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Kalliopi's KitchenGreek food recipes

Dairy and Cheese

Milk

Γάλα · Gala

Fresh milk, the base of Greek and Cypriot dairy
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Sheep and goat milk, not cow's milk, is what Greek and Cypriot dairy was built on, for the practical reason that sheep and goats manage on dry, steep, rocky ground where cattle do not. Sheep's milk carries close to twice the fat of cow's milk and considerably more protein, which is a large part of why feta, halloumi and the whey cheeses set as richly as they do.

Milk leads a dish more often on the sweet side of the kitchen than the savoury. Galaktoboureko, semolina custard baked between sheets of phyllo and soaked in syrup, takes its name from it, and rizogalo, rice pudding, is little more than milk, rice and a strip of lemon peel cooked slowly. The bechamel over moussaka and pastitsio is the main savoury use.

Soured milk has a tradition of its own. Trahanas is made by fermenting cracked wheat with soured sheep or goat milk, then drying the mixture into hard pellets that keep through winter and are boiled into soup months later. Cow's milk works in all of these, but sheep's milk gives a noticeably richer result and sets a custard or a pudding firmer.

Recipes with milk

32 recipes on the site using it.

A tray of Greek moussaka with a browned bechamel top, one square lifted outMoussakaMousakas ΜουσακάςMain Courses · 1h 55m · serves 8A slice of pastitsio showing distinct layers of pasta, meat sauce and golden bechamelPastitsioPastitsio ΠαστίτσιοMain Courses · 1h 40m · serves 8A square of galaktoboureko showing thick yellow custard between crisp golden phylloGalaktobourekoGalaktoboureko ΓαλακτομπούρεκοDesserts · 1h 30m · serves 12Squares of bougatsa custard pastry dusted with icing sugar and cinnamonBougatsaBougatsa ΜπουγάτσαBreakfast Recipes · 1h 10m · serves 8Cypriot flaounes cheese pastries with a golden sesame-topped crustCypriot Easter Cheese PastriesFlaounes ΦλαούνεςBreads and Pies · 2h 5m · serves 16Cypriot mahalepi milk pudding topped with rose syrup and crushed pistachiosMahalepiMahalepi ΜαχαλεπίDesserts · 30m · serves 6A tray of Cypriot baked macaroni with a golden halloumi toppingCypriot Baked MacaroniMakaronia tou fournou Μακαρόνια του φούρνουMain Courses · 1h 35m · serves 8A Greek bifteki patty cut open showing melted feta insideBiftekiBifteki ΜπιφτέκιMain Courses · 40m · serves 4A golden braided Greek tsoureki Easter bread with a red egg tucked inTsourekiTsoureki ΤσουρέκιBreads and Pies · 1h 30m · serves 12A golden Greek vasilopita New Year cake dusted with icing sugarNew Year Cake with the Hidden CoinVasilopita ΒασιλόπιταDesserts · 1h 10m · serves 12Thessaloniki trigona Panoramatos custard-filled pastry trianglesThessaloniki Custard TrianglesTrigona Panoramatos Τρίγωνα ΠανοράματοςDesserts · 1h 20m · serves 10A rustic loaf of Epirus batzina cornbread with greensEpirus Cornbread with GreensBatzina ΜπατζίναBreads and Pies · 55m · serves 8A tall glass of Greek frappe iced coffee with a thick foam headFrappeFrape ΦραπέDrinks · 5m · serves 1Greek papoutsakia stuffed aubergine boats topped with golden bechamelStuffed Aubergine "Little Shoes"Papoutsakia ΠαπουτσάκιαMain Courses · 1h 30m · serves 6A stack of Greek tiganites pancakes drizzled with honey and walnutsPancakes with HoneyTiganites me meli Τηγανίτες με μέλιBreakfast Recipes · 35m · serves 4Golden Greek frigania fried bread slices drizzled with honeyFried Bread with HoneyFriganya ΦρυγανιάBreakfast Recipes · 22m · serves 4A glass of Greek freddo espresso iced coffee with a thick foam headIced EspressoFrendo espreso Φρέντο εσπρέσοDrinks · 5m · serves 1A glass of Greek freddo cappuccino with a thick cold milk foam capIced CappuccinoFrendo kapoutsino Φρέντο καπουτσίνοDrinks · 8m · serves 1A slice of Epirus tyropita cheese pie showing a thick custardy fillingEpirus Hand-Rolled Cheese PieTyropita Ipirou Τυρόπιτα ΗπείρουBreads and Pies · 1h 45m · serves 8A slice of Greek kotopita chicken pie showing layered phyllo and fillingChicken Pie in PhylloKotopita ΚοτόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 30m · serves 8Corfu Easter Sweet BreadFogatsa Kerkyras Φογάτσα ΚέρκυραςBreads and Pies · 1h 40m · serves 12Yogurt straining through cloth over a bowl, whey collecting belowHow to Make Strained Greek Yogurt at HomeGiaourti stragisto Γιαούρτι στραγγιστόDips and Sauces · 10m · serves 6A round Greek Christopsomo Christmas bread with a decorative dough crossChristmas BreadChristopsomo ΧριστόψωμοBreads and Pies · 1h 45m · serves 12Sweet Trahanas Milk PorridgeTrahanas me gala Τραχανάς με γάλαBreakfast Recipes · 17m · serves 2A slice of Greek galatopita custard pie dusted with cinnamonCustard Pie Without PhylloGalatopita ΓαλατόπιταDesserts · 1h · serves 8A bowl of Greek rizogalo rice pudding dusted with cinnamonRice PuddingRizogalo ΡυζόγαλοDesserts · 50m · serves 6A loaf of Greek bobota cornbread, slicedBobotaBobota ΜπομπόταBreads and Pies · 55m · serves 8A dish of Greek ekmek kataifi with custard and whipped creamCustard and Cream Kataifi CakeEkmek kataifi Έκμεκ κανταΐφιDesserts · 1h 15m · serves 10A bowl of Cretan xinohondros sour trahanas porridgeCretan Sour TrahanasXinohondros ΞινόχοντροςBreakfast Recipes · 4h 20m · serves 8Cypriot Semolina Custard PastriesShamishi ΣιάμισιDesserts · 1h 10m · serves 6Zagori Batter Pie with FetaAlevropita ΑλευρόπιταBreads and Pies · 45m · serves 6Hunkiar begienti, lamb in tomato sauce over smoked aubergine pureeLamb on Smoked Aubergine PureeHounkiar begienti Χουνκιάρ μπεγιεντίMain Courses · 2h 20m · serves 6

More dairy and cheese

FetaHalloumiGreek YogurtGravieraAnariAnthotyroButterKasseriKefalotyriManouriMetsovoneMizithra