Ingredients for Dough
300 gr. self-raising flour
300 gr. all purpose flour
½ a yogurt bowl
1 cup sunflower oil
½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup margarine
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 sachet yeast
Ingredients for Filling
2 cups left over cooked meat in tomato sauce
1 large potato diced
1 cup carrots diced
1 cup corn
1 cup peas
1 cup mushrooms cut up in small pieces
½ cup parsley finely chopped
1 teaspoon corn flour
Salt, pepper
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for the egg wash
Preparation:
First prepare the dough. Place all the ingredients in the bowl of your food processor, except the salt. Use the hook attachment and mix the ingredients. Then add the salt and continue mixing for about 5 minutes. You will have a nice, soft dough. Take it out of the bowl, place it in a plastic bag and leave it in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Dice the meat and put it in a pan. Add ½ cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables, salt and pepper, stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Dissolve the corn flour in a couple of tablespoons water and add to the mixture. Check the seasoning and remove from the fire. Let the filling cool down.
Take the dough out of the fridge and divide it roughly in two pieces, the one a littler larger. Roll out the larger piece to fit your pan, with a little more dough to overhang the sides. The pan must be lightly oiled so that the dough doesn’t stick to it. Put the cool filling over the dough. Level it out with the back of a spoon. Fold the dough over the filling.
Roll out the second piece of dough. Brush the dough you have folded over the filling with the beaten egg. Place the rolled out dough over the filling and trim it round the edges. Press down gently so that it sticks to the bottom dough and gently tuck the leftover dough under the pie. Cut a few slits on the pie to enable the steam to escape. Brush the top with the egg wash. Bake the pie at 180oC until it is golden brown.
Source: CookingInPlainGreek.com
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Friday, 20 February 2015 15:51
Meat & Vegetable Pie
Undoubtedly, everybody loves pie. This is a fantastic way to use up leftovers and present them in a totally different way. You can use any kind of meat – pork, veal or chicken. If it is not already cooked in tomato sauce, you can add some tomato paste, 1 – 2 ripe tomatoes chopped, or half a can chopped tomatoes. You can make your own dough or use either phyllo dough or puff pastry. To make the pie more appealing to kids, you could make small individual pies. If you are in a hurry, you could use frozen mixed vegetables, instead of dicing them yourself.
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Greek Food & Diet
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Friday, 10 July 2015 01:07
My Week Of Uncertainty
It has been a couple of weeks since I last wrote anything in this space - and what a couple of weeks it has been... Apart from the total confusion and uncertainty that I think all of us have experienced, I have personally experienced a range of emotions, unlike any I have felt before. What does the expat community make of everything that is happening in our adoptive home?
What stands out for me, beyond the material impact of profound crisis, is the intensity of what I have been feeling for the past 10 days. I was raised in Canada, a place where crisis seems impossible, where the system is never far from 'perfect', where 'intense emotionality' reads as cursing under your breath when someone breaks the speed limit.
So to live in Greece during the past weeks has been nothing short of jaw-dropping for me. There have been moments where I just sit motionless, unable to think clearly or act. Like, how is this all possibly happening? What's coming next...?
I learned early on that intensity of emotion was a basic part of life in Greece - from screaming matches with taxi drivers who cut you off to the daily screaming matches on television news to the life-ending reactions when January temperatures hit 0 degrees. Greece is not a land of subtle response. But until the events of the past week, I've experienced this mostly as an observer.
This week... I've felt sad, frustrated, shocked, angry, afraid, tired, confused, ashamed, panicked - intensely so, and often all at once. I am completely emotionally drained. Writing this, all I want to do is sleep. Reading the wide variety of (mis)information and opinions from various news sources and social media - including those of people who have never set foot in this country, and those of people who have never set foot outside this country - made all the above much (much) worse. And this from a guy who has the luxurious option of hopping on a plane and going back 'home' at any moment. I worry deeply about the societal costs of all this 'crisis', the impact on the nervous system of a nation and a culture...
I'm not sure where all this will lead - nor even where I think it should lead. Maybe everything gets somehow fixed next week; maybe we all wake up back in Kansas; maybe 'it gets better', as the saying goes... And maybe it doesn't.
There has been an eerie calm around town the last few days, like we are collectively holding our breath waiting for the next act to begin. If I am the example, then we are simply drained and have used up our reserves of 'intensity'... Who would have thought that possible in this country? Maybe we are just resigned to accept whatever happens next, too exhausted to do anything else...
While I waited in the ATM line to get my €50 early this morning, I recalled some of the reasons I moved here in the first place: to feel the sun on my skin, to dive into the sea as often as possible, to soak in the beauty of the land, to be part of a unique and ancient culture, to experience life more fully, to feel intensely. Κουράγιο...
Until next week,
Jack
Published in
My Week In Athens
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Monday, 16 December 2024 07:00
From Saint Nicholas To Santa Claus & The Tradition Of Giving Gifts
The story says that Saint Nicholas was born on March 15, 270 AD and died on December 6, 343 AD. He lost both of his parents as a young man and reportedly used his inheritance to help the poor and sick. A devout Christian, he later became a famous 4th-century Greek Bishop of Myra, which was in Asia Minor (modern-day Demre, Turkey). Because of the many miracles attributed to him, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him.
How Saint Nicholas Is celebrated In Greece
According to Christmas traditions in Greece, the patron saint of the holiday is Saint Nicholas, who is also the protector of sailors. For this reason, you will often see boats decorated with many sparkling lights, rather than the traditional Christmas trees. The Christmas season in Greece begins on December 6th, which is Saint Nicholas Day and ends on January 6th with the Feast of the Epiphany (Theophania). The Greek Navy pays tribute to the patron saint of sailors with a special ceremony at the Hellenic Naval Academy.
How Saint Nicholas Is celebrated In Greece
According to Christmas traditions in Greece, the patron saint of the holiday is Saint Nicholas, who is also the protector of sailors. For this reason, you will often see boats decorated with many sparkling lights, rather than the traditional Christmas trees. The Christmas season in Greece begins on December 6th, which is Saint Nicholas Day and ends on January 6th with the Feast of the Epiphany (Theophania). The Greek Navy pays tribute to the patron saint of sailors with a special ceremony at the Hellenic Naval Academy.
From Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus
Over the years, stories of Saint Nicholas' miracles and work for the poor spread to other parts of the world. He became known as the protector of children as well as sailors and was associated with gift-giving. He was a popular saint in Europe until the Reformation in the 1500s, a religious movement that led to the creation of Protestantism, which turned away from the practice of honoring saints. Saint Nicholas, however, remained an important figure in Holland.
Over the years, stories of Saint Nicholas' miracles and work for the poor spread to other parts of the world. He became known as the protector of children as well as sailors and was associated with gift-giving. He was a popular saint in Europe until the Reformation in the 1500s, a religious movement that led to the creation of Protestantism, which turned away from the practice of honoring saints. Saint Nicholas, however, remained an important figure in Holland.
The Dutch continued to celebrate the feast day of St. Nicholas on December 6 and it was a common practice for children to put out their shoes the night before. In the morning, they would discover the gifts that St. Nicholas had left there for them. It is said that Dutch immigrants brought St. Nicholas, known to them as Sint Nikolaas or by his nickname Sinter Klaas, and his gift-giving ways to America in the 1700s.
In America, St. Nicholas went through several transformations and eventually, Sinter Klaas became Santa Claus and instead of giving gifts on December 6, he became a part of the Christmas holiday. In the 1820 poem "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore, he is described as a jolly, heavy man who comes down the chimney to leave presents for deserving children and drives a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. The cartoonist Thomas Nast added to the St. Nicholas legend with an 1881 drawing of Santa as wearing a red suit with white fur trim. Once a kind, charitable bishop, St. Nicholas had become the Santa Claus we know today.
Published in
Greek Traditions
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Tuesday, 21 June 2016 07:00
Greece's Economy To Return To Growth This Year OECD Says
In recent news, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation Development has predicted that the economy in Greece will hit a 1.9% growth rate by the year 2017 and that we see already see improvement in the second half of 2016.
Specifically, a return to growth will come after a deep and prolonged recession in Greece, as recovering confidence boosts investment and consumption and improved competitiveness raises exports. However, the Organization points out that the huge public debt burden is undermining investment and confidence, making some form of additional debt relief crucial.
Unemployment in the country is still very high, which is causing serious social problems, but is now gradually receding. At the same time, OECD stressed the need for modernization of the Employment Organization and expanding active policies in the labor market. The report also mentions that weak productivity accounts for much of the decline in output since the onset of the crisis and suggests the full implementation of structural reforms, so as to boost productivity.
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek News Agenda
For the OECD Economic forecast summary, please click here.
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek News Agenda
For the OECD Economic forecast summary, please click here.
Published in
Greece In The News
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Thursday, 22 September 2016 07:00
Major Luxury Tourism Projects Across Greece Help Boost Economy
Foreign investors are placing their bets on Greek tourism with more than 3,200 new rooms in the works.
Experts say new accommodation units, most in the luxury category, as well as the accompanying services, will further boost the tourism sector and help the Greek economy.
Among the projects underway are Miriam Hellas in the Lassithi prefecture of Crete, which will be handled by a Russian-interests consortium. The project is budgeted at 408 million euros and involves the development of 850 acres of land near the popular Elounda area which will include 380 tourist homes, three five-star hotels as well as a marina, shops, wellness centers, restaurants and bars, athletic centers, and recreational parks.
Another is the Arabic-interests RSR Eagle Resort in Karystos, Evia, which will include some 400 tourism residences, hotels, a marina, and a conference center with a budget of 200 million euros.
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
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Greece In The News
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Tuesday, 06 June 2017 08:48
Extreme Aerial Dance Above Corinth Canal By Katerina Soldatou
Dancer and yoga instructor Katerina Soldatou on Tuesday carried out a breathtaking performance of extreme aerial dance suspended above the Corinth Canal, as part of the “Greece Has Soul” programme. The event was held in order to raise awareness of the environment and the need to respect the history of each place.
Article Source: Greek Reporter
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Videos
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Wednesday, 23 May 2018 17:06
How The Lost Art Of Traditional Cretan Weaving Is Making A Comeback
Alexandra Theohari, owner of KLOTHO, is reviving a traditional art of weaving in Crete by creating clothes, bags, and other objects using these techniques. Theohari and her team's designs are all handmade, with displays of motifs and patterns that symbolize classical Greece. Why Athens delves further into this lost art form and how Theohari is bringing it back.
"The entire production process occurs in Klotho’s studio which was set up in Rethymno to support the local economy. To be true to this ancient practice, products are handmade, producing short run collections or on demand."
Alexandra says, “The process is done in the traditional weaving method. It’s not a motorised process at all. The pattern is chosen and woven on the traditional wooden looms as we remembered them from our grandmothers.”
To read this article in full, please visit: Why Athens
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People
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Tuesday, 23 October 2018 13:22
October 23 - A Time To Celebrate
October 28th is a day of great importance to Greeks, as it marks the National Holiday or Oxi Day. Learn everything about this historic day and see how you can admire Athens from above, following the best hikes we can recommend!
Please click HERE to view this issue of our newsletter!
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Newsletters
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Monday, 28 January 2019 07:00
Has The Phaistos Disk Finally Been Deciphered?
It’s been 10 years since British linguist Gareth Owens and Oxford University phonetics professor John Coleman have been working towards deciphering the enigmatic Phaistos Disk. The Phaistos Disk is a Minoan Bronze Age clay disk that was discovered in Crete in 1908 by Italian archaeologist Luigi Pernier.
Following ther extensive study of the disc, the two professors will present the results of their research at Cambridge University on February 3 in a lecture titled ‘From Linear B to the Phaistos Disk.’
Even though experts have been trying to decipher the script for decades, according to Owens and Coleman they can now read 99 % of the text, which is a Minoan lyrical hymn to a goddess. In fact, Gareth Owens has described the hymn as ‘The Bible of Crete.’
Listen to the voice of the disc, here.
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Greece In The News
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Thursday, 04 June 2020 21:10
Athens Playgrounds To Reopen On June 5
One by one, municipalities in Greece are announcing the reopening of playgrounds, as the Hellenic Interior Ministry has granted them to reopen.
Playgrounds were closed for the public at the beginning of lockdown restriction measures. The circular issued by the Interior Ministry states that for the reopening of playgrounds, all playgrounds should "meet all safety requirements," "in full accordance with the existing health conditions per region and the observance of the outlined and enforced protection measures."
According to a statement, the Culture, Sports & Youth Organization of the City of Athens (OPANDA) will proceed with the reopening of all playgrounds in Athens. "OPANDA has taken all necessary measures to meet hygiene requirements and follow the operating rules of the premises, following the Joint Ministerial Decision and the instructions of the Health Scientific Committee," it is emphasized in the announcement. Playgrounds will be open from Monday to Sunday from 08:00 to 22:00.
Meanwhile, the Municipality of Athens continues to plan the reconstruction of 19 playgrounds, which will be delivered by the end of July–remodeled according to the latest safety standards, suitable and accessible to children with mobility difficulties.
Originally posted in Greek on ethnos.gr
Originally posted in Greek on ethnos.gr
Translated by Codico Lab
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Local News
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