Cyprus is the third largest and third most populated island in the Mediterranean – after Sicily and Sardinia. And, like every island in the Mediterranean, it has had a succession of rulers and conquers – ancient Greece, Egyptians, and Persians… Alexander the Great stopped by, as did the Ottomans, and, of course, the British. Today, it’s a divided nation of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

It has a rich culinary tradition sharing foods from many cultures. Since Cyprus is a divided country, I thought a bit of reunification was in order for our dinner, so I went with a Greek Cypriot entree and A Turkish Cypriot dessert. My philosophy is sit down and share a meal – you have a lot more in common than you think. This, of course, does exclude racists, fascists, misogynists, homophobes and other hateful people. I have nothing in common with you.

I did a web search and found a couple of recipes that sounded interesting – an orzo dish and a cakey-custardy dessert. Just like my mother, I am a sucker for ooey-gooey desserts.The dessert needed to be made a day in advance, so I started there…

The recipe I found was in Turkish – naturally – so I first needed to translate and figure out things like “Three Turkish Coffee Cups Flour”. The recipe is a Bing translation and the amounts are from ChatGPT.

 

 

Ekmek Kadayıf

adapted from Nefis Yemek Tarifleri

For the Cake Batter:

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
  • 3 Turkish coffee cups of flour (3 x 60 ml ≈ 180 ml ≈ 110 g)
  • 1 packet baking powder (10 g)
  • 1 packet vanilla powder (5 g)

For the Caramel Syrup:

  • 3 cups water (720 ml)
  • 3 cups sugar (600 g)

For the Cream Filling:

  • 2.5 cups milk (600 ml)
  • 3 tablespoons flour (45 g)
  • 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut (14 g)
  • 4 tablespoons sugar (60 g)
  • 1 packet vanilla powder (5 g)

After beating the eggs and sugar with a mixer for 5 minutes, we add the flour, baking powder and vanilla and mix.

We bake it in a preheated oven at 170 degrees (350f) for 20 minutes without opening the door. (For a small rectangular glass or tray)

After the cake has cooled, we prepare the caramel with 3 cups of sugar and 3 cups of boiling water.

We put the sugar in the pot and melt it on low heat, when it becomes completely liquid, we slowly pour 3 glasses of boiling water over it.

When you add water, the sugar solidifies, we boil it until the sugar dissolves again.

For the cream, we mix all the ingredients except the coconut and vanilla and cook it, and after it is cooked, we add the coconut and vanilla and beat it with a mixer. We leave it to cool.

We cut our cooled cake in half horizontally, and place the bottom part first on the baking tray we used again.

We pour half of our warm caramel syrup into the lower part (at this stage, it is necessary to adjust the amount of syrup well, as it will also be poured into the upper part).

We pour all of our cream in the middle and spread it nicely.

We carefully place the top part and pour the remaining syrup all over the cake.

If possible, we leave it in the fridge overnight and serve it with clotted cream or whipped cream on top.

I watched the video and followed the instructions. First thing I did was burn the sugar. Melting sugar is not high on my skill-set, and, while it looked like the video, it didn’t suit either of our palates. I also realized that three cups of sugar was way more syrup than I needed, so I cut the recipe back to two on the next try. I still had more than I needed, but I didn’t burn it!

My next issue was the cake fell. It was beautiful coming out of the oven, but 20 minutes later, it looked like a deflated air mattress. No way was it going to let me cut it in half horizontally, so… I cut it in half vertically and assembled it in a smaller dish. Authenticity is falling by the wayside, here. I can see why it’s one of the most popular bakery items – and they sell kits to make it at home.

 

 

 

While I generally really like ooey-gooey desserts, this one was merely okay. It was a bit too syrupy and the filling could have used a bit more oomph. I’m not going to blame the recipe, though… It probably would have been great had I made it correctly.

The main dish was well within my skill-set. Definitely Mediterranean-inspired. I saw several recipes – all with a bit of a different spin – so I combined my favorite parts and ingredients and went for it – just as someone would do in Cyprus if they were cooking at home.

Kritharaki

adapted from several online recipes

Ingredients:

  • 2 chicken breasts, cut up
  • 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 cup Kritharaki (orzo pasta)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes or 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • pinch crushed red pepper
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • Graviera or Pecorino Romano, grated (for topping)
  • Fresh parsley for garnish
  1. Sauté Chicken, Mushrooms, and Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft (about 3-4 minutes). Add chicken and lightly brown. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
  2. Tomato Base: Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, allspice, and paprika. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing the tomatoes to break down and the flavors to meld.
  3. Add Kritharaki: Add the orzo to the pan and stir to coat it in the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes to slightly toast the pasta.
  4. Simmer: Pour in the broth and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until the orzo is tender and most liquid has been absorbed.
  5. Season: Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  6. Serve: Remove from heat and let the dish rest for a minute. Sprinkle generously with grated Graviera (or your substitute) and fresh parsley.

This one was fun – I didn’t realize just how much I was going to enjoy it! The flavors were familiar, with just a bit of a twist from the cinnamon and allspice. It had just a teeny bit of heat, sweetness from the cinnamon and allspice, saltiness from the cheese, and rich and fulfilling from the orzo… a definite keeper. I think next time I make it I’ll throw in some raisins or dried apricots. It’s one of those kinds of dishes that can be tweaked a million and one ways!

 

All-in-all, it was a successful journey. Now on to D…