Calling all Greek Cooks, how do you

[CompassRose]

Oh, I don't know. I know Mediterranean desserts are stereotypically supposed to be so sweet that, as MFK Fischer quotes her then-husband, "it makes every tooth in my head quiver like a startled doe," but I think if you're pouring sugar syrup over the whole, it would be far more appealing to have a less-sweet sort of a filling to counter the general stickiness. Speaking purely as a pastry-eater, of course.

[Athenaeus]

Thanks for letting me now that I can freeze baked backlava. This can make my life much easier because this month we have a lot of name-celebrations in Greece and .
(Michele , if you were Greek Orthodox, I should have made a pan of backlava for you with home made phyllo yesterday when all the Greek Micheles were celebrating their name day )!

I was wondering about the backlava filling. Buttering the phyllo is one point and the use of sugar is another, since you uses very small amount of syrup...
You now in Greek the whole point is not to use sugar but syrup...
That's why we call them "Syropiasta" that means soaking in syrup.
A common mistake that "home chefs" make is that they put enormous amounts of filling between the phyllo...
This is wrong, you have just to sprinkle the walnuts!

The galaktompoureko recipe is great!

BTW do you know why in the Middle East they use so much syrup?
I hope that none of our friends that comes from Middle east gets insulted by that, I just mention it for historical reasons.
In fact I have citizenship of a Middle eastern country as well and I have spent great parts of my life there, so please no offense!

In Middle East they have this habbit of smoking hashish. it's not a habbit really , it's just that it is more acceptable than in the western countries.
They say that after smoking a "joint" you need something very very sweet , and this is the reason that the pastries in Middle East are soaking into syrup.
With the exception of Israel that such habbits are not acceptable, unless you go to the beloved eastern part of Jerusalem ,if you go let's say in Lebanon in Beyrut to a coffee shop ...they serve you the cigarette and after a while ...there is your backlava!
There is always a reason behind a culinary habbit!! This is my theory

Backlava was invented in Constantinople (Instabul) during the Middle Ages , in fact backlava was the favourite pastry of Emperess Theodora who lived in the 6th century AD , one of the most weird,and powerfull figures of History and I have read in a manuscript that the original recipe had a substitute of sugar in the feeling!!
I can post the original 6th century recipe if you wish!

So, dear friends, the american version is more close to the original one!



PS
Adam, I can live with idea that you may make a better backlava than I do, but I just cannot stand te fact that you have a better collection of gifs than me

[W.DeBord]

If you have the time I would love to see how they made this in the 6th Century AD?

Are you saying theres a difference in how we make baklava then you, other than... perhaps we over fill ours with too much nuts? Any chance you would outline your recipe? I suppose you don't write it down since it's so basic.... But I'm curious about how much sugar, cinnamon or nutmeg your use in your filling?


I just noticed this, my book tells two different ways of layering. One way has you sprinkling on nuts after every two buttered sheets. Until you use up all your nuts. They completely preslice and use cloves ontop. (They mention that you can bake, freeze and thaw but you should warm it before serving.)

My other recipe (which I follow) has me putting 1/3 of the buttered sheets down then adding 1/2 my nuts, 8 more buttered sheets, the other half of my nuts, then the rest of my phyllo. SOOOOO maybe this isn't a good techinque? Perhaps this is why my nuts fall out!

More questions, please?...

Here's my recipe for Revani:

1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/3 c. fine semolina


then beaten together:

4 yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. OLIVE oil.............REALLY? or do you use canola?
grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. almond extract

add the flour mixture alternating with 1/2 c. orange juice to moisten.

Whip whites:

4 whites
1 tsp. vinegar
pinch tartar

fold into above batter, (bake at 350F) in a 10" pan that lined and sprinkle on 1/2 c. slivered almonds.

After it's baked pour syrup over it.

I also have a recipe for Revani that only uses orange flavoring and almonds, which do you prefer? And does my recipe look right to you?
When do you serve this...would it be a typical dessert or more of a tea cake. Also couldn't you make these into mini cakes (I think that might be interesting on a tray with baklava)?


I have a recipe for a rolled baklava where you put kataifi (shredded phllyo) with a small amount of chopped almonds inside in place of a tons of nuts...it's supposed to be lighter in calories. Would a Greek eat that or think it was crazy? I had never heard of baklava made with almonds...yes we are doing some fun things like using pistachios even bananas but I haven't ever considered then "authentic" in anyway. Are there tons of ways people make this in Greese?

[momoreg]

Athenaeus, I never knew any of that. My family is Syrian, so as a child, I ate a lot of Syrian pastries (including pistachio baklava, and kataifi). It was always sickeningly sweet, and sometimes had a hint of rosewater.

Also, I have seen and used both techniques that you describe, Wendy, and they both work fine for me. I think that melted butter in with the nuts is the key.

I'm going to check some of my Syrian cookbooks, and see what they say.

[angrychef]

Wendy, I only use the 1/2 butter 1/2 oil when using phyllo for strudels. For baklava, I use all butter---better flavor. The only problem I've encountered with baklava is some of the top leaves being blown in the convection oven. For the syrup I use sugar, honey water and orange zest. For the nut filling pistachios, sugar,small amount of cinnamon. Hot baklava, cold syrup is usually the method I use. And I pre-score the top layers but don't cut all the way down to the pan.
I think I will try the water tip you gave. It really is aggravating to see all your phyllo getting blown around in the oven.

[chrose]

PS

Adam, I can live with idea that you may make a better backlava than I do, but I just cannot stand te fact that you have a better collection of gifs than me

Now, now, now, Nobody ever said I made a better Baklava. I don't believe I do. I only spoke of my experience, and my experience also tells me that yours probably can dance circles around mine.
As far as the Gifs go I just probably waste more time on them then you! And besides, I think I have been going overboard in my use of them. I will be more sparing in the future (though it's hard for me to be subtle! )

[Athenaeus]

Dear Momoreg.
I was reffering to 10th century habbits!
I have lived in Damascus for over a year.Unforgettable year!
I worked there.



My backlava Recipe.

Ingredients.
For the filling.

- 3 cups pf walnuts
-2 cups of butter
- 1,5 killo of phyllo (1 kilo =2 p)

NO Cinnamon, NO Sugar No nutmeg

Syrup

2 cups of honey (or 2 cups of sugar)
3 cups of water
1 piece of cinammon, 2-3 coves, 1 zest of lemon.


Butter the pan and set the 2 phyllos,butter the surface and SPINKLE some walnuts.
Set the next 2 phyllos, butter again and sprinkle SOME walnuts.

You continue that way : 2 phyllos, butter and some wallnuts.

Have in mind that your backlava should be covered by 8-10 phyllos WITHOUT walnuts in between.

Important: Just sprinkle, do not push the walnuts because your backlava will become rough.

Sprinkle some cold water and after cutting it the way I described, put it in the oven.
I bake it for 1 and half hour, let t cold and pour the hot syrup.

Yes some people make backlava with almonds but not with pistachios.
I have tasted Backlava with pistachios with that distinctive rose scent that Momoreg mentions in Damascus and in Beirut, not in Greece!

I am surprized that you consider Backlava with blown phyllo a disaster!
In Greece we love it!!! You see , it must be perfect in the taste, not in the sight!
Right ?

Dear Wendy this is the main Greek techinique. This is the way we do it here!
But why not to try new things?

I will reply for revani in another post. Revani is my favorite pastry with syrup!


Chrose! My backlava's ambition is not to perform dances around other people's backlavas but to rest in peace in other's people stomachs!!!

As for the gifs, I did what Nicko advised. I uploaded my gifs on a geocities site in order not to create problems to the forum!




PS Wendy thanks to you I copied that recipe from a napkin that I had it on to my pc...

Canola Oil???? This is a poison!
We can discuss that if you wish!
Why don't you try some corn oil or sunflower oil?

[Zorba the Greek]

Wow!

What a thread! Ladies, I am impressed.

Dear Wendy as a Greek, much older than dear Athenaeus ( that means tha I have eaten and prepared more baklavas than her) I agree more or less with Athenaues concept.

I can see that you have worked a lot on baklava! And with all the pastries with syrup.
Try for once Athenaeus way. This is the classic recipe my mom and grandmother used.

Dear Momoreg.
Athenaeus was reffering to an ancient Middle eastern habbit.
I could tell you a lot about that because this is my job, but it's not a topic of this forum.
Just a hint : The word assasin comes from this old habbit!

I would be very much interested to have a look in this 6th century recipe.

[W.DeBord]

Thank you so much for sharing your recipe and techniques. I learned several things and now my baklava should turn out even nicer. People do appreciate authentic pastries (since we are a melting pot of cultures here)!


I think I will leave out the cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar out of my nuts as you do Athenaeus and infuse my syrup with a hint of cinnamon instead. I won't forget my cloves either! More frequent layers of nuts through-out makes perfect sense and I won't press down much (that does make it harder to bite).

Hope you'll continue teaching us about smoking and eating traditions in of the middle east in the Late Night area, I find it fasinating. From my area of the world that's so hard to believe...but it's rather amusing. I would think the combo of ingesting both would soothe the wildest of men and eliminate wars.

[Athenaeus]

Techniques? Oh no! I just close my eyes and I try to bring my grandma's gestures back, that's all.

Good luck.

Let's skip the smoking tradition because I feel that some of our friends make take this all wrong.

I had to leave Greece when I was 20 and to travel a lot.
I had to work also in order to study and support myself,I have worked a lot even manualy and I met a lot of different people.
Some times I talk about all these a bit academically or with nostalgy because I miss the friends I made in some parts of the world.
I was talking about smoking hashish academically !

But when I talk about food I always talk sentimentaly.
I found out that when you travel the only proof that local people trust you is when they invite you in their kitchen and ask you to help them make the meal.

[Melina]

Oh!
Yeah right!

Closing eyes to remember grandmas' gestures but also what you have learned in this fancy culinary school you have graduated!

Dear Wendy, Athenaeus knows well , she has graduated a great culinary schooll but she loves to say that she is an amateur.


Melina

[jjnyc]

The most important thing is to pour HOT(just off stove) syrup on COLD pastry

or

COLD(just out of Frig) on HOT pastry

you should have no problem