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Post by gailie66 on Nov 27, 2008 15:35:41 GMT 2
Hi steve, Robert and i were wondering what xmas is like in roda. I s there anywhere open for xmas dinner?how easy would it be to get an apartment at xmas time?not for this year but for future reference.Any info greatly appreciated.
Gail
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Post by artisans on Nov 27, 2008 17:45:27 GMT 2
Hi Gail, The truth is, we haven't actually been here for Christmas so I can't tell you exactly. However, finding an apartment should not be a problem as many now have air-conditioning as standard. Pipitsa will usually have availability and I know that a Greek family booked one of her large apartments last year. Nino is open this year right through the winter. Metallinos has full central heating with a radiator system which is zoned to switch on per apartment. There may be others, but there's plenty there to match the demand.
Christmas dinner - I'm not sure, but I know of several people around the village who would probably want to eat with friends at a central location and may have been doing so in previous years. The obvious place would be Pirates' and we will try to find out for you before we leave. Don't forget that when you do decide to do it, if there are still no Christmas flights direct to Corfu, you would need to come on scheduled flights via Athens and book well in advance, both for prices and availability. The most user-friendly option at the moment is the route from Heathrow using Olympic. There are other options, but most will cause you to spend several hour in Athens waiting for you connections. You can, of course, fly Ryanair to Italy and catch a ferry.
Maybe next year we'll be here ourselves and we'll be able to be more precise. Hope this helps -
Steve
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Post by gailie66 on Nov 28, 2008 0:50:37 GMT 2
Hi steve, Thanks for the info will be a help would be nice to do something different at xmas now that our family have grown up.If you've got time before you leave can you find out for me what a traditional greek xmas dinner consists of,maybe if we can't go there for xmas then we could bring it here.
Gail
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Post by artisans on Nov 28, 2008 9:49:14 GMT 2
Hi Gail
Increasingly, Greeks are eating Turkey for Christmas - I noticed that our landlord suddenly acquired two recently, just in time to fatten up. Then there is the ever-popular spit roast lamb if the weather permits. On the other hand, many of the dishes that have become favourites in the summer restaurants, like stifado say, are actually celebration dinners cooked maybe only once a year. The recipe we published recently for pork with bulgar & chickpeas, was taken from a book called 'The Christmas Table' and we will introduce one or two more before the event. Many people seem to incorporate pastry, with pies and breads being very popular. 'Christmas Bread' is baked by many families, again just once a year, and is often decorated with something that represents the family's work or profession. I like cooking, so it all sounds very exciting and there doesn't seem to be the pressure to perform or meet deadlines that makes it a much more relaxed event. We've got to do it soon!
Steve
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Post by artisans on Nov 28, 2008 10:00:33 GMT 2
Hi Gail
One extra thought - are you a haggis lover? There is a Greek dish called 'Bobari' from Macedonia, which consists of beef mince, lamb mince, beef liver, bacon, rice and a number of seasonings, which is served with a yoghurty egg & lemon sauce - it sounds absultely delicious. It might be the nearest Greek equivalent to the Haggis and with Macedonia being so mountainous, perhaps it evolved in the same way. If you, or anyone else fancy your hand at making it, I'll put the recipe on the forum. Steve
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Post by petra on Nov 28, 2008 11:23:17 GMT 2
Hi Gail, last christmas I made a complete greek dinner for my family and my brother -in-law who was with us as well. But unfortunately I spend almost all afternoon in the kitchen (bad "planning") , so this year we decided to have our christmas diner (25th of december) at the greek restaurant in Apeldoorn where I live, owned by my friends Despina and Nionio Migdis. My brother-in-law Gert will be joining us again, and with the greek food and music we will all be in Greece for a few hours....
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Post by lisydaly on Nov 28, 2008 11:26:05 GMT 2
When we ate Christmas dinner in Nymfes some years ago with Greek friends it was avgo lemono (raw eggs beaten into boiled rice and lemon - not for the faint hearted) boiled turkey - all of it, including the feet, which are traditionally given to the matriarch of the family, or chicken, what we call 'innards soup' because we still don't know the correct name, which is made from all the offal including bits we didn't even ask about, Greek or cabbage salad, traditional Corfiot roast potatoes (with origano and salt). The Greeks don't 'do' Christmas cake or pudding but do have fruit. The first time I cooked a traditional English Christmas dinner for Greek friends I had six wives in the kitchen watching the turkey roast as they thought it was the weirdest thing they had ever seen - roasting a bird! There were a lot of questions about the stuffing (which was picked off the plate and put to one side) and why we thought it was nice to eat 'cooked' bread. They couldn't understand why everything was put on one plate, why we did sausage and bacon with the turkey, and the Christmas cake was politely taken home with them and later I was told fed to the pigs as they didn't like it! The following Christmas himself made a huge Vindaloo which everyone (apart from me) ate with relish - women included! We had some of the best Christmas' ever - lots of laughs and comparing customs, and after a lot of village wine, lots of 'Greeklish' where we all understood one another because we were talking the same utter rubbish! Oh - and I won't go into the gravy - I had the distinct impression they thought I was trying to poison them, but I have to say gravy is a vast improvement on avgo lemono!
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Post by gailie66 on Nov 28, 2008 11:55:27 GMT 2
Thanks guys for the info it all sounds very interesting,and yes steve i do like haggis but only a little,but robert loves it.However i have been outvoted by the family (children aged 20-22)they want a traditional dinner(british) but i think i will do the greek version for boxing day its all very exciting.Steve i have still got some greek wine which i kept for xmas(you said it would never last)teehee,i have also discovered a greek taverna in glasgow taverna kanaki which robert and i will be visiting in the new year its got really good reviews so we can't wait.They have kreitikos wine which i paid 3 euros a bottle for in acharavi the price in taverna kanaki £11.50 per bottle talk about a price hike.
Gail
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Post by sthelenssaint on Nov 28, 2008 12:13:55 GMT 2
i have eaten in that taverna they are greek but speak with a strong scots accent what a combanation and the food is good john
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Post by gailie66 on Nov 28, 2008 12:23:33 GMT 2
Steve, any chance you can find out how to make xmas bread.Oh and you said it is usually decorated with a symbol signifying the family's business or profession,howi'm going to put a manhole and some drainage pipes on mine is going to be very interesting ;D Gail
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Post by gailie66 on Nov 28, 2008 12:32:55 GMT 2
Glad you enjoyed the food john its always nice to hear from someone thats already been there talking in broken greek with a scottish accent sounds fun.
Gail
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2008 12:55:11 GMT 2
Gail, Here is a Greek Christmas Bread I tried last year, and if I say so myself was quite successful and enjoyable. Give it go.
Christopsomo - Greek Christmas Bread
1 package active dry yeast. 1/4 cup warm water. 1/3 cup sugar. 1 tsp ground cardamom seeds (seeds removed from the husk). 1/4 tsp salt. 1 egg. 1/4 cup milk. 1 tsp salt. 1/4 cup melted butter. 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour. 1 cup all purpose flour. 1/4 cup golden raisins. 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Instructions
Grease an 8-inch circular cake pan. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and allow to stand for a few minutes. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, salt, egg, milk, cardamom and butter in a large bowl and mix well. Add the yeast mixture, both types of flour, raisins and the walnuts. Mix well. If the dough is too moist, add a little all purpose flour to make softer dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape into a round loaf. Place the dough into the cake pan, cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. When risen, bake the loaf for 35 to 40 minutes or until brown and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Yeiamas, Chris
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Post by petra on Nov 28, 2008 13:00:53 GMT 2
As I couldn´t find it in my greek cookbook, I had a look on the internet and I found a recipe for you: The greek christmasbread is called: Χριστόψωμο "Christopsomo, or Christ's Bread, is considered a sacred tradition in many Greek Orthodox homes, and the care with which it is made is said to ensure the well-being of the home in the year to come. Only the purest and most expensive ingredients are used. The bread is often decorated with pieces of dough formed into representations of the family's life (boats, animals, etc.). Ingredients are for simple loaves (see photo), and directions for a decorated loaf as shown at left can be found below. Prep Time: 4 hours Cook Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 8 cups of all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon of salt 1 1/2 tablespoons of dry yeast 1 cup of warm water (105F, 40C) 1 cup of warm red wine 1/2 cup of olive oil 1/4 cup of orange juice 1/4 cup of brandy grated peel of 2 oranges 1 cup of sugar 1 1/2 cups of raisins 1 1/2 cups of walnuts, coarsely chopped 1/3 cup of pine nuts 1 tablespoon of grated gum mastic or 1 tablespoon of crushed anise seed 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg ---------- For the Topping milk 2 whole walnuts in shells sesame seeds " For the complete recipe/ the preparation, go to: greekfood.about.com/od/greekbreadspitas/r/christopsomo.htm
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Post by petra on Nov 28, 2008 13:03:28 GMT 2
sorry chris..................( they can try them both now.... I never made something like this before)
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Post by artisans on Nov 28, 2008 15:35:46 GMT 2
Hi lisydaly - I am one of the world's greatest fans of good homemade gravy and, for me, there is never enough of the stuff. However, I am also knocked out by avgolemono when served with lamb fricasse or meatballs. As for the avgolemono soup with rice - I only had it once, made by Voula from Roda Park, and it was superb. I've never made it myself, but you've just given me the perfect starter for Christmas. Light and fluffy, sweet and sharp, very creamy, the flavours are incredible. The raw eggs cook very quickly, without setting, in the heat from the main dish - if you've ever had a real 'carbonara', it's made in exactly the same way.
Steve
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