A Taste of Greece

My latest class at life+style is on Greek cooking.    I adore Greek food and have been cooking "Greek" since early married days.     Daughter Sarah got me over my fear of baklava but for years my Greek dessert of choice was karidopeta -- a lemon walnut cake which I think is yummy!

My menu has been "etched in stone" for my Greek class since we agreed on a class date, however, friend Cynthia loaned me a cookbook, Greek Gods' Cuisine, from St. Demetrious Greek Orothodox Church, Tucson.

And in that book, I found another intriguing cake . . . which I made

and invited two friends for coffee and Yiaourtopita, the recipe I decide to try.

I've been cleaning cabinets and realized I had dishes that I don't use much -- these lovely English plates and cups and saucers, from F. Winkle called Whieldon Ware and the pattern is antique.     I also have a sugar bowl, but alas, no creamer -- I should rectify that!  

A tea napkin, a bone handled fork (for the cake isn't really finger food), and my Grandmother's silver coffee pot.     We chatted, ate the lovely cake and sipped coffee -- American coffee, alas, not Greek coffee.

The cake -- my guests thought it was lovely! . . .

And laughed when I told them the American translation of the name -- Ouzo Cake!!!!   It's simple, it's good and I think it would be a long lasting cake -- but cake never seems to last long at Linderhof!

YIAOURTOPITA (OUZO CAKE)

1 cup butter

2 c. sugar

6 eggs, well beaten

1 cup yogurt

2 t. baking soda, dissolved in 2 oz. Ouzo

1 cup finely chopped nuts

1 t. cinnamon

2 cups flour

1 t. cloves

Melt the butter and cool.    Add the sugar and all other ingredients and beat well.   Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan and bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes.    Pour cooled syrup over hot cake.

SYRUP:

Dissolve 3 cups sugar in 2 cups wter, add 1/2 a lemon, cut up.    Boil slowly for 30 minutes.    Allow syrup to cool and pour evenly over cake.

It's Tuesday and I'm joining:

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday