My Lemony Pandespáni Cake (a variation of Pan di Spagna, Italian Sponge Cake)

Wednesday December 2nd, 2015Thursday December 10th, 2015 aglaia 2 Comments

Pandespani (Pan di Spagna) is used as base for many Italian desserts and festive cakes. Usually it is sprinkled or brushed with liqueur-flavored syrup before the addition of a cream filling. The cake can be stored in the freezer (see Note). Starting from my neighbor Ela’s southern Albanian recipe, which has its roots in the old Italian Pan di Spagna, I added the boiled lemon and the lemon marmalade which lighten the flavor and make the egg-laden cake wonderfully fragrant…

READ more about the cake.

panDespagna cut1a S

MAKES One 8-inch round cake, and 1 small loaf (more…)

Rice Porridge with Olive Oil and Bay Leaves

Tuesday December 1st, 2015Wednesday December 9th, 2015 aglaia 1 Comment

This is my variation on lapas (pronounced lah-pàhs) the traditional Greek comfort food our mothers cooked for us whenever we were sick with a stomach or tummy ache. It is a soft risotto, that is best eaten as soon as it is taken off the heat.

Rice porridge S

But I refrigerate the leftovers and reheat in the microwave, spaying with some water, since I never serve it plain. I use it much like polenta as the base for many different strongly-flavored toppings, like the Roasted Quince and Carrots –with or without eggs or chicken– or with Baked Scallion Meatballs and Avgolemono Sauce. But it is wonderful simply mixed with just crumbled feta or any other cheese.

Quince Carrot Egg1 S

Traditionally Lapas has no herbs or other flavorings, but my Georgian friends, who also prepared a similar dish, added a few bay leaves which made it wonderfully aromatic. I took their idea and now bay leaves have become part of my rice porridge. (more…)

Roasted Quince and Carrots with Garlic, Allspice and Turmeric

Tuesday December 1st, 2015Wednesday December 9th, 2015 aglaia 6 Comments

If you like, you can roast boned chicken legs together with the quince and carrots, basting them with the same combination of garlic, olive oil and spices (see variation).

chicken & quince carrots S

I know that quince is hardly a common ingredient for everybody, so I propose you roast instead a combination of cauliflower (briefly steamed first) and turnips if you have no quince. But do add a few tablespoons of lemon juice together with the olive oil and spices, since both cauliflower and turnips are sweet and lack the quince’s tartness that so well complements the roasted carrots’ flavor.

Quince cutting S

Quince Carrot Baked & UN S (more…)

Tunisian Carrot Salad

Monday November 23rd, 2015Tuesday November 10th, 2020 aglaia 1 Comment

The mashed vegetable salads of North Africa have a complex deep flavor that is surprising, considering how easy it is to make them. Spicy harissa, fresh cilantro, lemon juice and caraway seeds add extra dimension to the vegetable puree that is traditionally served as an appetizer, but can equally well be an ideal accompaniment to grilled meat, poultry or fish. Tunisian carrot salad is by far the best of those salads, but squash and zucchini are equally wonderful (see variations).

Adapted from my Mediterranean Hot and Spicy.

Carrot Salad S

PHOTO Anastasios Mentis

Serves 4

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Kourambiedes – Toasted Almond Cookies

Friday November 20th, 2015Tuesday December 13th, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

Traditionally prepared for Christmas, kourambiedes are supposed to be delicate melt-in-the-mouth treats. You find similar cookies in various Middle Eastern countries, often sprinkled with rose water or citrus flower water just before they are rolled in confectioner’s sugar.

Kourabie S

Kourabie zaxari S

The old island recipes called for lard, as butter was not a common ingredient, while the special lard from the belly of the freshly slaughtered pork was used for these, and other festive winter sweets .

In most recipes from the mainland and the north kourambiedes are made with the strongly-flavored sheep’s milk butter, while there are also also somre Lenten versions made with olive oil.

Today most homes and bakeries prepare the cookies exclusively with butter, or a combination of butter, often with some sheep’s milk butter. I do love this old, Cycladic version which you can try if you can get good lard.

Makes about 30 large or 40 small cookies. (more…)