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​Lenten Wine Koulourakia

4/6/2020

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These delectable koulourakia made with wine, olive oil, and spices are the perfect go-to when you want something subtly sweet during this long fasting period, and for you dunkers out there (that includes us!), they pair exceptionally well with coffee or tea. We’ve taken a traditional recipe and adapted it to vegan standards…and then we went a little overboard and added a chocolate-stripe variation, because we all need a little extra comfort sometimes. Make them with your kids, parents, siblings, and friends and share the beautiful love of baking up some sweet memories together!

Koulourakia with Wine (κουλουράκια με κρασί) / Krasokoulourakia (κρασοκουλουράκια)

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koulourakia twists with white wine
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koulourakia S-shape with red wine
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koulourakia with dark red wine & oil
​Simple, quick, flavorful, and fun are the baking orders of the day. These crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside cookies will have you asking if they’re really Lenten. They are, and, you’re welcome!
 
Kouzina Tip: The dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks, so make it ahead to bake later or prepare the dough, bake half, and save the rest for another time.
 
PREP TIME: 15 minutes plus standing
BAKING TIME: about 20 minutes per batch
MAKES: 20 to 30 cookies (depending on the shape/size you make)
 
4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup Greek sweet red wine (like Mavrodaphne) for dark cookies or Greek sweet white wine for light cookies (the color of the baked cookies will depend on the color of the wine and olive oil, see photos above)
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
 
1. In a large bowl, sift together 3 1/2 cups flour and the baking powder; make a well in center. To the well, add the olive oil and sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and zest. With orange juice in a cup, stir in the baking soda until dissolved and foaming; pour into well and whisk into the oil mixture. Whisk in the wine until of the ingredients in the well are combined. Gradually stir in the surrounding flour until all is incorporated. Kneed the dough just until the dough is smooth, soft, and not sticky (don’t over handle the dough). If sticky, gradually kneed in just enough of the remaining 1/2 cup flour until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and can be rolled out into a smooth rope shape.
 
2. Cover the dough with a clean dry kitchen towel and let rest 20 minutes. (Can be made ahead. After resting, wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and seal in a resealable plastic storage bag, pressing out air, and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Let stand at room temperature until softened enough to roll before continuing with recipe, 30 minutes to 1 hour.)
 
3. Line 2 large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them with vegetable shortening. Arrange 2 racks in lower and upper thirds of oven. Heat oven to 350°F.
 
4. Briefly kneed dough before shaping. (If dough becomes oily at any time while making the cookies, kneed until oil is absorbed, then continue rolling out cookies.)
For a twist shape: Roll about 1 tablespoon of dough into a 4- to 5-inch rope, fold in half, and twist.
For S shape: Roll about 1 tablespoon of dough into a 5-inch rope, roll one end to the middle and roll the other end in the opposite direction to the middle.
 
5. Place cookies 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush with water and sprinkle with sesame, if desired. Bake about 20 minutes (add 5 to 10 minutes for larger/thicker cookies), switching baking sheets up and down halfway through, until browned. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks.
​

Cocoa & Cream Wine Koulourakia

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​For these Lenten black-and-white koulourakia twists, we’re basically dividing the Koulourakia with Wine ingredients in half and adding cocoa powder to the dry flour mixture for the chocolate dough (and making minor adjustments to the spices). Set up two sets of bowls and cups so you can measure out ingredients and make the two doughs simultaneously.
 
Kouzina Tip: The dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks, so make it ahead to bake later or prepare the dough, bake half, and save the rest for another time.
 
PREP TIME: 15 minutes plus standing
BAKING TIME: about 20 minutes per batch
MAKES: about 30 cookies
 
WHITE-WINE DOUGH
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons Greek sweet white wine
*
CHOCOLATE DOUGH
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons Greek sweet red wine (like Mavrodaphne) for dark cookies or Greek sweet while wine for lighter cookies (the color of the chocolate part of the cookie will depend on the color of the wine and olive oil)
 
1. Make White Dough: In a medium bowl, sift together 1 3/4 cups flour and the baking powder; make a well in center. To the well, add the olive oil and sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and zest. With orange juice in a cup, stir in the baking soda until dissolved and foaming; pour into well and whisk into the oil mixture. Whisk in the wine until all of the ingredients in the well are combined. Gradually stir in the surrounding flour until all is incorporated. Kneed the dough just until the dough is smooth, soft, and not sticky (don’t overhandle the dough). If sticky, gradually kneed in just enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and can be rolled out into a smooth rope shape.
 
2. Make Chocolate Dough: In a medium bowl, sift together 1 1/4 cups flour, the cocoa powder, and baking powder; make a well in center. To the well, add the olive oil and sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in the cinnamon and zest. With orange juice in a cup, stir in the baking soda until dissolved and foaming; pour into well and whisk into the oil mixture. Whisk in the wine until all of the ingredients in the well are combined. Gradually stir in the surrounding flour until all is incorporated. Kneed the dough just until the dough is smooth, soft, and not sticky (don’t overhandle the dough). If sticky, gradually kneed in just enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and can be rolled out into a smooth rope shape.
 
2. Cover each bowl of dough with a clean dry kitchen towel and let rest 20 minutes. (Can be made ahead. After resting, separately wrap each dough tightly in plastic wrap and seal in a resealable plastic storage bag, pressing out air, and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Let stand at room temperature until softened enough to roll before continuing with recipe, 30 minutes to 1 hour.)
 
3. Line 2 large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease the sheets with vegetable shortening. Arrange 2 racks in lower and upper thirds of oven. Heat oven to 350°F.
 
4. Briefly kneed dough before shaping. (If dough becomes oily at any time while making the cookies, kneed until oil is absorbed, then continue rolling out cookies.) Roll out about 1 tablespoon of each dough color into 3- to 4-inch ropes, place side by side and twist, tucking ends under, for a two-tone cookie.
 
5. Place cookies 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake about 20 minutes, switching baking sheets up and down halfway through, until cookies are browned. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely. To give them a shine, while still warm, very lightly coat the tops with olive oil, then let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks.
 
Recipes by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
Copyright © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style  

 
More about Greek Orthodox Lenten cuisine can be found in our blog, Lenten Cuisine~A Faith Inspired Journey.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s Lenten cookies. Recipes for other Lenten foods can be found in our Meze and Spreads & Dips cookbooks. Stay tuned for future blogs on foods and customs relating to this Holy season of fasting and spiritual awakening.

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.
 
Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday!
 
Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!
 
Kelly
 
Resources
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Great Lent


Copyright © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    
 
Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos​
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Cookie Bloopers & Laughs

12/30/2019

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TAKE 1…or 5…or 48!

Welcome to our year-end Christmas cookie video-series finale where we answer the question, how many “takes” does it take to make a video in Kukla’s Kouzina? Well, that depends on how well you know your lines and how long you can keep a straight face. Between having fun in the kitchen and trying to stay focused for the camera, it became a hysterical challenge (that we recorded) and we had to wait 24 hours for the giggles to wear off before trying again to get it right. 
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Kelly flubs her lines, launching the contagious laughter to follow
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Jackie & Joanne laugh their way through rehearsal

We saved the best for last

While reviewing the cookie videos for our blog, we realized that there’s no better way to ring in the New Year than with laughter. So, for the final reel in this video series, I put together some of the blooper clips that were too funny to leave on the cutting room floor. As you’ll see, it takes dozens and dozens of takes when contagious LOL moments take over.

You’ve seen our serious side, now come into our kouzina and see how quickly it can turn into Kouzina Komedy!
I hope you enjoyed laughing with us in our kouzina and stepping behind the scenes to see some of the hard work—and suppressing an infectious laugh is just that, especially for the director/videographer—that goes into making a cooking video. Stay tuned for more videos (and possible bloopers) from our kouzina to yours!

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.

Thanks for following us and for making this year a very special one for Kukla’s Kouzina! We wish you a very blessed and Happy New Year.

See you next Monday!
​
Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!

Kelly

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Copyright © 2019 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    

Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
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Melomakarona~Finikia: Shaping, Filling & Dipping

12/16/2019

8 Comments

 
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Welcome to our December Christmas cookies how-to video series. This week we’re making our showstopper Melomakarona / Finikia (μελομακάρονα / φοινίκια)—nutty, spiced cookies drenched in a honey syrup. They’re delicately tender and a perfectly sweet indulgence. We’ll show you how to roll and fill them, then how to syrup and top them. Step into our kouzina and see how we do Melomakarona!

step-by-step

Here’s a photo how-to on making Melomakarona one step at a time. 
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1. roll into a ball
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4. add nut filling
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7. pinch seam to seal
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10. textured cookie
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2. press in the center to indent
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5. filled center
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8. roll to smooth
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11. ready to bake
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3. indented center
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6. shape up sides to cover and seal in filling
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9. roll on a textured surface on one side
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12. up close
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13. baked and ready to syrup
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14. Finikia fini!
I hope you enjoyed your visit to our kouzina and learning what goes into making this very special holiday cookie. More videos to come from our kouzina to yours!

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.

Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday.

Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!

Kelly

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Copyright © 2019 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    

Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
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Koulourakia~Making the Perfect Twists

12/9/2019

11 Comments

 
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Welcome to our December Christmas cookies how-to video series. This week it’s all about making Koulourakia (κουλουράκια), a delicately crisp butter cookie that’s traditionally formed in the shape of an “S” or a twist, then brushed with egg and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Our focus is on how to work the dough and roll out beautiful twists, since this is the trickiest of all the shapes. Come into our kouzina and see how it’s done!

step-by-step

Now here’s a photo how-to on making Koulourakia one step at a time. 

First, we couldn’t help but lick the bowl (and beater) but we don’t recommend you taste the batter like we did…there are raw eggs in there. Save your appetite for the baked cookies. They’re worth waiting for!    
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1. roll into a ball
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4. cross over
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7. fill the tray
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2. roll out the ball into a rope (about 4” long)
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5. twist from the top
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8. brush with egg
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3. fold
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6. the perfect twist
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9. sprinkle with sesame (if desired)

Christmas cut-outs (for children young & old-er)

Roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness and cut out into your favorite shapes like stars, angels, and candy canes. Growing up we loved camel and tree shapes. Transfer cut-outs to your cookie sheet, brush them with beaten egg, and sprinkle with colored sugar.
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cut-outs brushed with egg
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baked cut-outs
I hope you enjoyed your visit to our kouzina and being a part of twisting and cutting out Koulourakia. Stay tuned for more Greek cookie videos this month!

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.

Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday!

Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!

Kelly
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Copyright © 2019 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    

Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
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The Art of Making Kourambiedes

12/2/2019

6 Comments

 
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December is all about making our Christmas cookies in Kukla’s Kouzina, so we put together a series of how-to videos of our mom's (Kukla's) most-requested favorites. Following in our Kukla’s footsteps, we bake about 200 of each cookie to share with friends and family for the holidays, so now is the perfect time to welcome you into our kouzina for a first-hand look at how we do it.

We kick off this series with Kourambiedes (κουραμπιέδες), a tender Greek shortbread cookie dusted with confectioners’ sugar that melts in your mouth (seriously!). These cookies are so extraordinary that they’re also made for weddings and special occasions. Our focus this week is on the perfect dough texture, how to roll out the cookies, and how to dust them after baking. 

NOTE: The dough texture here applies to most of our cookies, so keep this in mind when we post new cookie videos.
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shaping & placing on a greased heavy-duty baking sheet
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dusted Kourambiedes - ready to eat!
I hope you enjoyed your visit to our kouzina and being a part of the magic of making Kourambiedes. Stay tuned for more Greek holiday cookie videos this month!

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.

Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday!

Until then~
Kali orexi!  Good appetite!

Kelly

Copyright © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    

Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
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Growing Up In Kukla’s Kouzina

8/26/2019

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ong ago in a kouzina far, far away, two little girls learned the art of Greek cooking and baking from the master, their mom, Mary (a.k.a. Kukla).    

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Okay, so it wasn’t that long ago and our kouzina (kitchen) was in Brooklyn Heights, so maybe not that far away, but my sister Joanne and I did start our kitchen training at a very young age and there wasn’t one thing our mom didn’t know how to cook when it came to Greek and Karpathian food.

 
Join us for this very special blog on our Kukla, growing up in her kouzina, and her unparalleled lessons that put us on the road to writing our cookbook series. 

This is where it all began!
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Cooking with Kukla  

Our earliest memory of cooking, or in this case baking, was at the ages of four and five when our mom sat us down on a frosty December morning to make our Christmas cookies. But these weren’t just any cookies, they were Greek, which translated into us learning techniques such as rolling, filling, and decorating—not just for one but three different kinds of cookies, Melomakarona/Finikia, Kourambiedes, and Koulourakia. And we weren’t making just a few dozen, it was 200 of each kind. 

These cookies were so special that our mom would package them up with pretty silk bows and ornaments and give them as Christmas gifts to all of her friends and co-workers every year…they were eagerly anticipated and seriously appreciated. 

By the time we were in high school we realized why she got us started so young, she needed the help!


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Melomakarona/Finikia (dark with nuts), Kourambiedes (white-powdered sugar), and Koulourakia (twists with sesame)
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Kukla with her decorated confections for a cousin's wedding.
The first cookie we learned how to make was Koulourakia. The idea was to roll out each piece of dough into a perfect rope before twisting it. In the beginning we repeatedly asked Mom “how come we can’t do it?”, frustrated because her ropes always looked so flawless and ours were skinny on one side and lumpy in the middle. 

She was so patient with us and explained that this dough needs to be worked well (thoroughly kneaded) before rolling, and we had to start at the center of the rope, rolling it gently out to the ends. She said the more we practice and get a feel for the dough, the better our cookies will look and the easier it will get. This is how she learned from her mom. 
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PictureBusy Bee Diner: Uncles George & Bill
While we rolled and shaped and twisted, Mom shared stories about her family growing up in West Virginia and our papou (grandfather) working in the coal mines. Our yiayia (grandmother) would bribe the foreman with Greek food so he wouldn’t send Papou into the dangerous section of the mine. When she saved enough of Papou’s money, they opened the Busy Bee Diner and closed the coal-mine chapter, and the worry that went with it. Our uncles (who later opened a diner of their own in NYC’s Little Italy) teased her saying that she didn’t know how to cook American food.   She told them that if she could cook Greek, she could cook anything. Her chili, roast turkey, and brisket were just a few of the items on the menu (along with her Spanakopita, Souvlaki, and Moussaka) that made the Busy Bee a success.

It was during this shared time with Mom in our kitchen that we learned about more than just how to make cookies. We learned about our heritage and customs, as well as our grandparents humble beginnings. Our mom was laying down a foundation that we could build on. 
When Mom felt that we put enough time into making the Koulourakia, she gave us each a piece of dough to roll out and cut into Christmas shapes like trees, camels, bells, and stars…this was the part we loved! We’d sprinkle our cookies with red and green sugar and bake them alongside our mom’s twists. The smell coming from the oven was heaven and it ushered in the holiday season. 

Today we’re experts at making Koulourakia, and all of Mom's cookies—yes, practice does make perfect—and we taught my niece Jackie the same way our mom taught us. We knock out 600 cookies in a two-day marathon and Jackie is always eager to get started. In fact, Jackie has been our official sugar-duster and nut-sprinkler since she was four—and she gets her own piece of dough to cut out and decorate just like we did. Plus we never have to worry about over-baking—from the moment Jackie could speak she’s been shouting out “COOKIES!” whenever the oven timer goes off…just in case we didn’t hear it. 
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Baking Bread in our Kouzina

When we were about six, our aunt Frances was baking bread, Yiayia’s recipe for Christopsomo (Christ’s Bread), and as soon as she took it out of the oven we were begging for a taste. She told us that she couldn’t cut the bread until it cooled a bit, otherwise it would be too wet on the inside. Each time she baked, we asked and got the same response. 

One night, while the 15-inch round loaf was cooling, the aroma was so intense that we just couldn’t wait. We devised a plan. While our mom and aunt were busy in the living room, we went into the kitchen and poked a couple of holes in the side of the loaf and pulled out some of the crumb. We turned the bread so our handiwork was hidden, ate our booty, and then went to watch TV. 

Later on we overheard our aunt telling Mom that she thought we had mice…actually two mice that got into the bread via perfectly round holes. The jig was up…we were disappointed to discover that we weren’t as clever as we thought! 
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Aunt Frances (Thia) baking in our kouzina
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(left to right) Aunt Frances, Kelly & Joanne
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The art of bread making so intrigued me that Aunt Frances taught me how to make Christopsomo when I was 10 years old and I’ve been baking it ever since. 

Passing on the bread-making tradition must be an aunt-niece thing because I introduced it to Jackie when she was two-and-a-half—we were speechless when we saw her instinctively kneading it like her grandma Mary. It's definitely in the genes!

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(left to right) Kelly & Jackie
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While I was busy making bread, Joanne was helping Mom make Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers. She remembers Mom telling her that she had to break up the ground beef for the filling with the back of a wooden spoon (Yiayia’s spoon actually), when browning it, until the texture was really fine…no lumps allowed! I still have that spoon and use it every time I brown ground beef. That was the first step in making a filling that had the perfect consistency. This technique was the basis for many of Mom’s recipes, including her meat sauce, Moussaka, Pastitsio, and so much more. Once you mastered it, you were ready to make it all!

Friday Night Grocery Run 

TGIF meant more to us than just the end of the school week. Friday was the day Mom would come home with bags of gourmet goodies from 9th Avenue (Hell’s Kitchen) in Manhattan. 

After work she’d head over to Esposito’s for the finest meats, including ground beef, thick-cut pork chops, shell steaks, calf's liver, chicken, and cold cuts.

Then she was off to International Grocery for feta, kasseri, olives, dried oregano on the stem, and all foods Greek (the Karamouzis brothers have owned the market for decades and still run it). 

Finally she checked out who had the freshest fish and picked out artisan bread from the local bakery. 
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Esposito's owner and our favorite butcher Robert (Bobby)
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Karamouzis brothers at International Grocery

Carrying bags weighing about 50 pounds in each hand (we joked with her, in a Greek accent,  that she was “strong like bull!”), she braved the subway and headed home. Joanne and I waited for Mom on the stoop of our brownstone and ran to her as soon as we spotted her coming down our block. We were so happy she was home and she was visibly thrilled to see us with hugs and kisses all around. 

Nights following a 9th-Avenue run meant we were having fresh ham-and-feta sandwiches with lettuce and tomato, all the ingredients from the treasures found in Mom’s shopping bags. She used to ask us not to tell anyone we were eating sandwiches for dinner, which we couldn’t understand because we thought this was the best meal ever!

Entertaining at Kukla's

When it came to entertaining, be it Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, or a dinner party, Mom was busily preparing, running back and forth between the kitchen and dining room, and making sure her guests had everything they needed. She was always the last one to sit down at the table and she encouraged everyone to start eating without her so the food wouldn’t get cold. 

For Mom it was about being on the serving end and creating a memorable evening. Her guests often told her that it was like going to a five-star restaurant. 

One night it was fruit salad flambé served as a first course—Mom always stressed that just because you’re serving a salad doesn’t mean it has to be ordinary, an opinion clearly demonstrated in her fish-shaped tuna salad complete with sliced-carrot scales and olive eyes. Another occasion it was shrimp cocktail arranged in scooped out pineapple halves (recipe in our Meze cookbook). 

Mom taught us that our focus should always be on great cuisine and its superb presentation—every day was a celebration of life and food!

The example she set took root when we were about 10 years old and decided to surprise Mom with an exotic meal when she came home from work, giving her a break from cooking that night. It was a Greek Luau…yes, I said “Greek”! Is there any other kind?
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Joanne & Mom at Thanksgiving
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Mom lighting the fruit salad flambé
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Mom filling pineapples with shrimp cocktail
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We prepared our mom’s lemon-chicken-and-potatoes recipe (using Cornish hens) and roasted the meal in an oven bag. While that was cooking, we cut the tops off of three pineapples and scooped out the insides (what can I say, we had a thing for pineapples). We filled the pineapples with fruit juice and topped each with a cherry-and-pineapple-skewered cocktail umbrella. We cut up the rest of the pineapple, combined it with other fruit, and served it for dessert. There was even a Greek salad. We spread out a blanket on our kitchen floor and set it with the pineapple drinks, tropical flowers, paper plates, napkins, and plastic utensils (so there would be no dish washing that night either). 

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As soon as we heard her coming up the stairs we turned down the lights and turned up the Hawaiian music to set the mood. We greeted her with a lei that matched the ones we were wearing and when she saw the spread she was beyond surprised, she was deeply touched and so proud of us. Not only did her young girls prepare dinner, it was an elaborate, creative effort that was inspired by our love for her and the standard she set for us. Though she wasn’t the type to eat on the floor, she did it because we went to all the trouble and she didn’t want us to feel bad. She quickly got over the seating arrangements and we had the best time. Each course was an “OMG, look at what you did” moment for her. We ate, we laughed, and we made a very special memory that warmed all of our hearts for years to come and especially today when those memories are so precious.

PictureKukla with her girls, Joanne & Kelly
We lived in a home abundant in love, laughter, and the familiar smell of something delicious being prepared in the kitchen. As tired as Mom was when she got home from work, cooking was never a chore and dinner was always extraordinary. Eating well was her first priority for us and food was something she didn’t skimp on. She was our hero and her lessons, and love, were invaluable. 

Having Kukla as our mom?...Now that was priceless!

I hope you enjoyed growing up with us in our remarkable kouzina. For more photos of us, Kukla, and our next generation, visit our GALLERY page. I’ll be sharing more of our kouzina lessons with you in upcoming blogs, so check back to see what’s cookin’ at Kukla’s.

Our new cookbooks Kukla’s Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style, Meze (Appetizers & Petite Plates) and Spreads & Dips mark over 20 years since we started this food journey with Kukla and are available on Amazon. These are the first in a series that we have developed and we’re excited to see this dream become reality! For details about the books and us, go to our BOOKS page.

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.

Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday!

Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!

Kelly
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Copyright © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    

Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
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Greek Cookies~Filling in Love!

2/12/2018

6 Comments

 
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It’s that sweet time of year…no, seriously, it’s truly sweet because we’re testing cookie recipes for our upcoming cookbook and this week’s theme is “filling.” 

Multiple steps means these cookies take some time to make but one bite tells you it was time well spent. Come take a look at what we’ve been up to.



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 Melomakarona / Finikia
(μελομακάρονα / φοινίκια)

These aromatic, syrup-dipped cookies are not only nut filled, but nut topped. They’re as tender as cake and perfectly portioned…but who can ever stop at just one?! We also have a how-to VIDEO that will take you through each step.

Steps: roll, fill, shape, bake, syrup, top…EAT


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Skaltsounia
(σκαλτσούνια) 

A pastry-sized specialty from Karpathos (neighboring Crete has a different version), this is what appears to be a marriage between powdered sugar-topped Kourambiedes and nut-filled Melomakarona, but once you take a bite you’ll realize that these turnover-like cookies have a personality all their own. These are a treat of epic proportions!

Steps: roll out, fill, bake, dust…EAT


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Ahladakia Amigdalota 
(αχλαδάκια αμυγδαλοτά) Almond Pears

Filled with figs and wrapped in a tender almond dough, these irresistible mini pears add sparkle and opulence to a dessert tray. These cookies were originally my claim to fame in Ladies’ Home Journal’s December 1999 issue, as well as their 1999 cookbook, but more importantly, I’ve had a number of readers tell me that making this cookie has become a holiday tradition and their Christmas wouldn’t be the same without it. Now that’s priceless!

Steps: roll, fill, shape, sugar-coat, bake…EAT


I hope you enjoyed filling in love with this week’s Greek cookies. Stay tuned for more updates as we show you what’s cooking and baking for our upcoming cookbook!

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.

Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday.

Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!

Kelly

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Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
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    about

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    This Greek cooking blog is a companion to our  cookbook series 
    KUKLA’S KOUZINA: 
    A Gourmet Journey~
    Greek Island Style, including Meze 
    ​
    (Appetizers & Petite Plates) and Spreads & Dips, on Amazon. Visit our BOOKS page for more info.


    It's a Greek cooking school in your own home. Here you'll learn about Greek-island foods and will find cooking techniques that will demystify what is sometimes considered a complicated cuisine, allowing you recreate the dishes of the gods in your own kitchen! ​

    visit & follow

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    Subscribe to me on YouTube

    olive oil kouzina

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       This exquisite olive oil produced by Mentis Estate is hand picked and carefully pressed by local artisans, creating a pure unblended oil that is aromatic and fruity with an acidity of less than 0.5%. 
       Mentis Estate is truly the finest olive oil we at Kukla's Kouzina have ever tasted and it's our first choice for serving with crusty bread, drizzling on salads, and finishing a dish. 

       Check out our blog Olive Oil~Branch to Bottle to see what makes Mentis Estate so special. Delicious (υπέροχος)!

    author  
    Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos

    Read all about Kelly, Kukla's Kouzina's blogger, and the rest of our team in our about page!


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