Greek Recipes

          Quinces are ideal fruits for jellies and jams because they have a wonderfully perfumed flesh and, most importantly, because they are full of pectin. In Greece we also make a sweet preserve with pieces of quince, but we also use them in cooking, for example in festive stews with pork or game, the same way you would use potatoes. In different areas of the country quince jelly is flavored with rose geranium ( Pelargonium  graveolens ) or lemon verbena, but you can also flavor it with cinnamon and cloves, vanilla, or something to your own taste.      This jelly, popular all over the planet, can be used as a jam on toasted bread, to accompany cheese on a cheese plate, or as a natural jelly to gloss fruit tarts. It has a wonderful red color and, properly preserved, can be stored for up to a year.  Just a general rule: For every100ml of juice use 85gr granulated sugar First wash as many quinces as you wish to use without bothering to weigh them because you are only interested in

       Pastitsio consists of bucatini shape pasta( a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the centre ), ground meat, and tomato filling, which are then  topped with creamy béchamel sauce and baked in the oven until golden.  Since everyone likes pasta, pastitsio is a wonderful dish for family gatherings. It brings back childhood memories,- the perfect mummy style comfort food.      Pastitisio has an Italian origin (pasticcio) but in Italy it is made with lasagna pasta and without the bechamel sauce. I don't know when it was first imported but it was many decades ago and in its altered form it is now considered a classic Greek dish. Serves 6 (main course) I used a 23x33cm  baking pan 300gr of bucatini pasta For the filling  : 500gr ground beef 100gr olive oil 1 onion finely chopped 300gr chopped tomatoes ½ tsp ground allspice or cinnamon 1 glass of wine 2 cups (500gr) hot water salt and pepper to taste 1 cup grated kefalotyri cheese For the bechamel : 6Tbsps butte