Some for christmas some not
Christmas bread

1 ts Freshly ground cloves 4 1/2 c Semolina flour 3 Oranges
6 Tangerines 3 tb Freshly ground cinnamon 1/4 c Golden
Raisins 1/4 c Walnuts, chopped 1 tb Freshly ground anise 1
tb Freshly ground coriander 1 tb Ground Cardamom1 c Olive
oil, mild 4 pk Active dry yeast 2 1/4 c Sugar 4 c All-
purpose flour 1/4 ts Salt1/2 c Hot water, just above body
temperature

Make the flavoring addition first. Combine the semolina
flour, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, anise, coriander, and
cloves in a bowl and add the finely grated zests of the
oranges and tangerines. Squeeze some of the oranges and
tangerines. Squeeze some of the oranges and tangerines to
obtain 1 1/4 cups juice. Use half this juice to soak the
raisins for a minimum of 1 hour, preferably overnight. Put
the remaining juice in a pan with the olive oil. Heat until
almost boiling. Pour this into a bowl with the semolina and
spice mixture and stir. Cover and leave overnight until
needed.
Next day, combine the dried yeast with the sugar and hot
water in a cup. Put the flour in a bowl, making a well in
the center. Pour in the yeast mixture. Squeeze 2/3 cup more
orange and tangerine juice, warm it, nad add. Work to a
smooth dough, adding more water and warm juice if necessary.
Put the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and
leave to rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size -
about an hour.
Punch down the dough in a bowl. Combine the drained raisins
with the semolina and spice mixture and, working with your
hands, combine with the dough. Turn the dough onto a floured
surface and knead for 10 minutes, adding more flour if the
dough is sticky.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Oil 3 loaf pans,
each 1-1/2 quart capacity. Shape each piece to fit the
length of the pan and fit them in, so the corners are well
filled. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place
until almost double in size - another hour.
Bake in an oven preheated to 350 F for 1 hour and 10 minutes
or more; the loaves should be rich brown color and make a
hollow sound when the unmolded bread is thumped on the
bottom. Leave on a rack to cool.

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


Honey Cookies (Melomakarona)

1 Orange; grated rind only 1 c Butter 6 c Plain flour 3/4 c
Caster sugar 4 ts Baking powder 3/4 c Maize or peanut oil 3/
4 c Orange juice 1 tb Honey 1 1/2 c Finely chopped walnuts 2
ts Orange juice 2 dr Almond essence 1 1/2 ts Ground cinnamon
Syrup1 c Sugar 1 1/2 ts Lemon juice 1 c Water 1 Thin strip
of lemon rind 1/2 Cinnamon stick 1/4 c Honey

Beat butter and sugar with orange rind until creamy.
Gradually add oil and continue beating until mixture is very
light and fluffy.
Stir in flour alternately with orange juice. Knead dough
lightly with hands for 1 minute.
Take a scant tablespoon of dough and flatten it a little.
Shape into ovals, pinching ends to a point. Decorate tops
with tines of fork or by crimping cookies diagonally across
top in four rows with special crimper, or leave them plain.
Place on lightly greased baking trays and bake in a moderate
oven (180 C -350 F) for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Cool on wire racks.
Dip in boiling syrup (boil the ingredients together), four
at a time, turning cookies once. Leave in syrup 10 seconds
in all, longer if well-soaked cookies are preferred.
Lift out onto a plate and leave until cool.
Sprinkle tops with crushed walnuts or toasted sesame seeds
and cinnamon. Only those which are to be served should be
dipped; store remainder in an airtight container and dip
when required.

New Year Bread ( Vasilopita)

1/4 ts Salt 1 pk Active dry yeast 1/2 ts Ground cinnamon 3/4
c Milk; lukewarm 1/4 ts Ground masticha 3 Eggs; beaten 1/2 c
Butter; melted 1 1/2 ts Grated orange rind 1 Egg; for
glazing 3/4 c Caster sugar Blanched split almonds 4 1/2 c
Plain flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of the milk. Add remainder of
milk, eggs, orange rind and sugar. Sift 3 cups flour, salt
and spice into a warm bowl and make a well in the centre.
Pour in yeast mixture and stir to blend in flour, gradually
adding warm melted butter. Mix dough with hands until it
comes away from sides. Turn on to a floured surface and
knead until smooth and elastic, adding remaining flour as
required. Knead for 10 minutes. Place ball of dough in a
clean bowl brushed with melted butter. Turn dough over to
coat top with butter and cover bowl with a cloth or plastic
wrap. Leav to prove (rise) in a warm place until doubled in
bulk. Punch down and turn on to lightly floured surface.
Knead lightly and shape into a round loaf. Place on a large
greased baking sheet or in a greased 25 cm (10 inch) deep
cake tin. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled -
about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Glaze with well-beaten egg and arrange blanched almonds in
numbers to denote the New Year, pressing in lightly. Bake in
a moderately hot oven for 45 minutes until golden brown and
cooked when tested. If bread browns too quickly place a
piece of greased brown paper on top.
Cool on a wire rack.
New Year Bread is traditionally cut at midnight on New
Year's Eve
After baking, a coin is inserted through a slit in the base.
The person who finds the coin will have luck in the New
Year. Long ago the coin used to be a gold one, then later a
silver coin was used.These could be incorporated into the
dough before baking. Nowadays because of the nickel content
of coins it is undesirable to bake a coin in the cake.

FAKI (Greek lentil soup)


1 lb. lentils 4 carrots cut into chunks 12 cups water 3
stalks celery, chopped 3/4 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons oregano
flakes 1 large onion, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1/4 cup
wine vinegar 2 bay leaves
Wash lentils. Put all ingredients except vinegar in a pot.
Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered on medium to
low heat for about 1 hour. Add vinegar. Additional vinegar
may be added when served.

Oysters gratinŽ with garlic and spices

Open your oysters and keep some juice. Make a mayonnaise (
just one yolk) starting with a well cruched garlic clove.
Finish with a dash of cayenne, a csp of sweet paprika and a
csp of curcuma (turmeric). Mix with bread crumb finely
crushed and some oyster juice to have something really
creamy. Then couver your oysters and grill them to gratinŽ
not really to cook them.