As many of you have heard, time and time again, I was fortunate enough to take a 5 week sojourn to Greece in the Spring of last year. Two weeks of the trip were spent with Thordis Simonsen and Astra Tours on mainland Greece travelling extensively throughout Epirus and Thessaly. Four days were spent in the Zagoria region visiting tiny villages at the base of Vikos Gorge in the Pindos mountains of Greece and all the wonderful attractions it has to offer.
One afternoon we hiked along a mountain trail to a monastery overlooking the Vikos Gorge where we could reflect on the days journey. In the village we stopped at a tavern built the year I was born. (No, this does not make it an ancient ruin!!!). Here we devoured our reward; a plate of tiganopita or feta cheese pancake that I had only read about previously. The term pancake is loosely based because it is not a light and fluffy pancake as we know it. In fact, come to think of it, I was told they offered tyropita at the tavern which is a pie made with filo...which this is not. Therefore when I asked Aglaia about it she turned me on to a recipe for Kiki's Pie or "Lazy Woman's Pie" which is tyropita and not tiganopita...have I confused you yet? This is a recipe for tiganopita. If I had have known the real name of the dish Aglaia would have turned me on to her recipe right away!!!
This recipe from Aglaia Kremezi's cookbook, "The Foods of the Greek Islands, Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean", is the closest I have found to replicating the recipe at the tavern. The region is famous for it! Perhaps you need the fresh mountain air and a long hike to truly have the experience...perhaps a bottle of Mythos as well. I would highly recommend at least trying this amazing dish!!!You don't have to have the Mythos if it is not available in your part of the country!!!
Aglaia Kremezi is a Julia Child award winning cookbook author, photojournalist and food columnist. She has written many cookbooks over the years. With her husband Costas Moraitis and friends they run a wonderful cooking school in their home on the island of Kea in Greece. http://www.keartisanal.com/ . One of her many cookbooks, as featured here, is an 8 year compilation of recipes from island women, fisherman and bakers passed down from generation to generation. Many of these recipes she has collected have never been written down and have been passed on by word of mouth. Not only is this cookbook filled with wonderful recipes like:
Spaghetti with Lobster
Ravioli Stuffed with Haloumi and Mint,
Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Greens and Feta
Shrimp Saganaki
Crab Cakes with Garlic Sauce
Lemon Custard in Filo Pastry
but is also filled with beautiful photos of Greece, anecdotes and stories of Greek life.
I spent 8 days on the island of Kea in the wonderful company of Aglaia, her husband, friends and family. That is why I am featuring one of her cookbooks "The Foods of the Greek Islands, Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean" in this months 20th Weekend Cookbook Challenge .
"Show and Tell" is the theme for this months challenge. The event is hosted by Sara at http://weekendcookbookchallenge.blogspot.com/ and http://iliketocook.blogspot.com . Aglaia's cookbook holds special meaning for me because of our time together in the classroom and around her dinner table under the stars on a magical island in the Mediterranean.
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**Feta Cheese Pancake (Tiganopita me Feta)"
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup water
1 T olive oil
1-1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and flour with a whisk or an electric mixer until blended, then gradually beat in the water. Cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat an 11 x 7-inch or other 1-quart baking dish with oil.
Stir 1 cup of the cheese and pepper to taste into the batter. Pour the batter into the baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and more pepper on top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sides are pulling way from the dish. Cut into squares or serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main course
Note: I am even more generous with the feta cheese than the recipe calls for.
