SPANAKOTIROPITA

SPANAKOTIROPITA
( a traditional pie, apetiser)

Ingredients

1 kilo fresh spinach ( you can also use frozen spinach )
1 kilo feta cheese, crumbled
3 cups butter
1 spring onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3 eggs, lightly beaten
extra virign olive oil
salt and pepper
home made phyllo pastry for pies

Wash the spinach, boil it for 5', when it is cool  squeeze it until all water is removed and put the spinach in a  bowl. Add the crumbled feta cheese. In a small pan, melt butter. Chop the green onions and add to the butter, cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the butter, the onions and the  fresh dill to the bowl. Stir together everything with a fork. Add lightly beaten eggs and combine into mixture.Brush a 9 x 13 pan with olive oil. Lay down a full sheet of phyllo. The edges should come up and over the sides. Brush with olive oil. Lay down another entire sheet and brush with olive oil. Now I like to cut sheets in half with kitchen sheers so they fit just the bottom of the pan. Continue to layer sheets of phyllo brushed with olive oil until you have 6 sheets.Put spinach and cheese mixture in the pan and spread evenly. Layer with 4 more half sheets that completely cover the spinach. Brush each layer with olive oil. Use full sheets again for the top two layers and allow the edges to come up over the top of the pan. Carefully roll the edges that overlap the pan inwards to create a rolled edge of phyllo around the perimeter of the pie. Brush entire top and edges with olive oil. With a sharp knife, make slits in the top of the pie to avoid bubbles when cooking.Bake in a 180 degree C oven for about 40 minutes or until the phyllo pastry is light brown. Remove and cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

1. Spanakopita is a kind of .................
a. pie
b. sweet
c. cake
d. cookies

2. You need ................... to make spanakotiropita.
a. feta cheese
b. spinach
c. olive oil
d. all the above

3. Spanakotiropita is for a(n) .....................
a. main dish
b. apetiser
c. salad
d. drink

VASSILOPITA

VASSILOPITA

There is always a Vasilopita in every Greek household on New Year's Eve for good luck. The one that finds the coin usually gets a present.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of butter
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of brandy
• grated peel of 2 oranges
• 4 cups of self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup of  milk
• 1 coin wrapped in foil
• confectioner's sugar (optional)
• some vanilla

Preparation:

Bring all the ingredients to room temperature, and preheat the oven to 390F (200C).Cream the butter in a mixing bowl. Beating continuously, add the sugar, the eggs, the brand.Still beating, sprinkle in the grated orange peel to distribute evenly throughout the batter. Add the milk, then the flour, a small amount at a time and the vanilla.Flour a round 12" to 13" diameter baking pan with 2-3" sides and pour in the batter.The cake will bake for a total of about 45 minutes, but halfway through, when it has started to set, insert the coin carefully into the dough, pushing it down just below the surface. Continue baking until done. Allow the Vassilopita to cool for 4 hours, decorate it before serving.

1. There is a vasilopita on ....................

a. on Sundays

b. on New Year's Eve

c. at Easter

d. on 15th August

2. You need ...................... to make a Vasilopita.
a. self rising flour
b. corn flour
c. flour
d. rice flour

3. You add .................... in the batter.
a. brandy
b. wine
c. ouzo
d. whiskey

BOILED GREENS ( HORTA )

BOILED GREENS

Boiled greens or Horta vrasta  is a common salad in any Greek household. These are easy to prepare and when dressed with a bit of olive oil and lemon, you will really enjoy the clean, pure taste.

Ingredients:

• 2 kilos curly Endive or any leafy green of your choice (Chicory, Chard)
• White vinegar (for adding to soaking water)
• 1 tbsp. salt
• Extra virgin olive oil (about 2 tbsp.)
• Fresh lemon juice to taste (juice of 1 lemon)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Wash the greens well before cooking and trim any coarse stems. Discard any brown leaves.Soak them in a clean sink with plenty of water and about a cup of white vinegar. Any sand or residue will sink to the bottom of the sink while the greens will float on top. Remove the greens to a colander before draining the water.Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then add about a tbsp. of salt to the water. Carefully submerge the greens in the pot and boil for about 20 minutes or until the thickest parts of the stems are tender. Be careful not to over boil.Drain in a colander and place in a bowl. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and a bit of salt and pepper (to taste).You can serve the greens warm or at room temperature.

1. You need to  ................. the greens.

a. roast

b. boil

c. grill

d. saute

2. Boiled greens are served with ..................

a. mustard

b. olive oil

c. tomato sauce

d. maiyonaise

3. Boiled greens is a(n) .....................

a. salad

b. main dish

c. apetiser

d. beverage

TZATZIKI

TZATZIKI

ingredients
1 kilo yoghurt
2 medium cucumbers, grated or sliced
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 tablespoons vinegar
salt
black pepper
some chopped dill
olive oil

preparation
Drain the cucumber well and put all the ingredients in a large ball. Mix them and leave the tzatziki in the fridge for some hours before serving.

1. You need mainly .............. to make tzatziki.
a. yoghurt
b. cream
c. milk
d. flour

2. You need ............. to make yoghurt.
a. parsley
b. dill
c. lettuce
d. carrots

3. Tzatziki is .............
a. a main dish
b. a sweet
c. an apetizer
d. green salad

MAN PUSH CART

"Man Push Cart" was filmed in Manhattan by an American born in Iran and an American born in Pakistan, and embodies the very soul of Italian neo-realism. Free of contrived melodrama and phony suspense, it ennobles the hard work by which its hero earns his daily bread. He owns a stainless steel bagel wagon, which he pushes through the lonely pre-dawn streets. He sells bagels and sweet rolls and juice and coffee and many customers call him by his first name although they would never think to ask his last one.

The character, named Ahmad (Ahmad Razui), has had a life before this, but the pushcart now defines the parameters of his existence. He was a Pakistani rock star, although how that career ended and he came to New York to push a cart (which would be a subject of a more conventional film) is barely suggested. Ahmad's wife is dead, his in-laws will not allow him to see his son, and maybe he originally came to America to seek the child. Now he sells bagels.

We see the world he inhabits outside the cart. He knows the other nearby vendors, including a Hispanic woman at a magazine stand. Romance would be a possibility, except that romance is not a possibility in Ahmad's life. It is too filled with the making of a living. Like so many Americans who work low-wage jobs, sometimes two or even three of them, his work essentially subsidizes his ability to keep on working.

Ramin Bahrani, the writer-director, shot his film on a shoestring, in less than three weeks. He often used a concealed camera, shooting what was really happening. There's a scene of unforced spontaneity when Ahmad offers to sell some bootleg videos. The two guys he pitches say they know where they can get bootlegs, two for eight bucks, in Brooklyn. The two guys did not know they were in a movie.

Ahmad's cart is stolen, and therefore his livelihood. We get a glimpse backstage of how the vending cart economy operates. What can he do without a cart and a way to replace it? He will, we understand, keep pushing, if not the cart, then something. "Man Push Cart" as a title encapsulates human survival at a most fundamental economic level.

Bahrani's film was accepted by Sundance 2006. The festival offered an opportunity for his low-budget effort to find audiences, and I immediately invited it to my Overlooked Film Festival last April. A central Illinois audience reacted, if anything, more favorably than the Sundance crowd. The film's story is simple, and moving, and inescapable.

In a film like this, it is pointless to describe "screenplay," "acting," or "direction." The film is resolutely utilitarian. No effort is made to create a visual look; the camera simply, impassively, regards. Razui's acting never strains for effect; it embodies the bleakness and exhaustion of his character.

Bahrani, as director, not only stays out of the way of the simplicity of his story, but relies on it; less is more, and with restraint he finds a grimy eloquence.

Bahrani was inspired by "The Myth of Sisyphus," by Albert Camus, the story of a man who spends his life pushing a rock up a hill, only to see it roll down again, and only push it back up again. Well, what else can he do? "Man Push Cart" is not an indictment of the American economy or some kind of political allegory. It is about what it is about. I think the message may be that it is better, after all, to push the cart than to face a life without purpose at the bottom of the hill.

QUESTION 1:

The film Man push cart  is about the life of...  

1. a famous actor in Pakistan.

2. a famous dancer in Pakistan.

3. a famous rock star in Pakistan

4. a famous TV presenter in Pakistan.

QUESTION 2:

In the film Man push cart Ahmad looses someone very important to him . He looses...

1. his father.

2. his wife.

3. a friend.

4. a teacher.

QUESTION 3:

Who is the writer- director of the film Man Push cart?

1. Dario Argento

2  Hal Ashby

3. Ramin Bahrani.

4. Woody Allen

QUESTION 4:

Ahmad's relationship with his son in the film Man Push Cartis...

1. loving.

2. understanding.

3. difficult.

4. boring.

A TOUCH OF SPICE

A TOUCH OF SPICE
 The original Greek title is Politiki Kouzina which means Cuisine of Constantinople. However, the word Politiki could mean Political Cuisine signifying the important role that politics played in the lives of the main characters. Fanis Iakovides, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, recalls his childhood memories from growing up in Istanbul. When Fanis was 7 years old, his grandfather Vassilis was an owner of a general store with a specialty in spices. He was also a culinary philosopher and his mentor. Fanis grew very attached to his grandfather who would assist with his homework using imaginative techniques. For instance, Vassilis would teach his grandson the planets of the Solar System by showing an illustration of it and replacing the planets with spices. Cinnamon took the place of Venus since according to Vassilis, "like all women, cinnamon is both bitter and sweet". Fanis also fell in love for the first time in his grandfather store's upper floor with a young Turkish girl, Saime. However, Fanis and his parents were deported to Athens. Fanis had trouble initially adapting in Greece, constantly trying to spend his time in the kitchen, as it was the only link between him and his homeland. However, this would upset his mother who was afraid that the boy was either severely depressed or a homosexual. Fanis grew from childhood to adulthood, preserving his culinary talents and often offering his secrets of the Politiki Cuisine to those that ask for his help. As the years passed by,  grandfather Vassilis made several promises to visit his grandson in Athens but failed to keep them. Fanis returns to Istanbul after three decades to visit his near-death grandfather and also runs into his old love, Saime, who is now married. Together, they reflect on their lives and Fanis will eventually realize that he forgot to put a little bit of spice in his own life.

Starring	Georgios Chorafas Ieroklis Michaelidis Renia Louizidou Basak Koklukaya Tamer Karadagli Stelios Mainas Athinodoros Proussalis

1. What is the main character's name in Politiki Kouzina?
a. Fanis
b. Kostas
c. Manolis
d. Yiannis

2. Who plays the leading role?
a. Katrakis
b. Chorafas
c. Konstantaras
d. Alexandrakis

3. Where did Fanis spend his early childhood ( up to seven years )?
a. in Thessaloniki
b. in Constantinoupoli
c. in Athens
d. in Crete

MOUSSAKAS

MOUSSAKAS



Ingredients
3 large eggplants
6 sliced potatoes
 salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 a kilo minced veal meat
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 ripe tomatoes, grated
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tea spoon sugar
1/2 a kilo feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup freshly grated kefalotyri ( greek yellow cheese )

Bechamel sause
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
3 eggs, whisked
salt, pepper
4 cups milk
1 cup kefalotyri, grated
1 cup feta cheese
Preparation

Cut the potatoes in slices and fry them. Cut the eggplants in slices and leave them in salty water for 1/2 an hour. Drain them and fry them until brown.Drain the eggplants and the potatoes  on a paper towel-lined platter.
Minced meat
Saute the onion, add the minced meat and leave it to cook for 5', add  salt, pepper, the chopped red pepper, the parsley,the tomato paste and the grated tomatoes. Cook and stir until soft. Simmer until the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
Bechamel sauce
Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, the milk, the eggs, salt and pepper. Stir  until the mixture becomes creamy and add the grated kefalotyri and the feta cheese. Remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Line the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with 1/3 of the eggplant slices; they should completely cover the bottom with no gaps. Spread 1/2 of the meat sauce over the eggplant, evening it out with a spatula. Lay the fried potatoes over the meat. Sprinkle with the feta and the kefalotyri. Repeat the layers again, ending with a final layer of eggplant.Add the bechamel sauce. Bake the moussaka for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden. Let it cool 10 minutes before serving.

1. You need ................... to make moussaka.
a. eggplants
b. minced meat
c. feta cheese
d. all the above

2. Moussaka is a traditional ................. dish.
a. french
b. italian
c. romanian
d. greek

3. You .......................... the eggplants and the potatoes to make moussaka.
a. fry
b. roast
c. boil
d. simmer

MELOMAKARONA

MELOMAKARONA

Ingredients:

·         For the cookies:

·         1 cup olive oil

·         1 cup vegetable oil

·         3/4 cup sugar

·         Zest of one orange

·         3/4 cup orange juice

·         1/4 cup brandy

·         2 tsp. baking powder

·         1 tsp. baking soda

·         Pinch of salt

·         7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.In a small bowl, using your fingers, combine the orange zest with the sugar – rubbing the grains as if you were playing with sand to release the orange oils into the ugar.Using an electric mixer, beat the oil with the orange sugar until well mixed. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.Add the orange juice and brandy to mixer and mix well.Slowly incorporate the flour cup by cup until the mixture forms a dough that is not too loose but not quite firm either. It will be dense and wet but not sticky. Once the flour is incorporated fully stop mixing.To roll cookies, pinch a portion of dough off about the size of a walnut. Shape in your palms into a smooth oblong shape, almost like a small egg. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Shape and roll cookies until the sheet is filled.Press the tines of a large fork in a crosshatch pattern in the center of each cookie. This will flatten them slightly in the center. The cookies should resemble lightly flattened ovals when they go in the oven.Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes until lightly browned. (The cookies will darken when submerged in syrup.)While the cookies are baking, prepare the syrup.In a saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves and lemon rind. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon, cloves, and lemon rind and stir in lemon juice.Place the ground walnuts in a shallow plate or bowl next to the stove top. When the cookies come out of the oven and while they are still very warm, carefully float the cookies in the syrup and allow the cookies to absorb syrup on both sides.Using a fork or small spatula, remove the cookie from the syrup and place on a platter or plate. Press ground walnuts lightly into the tops of the cookies (syrup will help it adhere) and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon.Do not refrigerate Melomakarona as they will harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

1. Melomakarona are ................. 
a. sweet
b. sour
c. bitter
d. salty

2. Melomakarona is a traditional sweet for ..............
a. Easter
b. Christmas
c. summer
d. October

3. You need .............. to make melomakarona.
a. corn flour
b. sesame seeds
c. honey
d. carrots

STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES

STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES

     Ingredients:

      1 whole head cabbage,
1 large onion, chopped     

      2 tablespoons butter
A quarter of a kilo minced beef
A quarter of a kilo minced pork
1 1/2 cups  rice
1 spoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt        

      1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cover and cook until softened enough to pull off individual leaves.
When leaves are cool enough to handle,  cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting a
Chop the remaining cabbage and place it in the bottom of a casserole dish .
Saute the chopped onion in butter in a large frying pan until tender, and let it cool. 
Mix cooled onions with beef, pork, rice, salt and black pepper and the parsley until well combined. Don't overmix or the meat will become tough. 
Place about 1/2 cup of meat on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle, then flip the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little roll. 
Place the cabbage rolls on top of the chopped cabbage in the casserole dish , seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 hour or until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked. 
Whisk an egg yolk with lemon and put it on the rolls. Serve while hot.

1. You need ......................meat to make stuffed cabbage leaves.

a. pork and veal

b lamp

c. chicken

d. turkey

2. You .................. the cabbage leaves.

a. boil

b. roast

c. saute

d. grill

3. you add .................. in the mixture.

a. dill

b. parsley

c. cinamon

d. oregano

Churros con chocolate.

  On Tuesday, 17th of December. People from the "Gastronomy project" went to have a delicious breakfast: Churros con chocolate. Our teacher, Jose Luis, invited us to celebrate that we had finished our first term so it was a funny activity that mixed Spanish gastronomy with a little celebration. 

Laura Hervás Vela 4º ESO A 

Papas Aliñas

The papas aliñas are a Andalusian recipe eaten as cover or incoming.

Ingredients:

700 grams of medium sized fresh potatoes

120 grams of chives

1,5 litres of water

1 full tablespoon with chopped fresh parsley

150 ml of mild olive oil

2 tablespoon of sherry vinegar

1 and half tablespoon with heavy salt

Recipe:

1. Wash the potatoes.
2. Put the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil when heat and add a tablespoon of salt.
3. Wait 25 minutes and check with a toothpick if they are soft.
4. While they cooked chop the chives and parsley.
5. When they are cooked turn off the heat and away the pot from the fire. Wait 30 minutes and remove it from the water and 25-30 minutes after we leave in a colander.
6. Get the potatoes, peel and cut into slices and leave them in a bowl of ceramic or glass.
7. Add the chives and parsley, split the half teaspoon of salt over everything, pour the vinegar and olive oil last. Mix everything and when everything is cold serve it.

Image from http://upload.wikimedia.org

1) Which is the principal ingredient?
a) Salt.
b) Potatoes.
c) Oil.

2) When is ready to serve it?
a) When is hot.
b) When is boiling.
c) When is cold.

3) Which is the last ingredient?
a) Parsley.
c) Chives.
c) Olive oil.

José Luis García Ruiz 4º ESO-B

Daniel Moya Arjona 4º ESO-A

Andrés Iniesta Luján

Andrés Iniesta Luján (Fuentealbilla, Albacete, España, 1984), know as Iniesta, is a spanish footballer. Play at the middle of the camp in F. C. Barcelona.

His formation started in the lowers categories of the Albacete Balompié stand out in a tournament of categories of childrens beginner, with twelve years old , over the others participants. therefore, the F. C. Barcelona undertake his signing and took him to Masía (Footballers academy). He was choosen to play with the spanish team; on 29th July 2008 they won the Eurocup in the Erns Happel estadium of Viena, Iniesta win playing against Germany. On 2010 due to him goal against Holland, Spain won the World Cup and was proclaimed the best team, due to him performance on the World Cup and with the Barça, was the second nominated for the FIFA Balon d'Or, the second best player of the year, only surpassed for Lionel Messi and highlighting its skill of move in small spaces on the field. On 2012 was sected the best player for Europa of the UEFA 2011/12.

1) In which team plays?

a) Real Madrid F.C.

b) Atletico de Madrid F.C.

c) F.C. Barcelona.

2) What is the last name of A.Iniesta?

a) Serrano.

b) López.

c) Luján.

3)Were he was born?

a) France.

b) Italy.

c) Spain.

Daniel Moya Arjona 4º ESO - A

José Luis García Ruiz 4º ESO - B

Cherigans

This repice is typical of the Andalusian gastronomy.However,what to the gastronomy of the province of Almeria

History.-

Some people say that western movies that were shot, near Almeria in the desert of Tabernas and others say it's because the cover was creating a grill chef Passage, nicknamed “the Sheriff”

Ingredients.-

1 Loaf of bread

2 spoonful to alioli

1 slice of bacon

1 slide of cheese

Oregano

Preparation.-

1.-Toast the bread

2.- Spread the alioli in the bread

3.-Put bacon and cheese on the bread

4.-Sprinkle oregano

5.-Bake 10 minutes to 180ºC

Answers

1.-Where is this recipe?

a)Malaga

b)Granada

c)Almeria

d)Seville

2.-On that the bacon is placed?

a)In the over

b)The bread

c)In a disk

d)In the floor

3.-How long must the cherigan in the oven?

a)A hour

b)30 minutes

c)10 minutes

d)1 minute