Easter Newsletter
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April Recipe:
Tsoureki (Greek Easter
Bread) |
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Ingredients:
2-7
gram Packets Active Dry Yeast
2 cups Warm Milk
9 to 10 cups All-purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
2 tsp. Makhlepi (Optional)
8 Tbs. Butter; Melted and Cooled
6 Eggs; 1 Lightly Beaten
1 tsp. Salt
1 Tbs. Grated Orange Rind (Zest)
1 Tbs. Grated Lemon Rind (Zest)
2 Hard-Cooked Red-Dyed Eggs (Optional)
2 Tbs. Black Cumin Seeds
Preparation:
In a large
bowl, dissolve yeast in warmed milk.
Stir in 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup sugar, cover bowl with plastic wrap
and set aside for 1-hour.
Steep makhlepi (if utilizing)in 1/2 cup simmering water for about
5-minutes.
Strain mixture and discard seeds. Set remaining liquid aside to cool.
Stir 1/2 cup water or makhlepi-scented liquid into the yeast mixture.
Add butter and 5 eggs and thoroughly combine. Sift in 8 cups of flour,
salt and remaining
sugar into bread mixture. Add salt, orange and lemon zest, and mix
thoroughly with a large
wooden spoon. Turn out dough onto a floured surface. Knead, adding
more flour if necessary,
until smooth, approximately 10-minutes. Form the dough into a ball and
place in a lightly
greased bowl. Cover the dough with a clean dish towel and set aside to
raise for about
2-hours.
Return dough to the floured surface.
Divide the dough into 6-equal parts and roll into ropes about
15-inches long. For each loaf,
loosely braid 3 ropes, turn under ends and press 1 dyed egg (optional)
near one end of each
braid. Set bread aside to rise again for at least 1-hour on a lightly
greased cookie sheet.
Pre-heat oven to 350-F degrees. Brush bread with remaining beaten egg
and sprinkle with
black cumin seeds. Bake until golden, approximately 40 to 50-minutes.
Store cooled bread in
an airtight container or serve warm.
Are you missing Greek delicacies, desserts, coffee?
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The solemnity of
Holy Week in the Greek Orthodox Church ends with the commencement of
Easter celebrations, where it glorifies the Resurrection of Jesus
Christ. In Greek religion, every Sunday is dedicated to the
Resurrection of the Lord, but one hundred days also are dedicated to
Easter, 50 before its actual preparation, and another 50 after it in
commemorating the glorification of the Lord. Easter is therefore
considered, the "Feast of Feasts".
The 50 days
before Easter, known as a part of the period of 'Triodion', are the
period for strengthening faith in the Lord. This is a period of
repentance, which changes people from indifference to full devotion
and prayer.
The 50 days
which follow Easter are signified by the Pentecostarion, which are
dedicated to the spiritual enjoyment of the participants in the deep
belief that God is with all men in everyday life and thoughts. It
starts with the celebration of the Jesus' Resurrection. During this
period, the Church of Christ (Christ's mystical body) was instituted
and strengthened. His disciples and Apostles miraculously witnessed
the appearance of the risen Christ, and from that became recipients
of the Holy Spirit. From this momentous event, the Apostles became
the ambassadors of the new message of salvation in the name of
Christ, 'the Savior'. Nowadays, Christians are also called to
commemorate the same divine events and to enact them in their hearts
and minds in realization that 'Christ is Risen'.
Holy Week
itself, begins after 'Palm Sunday' and runs from Monday, where
fasting and observance lead up to the so-called, 'Passion'. The
Tuesday following it is usually devoted to scripture reading and
Wednesday is devoted to the anointing the faithful with holy oil or
a spig of oregano. These sprigs are later thought to have healing
powers. Thursdays usually finds the household up and about very
early decorating the churches as priests read bible passages from
the Last Supper. Later, the taking of communion begins in which all
the faithful participate. In the evening services, the priest
recites passages from the twelve gospels, describing the Passion of
Christ. On Good Friday, most shops and businesses are closed and
flags are flown at half-mast in commemoration of Christ being taken
down from the cross. On Friday evening, the bier of Christ is
decorated with gold cloth and fresh flowers, where the faithful bow
and stoop to kiss the symbolic body of Christ. After this, the bier
is carried out of the church and paraded through the streets in a
lengthy funeral procession. Finally on Holy Saturday, the ceremonies
come to a close as people begin to break their fasts, savoring
specially prepared dishes like 'margeiritsa' soup, made of lambs
innards. The rest of the day is spent preparing for next day's big
lamb feast at the Easter Sunday celebrations. |
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LIVE from Boston
DVD (NTSC)
The hilarity
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