RECIPES FOR THE ORTHODOX KITCHEN

Dora Kitinas-Gogos reveals her recipe for a vegetarian stifado Note: I’ve given you a vegetarian stifado as not to contradict what I have said about meat eating in the winter months. Ingredients: 300 grams of any type of meaty mushrooms 300 grams of button mushrooms 1 large onion ½ kilo small shallots, I hand pick these so I get the …

Dense and creamy Greek rice pudding, by Eftichia Gogos Ingredients: *1 cup of short grain rice *3 cups water *5 cups milk *¾ cup sugar *2 tablespoons cornflour dissolved in 4 tablespoons water Method: *1. Boil water and rice for 15 minutes on low heat stirring occasionally so it won’t stick. *2. Add milk and bring to the boil, then …

The word yiahni refers to pot cooked food with fresh tomatoes, and it could be likened to the word stew. Ingredients:  *1 kilo of baby string beans (frozen may be used) *5 – 6 ripe tomatoes skinned and diced, or diced tinned tomatoes *2 onions *½ bunch parsley *1 cup olive oil *½ teaspoon salt Method: *1. Slice onions finely, …

Ingredients: 2 kilograms of quinces 4 cups of sugar Method: *1. Run quinces under running water and towel dry to remove fuzz (similar to peach fuzz). Prepare a large bowl of water. *2. To prepare quinces: Because the quince pulp turns dark once cut open, work with small slices, one at a time. Cut a thin slice of quince from …

Ingredients: 2 kilograms of quince 4 cups of sugar 4 tablespoons of water 1 cup of water 1 tablespoon of lemon juice Method: *1. Clean the quince the way you would an apple, peeling and removing the seeds. Cut into small chunks and put into a bowl of water. Quince will turn dark if not covered with water. Drain and …

Ingredients: 15-16 quinces good quality honey 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg 1/2 cup of blanched almond halves For storing: baking parchment paper airtight plastic container(s) 3-4 bay leaves Method: Note: The amount of honey used will be equal to the weight of the puréed quince pulp. The better the quality of the honey, the better the result. It’s important to stir …

Ingredients: 12-14 large quinces, peeled, cored and quartered 3 cups of sugar 1 Greek coffee cup of Metaxa brandy 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground clove Method: *1. Pre-heated 190.6C (375F) *2.Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skins of your quinces, cut into quarters and remove the core and place in a large bowl of acidulated water. *3. Bakes …

During the Feast of the 12 Days of the Nativity (Dodecaimeron), we celebrate the not so well known feast of the Circumcision of Christ. Unfortunately the pagan new year of Sol Invictus has become a global phenomenon which has overshadowed the celebration, meaning, beauty and traditions of the Feast of the Circumcision, and splitting Dodecaimeron into disjointed parts. We often …