ARTICHOKE HEART DIP

1 can artichoke hearts, drained
2 tbs fresh cream
1-1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
Dash red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Process them in a food processor or blender. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
Bake in a casserole dish at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Serv with crusty
french baguette or critchinis

Milk Ring Bread
(Kouloura Greece)


2 1/2 C Milk 2 Tbs Oil 4 C Flour 3 Tbls Sesame seeds 2 Tbls Honey 1 pkg
Dry Yeast 1 tsp Salt 1 Egg White, slightly beaten , a tube cake pan

In a saucepan heat milk, 1 Tbls oil and salt.
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast into warm milk. Set yeast aside to bubble.
Cool milk and pour into a large bowl. When yeast has bubbled and milk has
cooled, pour yeast and honey into milk and stir.
Sift 4 Cups of flour and add a cup at a time to the milk mixture.
If the dough is still sticky add additional flour until it can be kneaded.
Shape into a ball, put back into bowl, cover with the remaining Tbls of oil and
cover with a towel.
Set bowl in a warm place to rise 1-2 hours, until it has doubled.
After it has risen, knead dough again for another 10 minutes.Roll into a
cylinder about 2 feet long. Oil a tube cake pan.
Place the dough in the pan. Cover with the towel again and let rise for 1/2
hour.
After this time, beat egg white and brush on top of dough.. Sprinkle the sesame
seeds on top.
Bake at 375 degrees for an hour. This bread has a hard crust and soft inside.

Almond flan


Ingredients 3 eggs 1 pint of cream, not too rich 1/2 1 cup sugar 1/2 1
cup finely ground almonds 2 drops of bitter almond flavour or 2 tbs of
amaretto liqueur cinnamon to taste

Beat all ingredients together except almonds. Fill two pre-cooked pie crusts or
other pastry shells with mixture. Add almond mixture to top of pies. Bake for at
least 20 minutes in 350o
F oven.Test with knife until it comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes before
serving.

Honey Dipped fritters
(Diples or Xerotigana)

Dough: 2-21/2 c flour 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 4 eggs, room temp.
2 t sugar 1/4 c strained fresh orange juice 2 t cognac or brandy 2t butter

Syrup: 11/2 c water 21/4 c sugar 3/4 c honey

light oil for frying
chopped walnuts or almonds or sesame and ground cinnamon.

To make dough: In a bowl, sift 2 c flour, baking powder, b. soda, & set aside.
In another large bowl & using a wire whisk or mixer on low, beat eggs till
frothy & pale yellow for 2-4 mins. In a small bowl, stir sugar, orange juice.
Slowly add this to eggs, beating allthe while. Add butter last & beat till
fluffy.
Add flour mix to egg mix & beat gently till a doughmass begins to form. Turn
dough onto a lightly floured board or surface & knead, adding more flour if
needed. Do this till dough is smooth & elastic (maybe 10 mins). Let dough rest,
covered for a few mins.
Make syrup by mixing water, sugar, & honey in heavy pan. Bring to aboil on med.
heat, reduce, simmer uncovered for 15 mins.
Using a sharp knife, divide dough into 3 equal balls & roll each, one at time
into a thin sheet,thick as noodles. Cut each sheet into strips 1-2 inches long.
. They can be cut into diamond shapes or trapezoid. Keep them covered to keep
them from drying, by using a towel. Heat a heavy pan, heat 4-5 inches of pure
light olive or neutral oil When temp reaches 360F, add the strips, one at a
time. Its very important that you oil keeps a steady temperature. Fry them only
for a few seconds & remove . They will bubble quickly in the hot oil do not .
Drain on paper towels . Dip in warm syrup and sprinkle with nuts and cinnamon or
sesame or poppy seeds

Courgette (Zucchini) blossoms
(greece, creta)

30 zucchini blossoms 3 tbsp. olive oil 4 scallions, minced 2 clove garlic,
minced 1/3 cup long grain rice, uncooked 1/2 cup fresh or canned tomatoes,
drained 3 tbsp. chopped parsley 3 tbsp. chopped fresh mint and dill( 1/3-2/3)
Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
( you can add two or three tbs of very well fried mouton ground meat or grated
hard cheese, if you cannot find blossoms use blanched lettuce leaves )
Soak the stems in cold water overnight, without soaking the blossoms, wash and
drain on a towel. Cut off the stems without breaking the blossoms, and set the
blossoms aside .
Heat the oil and sauté the scallions until soft. Add the garlic and rice and
cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the tomatoes, herbs, and enough water to cover the rice, then season
with salt and pepper and the sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, and remove from the
heat.
Using a teaspoon, stuff each blossom carefully, holding it in the palm of one
hand. Then close it and lay it on its side in a buttered flameproof casserole
large enough to accomodate all the blossoms.
Pour 1 cup of warm vegetable stock into the casserole. Invert a plate over the
courgette blossoms so the dont fall apart, then cover the casserole and simmer
over lowest heat about 1 hour.
Check every 30 minutes to see if more water is needed; if so, add warm water
(it should all be absorbed when cooked).
Serve as a first course with some yoghourt or aside with poultry or grilled
porc or lamb.

Shrimp and mussels casserole (saganaki)

1 lb Shrimp, medium, cleaned 1 lb mussels, cooked 1/2 lb Feta cheese,crumbled
1/2 lb hard cheese , gratted,2 teaspoons of finelly chopped garlic 1 c
Scallions, sliced 1 c Tomato sauce 1/2 c Olive oil 1/4 c Lemon juice, fresh
1 tb Parsley, chopped 1 tb Basil, fresh, chopped 1 tb Dill, fresh, chopped
1/2 ts Salt 1/4 ts Pepper
Servings: 6
SautŽ scallions ,then herbs and garlic, add shrimps and mussels, then tomato
sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; mix well.finish with the cheeses You can
serv after ten minutes