Damson and Pear Upside-down Cake

Wednesday October 5th, 2022Saturday October 8th, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

This is my latest fall dessert: an upside-down cake I baked using the wonderful, local damson plums and the very last local pears I got from the farmstand.

The fruit don’t look like much, but they taste wonderful. I wish we had more…

You can use plums instead of the damsons, but choose small, not large an juicy because they would collapse in the sugar.

This cake is basically another riff on the Apple or Quince Charlotka, the light and easy fruit cake both Costas and I love! As I posted this recipe I received the Newsletter from Dorie Greenspan with the recipe for a Parisian upside-down plum cake. Maybe you would like to try that one too…

For a 10-inch round cake –or equivalent square (more…)

Chicken and Potatoes with Lemon and Herbs

Tuesday October 4th, 2022Tuesday October 4th, 2022 aglaia 1 Comment

Adding chicken to the iconic Greek Lemon-Oregano potatoes creates a dish very few people can resist. The potatoes by themselves often steal the show from any kind of meat they accompany, even from roasted lamb; baked together with chicken legs or breast they become the ultimate one-pot dish for every season.

I baked it in a very old copper casserole, over several layers of parchment paper, as the traditional inside lining of the is somewhat worn, and there are very few itinerant craftsmen to renew it.

This dish is particularly good on islands like Naxos, or here on Kea, where the local potatoes have exceptional flavor. If you want to cook this dish using small potatoes there is no need to peel them, but I suggest that you halve them, because they taste best when they can absorb the flavorful juices.

Makes 4 to 6 servings (more…)

Dried Fruit, Pistachio, and Orange Olive Oil Cake

Sunday October 2nd, 2022Monday October 24th, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

A moist, fragrant, and barely sweet vegan cake that can be a treat with tea or coffee, or enjoyed as a snack any time of day. It should be made a day in advance, and it keeps for at least a week, getting better each day if stored in an airtight container at cool room temperature.

My mother used to bake a cake similar to this during Lent. We were not so religious as to follow the rules of the Church, which prohibited eating any food derived from animals during the forty days before Christmas and before Easter (and on many other occasions). We were simply continuing a family tradition which dictated that various foods or sweets should be made at a particular time of year.

The caramelized ginger, my recent addition to the recipe, enhances the rich flavor of this cake that has a dense texture, somewhat like an English fruitcake.

Makes one 12 X 5 inch (30 X 12cm) cake (more…)

From Persia to the Balkans: Baked Rice in Delicious Variations

Wednesday September 7th, 2022Thursday September 8th, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

You never quite outgrow this Balkan comfort food. My late cousin Leonidas Harvalias, who lived on Kéa long before we decided to move here, got the original recipe from one of the first Albanian immigrants who worked on the island.

I have changed it very slightly, and it has become part of our family’s permanent repertoire, one of our favorite casseroles. The name briani or briami, probably comes from the Persian biryan, which is also the ancestor of the more well-known Indian biryani. In the traditional Greek briami there is no rice, just a medley of summer vegetables baked in the oven.

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Albanian Briani: Baked Rice with Milk, Feta, Peppers, and Dill

Monday September 5th, 2022Monday September 5th, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

My late cousin Leonidas Harvalias, who lived on Kéa long before we decided to move here, got the recipe from one of the first Albanian immigrants who worked on the island. It has become part of our family’s permanent repertoire and is one of our favorite casseroles. The name briani or briami, probably comes from the Persian biryan. Maria Kaneva in her book The Melting Pot: Balkan Food and Cookery, describes a rice, potato and tomato briani, and writes that there are many versions, which can be traced to the Balkans in the Middle Ages.

Makes 6 servings (more…)