Anastasia

Coffee Time

There are two kinds of Greek coffee: hot and cold (usually iced ). The traditional Greek coffee, though, is always hot. It's  a strong brew served with foam on top and the ground in the bottom of the cup. According to tradition and, if desired, the cup of Greek coffee is also used for fortune-telling.  Once you drink your coffee, you can put your cup upside down in the saucer and let it dry for a while.  Then  the lady of the house looks at the patterns formed by the ground and foam and tells your fortune!

This is what you will need to make the traditional Greek coffee (always hot):

You will need:

• Greek coffee
• sugar (if used)
• a "briki" - a special coffee pot for Greek coffee
• demitasse cups
• cold water
• water glasses

The pot used for making traditional Greek coffee is called briki and it comes in  2/4/6 demitasse sizes that help create the right amount of foam - foam on the top of the cup is essential! If you do more than 2 cups, I suggest you do it in stages - making more than one pot - to make sure each cup has its share of foam. 

• Use the demitasse cups to measure the water needed for each cup of coffee and pour it into the briki. never use hot water!
• Add the coffee and / or sugar and turn on the heat (medium-low).
• Stir the coffee until it dissolves but do not stir again!
• Heat slowly. Foam will begin to rise before it boils.
• When the foam rises to the top of the briki, remove from heat.and serve, evenly dividing the foam in all cups, then fill cups with the remainder of the coffee, taking care not to disturb the foam.
• Serve piping hot with a glass of cold water ( a must!) and, if desired, homemade biscuits or cake.

If you ask for a traditional Greek coffee , which is very similar to Turkish coffee, by the way, people will ask you how you like your coffee. Never say with or without milk because Greek coffee is never served with milk. You can choose among the following:

• "Sketos" - unsweetened coffee. Add 1 heaping tsp of coffee to the briki and stir (just once, remember?)
• "Metrios" - medium-sweet. Add 1 tsp of sugar and a heaping tsp of coffee.
• "Glikis" - sweet. Add 2tsp of sugar and 1 heaping tsp of coffee.
• "Variglikis" - extra-strong sweet coffee. Add 3 tsp of sugar and 2 heaping tsp of coffee.

 

Curiously enough, the Greek iced coffee is called "frappé". This derives from the french verb "frapper" meaning to beat or to shake. Frappé is enjoyed throughout the year in Greece and Cyprus, come rain or shine!

Here's what you will need for Frappé:

• Instant Coffee
• a tall glass
• milk and sugar to taste

In a shaker put 1 tsp of instant coffee or more , if you like it strong.. Add a tall glass of iced cold water . Add milk or sugar to taste. Add some ice cubes , if you like.

My frappé is black - no sugar, no milk, and I like my Greek coffee "sketos" (no sugar). However, my favourite coffee is Espresso or French coffee.  I used to drink a lot of coffee - 5-6 cups daily. I couldn't  imagine breakfast without one or two mugs of freshly brewed French coffee. Yet, I've lately discovered all the benefits  and great taste of  green tea and I only have 2 cups of espresso daily and about 4-5 cups of green tea - sometimes more.

How about you? Are you coffee lovers or would you rather have tea?

 

Efharisto! Thank You! Mille Merci! Grazie! Vielen Dank! Spasiba!

22 November 2011

I wish I knew how to thank each one of you in your own language. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping by. Never in my wildest dreams did I think so many people from all over the world would be reading my blog. Thanks a million!

November in Cyprus

November is the month when the weather in Cyprus breaks from warm autumn towards colder winter. Around the middle of November temperatures begin to drop noticeably and the rainy season starts. During this month it can rain from three to six days. November is the third rainiest month after December and January. On average maximum temperature gets up to 22°C on the west coast and inland and 23°C-24°C on the eastern-south coast. On the mountains it already gets noticeably cold with temperatures not going higher than 13°C. At night temperature drops down to 13°C-14°C on the coast and 10°C inland. On the heights of Troodos it already feels like winter at night with the temperature staying as low as 6°C. The sea water is about 21°C.

But this year, November has been cruel so far! From Monday to Thursday, it was raining cats and dogs non-stop. We also got stormy weather here in Larnaca - on the southern coast of the island. Today, November gave us, at last. our sunshine back together with a cold wind.  I wish it rained only at night, preferably after midnight :-) All sorts of chrysanthemums have already popped up - oh how I wish I had a garden!

Here are some of the chrysanthemums my friend Stefania grows in her garden,

Aren't they lovely? You may also wish to have a look at Maria's Blog I have just stumbled across.

I can't remember  when was the last time I turned on the heating in November! I think that was in Geneva when I was a student! In Cyprus, I used to do my Christmas shopping dressed in jeans and a T-shirt in late November or early December!  I sometimes wish I lived in Australia - I love sunny Christmas!

While looking forward to  sunny Christmas, if you live in Cyprus, don't miss Larnaca Amateur Artistic Creation

What's November like in your part of the world?

My Friend Walid Abdul Massih

I met Walid online almost ten years ago. Back in 2002,  I didn't use to like him a lot...he'd usually challenge me on the chat to ponder on various political or ethical issues which would ...all end in tears! We didn't always agree, but as Voltaire said: "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it."

Walid a few years ago

And that's what Walid did. He always respected my opinion and realised that I'm not on the Internet to talk anonymously or pretend. As a true friend he accepted me being blunt at times and he's always supported me in everything I did online. He's been always there - rain or shine. 

Walid comes from Lebanon and  is a very important person in his homeland. He is the kind of person who would never boast but who always cares for everyone -  even though he may be going through rocky times, himself. He is also the kind of person who will always end a comment with this wonderful phrase: "God Bless"

Walid with  Mr Haroun - the mayor of Beit Mery, Lebanon

In a world filled with dirt and filth, Walid has been my guardian angel online and my bright star. I would like to thank him for that from the bottom of my heart.

Monday's Greek Recipe - Psaronefri Gemisto - Stuffed Pork Fillet

Last week was such a busy week at work that I didn't even have the time to do the shopping at the supermarket. Alkis usually does the shopping as he finishes work earlier than me, but he was away on a business trip, so the fridge was almost empty. Saturday night was unusually cold for this time of year, so while Alkis was making a fire, I decided to ...experiment in the kitchen. I came up with pork fillet stuffed with spinach and feta cheese. That's all I had in my fridge. My friend Stefania once advised me to chop fresh spinach and keep it in the freezer instead of buying it frozen as I used to. She was right. The spinach came in handy!

Ingredients

• 500 g. pork fillet
• a bunch of spinach - chopped
• 200 g feta cheese
• 5 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 big onion, finely chopped
• some oregano

Directions

• Beat the pork fillet flat with a meat mallet

• In a non-stick frying pan, sauté the onion in the olive oil, reduce heat,  add the spinach and stir for about 5 minutes.

• Drain the spinach and put a thin layer on the flat pork fillet.
• Crush the feta cheese with a fork and add it on the spinach

• Sprinkle with oregano.

• Roll the pork fillet and keep it tight with bamboo skewers.

• Sprinkle with some more oregano.
• Bake at 170*C in a pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes. This is what you get:

• Serve with brown rice, a mixed salad and a  bottle of Ktima Gerovassiliou - a great Greek red.

mixed salad

Avaton-Gerovasiliou

Kali Orexi!!! - Enjoy Your Meal!

 

 

Life Begins at Forty

I had a wonderfully carefree childhood and a relatively easy adolescence despite the fact that I experienced war at the age of sixteen. Thinking positive, this helped me to mature a lot. I was only 18 when I met Alkis in Switzerland. I was a cheerful, plump girl then but this did not prevent Alkis from giving up on his gorgeous Swiss girlfriend and ask me out. In my mid-twenties, I married  my Prince Charming. And I'm very glad to be with him now- almost 30 years later- despite some rocky times we've been through. 

In my mid thirties, I lost my mind! I started feeling insecure about me, about my body. As a result I became obsessed with working out. I'd never miss a gym class then - whether that was body pump, body attack (high impact aerobics) or combat. I only hated dancing such as latin dancing or jazz. It took me two years to realise how silly I was!

At forty, I realised my blessings: a husband who ...still loves me no matter how I look, my mum and my brother who are always there for me, and, most importantly, I did not feel insecure. I still go to gym classes and enjoy them when and if I can.  It's pretty much like blogging, you know. 

In 1932, the American psychologist Walter Pitkin published the self-help book Life Begins at Forty. Pitkin stated confidently:

Life begins at forty. This is the revolutionary outcome of our New Era. Today it is half a truth. Tomorrow it will be an axiom.

At fifty something, I can enjoy pancakes and ice cream with no guilty feelings. And I never skip lunch or dinner however big the pancakes are!

 

On Saturdays

Last school year, my senior students asked me whether it would be possible to schedule their extra lessons on a Saturday - when there's no school. Unfortunately, last year this wasn't possible on such a short notice, but as from this school year, extra lessons are scheduled on Saturdays. Extra lessons occur just before exams and this means I'm free on Saturdays from end October to mid March.

Today has been my first Saturday off work since 1997!  My biological clock, though, woke me up at 7:00 am. It took me some time to realise that I had no lessons today! So, after having my car washed at Splash, I headed to Debenhams Zenon. Now that it's getting colder, I really felt like  shopping for jumpers and boots!

I was at Clarins, at the Cosmetics Department, patiently waiting for my turn. A lady was before me.  It took her 10 minutes to decide what lipgloss and eye shadow were best for her, but I patiently waited. Finally, she told the sales assistant that she'd take the lipgloss and an eyebrow pencil.  But she kept looking at things... While she was browsing through Clarins items, the very polite sales assistant offered to help me...at last! I smiled and said I just wanted a sunblock for the face. No sooner  had the sales assistant got the sunblock for me than the lady before me got very annoyed and drily said:   "Just cancel!" She cancelled her purchase just because a polite sales assistant offered to help another customer while the lady was still browsing!

Back home here I am at the computer, feeling content with my shopping and looking forward to a  Saturday night out with Alkis and great friends!

Have a lovely weekend!