Anastasia

Monday's Greek Recipe - Kypriakes Ravioles- Cyprus Ravioli

For the dough

• 4 water glasses self-raising flour
• pinch of salt
• 1  1/3  water glasses lukewarm water

For the filling

• 3 water glasses halloumi cheese, grated
• dried mint
• 2-3 eggs
• 1 chicken stock cube

Directions

1. To make the dough, mix the flour and the salt, stir in as much water as needed and knead to make a rather firm dough.
2. To make the filling, combine the halloumi cheese, the mint and the eggs to make a rather firm mixture.
3. Divide the dough into small portions.
4. Flour each portion and roll it out into a thin sheet which you cut into strips  of 9-10 cm width.
5. Place each strip on a flat surface dusted with flour.
6. Put about half a teaspoon filling at intervals of 4 cm on the half length of the strip.
7. Fold the remaining part of the strip over the filling to cover it completely.
8. Cut ravioli in round shapes with a special round ravioli cutter, dipping the cutter in flour every time.
9. Place the ravioli on a flat floured dish and dust with flour on both sides to prevent them from sticking together. Continue until all the dough and filling are used. It makes about 130 ravioli.
10. In a large pan, boil plenty of water with the chicken stock cube, add the ravioli and cook for 10-15 minutes.
11. To serve, place the ravioli in a semi-deep serving dish and sprinkle with grated halloumi cheese.

Note: If you have a pasta machine, you can use it to roll out the dough into strips.

Recipe by Sandra Lysandrou

Archontiko Papadopoulou - Papadopoulou Mansion - Kornos, Cyprus

When the weather says so, Alkis and I enjoy a Sunday outing and lunch in the nearby countryside. Last Sunday, we visited the village of Kornos and had a memorable lunch at Archontiko Papadopoulou. That lunch was for us the best gastronomic experience of the Greek-Cypriot cuisine we've ever had.  We had never visited the village of Kornos before and ...shame on us,we got lost on our way there! The village of Kornos is situated at about 27 km west of the city of Larnaca. In the centre of the village, at about 100 metres from the church, you can't miss the preservable, old mansion - Archontiko Papadopoulou.

The impressive mansion dates back to 1897.

 

That was the house of Michalis and Peristera Papadopoulou- the great grand-parents of Peri Vronti Papadopoulou- the owner of Archontiko Papadopoulou who created it with so much love and care for tradition. The mansion bears the architectural and morphological features of the neoclassical style of a 19th century construction. It is one of the few houses of its kind and age which have survived in the area, defying the passage of time and dating back to 1897.

The mansion bears the architectural and morphological features of the neoclassical style

The coffee shop

The pottery studio

The elegant dining-room

 

 

It is a three-storey mansion of an impressive neoclassical character, ornate with deep carvings on the stone columns - a construction where stone prevails. consisting of various areas divided by mudstone. It could be described as a cluster of various old, traditional elements with the characteristic back yard in the middle. That was where we had lunch.

Chtapodi Kathisto me Kritharaki - Octopus with local pasta

Asprovlachos Psimenos sto Keramidi - Seabass cooked in the brick

Pestrofa - Trout

Moscharisio Fileto me Sikoti Kotopoulou-Beef Fillet with Chicken Liver

 

 

The renovation and refurbishment of Archontiko Papadopoulou into a cultural centre took place from September 2009 to May 2011. Every possible effort was made so that the floors, the windows, the doors, the door-handles and the wooden beams supporting the roof, which were carved out of tree trunks, were preserved and restored in line with traditional architecture.The philosophy of Archontiko Papadopoulou is to promote, display and make known the art of Cypriot wine and gastronomy as well as that of the pottery art of Kornos which has been greatly developed in the area since antiquity.

Commandaria Bar

The Back Yard

Mrs Theognosia - a pottery artist

Mrs Anna - pottery artist

 

 

Alkis and I had the pleasure to taste in the back yard some of their great dishes,  such as traditional Cyprus ravioli for starters - they reminded me those of my grandmother. Alkis had ofton kleftikon for main course and I really loved their stuffed baby chick! Such a pity there was no room for dessert!

Balcony

 

The coffee shop

 

The Pottery Shop

 

The Archontiko Papadopoulou constitutes unquestionably an upgraded, different and unique option of unparalleled pleasure in Cyprus wine and gastronomy while promoting, at the same time, our culture and tradition.

All photos are the courtesy of Peri and Demetris Vronti.

Time Out in Protaras

Saturday was the last day of classes before the Greek Easter break. Most private language schools here break up  during the Easter weekend only, which is next week, but I feel that after a long term and exams coming up soon, we all need a break. I'll be back to school on April 23rd after what I think is a well-deserved holiday for both my students and myself.  Soon after classes yesterday, Alkis picked me up and spent the night in Protaras located at about 50 km from Larnaca. As always, we stayed at The Golden Coast Hotel which has been my favourite hotel in the area for years.

 

We had lunch at Christos Fish Tavern in Ayia Napa while enjoying the great sunny weather as much as we could.  It seems that we're in for stormy days next week!  In the evening, we had dinner with some very good friends of ours at one of Ayia Napa's greatest Italian restaurants - De Medici. I had proscuitto  with strawberries, pear salad and grated parmesan for starters and tagliatelle with salmon and a divine pink sauce for main course. Unfortunately, there was no room for dessert! 

Today, after breakfast at the the Golden Coast terrace facing the sea, we went back to Larnaca and did most of our Easter shopping.

Saturday Night Out at Ktima Georgiadi

Located on the old road Nicosia-Limassol, between Skarinou and Kofinou, at about 25 km from Larnaca, Ktima Georgiadi is probably one of the best options in Cyprus for a night out with good friends or family. The well-known Greek Cypriot singer Stella Georgiadi and her brother Pieris have made their father's dream come true: the return to innocence, the return to their roots, the return to tradition far away from the bright lights of the city. 

Ktima Georgiadi - my friend Andreas Morfitis on the dance floor.

Stella Georgiadi Live

My friend Andreas Morfitis who invited us to a great night out at Ktima Georgiadi.

My friends Stavros Rossos and Andreas Morfitis - alias "gerondas" - wise man.

Pieris and Stella have turned a traditional, old mansion into a Greek taverna  where you can let off steam, eat, drink, dance  and sing with Stella and her band.  In the summer, you can enjoy the show under the stars and the orange trees where Stella and her siblings played when they were kids.

Stella Georgiadi and her daughter Eleftheria who had her b-day yesterday. Her gorgeous mum sang Happy Birthaday to Eleftheria.

Stella Georgiadi who did not hesitate to give up on a bright career as a singer in Athens and return to her roots.

My husband Alkis

Last night, Alkis and I had a great time there with good friends. After a long week at work, it was THE perfect night out. Stella will welcome you to her mansion with an old Greek song which she sings amongst her guests without music or micro. A big hand follows and then the show begins with Stella and her band.  Prices are reasonable, yet the food needs to be improved. 

 

Photos and video by Anastasia Marou for Anastasia

 

Oh Almond Tree!

Early spring in Cyprus has almost invariably been the herald of our long, hot summer. By mid February the first almond trees blossom resisting the cold or the rain and decorating an almost arid land with their gorgeous pink and white flowers.

PHOTO CREDIT

After the countryside has been drenched with much needed water, the magic begins.  It never ceases to amaze me how plants can withstand such intense changes in temperature, yet still survive. Once the middle of March arrives, every wild flower imaginable literally springs into life and the countryside is awash with the most amazing kind of flora. Temperatures go up to 20-23 Celcius (70-73 F) . We get rid of jumpers, coats and boots and change into lighter, more summery clothes.

This year, however, spring hasn't come yet and it's already mid March. Despite some sunny intervals, it's still as cold as in February and we're in for a cold spell at the weekend with temps going down to 12-14 C (45-50 F). I've been living in Larnaca since 1985 and have never seen such a rainy and cold winter. Right now March feels like January or February. The Halcyon Days we normally get in late January or early February are gone with the wind.

Yet, the pink and white blossoms of the almond tree do not fear this unusually cold weather.

CNN Doesn't Know Where Cyprus Is!

Photo Credit

CNN International has been left red faced after reporting on APOEL FC’s Champions League victory with a map of Nicosia in Sicily in the background.

“We are sorry about this error,” a CNN official said in an email to the Cyprus Mail yesterday. “The story ran once and was immediately corrected.”

Nicosia team APOEL made history on Wednesday, when it became the first Cypriot team to make the last eight of any European competition, after beating Olympique Lyon and making it to the Champions League quarter finals.

CNN confused the local capital with the small Sicilian city in the province of Enna, southern Italy, which has a population of under 15,000.

 

Source

Women in Cyprus

Kleri Angelidou is a well known philologist in Cyprus and an awarded writer and poet. She has served as a Minister of Education and Culture in Cyprus and as a Member of Parliament. Kleri is an honorary member of the International Women’s Association and she is also the Honorary President of the Greek Language Association and the Lions Club Arsinoe.Kleri Angelidou has been awarded with an honorary PhD by the University of Athens and also by the University of Middlesex, London.

Greek Cypriot women have seen a gradual change in their role as players in the economic revival of the country since the Turkish invasion in 1974. This has been achieved through their increased participation in the island’s economic activity, the updating of family and labour law, the public awareness of women’s issues and the government’s policy for the promotion of gender equality. The contribution of Cypriot women in the overall development of the country is evident:

• Women’s share in the total labour force rose from 30% in 1976, to 37% in 1985 and 44% today
• 62.1% of all women aged 15-64 years are integrated in the labour force
• 31% of Greek  Cypriot women over 20 completed tertiary level  education compared to 29% of Greek Cypriot men

But there is still a long way to go when it comes to gender equality in the workforce:

• Only 14.4% of high posts are held by Greek Cypriot women
• While women are paid an average of 17.4% less per hour than men across the EU, the gap for Greek Cypriot women is 24%

Cyprus is essentially a male society. Patriarchy, the social system in which a male is the family head and primary authority is still very much alive. This is probably due to the political conflict that prevails on the island. The island’s institutions, represented mainly by men, have been focused on the Cyprus issue since 1974, marginalising thus any other important issues such as women’s rights and gender equality. As a result, Greek Cypriot women still have a long way to go through before claiming their liberation from a system which traps both genders.

Traditionally, the expected primary role for Greek  Cypriot women has been to get married and have children and all other achievements were perceived as secondary. Nowadays, Greek-Cypriot women are split when asked if they believe that their social role is different from men’s.

Greek Cypriot women do not talk much about themselves, what they want and their achievements. This is due to gender socialization, which promotes the norm for women to speak very little about themselves and when they do, to be judged as inappropriately showing off. Another reason related to women’s socialization is that women are expected to listen rather than speak, and to focus on caring and serving the needs of others, especially their children.

While many Greek  Cypriot women work outside the home, they are usually expected to fulfil the traditional domestic roles of housewife and mother. Even when these women have full-time jobs, they usually expect little help from their spouses or male children.  To my mind , they are to blame up to a certain extent. Most Greek Cypriot women  often forget that apart from children, they have a husband too. This may account for the increase of divorce in the last 20 years.

It was Mao Zedong who first wrote: “ Women  hold up half the sky.”   

What's the status of women in your country? What are their hopes and aspirations?

Monday's Greek Recipe - Melitzanes Imam Baildi - Imam Baildi Aubergines

For the Greeks, the Great Lent has already begun. This is a  time period of about 40  days before the Greek Holy Easter. During this time most Greeks fast and avoid eating meat and dairy products. 

Ingredients

10 aubergines / eggplants)

6 onions cut in rings

6-8 cloves garlic sliced

1 tea cup olive oil

1 tbs sugar

some finely cut parsley

6 ripe tomatoes finely chopped and peeled

salt and pepper

Directions

1. Peel the aubergines in stripes, cut one edge but do NOT remove the stem and put them in salted cold water for about 30 minutes so that they open up like ...small boats.. Then squeeze the aubergines with your hands.

2. In a bowl mix the onions, tomatoes, garlic, parsely, sugar, salt and pepper.

3. Fill in the aubergines with this mixture and pour the rest over them. Add the olive oil plus a cup of water. 

6. Put them one next to another in a baking pan and bake in pre-heated oven for about 1 hour at 170*C (= 325 Fahrenheit).

7. Serve with some crushed feta cheese. 

 

Dancing with the Greeks

 

Greece is one of the few countries in the world where folk dances are as alive today as they were in ancient times. Dance has always played an important role in the life of a Greek. It is an expression of human feelings and everyday life. The Greeks danced at religious festivals, ceremonies; they danced to ensure fertility; to prepare for war and to celebrate victories; they danced at weddings; to overcome depression and to cure physical illness. Almost every dance has a story to tell. Dance was regarded as one of the highest forms of art. Plato agreed with his mentor Socrates that every educated man should know how to dance gracefully by which he meant the manly exercises that kept the body strong and supple and ready to do its duty on the battlefield. The Pyrrhic, or weapon dance (a form of mock combat) taken from Crete and perfected in Sparta, was the ideal.

 

The dance, of all the arts, is the one that most influences the soul. Dancing is divine in its nature and is the gift of the gods. Plato

Traditional dance continues to be passed from generation to generation, which in turns maintains national identity. Folklore is the term used for traditional dance when performed out of its traditional social context. The principal characteristic of folklore dance is that it is not transmitted in a traditional manner but by a process involving dance teachers and gym instructors.

CHARACTERISTICS

There are two distinct categories in the traditional Greek dance; the springing/leaping dance and the shuffle/dragging dance known as sirtos; the latter being the oldest form of dance. Most dances are circle dances, start with the right foot and move counter-clockwise. Each dancer is linked by a handkerchief or by holding hands, wrists or shoulders. In mixed dances, the man will lead the dance, which allows him in most regions to improvise or break away allowing him to express himself. Until recently, men and women rarely danced together although chains of men and women danced together at the same time, the women in the inner circle and the men in the outer circle. The order of dance varies from region to region. In general, the men are commonly at the beginning in descending order of age, followed by the women also ranked according to seniority. Sometimes the married men come before the bachelors and likewise for the women. The oldest inhabitant always leads the dance. In the islands the circle is usually formed of groups of families, the husband leads the wife who is followed by the eldest son, his wife and their children etc. Occasionally the local priest will lead the first dance symbolising a blessing. In olden times a man never held a woman’s hand but a kerchief. This also applied to married couples. In some regions a woman could not dance next to a man who was not family: therefore a child or an elderly would be placed in between. Most women's dances are slow, simple and dignified

 

via www.nostos.com

Monday's Greek Recipe - Psarosoupa me Trahana - Fish Soup with Trahana

 

4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped

1 kilo (2 pounds) grouper or other gelatinous Aegean or Mediterranean fish, bones in, cut into serving pieces
1 medium carrot, pared and cut into diagonal slices

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup Cretan or Cyprus  sour trahana, dampened until soft
Extra virgin Greek olive oil and fresh parsley sprigs for garnish

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot and cook the onion until soft.
Add the fish and saute lightly.
Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a platter. Add the carrot
and celery to the onions.

2. Pour in l litter (1 quart) of water.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Add the fish back in the pot. Put the lemon juice and cook until the fish is fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside, and keep warm. Add the trahana to the pot.

Simmer until tender.

3. Place fish back into pot and serve in soup plates, garnished with raw
olive oil and parsley.

Recipe by Demitris and Michalis Mavrikos