Sharmades with black cabbage*

Pontian

Ingredients for 4-6 people

1 kg of leaves of black cabbage,

3/4 cup rice (carolina variety)

1/2 kg minced meat

2 onions

parsley

1 tomato

salt & pepper

1 cup olive oil

Directions 

Blanch the cabbage leaves and drain well. Knead the minced meat in a bowl with rice, chopped onions, parsley, half of the olive oil, salt, pepper and grated tomato.

Take one cabbage leave, put some of the filling in it, cover the edges of the leave so that it embraces the filling and roll.Place the leave stems at the bottom of a pot and put the sarmades (the rolled cabbage leaves with filling) on the top, in layers.

Pour 1 cup of olive oil and 2 cups of water in the pot.Cover with a plate and let it boil for about an hour on medium heat.

* Black cabbage: pontian green cabbage

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Siron

Pontian

INGREDIENTS for 4 people

500gsiron*

500gpaskitan**

2-3 garlic cloves

100g.cow butter

water

DIRECTIONS

Arrange the siron in a pan in a loose manner.Boil water and pour it on the siron, until they are covered.

Make “tsachlama”, i.e. dilute the paskitan in some water, add minced garlic and pour over the siron. Burn the butter and pour it in the pan as well. Serve the siron.

* Siron: handmadewrappedbakedpasta, available in special grocery stores.

** Paskitan: Pontian yogurt

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

On May 17, the celebration of the anniversary of the heroic victory of the Greek army in the battle of Skra takes place.

The Battle of Skra was held on the 16^th and 17^th of May 1918 and it is one of the most important battles of World War I, which finally decided the fate of Greek Macedonia. The anniversary events are held with a memorial service at the Memorial of the fallen, delivering of wreaths, announcement of the fallen and a minute of silence, followed by dances of the cultural associations.

Snail soup

Eastern Romelia

Ingredients for 4-6 people

1 kg of snails

2 bunches green onions

1/2 bunch mint

1 cup rice

1 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon paprika

salt

Directions
Place the snailsin a wide pot for better air flow andfeed them with flour for two days to cleanse.Then rinse them thoroughly at least 3-4 times.

Add the snails in a pot of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Throw this water in the sink.

Rinse the snails once more and boil them again for 15 minutes. After draining the snails, keep a cup of this broth.

Chop the green onions and mint and sauté in olive oil while adding the paprika. Boil the snails in that sauce, along with the reserved broth for 40 minutes. Then, add the rice and some salt and boil for another 20 minutes.  Serve the soup hot.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Snails with Onions

Macedonian

Ingredients for 4 to 6 people

30-40 snails

15 small onions for stew

2 tomatoes, grated

2 cups water

salt and paprika

allspice

2 laurel leaves

Directions

Place the snailsin a wide pot for better air flow andfeed them with flour for two days to cleanse.Then rinse them thoroughly at least 3-4 times.

Add the snails in a pot of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes.Throw this water in the sink.

Rinse the snails once more and boil them again for 15 minutes.After draining the snails, keep a cup of this broth.

Peel the onions and sauté them in olive oil, add the grated tomatoes, salt and paprika.

Once the sauce is battered, add the snails, water, the broth we reserved, the laurel leaves and the allspice and cook for another 40 minutes.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Soutzoukakia with gravy

Anatolia

Ingredients for 6-8 people

400g minced beef

400g minced pork

1 small cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves

2 slices stale bread,

1 cup red wine

½ teaspoon cumin

salt & black pepper

frying oil

for the sauce:

2 cups tomato sauce

1 onion

1/2 teaspoon sugar

olive oil

cayenne pepper

Directions

Mix the minced meat with the grated garlic, olive oil, bread (which has to be soaked in red wine and drained well beforehand), cumin, salt and pepper.

Shape the meatballs giving them an elongated shape; roll them on flour and fry them in hot oil.

Boil the sauce with the finely chopped onion, some olive oil, salt, pepper and half a teaspoon of sugar until it’s thick.

Place the fried meatballs in the sauce and leave for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Spicy Salad

Macedonian

Ingredientsfor 4 people

1 small cabbage

3 garlic cloves

6 celery leaves

2 leeks – only the white parts

4 medium carrots

10 dill sprigs

10 parsley sprigs

3 red peppers

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 small cup olive oil

salt

Directions

Rinse thoroughly all vegetables with cold water.Peel the top leaves off the cabbage and chop it into strips.Peel the skin off the carrots and grater them.Chop the leeks, dill, parsley, peppers, celery and garlic.Place all ingredients together in a bowl, add salt and massage them with your hands until they soften.Pour the vinegar and olive oil and let the mix soak up the liquid for a few hours before you serve.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Spinach-rice with eggs

Pontiac

Ingredients for 4 people

500 g.spinach

olive oil

1 onion

2 green onions

some fresh dill

1 egg for each person

1 cup rice

1 cup water

some lemon juice

Directions

Peelthe onions.Rinse thespinach thoroughly and place it in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes.

In a large skillet sauté the onions with a bit of olive oil and add the spinach.Add the water, lemon juice, dill and salt.When the food comes to a boil, add the rice and lower the heat.

Once the rice is cooked, break the eggs over the spinach, cover the skillet, turn off the heat and let it simmer.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Striftopita

Sarakatsani

Ingredients for 6 to 8 people

1kg soft flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup cow butter

800gfeta cheese

2 cups lukewarm water

Directions

Put theflour, water and salt in a large bowl.Knead the ingredients for 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and let it rest.

Cut the dough into 6-8 pieces, depending on the pan you will use.Melt the butter and grease the pan. Roll out each piece of dough into a phyllo sheet by hand, using some butter.Place the first phyllo sheet in thepan and put some of the feta cheese on top.Continue by alternating a layer of phyllo sheet with butter and a layer of feta cheese, until you run out of ingredients.

Join together the corners of the pie diagonally and turn it upside down. Use your fingers to spread it evenly on the pan and pour the remaining butter on top of it. Do not engrave or the pie in pieces.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180degrees for an hour.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

The hosting of theater groups and concerts by famous artists in the beautiful Hill Theatre of St. George make the summer evenings more interesting. The events titled "Under the Moonlight" take place throughout the summer until mid-September.