked. 

Bucatini pasta (or penne if you are unable to source bucatini)

1 litre Full fat milk (semi-skimmed if you must) 

4 tablespoons of butter

4 tablespoons of flour

2 egg yolks 

Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese (to taste)

A few handfuls of breadcrumbs 

Nutmeg 

Remember when I said Greek cuisine requires some patience? Well this recipe requires you to make both a bolognese and a béchamel sauce BUT you will not be disappointed. Bear with me....

First make the bolognese...

Gently heat the olive oil. Sauté the onions on a low heat for 10 minutes to extract their sweetness. 

Finely chop/mash the garlic with your choice of kitchen gadget and add to the onions. Fry until you can smell the garlic- then add the meat. 

Increase the heat and sear the mince until brown. Add the stock cube and stir until mixed.

Add the wine. Reduce the heat slightly and leave uncovered for a few minutes until the alcohol burns off.

Add the chopped tomatoes, tomatoes purée, cinnamon, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste.  Leave to simmer for a further 30 minutes minimum. 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. 

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. 

Put the pasta on to par-boil. This should be around 2/3s of the time recommended on the packet. This is very important since the pasta will continue to cook in the oven and we don't want to end up with pasta mush!

Now for the béchamel sauce...

Place the milk on the heat and bring to just before boiling point. Remove from heat. 

Put the butter in a saucepan; allow to melt. Add the flour and whisk vigorously to activate the gluten in the flour and form a roux. Continue until the mixture is smooth and shiny.

Add the milk slowly to the roux, constantly whisking to avoid lumps. Add the eggs yolks and a couple do handfuls of grated cheese. Finally, add a quarter of a nutmeg (half a teaspoon) or to taste and a pinch of pepper.

Remove the pasta from the water. Drain and add a couple of large spoonfuls of the béchamel sauce and whisked eggs whites and toss. 

Spread half the pasta in your ovenproof dish (don't worry if it's not in uniform lines!). Carefully spread the bolognese mixture on top. Spread the remaining pasta on top. Finally, pour the béchamel sauce over the layers. 

Sprinkle with more cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake in a preheated oven for half an hour until nicely golden on the top.

Leave to cool and set for 30 minutes before cutting. This, again, is very important- if you don't leave the Pastitsio to set it will be runny and sloppy. In fact, this dish tastes even better the next day once allowed to set fully. 

Καλή όρεξη! Buon appetito! 

When a man's stomach is full, it makes no difference whether he is rich or poor. Euripides (480-406 BC)

A year and a half on from creating this blog and I've finally got round to posting something. Well, better late than never- and that's one things Greeks do well- tardiness. In return, my first offering of Greek cuisine shall be Spanakotyropita.  That's spinach and cheese pie for those of you who aren't lucky enough to have been exposed to the  ridiculousness that is the Greek language. Fear not, by the end of this culinary adventure, you shall all be able to visit Greece and order these delectable delights in their original language, hopefully complete with authentic Greek accent (for illustrated examples, see Mr Portokalos' choice phrases in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. You will not be disappointed.) So back to the spinach and cheese pie: feta cheese to be precise. 

Feta cheese isn't just a Greek cheese, it's a way of life for most Greeks and it's one of their oldest food traditions. So, in typical Mediterranean style, a little voyage back to the Byzantine Empire where the production of feta was first recorded. 

The name itself is actually derived from the Italian word 'fetta' meaning 'slice' and holds the same meaning in Greek. Feta is a rich, creamy, crumbly cheese and varies in texture depending on the origin of the milk used. Traditional Greek Feta is made from Sheep's milk though may contain up to 30% goat's milk. In contemporary society, Feta is produced mostly in mainland Greece and the island of Lesbos, where it benefits from 'protected designation of origin' status. 

No Greek celebration is complete without copious amounts of feta drenched in olive oil and sprinkled delicately with dried Greek oregano. But it is most at home when tumbled through a Greek salad: tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, white onions and, of course, Olives- the kalamata variety being my particular favourite.

Feta also makes a delicious omelette- just crumble some in half way through cooking with some peas and dried mint. Simplicity at its best and extremely nutritious, especially for those on a high protein diet! 

But today we're talking pie and Spanakotyropita or Spanakotyropitakia (little pies) are a staple of both Greek home cooking and 'fast food'. You will find them pride of place at the front of most display cases in Greek bakeries. That's if you're lucky enough to snap one up in time- they prove to be a popular breakfast or lunchtime snack!

So how do you make this infamous pie? It's super simple though does require a little patience; a discipline that must be embraced if you are to perfect Greek cuisine. So where do we start? You will need the following ingredients:

1 kilo of baby spinach 

400-500g Feta 

2 red onions

2 eggs 

Nutmeg

Filo pastry (at least 12 sheets)

Unsalted butter

Fresh dill, finely chopped (100g)

Pepper 

1.5 litre capacity oven proof dish

Pastry brush 

This should feed 6 lucky people or 4 greedy Greek people. 

Preheat the over to 200 degrees celcius. 

Start off by finely dicing the onion and sauté on a low heat for at least 10 minutes to really extract their sweetness. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large sauce of water to the boil and blanche the spinach until it wilts- no longer than a minute. Rinse with cold water and, drain and leave to cool completely.  Once cooled, take handfuls of the spinach and, over the sink, squeeze out as much water as you can and set aside in a large bowl. 

Add the cooled onion to the spinach and crumble in the feta. Beat the eggs and add them to the bowl. Sprinkle in the dill and grate in half a nutmeg. Pepper to taste. Gently toss the mixture, careful not to completely break up the feta into a mush. 

Place the butter on a microwaveable bowl and microwave until completely melted. 

Lightly flour a surface and take one sheet of the filo pastry. With the pastry brush, lightly butter the sheet and then layer another one on top. Repeat this process 6 times. Carefully lift the sheets and place loosely into the over proof dish.

Now complete the process again with the remaining 6 sheets. Gently spread the mixture on top of the bedded sheets and then place the remaining 6 on top. Gently ensure that all sides of the pie are sealed and bring any overlapping bits over the top of the pie and butter the top one last time. Gently fork the top of the pie to create steam vents. 

Place in the centre of the oven (200 degrees) and cook for a 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Once cooked, allow to cool slightly for 10-15 minutes for the pie to set. Slice and enjoy!

This pie is best eaten with moundfuls of freshly-made Tzatziki. You will not be disappointed! 

Tips: 

1. Try to source your filo pastry from a Greek retailer as the sheets tend to be much larger. At the very least, make sure it is 'all butter' pastry. If you're brave enough, make your own! Another alternative is to use puff pastry: simply cut a standard pastry block into two, roll each piece out and place one on the bottom of a ovenproof dish, spoon on filling and place the other piece on top, making sure the filling is nicely snug so nothing oozes out. Again glaze with egg and fork to create air vents. 

2. Don't underestimate the amount of spinach. Uncooked, a kilo looks like a lot but, believe me, it wilts down to next to nothing.

3. Make sure you buy a good quality feta bearing in mind the milk contents as discussed above. Oak barrelled is even better. 

4. Do not use alternatives to dill- It won't work. Dill is the silent star of this dish and it is simply incomplete without it.

5. As temping as it is, do not cut it straight out of the oven! It really does taste better once cooled a little. Patience is a virtue! 

Καλή όρεξη!!! :)))