I am now selling Spanakopita (spinach and cheese), Tyropita (cheese) pitas, all made with hand-made, opened/stretched phyllo. The Spanakopita’s filling is made of spinach, Feta and ricotta cheeses, eggs, salt, pepper, scallions and fresh dill.

The Tyropita contains Feta and ricotta cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper and it is available in both rectangular and round trays. The round Tyropita is what us northern Greeks call a Boureki and it’s also called a Strifti pita. In English i is known as a spiral pie.

I am also offering a sweet Bougatsa…a Greek breakfast and snack offering. Adults and kids will indulge in Bougatsa in the morning be it in the store where it’s made or taken “paketo” with them. My Bougatsa is made just like in Greece with hand-made phyllo, semolina cream filling and baked until golden and flaky. All you have to is cut it into fork-sized pieces, sprinkle with icing sugar and cinnamon and enjoy with a Greek coffee, frappe or chocolate milk!

The large pies are 16″ X 11″ and sell for $30.00 and the small pies are 11″ X 8″ and sell for $15.00. The Spiral pies come in large and small sizes and again, $30 and $15 respectively. They are made and frozen in foil pans and you may either that overnight in the fridge before baking or bake from frozen (takes longer to bake).

These phyllo pies are great for entertaining, serve as part of a light lunch or dinner with a salad or soup and they always go over well at parties (they are the first to go).

Orders may be placed my emailing me at truenorth67 AT gmail.com, pick-up only (for now). Cash and paypal are accepted (firm).

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

I like thin crust but not too thin, I like fresh toppings on my pizza and even though I like “the works” on my pizza, often less is more (besides the mound of toppings slides off). I like pizza baked on my pizza stone and if you don’t have one already, still time to ask Santa for me! They’re great for both baking bread and pizza and while you’re at it, ask Santa for a pizza peel…it’s those wooden paddles one uses to slide pizza or bread into an oven.

Those two kitchen tools are very important to making really good homemade pizza: the pizza stone pre-heats in the oven, emulating a brick oven and the pizza peel allows you to form your pizza on it and with a sprinkle of cornmeal under the dough, it just slides right into your oven and onto the hot pizza stone. Most pizzas take around 12-14 minutes to bake!

This pizza was inspired by one of the pizzas at that “Tweet-up”: a mushroom pizza with cheese and herbs. My take was to add a thin smear of Bechamel on the crust which contained oil or butter, flour, milk, garlic, grated cheese and a pinch of nutmeg. You can be creative here and use a favourite cheese that goes well with mushrooms. I had some sharp, aged Graviera cheese on hand and I used that for my pizza and some leftover grated Kefalotyri cheese for the Bechamel base.

Obviously you have to love mushrooms or this ain’t gonna work for you and you can again be creative and use whatever mushrooms you like. I opted from Cremini mushrooms which grow to become Portobellos when full grown. They are more flavourful as Creminis and far better than white button mushrooms. I found some affordably priced Oyster mushrooms to add variety in flavour, presentation and texture and the end result was nothing short of tremendous. This pizza makes a good case for opening a chilled bottle of white wine, getting a unncessary bad-rap. There’s a time and a place for every wine and tonight it’s white!

Mushroom Pizza

1/2 recipe for pizza dough

Bechamel

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp. all purpose flour

1/2 cup warm milk

grated nutmeg to taste

1/2 cup grated Kefalotyri or Romano cheese

approx. 1 cup grated Graviera, Mozzarella or Fontina cheese

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup sliced Cremini mushrooms

1/2 cup oyster mushrooms

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup diced smoked pork loin or bacon

1 small onion, thinly sliced

cornmeal to dust the pizza stone

Pre-heated 500F oven, middle rack position

1. In a small pot, add the butter over medium heat and once melted add the flour and stir for a minute. Slowly add the warm milk while stirring and continue until the Bechamel has thickened. Add some grated nutmeg, the grated cheese and some fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. Take off the heat and reserve.
2. Pre-heat your oven with the pizza stone placed inside to pre-heat. Wipe your mushrooms with a wet towel and slice the Cremini mushrooms and place in a bowl with the Oyster mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and toss well.
3. Roll (or stretch your pizza dough and place on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or pizza pan and evenly spread the cooled Bechamel on the pizza dough. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the dough then spread your mushrooms over top followed by the sliced onions and diced smoked pork/bacon.
4. Drizzle with some olive oil and place in your pre-heated oven, reduce the heat to 450F and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges of your pizza just brown and your pork has just crisped. Remove from the oven, slice and enjoy! Serve with cold beer or a Peller Estates Chardonnay from Niagara.

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© 2011, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

One morning, my Pappou (grandfather) asked me to go to the bakery and buy some raisin bread. He have me a fifty drachma note and reminded me that I should also be receiving some change with the bread. My grandparents ( lived in the Neapoli area of Thessaloniki) and off I went to the bakery and and I was easily distracted by the toy store that I passed on the way to the bakery. I stopped and noticed a display of toy soldiers in the store front. They were those small plastic ones and the box (if purchased) would contain an army of blue and red soldiers.

Back in 1974, Greece had just ousted a Junta-run government and in the summer of ’74, Greece was embroiled in the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The mood between Turks & Greeks was not good and I was even dressed by one uncle in camouflage fatigues and plastic machine gun. I thought to myself, this toy set of plastic soldiers would be the perfect complement to my military attire and another outlet for me to play-out slaying “bad Turks”.

I reached into my pocket, told the shop-owner I wanted the toy soldiers and handed over the 50 Drachma note. The transaction was complete and I headed back to my grandparents’ home with toy soldiers in hand – but no raisin bread. Oooops! I could do no bad in the eyes of my grandparents but my mom was none too pleased. I remember feeling the wrath of the pantofla (the sharp sting of a slipper) and I followed instructions thoroughly when sent on future errands.

My grandfather went to the bakery and bought the raisin bread that I was supposed to buy. I had it for breakfast, still warm from the bakery and unsalted butter smeared on the slices. I loved that rustic bakery-style bread and it’s been a fave of mine ever since. Back here in Canada (and likely where you live), one can easily find loaves of raisin bread that resemble slice bread with raisins in them. If that’s what you’re looking for here – sorry.

This raisin bread recipe pays homage to that raisin bread I had in Greece (Thessaloniki) back in ’74 with a nice crust, soft inside with some good chew. What you have here is a riff on your usual crusty bread one buys from a good bakery or…if you’re like me – you bake your own. There’s a few departures here: the first and obvious one being the inclusion of raisins….lots of raisins. Second, the bread has to be a little sweet and being a Greek guy, I chose honey rather than sugar to make this bread as wholesome as possible. The final ingredient I’ve added is milk powder, something many of us can buy at the supermarket or bulk stores.

The milk powder’s function is to help impart a sweeter flavour to the bread, a more tender crumb) and it helps the bread achieve the warm brown colour to the crust. Powdered milk is often used in bread recipes instead of milk so as it doesn’t interfere with the rising process of bread making. The end result was outstanding: a lovely aroma wafted out of my kitchen, the texture of the bread (tender crumb with good crust) was a delight and smearing unsalted butter on some lightly toasted raisin bread took me right back to Greece in 1974. Who woulda’ thunk that an oven could also double as a time machine?

Raisin Bread (Σταφιδόψωμο)

2 Tbsp. active dry yeast

3 1/2 cups tepid water

1/2 cup of honey

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. of coarse sea salt

3 Tbsp. of powdered milk

6 1/2 cups of unbleached (or all-purpose) flour

1 1/2 cups of dark raisins

cornmeal for crust and topping

1. In a large bowl or plastic container,  add the tepid water, yeast and honey and stir and for the yeast to foam & activate for 10 minutes. Now add the salt, olive oil, milk powder and add in the flour – one cup at a time mixing with a large wooden spoon, your hands.
2. At about the 3 to 3 1/2 cups of flour stage, add your raisins into the dough while the dough mixture is still soft. Once the raisins have been mixed in, add the remaining flour and mix until well-incorporated (no dry patches of flour). If the dough mixture is too dry, add a bit of water, mix in. The dough should be smooth, not too tacky (sticky) or wet.
3. Cover but leave the lid slightly ajar (allow gases to escape) and place and allow to rise for at least 6 hours (or overnight). You may also place in your fridge but allow the dough to come to room temperature (about 1 hour) before working with it.
4. Your dough should at least double in size when ready. Empty your dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut the dough into three equal pieces. Ensure you have some flour on your hands and shape the dough into three loaf shapes. Sprinkle the tops of your loaves with flour and allow the dough to rise for an hour to 90 minutes.
5. Place your pizza stone on the middle rack of your oven and pre-heat to 425F.  Sprinkle cornmeal on your pizza peel/paddle and place one or two loaves on top (your bread should not stick anymore) and sprinkle tops of the bread with cormeal as well. Allow your oven to heat for another 20-30 minutes after it’s signaled that it’s reached 425F. Fill a baking tray with hot water from your tap and place on a rack set to the highest position in your oven.
6. Slash the tops of your dough and slide into your oven and bake for 30 -35 minutes or until golden-brown. Remove the loaves and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Bake your next batch in the same fashion.

NOTE: If you want the same results with your bread, then use a pizza stone to bake the bread on and a pizza peel/paddle to form your bread and slide into the pre-heated oven. Go on splurge on these two items – a couple of the best investments in the kitchen.

* Omit milk powder and this raisin bread is Lent-friendly.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at  http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

© 2007-2011 Peter Minakis

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© 2011, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

The other cheese is Kasseri, a sheep’s milk cheese, medium in body, not too salty and often served as a table cheese at the Greek table. I also really enjoy cheese with a couple of toasts in the morning for breakfast. This recipe of Feta & Herb Pull-Aparts is more apt for lunch or dinner and ideal as an appetizer or offering for a buffet setting.

I saw this recipe on Kulsum’s blog, Journey Kitchen last summer and I instantly fell in love with this savory take on the more well-know sweet Pull-Aparts. Kulsum shares her love of Feta in this post and here I am, repaying her with homage to her recipe and to Greek cheeses. I noticed her dough recipe was similar to my pizza dough recipe – so I went with that.

My filling mixture also differs but I may even have offered up a whole new filling mixture tomorrow, or at another time of year. The recipe concept is pragmatic – choose the filling you like and offer them up the next time you’re hosting a dinner. The best part of these Pull-Aparts is that you actually get cheese in these. Sadly, my recollection of any other cheese bread has left me underwhelmed ( save for grilled cheese sandwich). Bottom line – these are tops!

Feta & Herb Pull-Aparts (Τυρόψωμο)

(makes 14-16)

For the dough

2 tsp. active dry yeast

pinch of sugar

1 1/2 cups of tepid water

3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 tsp. of sea salt

2-3 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil

Feta & herb filling

3 cloves of garlic, smashed

2/3 cup of crumbled Feta cheese (Greek, of course)

2/3 cup of grated Kasseri cheese (or other sheep’s milk cheese)

1/4 tsp. of Boukovo (chilli flakes)

1/4 tsp. of cracked black pepper

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsely

1/4 finely chopped scallions

1/2 tsp. of dried rosemary

Pull-Apart Topping

1/4 tsp. dried Greek oregano

1/8 tsp. dried rosemary

1/4 tsp. sesame seeds

pinch of chilli flakes

some fresh cracked pepper

Pre-heated 350F oven

1. In a large bowl, add the yeast, 1/2 cup tepid water, sugar and gently swirl to mix. Wait 10 minutes for the yeast to activate. Now add the olive oil, sea salt, remaining cup of tepid water and begin adding the flour one cup at a time – all the while mixing the dough with your hands. Keep on adding flour in increments all the while working it into the mixture until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky (tacky).
2. At this point (important), knead the dough (inside the bowl) or on a counter-top for 10 minutes. Rub some oil on the ball of dough (so it doesn’t form a crust), place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm, draft-free spot (I simply place the dough in my oven). Allow the dough to double in size (takes approx. an hour).
3. Once your dough has doubled in size, punch it down and tuck the outer edges inwards and remove your dough ball and place on your work surface.  Spread some regular flour on your work surface and press your fingers down on the dough to spread it out. Now divide the dough into 16-18 portions and roll each into a ball shape in your hand. Cover dough-balls and allow to rest.
4. In the meantime, add your herbs, garlic, scallions in a food processor and pulse until amalgamated. Now add the crumbled Feta and grated Kasseri and pulse again until well mixed.
5. Uncover your dough balls and place one on your work surface and press down with the palm of your hand to flatten it into a disc. Now place a scant tsp. of filling in the middle and bundle up the dough, ensuring the filling is secured and place in a oiled  pan (approx. 14 inch in diameter. Now repeat with the remaining balls of dough and place in the baking pan.
6. Brush the tops of the Pull-Aparts with water and quickly mix the topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly on top. Allow to rise in a warm spot in your kitchen for 20-30 minutes. Pre-heat your oven.
7. Place in your pre-heated oven (middle rack) for 30 minutes or until golden on top. Carefully remove from the oven and run a knife around the perimeter of the bread to loosen it from the pan. Gently overturn then flip back upright onto your serving plate. Serve immediately as a part of your appetizers or with dinner.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at  http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

© 2007-2011 Peter Minakis

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© 2011, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

Island of Pringipos, Turkey

Back here in Toronto, I was craving the Lahmacun than I ate on “Pringipos” and when I was walking on the Danforth, just east of Pape I saw that Toronto’s ethnic map was beginning to mimic actual geography: Greektown (Danforth) to the west of Pape and a cluster of Turkish shops east of Pape/ Greece in the west and Turkey just east of us.

The first time I walked into Mr. Pide was a warm September afternoon with the front of the shop opened-up by way of a garage door opening. Mr. Pide specializes in making “Pide” (Peed-ai), which is often referred to as the Turkish pizza. The other specialty that appears on the menu is the more familiar Lahmacun, appearing widely in the Levant and Armenian cuisines.

Mr. Pide is a family-owned/operated eatery where you’ll find my friend Omur and his mother in the shop. Located on the Danforth, just east of Pape on the north side, you’ll be always greeted with a warm smile, Turkish music playing in the background and a clean, well-lit and inviting place to eat.

If you want a delicious departure from the usual pizza, then a lahmacun or a pide will hit the spot. The dough is made in-house, a thin crust in the norm for pide or lahmacun and the toppings will transport you to Turkey. Today, Omur is going to show us how he makes his Lahmacun. In the video, a thin dough is slightly stretched out into an oblong shape and a mixture of ground beef, tomatoes and peppers, onions, seasoning and spices are massaged into the dough. The Lahmacun is baked for about 7 minutes and served with garnishes of onions, hot peppers, tomatoes and parsley  – just like I had in Turkey.

Mr. Pide is located at 800 Danforth Avenue, just east of Pape (on the north side) and take-out orders are accepted (no delivery).

Toronto, ON
M4J 1L2

Tel: 647 351 7433
e-Mail: info@mrpide.ca

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at  http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

© 2007-2010 Peter Minakis

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© 2010, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.