Christmas is near and it’s time to think about what gifts to give, entertaining family and friends. For Greeks, offering Kourabiedes and Melomakarona are part of our Christmas traditions.

Once again I am selling Kourabiedes and Melomakarona. Both sell for $20/kilo and the deadline for orders is December 18th.

Orders are to be picked up at my Scarborough location and payments accepted by cash, Interac or Paypal.

Orders may be sent to info@kalofagas.ca

© 2015,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.

I got inspiration to make these quince roses from the many recipes and video instructional on the internet showing people how to make “apple roses”. It’s autumn and although you can make these with apples, I opted to use quince…a firmer fruit that looks like a cross between an apple and pear with floral aroma is a favourite with Greeks and it grows in most of the Mediterranean.

These “quince roses” are real pretty, easy to prepare and delicious! I served this at my Samos themed Greek Supper Club with cinnamon ice cream. They were a big hit!

Baked Quince Roses

(serves 5)

1 sheet of puff pastry (President’s Choice), thawed overnight in your fridge

bench flour

2 ripe quinces

3 Tbsp. apricot jam mixed with 3 Tbsp. water

5 tsp. granulated sugar

ground cinnamon

Poaching liquid

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup Muscat of Limnos wine (or other sweet wine)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 cinnamon stick

2 whole star anise

Garnish

Icing sugar

1. Place the poaching liquid ingredients in a medium pot and bring up to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes, keep on low heat.
2. Rinse your quince, cut in half (from the stem down), core/remove the seeds and cut into thin slices (should look like half-moons). Place your quince in the poaching liquid for 5 minutes or until the quince are soft and pliable. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a platter to cool.
3. Pre-heat your oven to 375F. Take your sheet of puff pastry out of the fridge, sprinkle some flour on your work surface and a little on top. Use a pizza cutter to cut 5 equal strips of puff pastry and carefully separate the sheets.
4. Brush one half of the surface of your pastry with apricot mixture then place the quince slices lengthwise on top, slightly overlapping each other and the tops of the fruit resting 1/4 inch above the pastry.
5. Fold the bottom half of the dough up to now cover the quince with the round parts only exposed. Now carefully roll up the dough to form a rose shaped pastry. Place in greased muffin tin with quince side up.
6. Sprinkle tops with sugar and ground cinnamon and place in your pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes or until tops golden.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes. You may need a butter knife to release the quince roses from the muffin tins.
8. Place icing sugar in a sifter and dust the tops and serve with cinnamon ice cream. Serve with a chilled Muscat de Limnos.

© 2015,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.

This Greek cookie is an almond shortbread cookie. Christmas time is coming and every home will certainly have Kourabiedes on offer for visiting house guests.

These cookies are fantastically simple in ingredients, not too difficult and I don’t think I’ve met one person that doesn’t like them. What’s not to like about butter, roasted almonds and icing sugar?

Kourabiedes (κουραμπιέδες)
(recipe is for 2 baking trays/80 cookies)

1 lb butter unsalted room temp. butter

2/3 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 egg yolks

1/2 shot brandy

1 tsp. baking powder

5 to 5 ½  cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups roasted almonds, coarsely chopped

extra icing sugar for dusting

1. To the mixture, add butter, sugar and vanilla until creamed with the paddle. Add yolks one at a time.
2.  Add flour, baking powder, brandy and mix well. At the end add almonds.
3. Using your hand, grab a piece of dough the size of a walnut and form them into the shape of choice  crescents or patties). Place each formed cookie on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat process until all dough has been shaped into cookies. Roll into a ball and then cut into pieces, roll into balls and place on baking tray.
4.  Bake for 20-25 minutes in 350F oven.
5.  Allow to cool, spray with water/rosewater mixture then coat well in icing sugar (I add rosewater and water in a spray bottle, shake and use to spray the cookies).

The cookies can be stored in a sealed container, in a cool, dry place and they’ll keep for 3 months.

© 2015,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.

I am offering a (last year’s sold out in days) Greek Easter baking workshop, to be held Monday March 23rd at Aphrodite Cooks Cooking Studio. We’ll share our family’s recipes for making Easter Koulourakia (cookies), Paximadia (Greek biscotti), and finally we’ll share our secrets for making the best Tsoureki with an array of braided shapes.

The class is limited to just 15 spots so get’em before they’re gone!

Learn to make:

Paximadia (Greek biscotti)

Koulourakia (Greek Easter cookies)

Learn the secrets to making Greek Easter Brioche (Tsoureki)

Price: $75

© 2016,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.

This year, Easter falls on May 1st and for us Greeks (and many Orthodox Christians) it wouldn’t be the same without Tsoureki at the table. Last year I sold some Tsourekia and the response was tremendous and the feedback was all positive. People loved my Tsoureki!

For those asking, Tsoureki is an Easter brioche with aromas of mastiha, mahlepi, orange zest and it’s texture is light, fluffy – I could eat the whole loaf!

I am now taking pre-orders for Easter Tsourekia, for pick-up only in the east-end of Toronto, cash/paypal/Interac/credit card

LAST ORDER ACCEPTED APRIL 24th, each Tsoureki is $15

Email me at info AT kalofagas.ca to place your order.

© 2016,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.

This is one of the most exciting moments since this blog first began back in May of 2007. After many hours of learning the craft of making homemade phyllo, I am confident enough to be able to make it on my own with consistency and some degree of speed. I am indebted to y Mother who taught me this craft, art, technique which is not made by hand less and less as the years march on.

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.

A new addition to my phyllo pie roster are Pastourmadopita. This special pie contains slices of Pastourma, tomatoes, Bechamel and Kefalograviera cheese.

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 $50.00 and the small pies are 11″ X 8″ and sell for $35.00. The Spiral pies come in large and small sizes and again, $50 and $35 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).

© 2016,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.

Join me for an afternoon where I unlock the secrets to making phyllo pastry from scratch. I will share the basic phyllo dough recipe then show you how to open phyllo by hand.

We will make:

• Strifti (spiral pie) cheese pie

• Spanakopita

• Bougatsa with semolina custard

Cost is $80.00, class size limited to 15 spots

When: Sunday, March 5th

Where: Lodge on Queen, 251 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ontario

Time: 1pm – 4pm

(light snacks and refreshments will be served during the class)

© 2017,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.

I am excited to be offering a  Greek Easter baking workshop, to be held Saturday March 25th at Aphrodite Cooks Cooking Studio. We’ll share our family’s recipes for making Easter Koulourakia (cookies), Paximadia (Greek biscotti), we’ll dye Easter eggs using natural dyes and finally, we’ll share our secrets for making the best Tsoureki.

The class is limited to just 15 spots so get’em before they’re gone!

Learn to make:

Paximadia (Greek biscotti)

Koulourakia (Greek Easter cookies)

Make Easter eggs with natural dyes

Learn the secrets to making Greek Easter Brioche (Tsoureki)

Price: $80

© 2017,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.

Continuing with my series in the realm of Baklava, I present Pourakia or Baklava cigars. Again, all the flavour of Baklava can be had with these easy to make roll-ups. You can make them as big or as small a you wish.

In this recipe, a whole recipe (using 1 package) of phyllo is used but I’ve opted to make small cigars. The phyllo pastry here cut into four vertical strips.

The holidays will fast approach and if you’re going to splurge – now is the time. Since you’re making so many, you can change-up the nut filling for your Pourakia. Why stick with just walnuts? Make a small batch of each with pistachios, almonds or even pecans!

Baklava Cigars (Πουράκια)

(makes approx. 35)

1 package of commercial phyllo (454gr.)

(thawed overnight in the fridge)

Filling

4 cups of walnuts

2 cup of melted , clarified butter

1 tsp. ground clove

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 Tbsp. sugar

Syrup

2 cups of water

2 cups of sugar

1/4 cup of honey

juice of 1/4 lemon

Pre-heated 325F oven

1. Prepare your syrup by adding your water, sugar, honey and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Now add your lemon juice and bring to a boil then simmer for another 10 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, add your walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and cloves and pulse into a crumbly, grainy consistency. Set aside. Take your phyllo out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature (15 minutes). Pre-heat your oven and have melted butter ready.
3. Cut your phyllo vertically into 4 equal strips. Layer 2 strips of phyllo, both brushed with some butter.
4. Sprinkle one heaping Tbsp. of of nut filling all over the surface of the phyllo (save for the perimeter).
5. Fold the bottom lip of phyllo in and then fold the 2 horizontal sides in. Now roll-up your your phyllo (slightly taute). Place the baklava cigar seam-side down into your buttered baking vessel (about 2-inches deep). Repeat with remaining phyllo until your ingredients are used up.
6. Brush the tops of your baklava cigars with melted butter and place in your pre-heated oven for 3o-35 minutes or until just golden.
7. Your syrup should be cool and your pastry is hot, just out of the oven. Pour the syrup over your cigars and allow the syrup to be absorbed and allow to cool before serving.
8. Store in cool place inside an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

© 2017,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.

I am excited to be offering a  Greek Easter baking workshop. We’ll share our family’s recipes for making Easter Koulourakia (cookies), Paximadia (Greek biscotti), and finally, we’ll share our secrets for making the best Tsoureki with an array of braided shapes.

The class is limited to just 12 spots so get’em before they’re gone! Join me on Saturday, March 17th for a fun afternoon!

Learn to make:

Paximadia (Greek biscotti)

Koulourakia (Greek Easter cookies)

Makk Tsoureki

Learn the secrets to making Greek Easter Brioche (Tsoureki)

Price: $80 (includes printed copies of all recipes, refreshments and light snacks)

****No refunds for cancellations made after March 10th, 2018. Tickets are, however, transferable to another person after that date.

© 2018,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.

You too can make artisan bread like the ones you see at the bakeries. We’re in for afternoon of sticky hands, dusty aprons and delicious breads. Join me on Sunday, April 22nd at Paint Box Bistro, where you will learn the basics of making bread dough and:

• learn how to make artisan bread at home
• use the same master dough recipe to make pizza and flat breads
• learn how to make Cinnamon Rolls

Samples of each of the creations will be offered and refreshments will be served through the duration of the class.

****No refunds for cancellations made after April 22nd 2018. Tickets are, however, transferable to another person after that date.

Samples of each of the creations will be offered and refreshments will be served through the duration of the class.

© 2018,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.