Volume 10, Issue 085 - April 28, 2006

Hello ,

I would like to thank Chef George Kyrtatas for giving us an inside look at his cookbook and great Greek cuisine. I have had some amazing potato recipes in my many years, but wait until you see the one we have for you today! It just sounds so good. Have a great weekend...you deserve it!

Big Fat Greek Fact #1:

According to legend, potatoes came to Greece in the 1820s during the tenure of the country's first prime minister. He was a smart politician and understood that even though there was nutritional value in the potatoes, the Greek citizens would reject anything state sponsored. In order to make them more acceptable, he ordered that the potatoes be locked overnight in the capital city. The next day - as he predicted - it was discovered that the spuds had been stolen, and the Greeks love affair with potatoes began.

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Grecian Stuffed Potatoes

Twice baked potatoes aren't just plain anymore. Just try this recipe and you will love it like I do. This is also something fancy to do if you are trying to impress someone with your cooking. You can prepare them ahead of time and broil them just before serving. Remember, for an elegant look, pipe the stuffing back into the potato with a pastry bag.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 baking potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons minced kalamata olives
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup diced tomato
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash potatoes. Poke a few times with a fork, then wrap in foil. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until tender.

Remove potatoes from foil and cut in half. Use a spoon to scoop out insides and place in a large mixing bowl. Save skins.

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté artichoke hearts, onions, kalamata olives, garlic and oregano. Add mixture to the potatoes. Add milk and butter and mash all ingredients together until they are smooth. (An electric mixer can be used.) When smooth, fold in feta, tomato and dill.

With a spoon stuff the potato mixture back into the potato skins. (For a more decorative look, use a pastry bag and tip.)

Place under the broiler or bake until the tops become golden brown.

Big Fat Greek Fact #2:

Special foods are served during Christmas in Greece. Desserts such as baklava and amygdalota are symbolic of good fortune. Specific ingredients have special meanings. Pomegranates, walnuts, chestnuts, and cloves signify prosperity and fertility. White sweets - those covered with powdered sugar and blanched almonds - denote happiness and purity.

Big Fat Greek Fact #3:

Despite its small size, Greece is one of the most suitable places for the production of honey. The quality of honey depends on the type of plant or flower visited by the bee. The best honey comes from thyme, lavender, and rosemary plants, and lime and orange trees. Due to the country's rich flora and temperate climate, Greek honey has supreme quality and unique physical and chemical characteristics.

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Walnut Cake
"Karythopita"

This cake is a traditional Greek dessert that is also popular throughout Turkey and Armenia.

Makes 15 to 20 servings

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups finely ground walnuts
1 cup flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon orange flavoring
1 teaspoon brandy
Sweet Dessert Syrup (recipe follows)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan.

Mix together walnuts, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl.

In a separate bowl whip together butter and sugar. Slowly add egg yokes and mix until fluffy. Continue mixing and add orange flavoring and brandy. Slowly add walnut mixture.

In a separate bowl whip egg whites into a meringue or soft peaks. Fold meringue into walnut mixture.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake about 45 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven and IMMEDIATELY drench cake with Greek Dessert Syrup while cake is piping hot. (There is no exact amount of syrup to use. I use one batch. You might like your cake to be more or less sweet.)

Let cool. Cut into squares or diamonds and serve.

Sweet Dessert Syrup

This syrup is a staple in Greek dessert cooking. It can be used in all the dessert recipes and can be made and held for an indefinite time.

Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup fine sugar
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
3 orange rinds
1 lemon rind

Preparation:

Simmer all ingredients over medium heat until mixture reduces to a syrup state.

Let cool and strain.