Greek Cookery Class – Lahanodolmades and special treat with vine leaves from Drama!

There is a lot of preparation that goes into making lahanodolmades, or sarmadakia as we call them in my family. This is a dish you rarely find in a restaurant and this is a dish that I love so much that I wouldn’t want anyone else to cook it for me, in case they got it wrong.

So when my amazing students who had never done this Greek dish ever before made these cabbage leaf dolmades, I was so impressed!

We had to remove the stem carefully to free up the leaves from our six cabbages. This step is quite time consuming along with softening the leaves in simmering water, so the cabbages where prepared and only one was left for everyone to practice on. The hardest thing and most technical bit is rolling the leaves and making them just about right in terms of how tight and loose they’ve got to be. But not only do we have to prepare the cabbage leaves, we also have to make the filling with rice, mince and herbs and spices.

Chopping the herbs finely always causes students to ask how finely, but the question that most of the Greek Cookery Class participants were asking was how to chop without bruising the herbs?

Some might notice here that even though I’m talking about cabbages, you can spot some vine leaves in the cabbage crowd. You’re right! Because we had some extra filling we got out some vine dolma from the freezer. Those little vine leaves originate from Drama, where my grandma picked them last year from her garden and prepared them for me. So without any more cabbage, these came to our rescue as a special extra treat so not to waste the remaining filling.

We also made the famous augolemono sauce based on lots of lemons and eggs, augolemono is found in soups like giouvarlakia and magiritsa but also in frikasse.

And bread and a few more sides.

Sitting down around the table to eat is the most appreciated and fun bit of each Greek Cookery Class. Everyone is getting ready to taste the foods they’ve been cooking and after all the hard work – satisfaction and a full stomach! What is better than that? One thing actually, the class might be over but as everyone leaves they get to bring home a generous doggy bag of the food!

Next class is on 1 June, it will be an all vegan class! That means no animal products! But that does not mean we’re going to be making salads only and eating raw food!

Bookings are as usual via greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com

For those of you too lazy to cook and only interested in eating the food, then join our Mousaka special Greek Supper Club this Sunday 29 May.

Full menu and further details here: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113154532102938

Greek Cookery Class and Supper Club and Breakfast events for May and June

Below is a list of  the upcoming dates for May’s and June’s Greek food events. These include Greek Cookery Class, Greek Foodlovers’ Supper Club and Breakfast/Brunch Club with respective links next to each date, to give more details.

15 May – Greek Cookery Class 2:30pm-6:30pm:

http://on.fb.me/kmjbj5

22 May – Greek Brunch Club 11am-1pm:

http://wp.me/pwUd3-45

29 May – Greek Supper Club 5pm-9pm:

http://on.fb.me/khvbSA

1 June – Greek Cookery Class more details nearer the time, but it’s an all vegan class open to vegetarians and meaters as well!

30 June – Greek Cookery Class at Leith’s Cookery School

http://www.leiths.com/enthusiasts-courses/greek-cookery/

Book via greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com for all events, except the Leith’s Cookery Session, for that you go via their website and the link is provided above.

Advanced payment only.

First come first served, so please book early to avoid disappointment!!
As usual, most events and cooking classes cater for alternative diets, ask well in advance and we’ll be happy to make the food according to your needs, wether it’s vegetarian or vegan etc. Just ask and we’ll tell you what alternatives we can offer!

Looking forward to enjoying more authentic Greek food together in London!

Greek Brunch Club in London

Greek Cookery Class is brunching out! We’re doing a Greek Brunch Club near Columbia Flower Market and a walk away from Brick Lane and Spitalfields markets on Sunday 22 May to celebrate that it’s a year ago since Red Magazine featured me and the famous tyropittakia (=little Greek feta cheese pies).

We’ve created a Greek Brunch menu for this one-off event where I’m cooking and you’re eating, for menu and further details please see below. I’ve included a smoked salmon salad as well, because Greeks love salmon and because I always try to sneak in a little bit of Scandinavia in the menu from time to time.

The Greek Brunch will have some of the most typical and popular “breakfast” delicacies we have in Northern Greece and will keep you going well until after lunch. Just like my Greekfoodlovers’ Supper club offers some of London’s most delicious home-cooked Greek food in a friendly and informal setting where you’re surrounded by other Greek foodlovers, the Greek Brunch club will do just the same.

Menu (yes you get all of these things):

-Tyropittakia (=Greek feta cheese pies)
-Greek Yoghurt with honey and walnuts
-Fruit salad
-Smoked salmon with avocado and salad leaves served with Greek home-baked lagana bread
-Mpougatsa (baked sweet vanilla cream in fillo pastry, with cinnamon and icing sugar on top)

Tea is included and filtered water, you only have to bring your own coffee, we’re very centrally located with several places around offering coffee on the go.

All of this at the price of £20 per person and the portions are Greek i.e. generous!

For veg option or other dietary needs, request on booking.

Advanced payment only.

First come first served, so please book early to avoid disappointment!!

Book via: greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com

Mpougatsa

I also offer personalised gift vouchers if you want to give the Greek Brunch Club as a present to your loved ones.

For pictures and info and to get a feel of what we’re up to visit:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=183923&id=99478232600 to see our previous 50 classes and Greekfoodlovers’ Supper Clubs

Press and testimonials:

Your chef Elisavet, devoted to Greek food, has received much acclaim for her traditional home-cooking style. Elisavet has been featured in Red Magazine (June 2010), Foodepedia and ITV’s Britain’s Best Dish where Michelin starred chef John Burton Race said her lagana bread is “absolutely first class” and the prawn dish she cooked live on ITV was “cooked to perfection!” Also Eating East has given her food and supper club 4**** stars out of 5 in their review: http://www.eatingeast.co.uk/2010/09/22/greek-foodlovers-supper-club-2/ and Business Traveller US magazine lists both her Greek Supper Club and Greek Cookery Class among London’s top alternative dining places. Finally, Elisavet is the first cook to teach Greek Cooking lessons at Divertimenti Cookery School in London and this year she’s also teaching at Leith’s Cookery School.

PS Private events can be arranged as well, for your work, colleagues or friends. Get in touch for separate dates and affordable prices! I also offer catering for your personal special occasions or office meetings and parties.

Elisavet