Monthly Archives: March 2008

Pear and Pepper Relish

After a weekend snowstorm, we are (hopefully) watching the last of the snow melt here in Chicago. The few blissful weeks before the scorching summer sun arrives will usher in outdoor seating at restaurants, community gardens, margaritas on our back porch, and long hikes through neighborhoods coming back to life. The changing seasons also mean […]

View full post »

show hide 4 comments

Aran - Wow… that is unsual. never heard of anything like that but I can see how it can work very well. Sweet and sour at its best. Fantastic!

Jen - ooh! new bangs and no glasses gemma.
i love it.
this looks amazing. as soon as i work my way through the giant tub of pickled cucumbers in my fridge, i’m going to try this.

jasmine - Wow…I can just imagine the flavour. Yummy yum yum…
j

gemma - Hi Aran, It really is an ingenious combination. The flavors work perfectly together.
Hi Jen, I can try to bring some into work some time this summer for us to try.
Hi Jasmine, thanks for stopping by!

Tsoureki

From the archives. Tsoureki (also called Lambropsomo) is an egg-rich Greek Easter bread that is traditionally served at the Resurrection Meal.  This meal marks the end of fasting for the Greek Orthodox Church and is often also comprised of an offal-based soup and a salad.  The dough is braided, sprinkled with sesame seeds and baked […]

View full post »

show hide 20 comments

rachel - How dramatic!

rachel - How dramatic!

Aran - Hi! I just found your blog and it’s beautiful! Clean, bright photos. Love it! I’m from the basque country in northern spain and we have a similar bread for eater. rich brioche type bread with a cooked egg in the middle. one of my favorites!

Aran - Hi! I just found your blog and it’s beautiful! Clean, bright photos. Love it! I’m from the basque country in northern spain and we have a similar bread for eater. rich brioche type bread with a cooked egg in the middle. one of my favorites!

Tracy - Another gorgeous creation! Great job!

Tracy - Another gorgeous creation! Great job!

kasia - oh, i’m so glad you mention dying eggs with onion skins, because it’s such a strong easter tradition in poland, and so few people know about it.
i dunno though, it might be a bit hardcore for this recipe, because the eggs tend to turn a rusty deep red that actually does look kind of like dried blood. might be a bit too graphic?
also, i am kind of confused – the eggs stay in their shells? isn’t that kind of a pain?

kasia - oh, i’m so glad you mention dying eggs with onion skins, because it’s such a strong easter tradition in poland, and so few people know about it.
i dunno though, it might be a bit hardcore for this recipe, because the eggs tend to turn a rusty deep red that actually does look kind of like dried blood. might be a bit too graphic?
also, i am kind of confused – the eggs stay in their shells? isn’t that kind of a pain?

gemma - Hi Rachel, I hope you mean the breads and not my post! They really are quite pretty when you pull them out of the oven.
Hi Aran, thank you for stopping by. It is so enjoyable to see the regional breads and sweets of each area during holidays. It is one of my favorite things about visiting other blogs.
Thank you Tracy!
Hi Kasia, the eggs stay in the shells because you only partially cook them before you bake the bread. I haven’t tried it, but I think that if you were to fully cook them, peel them and then bake them with the bread–they would be tough and rubbery.

gemma - Hi Rachel, I hope you mean the breads and not my post! They really are quite pretty when you pull them out of the oven.
Hi Aran, thank you for stopping by. It is so enjoyable to see the regional breads and sweets of each area during holidays. It is one of my favorite things about visiting other blogs.
Thank you Tracy!
Hi Kasia, the eggs stay in the shells because you only partially cook them before you bake the bread. I haven’t tried it, but I think that if you were to fully cook them, peel them and then bake them with the bread–they would be tough and rubbery.

katy - oh my gosh — i’m half greek, and my grandmother used to always make these for greek easter every year. and now i have a recipe! i haven’t had this since i was a kid!

katy - oh my gosh — i’m half greek, and my grandmother used to always make these for greek easter every year. and now i have a recipe! i haven’t had this since i was a kid!

gemma - Hi Katy,
I wish my grandmother had been Greek — it wouldn’t have taken me 20 years to have this delicious bread for the first time!

gemma - Hi Katy,
I wish my grandmother had been Greek — it wouldn’t have taken me 20 years to have this delicious bread for the first time!

jon - what’s with the chopped onion then?!

jon - what’s with the chopped onion then?!

Gemma - Jon, good catch! It should read correctly now.

Gemma - Jon, good catch! It should read correctly now.

Peter - Awesome, I was hoping you’d done this on your blog.
I just got off the phone with my grandma who used to make this when I was little (she’s greek). I’ve been fantasizing about trying to make it this Easter.
I’m going to try to find and use mastic and mahlab for that real Greeky taste.
Also, in Greektown in Chicago they sell that crazy blood-red dye that’s another important part of the nostalgia for me.

Peter - Awesome, I was hoping you’d done this on your blog.
I just got off the phone with my grandma who used to make this when I was little (she’s greek). I’ve been fantasizing about trying to make it this Easter.
I’m going to try to find and use mastic and mahlab for that real Greeky taste.
Also, in Greektown in Chicago they sell that crazy blood-red dye that’s another important part of the nostalgia for me.