Tsourekia for Greek Easter in London

Our Tsourekia Greek Cookery Class is full on Thursday 12 April but if you still have Tsourekia cravings for this traditional Greek Easter bread, there is a possibility to order some  and collect ahead of the Greek Easter next week!

For more details contact: greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com

 

 

For pictures and info and to get a feel of what we’re up to visit us to see our previous 50++ classes and Greek Supper Clubs on:
www.facebook.com/GreekCookery under photos.

Also I’ve been interviewed in The Guardian, for a piece on how to cook the perfect mousaka along with other cooks and chefs in Felicity Cloake’s article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/apr/05/how-to-cook-perfect-moussaka?commentpage=1#start-of-comments

And earlier this week I was on BBC London talking about Tsourekia and Greek Easter food! If you missed it, here’s the link to the Robert Elms show http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00q2psm I’m on after 1hr and 24min for about 12 minutes, after the Gil Scott-Heron song.

A thank you to Total Greek Yoghurt and Kenwood for sponsoring with their products.

Mousaka making at the Greek Cookery Class

There is a reason why I rarely teach mousaka in the class, it’s very time-consuming, tiring for the students mainly and it tests your patience. But also the hard work makes it difficult for me to find a second to take pictures of what the students cook and what they achieve.

For this class we used just over 2,5 kilos of aubergines per tray and we made two trays of mousaka.

You can use potatoes as well, it’s making the cooking slightly easier but then you lose some of the taste the aubergines give to the dish. So we started with slicing, salting and draining over five kilos of aubergines, to make the frying process easier.

While the classes started as a fun thing and a way of introducing the real Greek food back into the London scene, they have also taken a slightly more serious approach in that I do talk about how to eat and cook healthier as well. As I said both in the beginning and at the end of this class, mousaka is not something we should eat every month…. With all the cheese and milk and eggs that go in it, and all the fried aubergines, its taste is divine for sure, but it should probably be a treat for maybe once in a while. And though frying is to be avoided generally, if you are going to fry something, do use a really good extra virgin olive oil, as it stands a better chance to avoid giving you too much smoke to inhale or burning your food. Opposite to what a lot of people believe, it is the healthiest oil to use when frying. However, if we are cooking a dish like mousaka, we might as well get it right, with all its glory and forget about the health aspects for just this once.

The other step for the mousaka is to make the mince. This is probably the easiest bit, you just have to be careful to have a mince sauce which is not too runny, or it will ruin your layout of the mousaka and drip through to the bottom of your tray.

We do a sandwich of aubergine slices with the mince in the middle before continuing to the final step, which is the hardest and most feared by many, making the Greek béchamel sauce, which is poured over the last layer of aubergines.

But before the béchamel, we need to refuel. I had baked some bread ahead of the class to offer it with some extra virgin olive oil but I had also made a Greek favourite dessert, mpougatsa, (=μπουγάτσα) a semolina custard like cream between crispy fyllo pastry sheets that is served with icing sugar and cinnamon, or syrup when it’s also known as galaktoboureko.

And here below are the individual portions that were served during the cooking session to keep everyone going for a little while longer.

 

On top of the mpougatsa, one of my students, all the way from Spain, brought some Spanish authentic jamón to share with the class. So I served it with some extra virgin olive oil and the home baked spelt bread with nuts and seeds. Thank you Mauro for the unexpected gift!

Just like it’s important to have a thick mince sauce, it’s crucial to have a thick and smooth béchamel. Thick so it won’t slide through your layers of mince and aubergine and burn at the bottom of tray with your mousaka dish and smooth, well who wants lumps of flour balls in their mouth? Therefore, it’s important to get started with a creamy base of flour and butter before adding the milk and the rest of the ingredients. Also, there’s a lot of whisking going on, for a very long time.

Apart from the mousaka we made two salads as well, one with rocket leaves, orange wedges and extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice plus some sprinkled almond flakes on top and then a fresh beetroot salad with yoghurt, walnuts and fresh garlic.

When you’re so busy cooking a demanding dish, it is nice to make something that requires less effort as side dishes. Besides, serving a rich dish like mousaka requires simple and light and refreshing dishes to go with.

Everyone had two portions of mousaka after the cookery class which lasted a few hours and everyone also got to take home a big portion of the dish. My sponsor Total Greek Yoghurt also offered pots of yoghurt for each participant to take home in a cooling goodie bag.

Thank you Total Greek Yoghurt, Fage and Kenwood for sponsoring the classes with your products.

And a big warm thank you to all the students who joined and join the classes to learn how to cook some of the lovely food Greek cuisine has to offer, both known and unknown dishes.

What’s really exciting is this email I received a couple of days ago from one of my students saying he had invited his family over and cooked the dishes he learnt at the course and chose to make the mousaka as the main! I was very proud and happy at the same time, because the classes are about cooking together and eating together, but also about taking home the skills you’ve learnt and making the dishes again to your loved ones!

For more pictures, updates and info on classes join the mailing list on greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com and keep an eye out on www.facebook.com/GreekCookery

Wine & Food Tasting event – Greek organic wine and Greek meze with deserts — 23 February at 7pm

Welcome to an evening of Greek food and wine tasting!

Elisavet has put together a tasting of Greek traditional food, cheeses, Greek Extra Virgin Olive oil and home-made Greek mezedes and organic wine from the Cycladic island of Paros.

Each person gets to try two Paros Wines, one red and one white, both organic and the type of wine that gives you no hangover afterwards!

The dishes (full menu is listed below) include a variety of Greek dishes, meat, vegan and vegetarian, you get 3 dips, 3 mezedes, 2 cheeses, 2 desserts, breads and olives and as usual all food is home-made by Elisavet. This is an introduction to Greek meze and Greek organic wine, where you also get to meet Elisavet who runs the famous Greek Cookery Classes and Greekfoodlovers’ Supperclub and Michael who will present and bring the fantastic Paros Wines. But it’s an opportunity to have a taste of Greek food and wine and socialize!

All food provided is home-made!

Ticket per person is £25 including 2 glasses of wine and tastings of the food. During the wine/food tasting it will also be possible to buy wine from Michael. Remember to bring extra cash for buying any bottles/cases of this wonderful wine, I can’t stress how great these Paros Wines are.
Time: Thursday 23 February, 7-9pm

Where:
We’re meeting in a bar’s private function room area in Hoxton/Shoreditch, reserved just for our party. Come along alone or bring your partner, friend, colleague. After the event, you can continue mingling in the bar’s main area with Elisavet and Michael who’re organising the event. Further drinks can be bought at the bar at your own cost.

Prepayment only, email:
greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com to book and pay for your space.

Meze/food details for the 23 February:

Breads and olives and extra virgin olive oil tastings:
Lagana breads (vegan)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (vegan and gluten free)
Kalamata olives (vegan and gluten free)

3 Greek dips:
melitzanosalata/aubergine dip (vegan and gluten free)
tzatziki (vegetarian and gluten free)
piperies Florinis sauce/red pepper paté (vegan and gluten free)

3 Greek meze:
keftedakia/meatballs
pereski – phyllo pastry parcels filled with potato/onion/herbs (vegetarian)
tyropittakia Feta cheese pies as seen in Red Magazine feature (vegetarian)

2 Greek authentic cheeses:
aubergine rolls with feta cheese Dodoni (vegetarian and gluten free)
graviera cheese with fig sauce (vegetarian and gluten free)

2 Greek desserts:
baklava (vegan)
pasteli (vegan and gluten free)

Plus vegetable sticks (carrots and celery to try dips)

and 2 Greek Organic wines (one red one white, from the Cycladic island of Paros):
Paros Wine white
Paros Wine red

Press and testimonials:

Your chef Elisavet, devoted to Greek food, has received much acclaim for her traditional home-cooking style. Her food has been served at Riverside Studios in London for a Greek festival and she has been featured in Red Magazine, 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

Elle Decoration magazine (September 2011) recommends Greek Cookery Classes as the authentic Greek cuisine experience and Business Traveller US magazine lists both Elisavet’s Greek Supper Club and Greek Cookery Class among London’s top alternative dining places. Elisavet is also the first cook to teach Greek Cooking lessons at Divertimenti Cookery and Leith’s Cookery Schools in London and her piece on Greek food was published in The Guardian.

A thank you to Total Greek Yoghurt and Kenwood for sponsoring with their products.

Greek Cookery Class course – learn to make dolmades, imam baildi/papoutsaki and bake bread!

Each Greek Cookery Class is more than just a class and you’re more than just a student. Well, the classes are held in a friendly and warm atmosphere, I work you very hard, sometimes without a break, but if there is a break that we manage to sneak in there are extra tastings and treats of things that are off the menu!

Mousaka made by Greek Cookery Class students!

This year started with a small course of three sessions where we made Gigantes, Kleftiko and Mousaka! But apart from that the participants made crispy fried courgettes, tzatziki, bulgur, lemon roasted and garlic potatoes, beetroot and yoghurt salad, various traditional seasonal salads and got to try home made kourabiedes, home baked bread, extra olive oil tastings, mpougatsa, baklava and other treats all made by me.

But the joy of each class has been to sit down after 4 hours of cooking or so to eat and taste a meal around the table without the rush to eat fast and leave!

The classes are a bit about bringing back the culture of eating, without stressing around all the time.

We’ll be continuing to cook more authentic Greek food and sitting down eating and discussing together after each cooking session.

This time the course will feature three different dishes and meals:

29 Jan Dolmades

5 Feb Imam Baildi or pappoutsaki

19 Feb Bread baking

The classes are hands-on and you’ll get to learn the skills for cooking these classic Greek dishes that so many of you love. I’ll show what ingredients to use to make each dish a success, we also talk about how to make our meals healthier! And apart from the mains we’ll also be doing different Greek sides/meze and salads in every class to pair with every main to create a meal and there will be other goodies to try out during the class as well, and dessert if you behave 🙂

The cost for the full course is £195 per person for all three sessions. All ingredients, 4,5hr tuition, tastings and meal are included plus a doggy bag to bring some food home after every class. To book contact me via email to arrange payment for your space/s. The 3 week course can be given as a present as well. Advise on booking whether there are any allergies/intolerances. All sessions are open to vegetarians, just let me know on booking whether you eat meat or not.

If you wish to attend one or two out of the three sessions the price will be £80/class, remember each class lasts for about 4,5 hours (eating included).
Book via: greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com

The course is held close to Liverpool Street/Old Street stations. Location details only to paying customers and closer to the date of each event.

Pre-payment only.

The course is informal, good fun and you get to meet people who share the love of food and cooking/eating together. To sign up, email me back with your name and anyone else you’d like to sign up on the email below. But it’s absolutely fine to just book yourself in, as many people do join these events on their own!

greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com

First come first served, so please book early to avoid disappointment!! I also offer personalised gift vouchers if you want to give the class/course/supperclub as a present to your loved ones.

For pictures and info and to get a feel of what we’re up to visit us to see our previous 50++ classes and Greek Supper Clubs on:
www.facebook.com/GreekCookery and check under photos or visit the https://greekcookeryclass.wordpress.com/

Looking forward to cooking together some of the best Greek food in London.

Press and testimonials:

Your chef Elisavet, devoted to Greek food, has received much acclaim for her traditional home-cooking style. Elisavet’s food has been served at Riverside Studios in London for a Greek festival and she 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/

Elle Decoration magazine (September 2011) recommends Greek Cookery Classes as the authentic Greek cuisine experience and Business Traveller US magazine lists both her Greek Supper Club and Greek Cookery Class among London’s top alternative dining places. Elisavet is also the first cook to teach Greek Cooking lessons at Divertimenti Cookery and Leith’s Cookery Schools in London and recently her piece on Greek food in Greece was published in The Guardian.

Private events can be arranged as well, for your work, family and/or friends. Get in touch for separate dates and prices for bringing the Greek Supperclub or cooking class experience to your home or bringing your party to us, or hiring the chef for your private dinner party. Catering is another service offered for your special occasions or office meetings and gatherings.

A thank you to Total Greek Yoghurt and Kenwood for sponsoring with their products.

More details are here: https://www.facebook.com/events/163990180377164/?context=create

Greek Cookery Class Course – Daytime – Giouvetsi, Dolmades and Spanakopitta!

Greek Cookery Class runs another three-week course daytime, this time, on 23 Jan, 30 Jan and 6 Feb 2012 with three full days of cooking and eating.

In these 3 sessions on 3 Mondays in a row you’ll learn how to cook three very popular dishes in Greek cuisine plus a lot of side dishes. Each session will last between 4-4,5 hours and be held between 12 noon – 4pm. We’ll cook together and then have a meal together with the food we’ve made before each participant gets to take a portion home. The course will run on these Mondays: 23 Jan, 30 Jan and 6 February 2012. Each class will feature a main dish: Giouvetsi or kritharaki as it’s also called (the rice shaped pasta cooked in tomato sauce with meat), Dolmades the stuffed vine leaves and finally at the last session you’ll learn how to make Spanakopitta.

Spanakopita

The classes are hands-on and you’ll get to learn the skills for cooking these classic Greek dishes that so many of you love and what ingredients to use to make each dish a success! Apart from the mains we’ll also be doing a few different Greek sides/meze and salads in every class to pair with every main to create a meal and there will be other goodies to try out during the class as well, and dessert if you behave 🙂 The cost for the full course is £195 per person for all three sessions. All ingredients, 4hr tuition, tastings and meal are included plus a doggy bag to bring some food home after every class. You just bring your drink. To book contact me via email to arrange payment for your space/s. (Email below…)

Giouvetsi

The 3 week course can be given as a present as well. If you wish to attend one or two out of the three sessions the price will be £80/class, remember each class lasts for about 4 to 4,5 hours (eating included).

The course is held close to Liverpool Street/Old Street stations. Location details only to paying customers and closer to the date of the event. Pre-payment only. Advise me on any allergies upon booking or food intolerances. The course is informal, good fun and you get to meet people who share the love of food and cooking/eating together. To sign up, email me back with your name and anyone else you’d like to sign up on the email below. But it’s absolutely fine to just book yourself in, as many people do join the events on their own!

greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com

First come first served, so please book early to avoid disappointment!! I also offer personalised gift vouchers if you want to give the class/course/supperclub as a present to your loved ones. For pictures and info and to get a feel of what we’re up to visit us to see our previous 50++ classes and Greek Supper Clubs on: www.facebook.com/GreekCookery and check under photos or visit the https://greekcookeryclass.wordpress.com

Looking forward to cooking together some of the best Greek food in London.

Press and testimonials:

Your chef Elisavet, devoted to Greek food, has received much acclaim for her traditional home-cooking style. Elisavet’s food has been served at Riverside Studios in London for a Greek festival and she has been featured in Red Magazine, 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/ Elle Decoration magazine recommends Greek Cookery Classes as the authentic Greek cuisine experience and Business Traveller US magazine lists both her Greek Supper Club and Greek Cookery Class among London’s top alternative dining places. Elisavet is also the first cook to teach Greek Cooking lessons at Divertimenti Cookery and Leith’s Cookery Schools in London and recently her piece on Greek food in Greece was published in The Guardian. Private events can be arranged as well, for your work, family and/or friends. Get in touch for separate dates and prices for bringing the Greek Supperclub or cooking class experience to your home or bringing your party to us, or hiring the chef for your private dinner party. Catering is another service offered for your special occasions or office meetings and gatherings.

A thank you to Total Greek Yoghurt and Kenwood for sponsoring with their products.

Greek Cookery Class – three sessions in January for Gigantes beans, Kleftiko and Mousaka

Craving good authentic Greek food in London and want to learn how to make it? Join Greek Cookery Class for hands-on cooking classes and a generous meal to follow after each session! Details and bookings via greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com or read below for more info!

Greek Cookery Class has created a three-week course in January 2012 with three full days of cooking and eating: 

In these 3 sessions on 3 Sundays in a row you’ll learn how to cook three of the most popular dishes in Greek cuisine. Each session will last between 4-5 hours, and be held between 1-6pm. We’ll cook together and then have a dinner with the food we’ve made before each participant gets to take a portion home. The course will run on these Sundays: 8, 15 and 22 of January 2012.

Gigantes, baked butter beans

Each class will feature a main dish: gigantes (the baked giant butter beans) which almost is the national dish of Greece, Kleftiko the famous slow roasted lamb and for the finale we’ll do mousaka. The classes are hands-on and you’ll get to learn the skills for the classic Greek dishes that so many of you love and what ingredients to use to make each dish a success. Apart from the mains we’ll also be doing Greek sides/meze and salads to pair with every main to create a meal. 

Kleftiko - roast lamb

The cost for the full course is £195 per person for all three January sessions. All ingredients, 5hr tuition, tastings and meal are included plus a doggy bag to bring some food home after every class. To book contact me via email to arrange payment for your space/s. The 3 week course can be given as a present and more courses will follow with other dishes later in 2012 to expand your Greek chef’s repertoire.

If you wish to attend to two out of the three sessions or only one, the price will be £80/class, remember each class lasts for about 5 hours as the three above main dishes take longer time to cook/prepare!!

The course is held close to Liverpool Street/Old Street stations. Please advise on booking whether there are any food allergies.

Pre-payment only.

The course is informal, good fun and you get to meet people who share the love of food and cooking/eating together. To sign up, email me back with your name and anyone else you’d like to sign up, friend/colleague/partner on email:

greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com

First come first served, so please book early to avoid disappointment!! I also offer personalised gift vouchers if you want to give the class/course as a present to your loved ones.

For pictures and info and to get a feel of what we’re up to visit us to see our previous 50++ classes and Greek Supper Clubs on:
www.facebook.com/GreekCookery and check under photos.

Looking forward to cooking together some of the best Greek food in London.

Frying crispy courgette slices - Kolokythakia

Press and testimonials:

Your chef Elisavet, devoted to Greek food, has received much acclaim for her traditional home-cooking style. Elisavet’s food has been served at Riverside Studios in London for a Greek festival and she 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/

Elle Decoration magazine (September 2011) recommends Greek Cookery Classes as the authentic Greek cuisine experience and Business Traveller US magazine lists both her Greek Supper Club and Greek Cookery Class among London’s top alternative dining places. Elisavet is also the first cook to teach Greek Cooking lessons at Divertimenti Cookery and Leith’s Cookery School in London and recently her piece on Greek food in Greece was published in The Guardian.

Private events can be arranged as well, for your work, family and/or friends. Get in touch for separate dates and prices for bringing the Greek Supperclub or cooking class experience to your home or bringing your party to us, or hiring the chef for your private dinner party. Catering is another service offered for your special occasions or office meetings and gatherings.

A thank you to Total Greek Yoghurt and Kenwood for sponsoring with their products.

Greekfoodlovers’ Supper Club – Sunday 5 December

I’ve been running Greek Cookery Class for 1,5 years and I never really thought this adventure of introducing and teaching how to make Greek food to non-Greeks would come this far. But it has! And I’m proud of all the students of all ages, and from all over the world who find such interest in cooking, are so excited about learning and so focussed in achieving to create all the Greek dishes I make them cook. It’s a pleasure to watch them work hard, but it’s also a wonderful experience to see and to taste the food they make, especially when it tastes as if I’ve made it myself!

Making the Pontic soup Tanomenon Sorva

Food and eating is such a big part of Greek culture, to eat together and gather around food and spend time around the table with family, friends and acquaintances is one of the most important things we ought to do every day.

Making spanakotyropitta

A few months ago, I started my Greekfoodlovers’ Supper Club, where I cook and my guests come and eat, as opposed to the Greek Cookery Class where we all cook and eat together, sometimes wash the dishes together and always get a generous doggy bag to take home for lunch or dinner the day after.

Greekfoodlovers' Supper Club October

We’re approaching the end of the year and so my last Greek Supper Club will be held on Sunday 5 December, with some of the best Greek food London has to offer. Do you want to join? If so don’t miss out to book as there are only limited spaces available and the details are below:

Menu (yes you get all of these dishes):

Starters: Lagana bread, olives, fava, tzatziki and sweet red peppers with feta cheese.

Main: Pastitsio (Greek lasagna with the hose-looking pasta) served with a cauliflower and caper salad on the side.

Desserts: Secret selection of Greek home-made desserts.

All of this at the price of £35 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!! I had to turn down 3 people last time so book in time as space is limited.

Book via: greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com

I also offer personalised gift vouchers if you want to give the supperclub 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 40 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.

A big and warm thank you to everyone who’s joined either the Greek Cookery Classes and/or the Supper Club so far and also a big thank you to Total Greek Yoghurt for sponsoring me with yoghurt each time for the cooking and for gifts to my students!

Thank you and hope to see you soon!

PS The next Greek Cookery Class is scheduled for the 23 November and you can book via the same address.