TRADITIONAL FOOD OF ZARAKA

- SPANAKOPITA
- GOGES
- DIPLES
- SAMOUSADES

SPANAKOPITA
(recipe for 2 pites)

METHOD: PASTRY
Mix flour, vinegar and oil together. Gradually add water and knead to form a firm dough.

METHOD: FILLING
1. Wash greens well.
2. Finely chop all greens and place on cotton towels to dry.
3. Divide dough into eight even balls using a dowel rod, roll each ball out in a round shape approx. 1mm thick.
4. Brush baking dish with 2 tablespoons oil. Line dish evenly with pastry and brush pastry liberally with oil. Repeat with second ball of pastry.
5. Divide greens in half. Add salt and 3/4 cup oil and half of the feta. Mix well.
6. Pour mixture into baking dish and flatten out.
7. Fold excess pastry over mixture and brush with extra oil.
8. Roll out third ball of dough, place over greens, trim pastry to fit evenly in dish fold over bottom sheet and brush with oil.

9. Roll out fourth sheet trim to fit into baking dish and brush with oil.

10. Score the top of the pastry into diamonds with a sharp knife.

11. Bake in a moderate oven 1800 C for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
TOP

GOGES

INGREDIENTS
* 250g plain flour

* 10ml olive oil

* 110ml water

* pinch salt

* 2 cups grated hard cheese (pecorino, romano, parmesan etc)
* 125g butter

* 2 tab grated hard cheese

METHOD:

1. Place flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add oil and water. Mix together by hand and knead into a firm dough.

2. Cut off a piece of dough and roll out to 40cm long by 1 cm wide on a floured surface. Cut off 3cm pieces with a knife and slightly dust with flour.

3. Liberally flour a wooden chopping board. Take each piece of dough and using three fingers roll it out so the dough curls over. Put it on the side and sprinkle withmore flour. Continue until all dough is finished.

4. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to boil. Add the goges, they will sink to the bottom of the saucepan.

5. Bring to a medium boil, when goges rise to the sur- face of the water they are ready.

6. Line a platter with grated cheese. Using a slotted spoon remove goges and place on platter. Sprinkle each layer of goges with grated cheese. Continue until all the goges are finished.

7. Melt butter in a small saucepan, stir in 2 tabs cheese till it turns pinky and smells slightly. Remove from heat and pour over goges.
TOP

KALTSOUNIA

METHOD: FILO
This recipe makes a large thin pastry called a "filo". The use of a special thin rolling pin "xiliki" (a clean wooden broom handle does the job) is used to prepare the filo. Place flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, add oil and water. Mix together by hand and knead to a soft, smooth dough. Shape dough into a disc and wrap in glad wrap. Set aside for at least 1 hour before using. The filo can be split into two initially till you get the knack of using the xiliki. Place the filo on a lightly floured surface, lightly sprinkle with extra flour and use the xiliki to carefully turn and stretch the filo, attaching the edge of the pastry to the xiliki. Continue rolling out and stretching pastry until filo is lmm thick (lightly dusting surface and pastry with extra flour or corn flour so it does not stick). Cut the filo into 15 small squares.

METHOD: FILLING

Trim, wash and finely chop spinach, shallots, endives and dill and set aside to dry well on a clean cotton tablecloth or paper towels. Alternatively place in a salad spinner in batches to dry. Place greens in a bowl add oil, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix all together. Place a handful of filling on a pastry square and fold in corners on top of each other. Place on a hot grill, folded side down, cook till brown (about 10 minutes), then flip onto other side till browned. Remove onto cooling rack and brush with olive oil and grated cheese (optional).
TOP

ΔΙΠΛΕΣ - HONEY ROLLS

(makes approximately 70-80 pieces)

INGREDIENTS
*12 eggs

*1 packet of plain flour

*1/4 cup self raising flour

*1 teaspoon vanilla powder

*1 teaspoon sugar

*1 teaspoon ouzo

* A pinch salt

* Canola Oil

METHOD:
1. Beat the egg whites for approximately 10 - 15 minutes
2. Beat the egg yolks and add 1 teaspoon of ouzo
3. Mix the egg whites and egg yolks together
4. Add the sugar, vanilla powder and salt to the mixture
5. Add both the plain and self raising flour into the mixture
6. Put some unsalted butter on your hands to knead everything together, till the mixture is soft
7. Cover the bowl with glad wrap and a towel and leave for 1-2 hours so that the mixture can be absorbed (the longer it is left to set the better)
8. Sprinkle flour on your countertop
9. Divide the dough into quarters. Take a piece of dough and using a rolling pin flatten out thinly.

10. Cut the piece with a curly rolling cutter to the size you require. The remaining dough needs to be covered to prevent it from drying out

11. Once you have prepared the dough you can begin to fry the Diples

12. Heat up the canola oil in a fry pan and once it is hot turn down the heat

13. Place 1 piece at a time. You will need to use 2 forks to push the dough right to the bottom of the fry pan so it can cook evenly.

14. Immediately turn it around on the other side. It is at this point you will need to twirl the dough around (no dough strip should be left in the fry pan for longer than one minute)

15. As each piece cooks place it in a bowl lined with paper towels.

Ingredients for Syrup Honey
1. Heat honey in a medium saucepan and bring to boil
2. Dip each Dipla in hot syrup and place on a plate

Ingredients for Garnish
* Finely chopped Walnuts

*Vanilla Powder

1. Mix vanilla powder and grated walnuts and sprinkle mixture over warm Diples.
TOP

ΣΑΜΟΥΣΑΔΕΣ
(Makes 55 pieces)

METHOD: FILLING

* Place almonds in blender and process to medium consistency
* Place 2 tablespoons of butter in a frypan with sesame seeds until gold- en brown
*Add sesame seeds to almonds and mix
* Add breadcrumbs, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Mix dry ingredients together.
* Add honey and orange juice and mix well to combine
PASTRY:

* Place flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add salt and oil
* Gradually add milk and stir. Knead to a firm consistency (ensuring you have a workable dough)
* Cover with a tea-towel to rest for 1 hour
* Using a dowel rod, roll out dough very thinly (2mm) to a circle shape of about 50 cm in diameter
* Line baking dish with baking paper
* Brush pastry with melted butter or vegetable oil
* Sprinkle almond mixture (approximately 2 cups) all over pastry
* Place dowel rod at the edge of pastry closest to you and start to roll pastry until you reach the top. Just before reaching the top of the pastry (4 cm) fold the top end over as this will help to contain the mixture within the pastry roll
* Pull out the dowel rod and flatten roll slightly.
* Start cutting diagonally into 3 cm lengths.
* Brush with vegetable oil or butter and place a whole clove in the centre of each shape. Bake in a conventional oven at 1800 for 35 minutes or until golden brown. SYRUP: (NOTE: Samousathes must be cold when dipped into honey mixture)
* Place honey, cinnamon stick, water and cloves for 2-3 minutes on a low heat (do not boil) just slightly simmer
* Once syrup has heated through drop in samousathes 3 or 4 at a time for approximately 1/2 minute
* Take out the syrup and arrange nicely on a platter