24 Nov 2010
by adminin Recipes Tags: feta cheese, Greek spinach pie, puffy pastry sheet
Spinach pie with feta cheese is a classic combination of spinach, feta, green groceries and extra virgin olive oil layered in puffy sheet. It is usually served as a starter or a snack in Greece and most likely the cold months of the year. It is a delicious dish and full of nutritious ingredients.
Ingredients:
400 gr spinach washed and chopped
1 cup chopped spring onions
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped dill
1 and 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 puffy pastry sheets
How to make it:
Mix in a bowl the spinach, the spring onions, the green groceries, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive olive, feta cheese, salt and pepper. Set aside.
With a pastry brush, lightly coat the bottom of the baking pan with half of the extra virgin olive oil.
Lay one puffy pastry sheet in the pan. It should cover the bottom of the pan and reach halfway up the pan’s sides.
Spread the filling.
Lay the second puffy pastry sheet over the filling and push the edges of the puffy pastry sheet down around the sides of the pan to enclose the filling completely.
With a fork score the top puffy pastry sheet layer.
Spread the extra virgin olive oil along all the scores marks.
Pre heat the oven at 220 C and bake for 45 min – 1 hour, until the top crust is golden brown.
Enjoy and Good Luck!! 
23 Nov 2010
by adminin Recipes Tags: No knead bread
No knead bread is the bread which actually is produced without kneading. As long as you whisk the ingredients together and allow them to sit undisturbed for ten to fourteen hours.
The recipe became popular after it was published in a New York Times column from where I discovered it as well.
It is very simple and easy to make it even for a 5 year old.
The ingredients for a basic no kneading bread are:
3 cups of flour
1 tea spoon salt
1 tea spoon instant yeast
1 and 1/2 cup of water
How to make it:
Add the flour, the salt and the instant yeast in a bowl. Stir well.
Add the water and stir.
Mix the ingredients to make a sloppy dough.
Allow the dough to rest for ten to fourteen hours until it develops a bubbly surface.
Flour a surface.
Dump out gently the bubbly dough into the floured surface.
Grab the dough and fold over all ends towards the middle.
Gently move dough onto a floured towel and let it rest for an hour.
Preheat your oven to 250 C for over half an hour.
Slip your clay pot covered for half an hour into the preheated oven.
After pre heating, remove the clay pot from the oven and dump gently the dough into the clay pot.
Cover the pot and bake for half an hour at 250c. Then uncover and bake further for 15 minutes at 200c.
Here is the No Knead Bread after the oven. Was not that so easy as I initially promised?
Enjoy and Good Luck!
21 Nov 2010
by adminin Books Tags: Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The shadow of the wind
Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the “Cemetery of Forgotten Books”, a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten title. To this library, a man brings his ten-year-old son, Daniel, one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book and from the dusty selves pulls The Shadow of the WInd by Julian Carax. But as Daniel grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those who left behind.
Shortlisted by Richard and Judy’s Book Club
Humor, horror, politics and romance are skillfully woven in this story. I came upon this book when a colleague of mine suggested to read it. I was hooked from the first page. I thought that probably I am influenced by my colleague’s praises for the book. However, as I was keep reading I realized that it is not the case. The writing was so flowing and wonderfully descriptive, being a visual person I could see the novel as I eagerly turned each page.
“The Shadow of the Wind” is a must read. If you haven’t done so yet, then what you are awaiting for? Start turning the pages…
21 Nov 2010
by adminin Books Tags: Last night at Chateau Marmont, Lauren Weisberger
Heartbreak, headlines and Hermes – welcome to Brooke’s new world…
Brooke and Julian live a happy life in New York – she’s the breadwinner working two jobs and he’s the struggling musician husband. Then Julian is discovered by a Sony exec and becomes an overnight success – and their life changes for ever.
Soon they are moving in exclusive circles, dining at the glitziest restaurants, attending the most outrageous parties in town and jetting off to the trendiest hotspots.
But Julian’s new-found fame means that Brooke must face the savage attentions of the ruthless paparazzi. And when a scandalous picture hits the front pages, Brooke’s world is turned upside side down. Can her marriage survive the events at that fateful night at Chateau Marmont? It’s time for Brooke to decide, once and for all, what it is she really wants…
Last night at Chateau Marmont is the forth novel from the bestselling author of The devil wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger. It is a story about the world of celebrities, fashion and fame. Soooo Sex and the City! The tale of the couple presents the events of the decade, especially with all these reality shows on TV. People thrown into the glamorous life and blind from an overnight success think that any publicity is good. However, they do not realize how it could alter a relationship.
It is a cute story. It took me quite a few days to get over the first half though. I found it a bit slow. However, the second half was certainly great. If you liked any of her other books, I would totally recommend this.
10 Nov 2010
by adminin Recipes Tags: feta cheese, green peppers, Stuffed calamari
Last Sunday’s dinner was stuffed calamari with feta cheese and green peppers. It is a famous Greek dish which it is served usually in summer months. If you have never tried it you should. It is a great delicacy!
Ingredients
4 medium calamari
2 green peppers, chopped
5 spring onions, chopped
250 gr feta cheese, grated
50 gr haloumi, grated
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
parsley
salt and pepper
How to make it…
To prepare the stuffing, crumble feta cheese and haloumi into a mixing bowl. Add parsley, half of the chopped spring onions and peppers and pepper.
The remaining chopped spring onions and peppers will be added on the clay pot around the calamari.
Fill each tube and secure each calamari tube with the head or a tooth pick. Add the extra virgin olive oil and the remaining chopped peppers and spring onions. Parsley, salt and pepper.
Grill the calamari stuffed tubes in pre heated oven for 45 minutes on a medium heat.
Serve as is as a starter, or with a green salad or/and Greek salad as a main course.
Good luck and Enjoy!
07 Nov 2010
by adminin Recipes Tags: chicken stir fry, rice
Many times I have reached home after a very tiring day at work and want to have dinner at the soonest. I usually go for a quick chicken stir fry either with noodles or rice. It is a healthy dish with vegetables and chicken and simple, especially when you are looking for an easy chicken recipe.
If you have a wok this could be used here but I still prefer to use a cast iron chicken fryer.
Ingredients
2 large chicken fillets, cut into pieces
1 large carrot cut into slices
1 onion chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
5 tablespoons of sweet and spicy sauce
Instructions
Add the peppers and the carrots into the fryer with the extra virgin olive oil and fry for 5minutes on a medium heat.
Add the chopped onions and continue to fry for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken fillets cut into pieces and keep frying for 10 minutes.
Add the sweet and spicy sauce, salt and pepper and fry for no more than 3 minutes.
Served with rice.
Bon apetite!!
07 Nov 2010
by adminin Beauty & Fashion Tags: Capture Totale, Dior, face skincare
Capture Totale intensely corrects the causes of all visible signs of aging. Your skin appears younger and deeply radiant.Its silky texture wraps the skin of sensual delight and sweetness for a new skin finish.
Tips: Apply it daily after the cream making circular movements to melt the skincare and recreate a meshing textured on surface by skin, Dior experts advise.
This is an amazing product. I had the chance to try it on my face yesterday at Debenhams. The Dior sale’s lady was very kind to apply it on my face and the result was fantastic. Absolutely stunning. I was amazed by the immediate brightness my face reflect. It is a bit expensive, €140 the 50 ml. However, if you are sensible with your face skincare, this is definitely a must have product. I will added to my wish list for sure.
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