One of the most overlooked parts of European cooking are the simple joys of a good loaf of bread.
Bread in North America is a bland thing, and real bakeries are usually a thing of the past. In countries like Italy, where food remains a craft, the humble loaf of bread is celebrated, and that loaf is not the "Italian bread" of the local supermarket.
Italy is a country that is well known for its grain and bread. Central Italy, with its Campanian Plain, is the best place for growing wheat in the Mediterranean World.
Long before pasta came along, a good loaf of bread was the cornerstone of the Italian diet, and sopping a good dish of seasoned olive oil up with bread is still a common, simple way to have a quick snack in Italy.
Most Italian bread recipes have olive oil and some form of herbs in them, so the variety is usually found in the subtleties.
The standard Italian Bread Recipe requires a standard 7-gram package of yeast, 2 teaspoons salt, 6.5 cups flour, and some olive oil. The yeast and salt are mixed together in a bowl with about 2.5 cups warm water.
Then the flour is added and thoroughly mixed. Once the dough is made to a consistent texture, move it to an oiled bowl, and coat the top with oil as well. Then let it rise. After about half an hour, return to spread flour across the counter, get out the rolling pin, and start kneading.
Once the dough has been thoroughly kneaded, it can be split in half, and shaped into a pair of loaves. Put them on an oiled cookie sheet, split the tops with a knife, and let them sit for another half hour to one hour.
Heat the oven to 375 (Degree)F and bake for 45 minutes. That is all it takes to make the classic farm-style rustic Italian bread. This is a recipe that opens itself up to a great deal of improvisation.
It can be bent towards the Italian Summer Bread recipe simply by adding a quarter cup of grated parmesan cheese, 2 gloves worth of grated garlic, and 2 tablespoons of chopped basil.
Italian flat bread uses the same basic recipe, with the only changes being that the yeast is reduced to 1/4 of the package, and the dough is spread out on the cookie sheets, and not formed into loaves.
These recipes can give an authentic Italian touch to any kitchen, and are a good introduction to the simple and easy pleasures of home baking.
Once you have baked a loaf of your own Italian bread, take it outside with a dish of olive oil and a nice bottle of Chianti, and see what you think.
Greece is a country with extensive coastlines, beautiful beaches, and numerous islands for aquatic activity lovers. However, it is also a country with a distinct culture and a cuisine that has much more to offer than simply its beaches.
The Greek civilisation is an ancient civilisation, which means that it is very cultured, and has had a huge role in shaping the arts, literature, and philosophy of our modern civilisations. The cuisine of the country is very much the same and reflects its old roots, but at the same time has started blending in foreign influences to meet the new trends. This makes it very interesting to try and is very appealing to most tourists.
The cuisine has borrowed a lot in recent times from the neighbouring countries like Turkey and Italy, and you will find many similar dishes as well. The traditional food in Greece is Mediterranean, with a lot of vegetables and herbs in the food. It uses a lot of the local food, has grains in it, and is very filling and healthy.
Seafood is also very popular. Also, since the country has a large number of poultry and dairy stock, there are a lot of chicken, beef, pork, and especially lamb dishes. The locals use a lot of olive oil, as it a local product, as well as lemon and tomatoes. Bread and wine is almost a necessity in all meals.
You will find Greek food in Greece to be very different from Greek food at any Greek restaurant you visit in your own country. This is because Greek restaurants abroad cater to the tastes of that locality, and do not really reflect the cuisine in its original form. For example, while you may think that Gyros are a very popular food in Greece; you will be surprised to find out that this is not true. Most Greeks think of this as junk food and do not eat it.
In Greece, popular fast food items include Gyros, which is meat in pita bread. Soulaki is grilled meat served on a skewer, and Greek dips like Tzatziki and Skordhalia are also popular.
For restaurant meals, try grilled octopus, which is quite popular and easily available, as well as achinosalata, which are sea-urchin eggs. Greek salads are very healthy and go well with all meals. These are usually heavily filled with tomatoes, feta cheese, and olives. Another dish to try is Moussaka, which has eggplant as its main ingredient. Grilled lamb chops are also very popular, as are fried potatoes (which are often listed as chips in menus). Dessert is Baklava, which is made of very thin pastry layers, and is an import of Turkey.
While in Greece, make sure you take in the local wine. Greece is a country that has been producing wine for many centuries, and most of these are not available in the international market, so you can only try them in Greece. You should also try local liquor like Ouzo, Raki, and Tsikoudia. Local beer brands include Mythos and Alpha, and are pretty good.
A non-alcoholic beverage to try is coffee. This is an important part of the local culture, and you will find cafes all over the country. It is lighter than Turkish coffee but is still thicker and stronger than what most tourists are used to.
[simpleaffiliate source="chitika" results="0"][/simpleaffiliate] how to make large thin puffy turkish flatbread?
While in Gumbet, Turkey, we had some delicious chicken kebabs the large thin breads were all puffed up when they came out of the oven and were then wrapped around the filling to be eaten like a long, round sandwich. Does anyone know how to make this bread?
Turkish flat bread , the very soft , thin kind is known here as Lavas ( pronounced Lavash).There is not a crisp version like in the Middle East. Its used primarily as a base for grilled kebabs and kofte , also rolled in a wrap called Durum with various meats , salad and tomatoes inside. It is usually cooked in a clay wood- burning oven and should be eaten right away, a pizza oven would be the best option for getting the authentic taste from the bricks.
The recipe is pretty basic,
3kg flour 1.5 litre water 100g yeast 60g salt 60g sugar
Mix all the ingredients together and allow to sit covered in a warm place for an hour to allow the dough to rise.When ready knock back and form into 50g balls,Roll out on a floured work surface until very thin approx 2 mm. Put on a wooden spatula and place in the oven , cook on both sides for approx 3 minutes , remove and serve,Cover with a soft cloth if you will not use straight away as it will dry out quickly.
In a hot skillet cook some small pieces of diced lamb in olive oil with some dry thyme , salt and black pepper .When ready add a little butter and red chili flakes to finish .Open out the lavas bread and put the lamb pieces down one side,add thinly sliced onion , flat leaf parsley , chopped tomatoes and a drizzle of yogurt and lemon. Roll up to form a wrap and serve sandwich style wrapped in paper.
Symi Island History From 164 AD to the 20th Century
Many records no longer exist, and much of the ancient history is open to speculation. The following (and other articles about the history of the island) are based on what evidence I have found in books and notes made by local historians.
Roman times (around 164 AD)
Evidence of the Roman occupation can be seen at Nimborios (Emborios) in the form of a Roman floor mosaic and the early Christian Basilica - now much added to. More evidence can be found at the Symi Folk Museum, upper Horio in the parish of Agia Triatha. These artefacts, including pedestals and sculptures, have been collected from all around the island.
Byzantine times
And if you are on Symi: As you approach the Castro, stop at the bottom of the final slope and look to the old walls. Here you will see the last remaining evidence of a Byzantine wall. This consists of large, dark grey boulders that start on a slope; by the time they reach the top of the wall though they are flat.
1204
Constantinople was conquered by the Franks. Meanwhile, the governor of Rhodes, one Leon Gavalos, made himself 'Caesar' and created an independent state that included Symi. Something we'd all like to be able to do I am sure.
'Good morning dear, what are you doing today?'
'Thought I'd make myself Caesar actually.'
'That sounds like hard work dear, pass the toast would you?'
'Well, no one else has the title so I may as well. Think I will include that nice little island in my empire too, the one you like to go to for your holidays. Any more tea in the pot?'
1224
But twenty years later a Byzantine fleet captured Rhodes and they also took Symi while they were about it. The island thus came under the jurisdiction of the Nicaean Empire. The Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the states founded by refugees from the Byzantine Empire after Constantinople was conquered during the Fourth Crusade. It lasted from 1204 to 1261.
I am getting the impression that there are a lot of displaced people sailing around the Aegean at this point, all staking claims to islands as quickly as possible, in case someone else has their eye on the same piece of real estate. This trend continued over time and the practice of grabbing the best spot in the Aegean can still be seen on beaches, and around swimming pools, where a similar scramble for the sun beds happens to this day.
1261
Symi became part of the Byzantine Empire, again. Well, I wish someone would make up their mind as to who is going to have it.
1278
Rhodes and surrounding islands, including Symi, are 'given' to Delkavo of Genoa
'Happy birthday Delkavo my old mate. I got you this gift...'
'Oh you shouldn't have.'
'That's what the islanders said. But there you go.'
1282
The island is given to Andronicus Palaeologus and his brother.
'Hi boys, how's it going?'
'Hello Delkavo, what's up?'
'Well, I got this island for my birthday a few years back and I really can't be done with it any more. I don't suppose you'd like it would you?'
'Why not, never had an island of our own before. What's it like in the winter?'
1309 to 1522
Knights of St. John
Now, at last, we can settle down for a bit, well, for 213 years, and even those years were not always very settling ones for Symi.
Evidence of the occupation of the Knights of St John (later The Knights of Malta) can be seen on 'the iron gate', the original entrance to the Castro fortification. You will see here the coat of arms, on a marble plaque, of the senior magistrate, D'Amboise (1503 to 1512) and, on the blue and white church inside the Castro grounds, stone plaques showing coats of arms for the hospitaler order and other Grand Masters.
1460, 1485, 1504
Symi is repeatedly attacked by the Turks, and defended. A situation which, I am pleased to report, doesn't happen these days. In fact our neighbours across the water are welcomed with open arms. And people visiting or living on Symi can pop across and do some shopping at the Saturday market; a popular day trip if you are here in the summer.
1522
Ottoman Empire
One day in 1522 Symi found itself under Ottoman rule but, unlike other islands, it received special status and enjoyed autonomy and self-government. During this time the main business of the island was ship building, but Symi also gained its 'special status' from providing the mainland with sponges and bread.
And from now on the island's history is better documented, so expect a lot of dates:
18th century
1750 - The building that now houses the Folk Museum was built as a private house.
1765 - 1821 The 'Museum of the Symiot Land' flourished. This was a school situated at Ag. Marina on the outskirts of the village, not on the beach of the same name, much to the annoyance of its pupils. They were doubtless even more frustrated by the fact that this was a boarding school and they were required to stay there throughout the week, with their homes in view across the valley.
1775 - Symi had an Ottoman overseer on the island, being paid by the islanders. He had no particular responsibility on the island and was only really there 'for show'. Money for old rope if you ask me.
19th century
1815 - Symi had 50 large sailing ships and 50 fishing ships.
1821 - The Greek Revolution happened
Whoa! That was a bit of a sweeping statement.
Actually the Greek Revolution started on 25th March 1821 and finished, if you like, on 22nd March 1829, when the modern Greek state was created. The revolution came about because people were pretty feed up with 400 years of Ottoman rule and fancied having their own country back thank you very much.
There are many stories, and heroes of this conflict that are worthy of more than my flippancy, and there are many books about the subject if you are interested to learn more. I'm simply not up to the task of distilling this crucial period of Greek history into a few light paragraphs.
1863 - The Skafandro (the mechanical sponge diving machine and suit) was introduced to the island; 'naked' diving though continued. And before you get excited, 'naked' diving involved the diver holding his breath, sinking by holding a 'bell stone', gathering sponges, dropping the stone, floating to the surface and pulling the stone back up again. Were the divers actually naked? I advise you to visit the folk museum, where you can see some original bell stones, but no naked divers, and ask the curator. Don't miss the Nautical Museum in Yialos either (at the back of the man square), and any of the sponge sellers will happily give you an interesting account of the sponge diving history of Symi. They will even more happily sell you a sponge.
1869 - Turkey restricted Symi's privileges this year, raised taxes and abolished its free port status. I get the impression that someone upset someone important around now.
1872 - The first 'reading room' of the Aegean was founded on Symi, the 'Aigli'.
1874 - The reading room produced its own periodical.
1885 - Turkish rulers introduced censuses for goods and property. There were violent reactions. However, trade flourished and large mansion houses were built. As were more churches; Roukouniotis and Panormitis, among others, were in their heyday.
For more information about Symi and to find out more about author James Collins, go to www.symidream.com
Hi fellow seniors, could you please give me some ideas for topping a pizza?
I have never in fact made my own pizza and only occasionally buy them but I've decided to use up some small shredded pieces of turkey, a few small pieces of chunky ham and place them on some sliced open lengthwise baguettes topped with a drizzle of tomato puree and sparsely grated cheese.
That's as far as I've got.
Anymore suggestions please to make an interesting display and I think a healthier option. Thank you so much everyone, there is a wealth of suggestions here, I'm spoilt for choice.
I learned make a good pizza in Sardinia (large island north of Sicily) where I was stationed for 3 1/2 years. Take FRESH dough, roll it out, toss it (if you can), put a light layer of olive oil, then the pizza sauce, then the shredded cheese. ONE layer or 2...more is a waste. Then put what ever toppings you like. I used to go to one pizzeria in Santa Teresa where you never got the same thing 2 days in a row when you ordered a Capriciossa Pizza..(crazy, mixed up) because upstairs he had a restaurant and downstairs was the pizzeria. Many of his left overs went on the Capriciossa the next day. The more you put on the pizza the more difficult it is to bake it thoroughly without burning the crust. I was a 'duty manager' of a Little Ceasar's for a while...never did care for theirs OR Domino's (I cooked at one Domino's in 1977). I like Pizza Hut, but they're too slow and sometimes they under cook. We order ours from Papa John's here in Virginia Beach. But as far as I know, no one puts the olive oil on the dough before the pizza sauce.
ASK THE CHEF: Pizza without Tomato (Béchamel sauce)
