The recipe which inspired this topic - from John of Volos, Greece: Galaktoboureko (Milk Pie) You need: 1) 6-8 Eggs 2) 1 cup Sugar 3) 1 1/2 cups (or cream of wheat, or rice flour) Semolina 4) 7 cups Milk 5) grated peel Lemon 6) 3 tablespoons Butter 7) 1 1/2 lbs Phyllo (pastry sheets) 8) 3/4 cup melted Butter Syrup: 9) 2 cups Sugar 10) 1 cup Water 11) 1 tablespoon juice Lemon Preparation Beat the eggs with the sugar until thick. Add semolina, milk and flavouring. (My wife adds and enough small pieces of walnuts). Cook over a low heat until mixture thickens stirring continuously. Remove from heat; add 3 tablespoons butter. Butter a baking pan and lay 2/3 of pastry sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter. The edges of the pastry sheets should come up above the yop of the pan. Spread milk mixture over pastry sheets and turn in the edges of the phyllo over the cream. Cover with remaining pastry sheets, brushing each with melted butter. Pour any remaining butter over top. Cut through the first 3 pastry sheets in 3 inch squares and sprinkle with water. Bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes or until the pastry sheets is golden brown. Allow to cool. Boil the sugar, water and lemon juice for 5 minutes. Pour lukewarm syrup over "galaktoboureko". Cool before serving.

I like the way this sounds. Have no idea how it tastes: Erupting Volcano Cake 6 ea 8" baked round cakes Brown & green Frosting 1 Fresh egg w/shell scrubbed 1 sm Juice glass or 1 1/2 Inch cookie cutter 2 - 3 drops red food color 1 1/2 ts Sugar 1/4 lb Dry ice Aluminum foil 1 - 2 oz hot tap water Make six 8" round cakes using your favorite mix or buy cakes from a bakery. Buy two or three dollars worth of dry ice from an ice cream store the day you will need it. Keep the dry ice in freezer. Be sure to handle the dry ice with gloves or tongs just to be safe. If your ice cream store doesn't have dry ice just look in your local Yellow Pages telephone directory under "Dry Ice". Now use your juice glass or cookie cutter and cut out a hole in the center or the top two layers of cake. This hole will form a well in the center of the cake and hide the special effect. Now construct the Volcano cake, round pyramid style, on a cake platter or large dish. Trim each layer into seccessively smaller rounds and stack and frost them into mountain shape using the last two layers with the holes as its top. With a small piece of aluminum foil, line the well in the center of the volcano cake. Use the juice glass as a mold and form foil around the glass. Now frost the cake, smoothing out the small step-like ledges. Use chocolate frosting for the whole cake first. Then use green frosting as highlights around the mountain to resemble vegetation. When you are ready to serve the cake, make the "lava". Separate the cleaned egg and discard the yolk. Put the egg white in a small mixing bowl with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and 2-3 drops red food coloring. Beat until the egg white starts to thicken. You don't want stiff peaks to form, just a thick, foamy texture. Now place two or three small chunks of the dry ice into the foil-lined well of the cake and pour in the red egg mixture. Nothing much will happen yet. Now fill your juice glass with hot tap water and take the Volcano Cake and water to the table where yyour guests are. When you are ready to produce the Special Effect, simply pour one or two ounces of the hot water into the egg and dry ice mixture and your realistic Volcano Cake will erupt large quantities or orange, foamy "lava" and white "smoke" for several minutes while you serve your delighted guests pieces of genuine Erupting Volcano Cake. Alternate Foam Generating Technique: If you can't find dry ice in your area, you can still produce the foaming "Lava" effect. There will be no smoke, but you will have plenty of foamy lava. You will need a small, short juice glass or a shot glass that will fit snugly in the center of the Volcano Cake (a glass 3" tall and 1 1/2" in diameter would be perfect). You will also need one small box of Jell-o, one small bottle lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda. Make Jell-o according to package directions. Let cool 15 minutes. When jello is still (not hot), fill juice glass 1/2 full with the warm jello. Pour in enough lemon juice so that the glass is almost full, or about 1/2" from the top. Place glass down into hole in the cake so lip of glass is flush with top of cake. You are now ready to produce the effect. When ready, put 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda into the glass and briefly stir (1-2 seconds). Jello foam will immediately pour out the top of the glass and flow down the sides of the cake. from http://www.runet.edu/~cpf-clb/evc.html

Kourambiethes (Greek Christmas Sweets) Description/Notes: These delightful little sugar coated biscuits have a delicious brandy, cinnamon and almond flavour. They are the traditional Christmas sweets in Greece where it is customary to prepare them in every home although they are now to be found in most Greek cakeshops and supermarkets during the festivities Ingredients: 16 fl. oz. (450 ml.) olive oil 4 oz. (125g) sugar 1 whole egg and 1 yolk 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon 4 tbsps brandy 4 oz. (125g) almonds, roasted and coarsely ground 1 lb. (450g) flour icing suagar for coating Cooking Instructions: 1.Pour the olive oil into a large bowl and beat in the sugar 2.Add the eggs, almonds, cinnamon, almonds and brandy and beat again 3.Carefully add the flour until the dough is a soft consistency that will not stick to your hands 4.Divide the dough into pieces the size of a walnut and shape kourambiethes into rounds, oblongs and ovals 5.Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F, Gas Mark 4, 180C for 15-20 minutes 6.Allow to cool a little then sift icing sugar over them, covering them completely http://www.hookerycookery.com/xmas034.htm

Olive oil in cookies!!! I can't imagine that. However, I will discover what it is all about as soon as I can find olive oil from Greece. Mine is from Italy since was not purchased by me. Wonder what kind of Brandy...

Christmas Recipes Chestnut Soup - What better way to start your Christmas dinner than with this seasonal chestnut soup Salmon Mousse with Avocado - Why not give good old prawn cocktail a miss this year and impress with this succulent salmon mousse and avocado Roast Goose - rich and scrumptious roast goose, the only bird that can claim to be true Christmas fare Honey Roast Duck with Port and Orange Sauce - Much richer in flavour than turkey and not as 'gamey' as a goose, roast duck is a delicious alternative when served with this port and orange sauce Roast Pheasant with Wine Sauce - To appreciate the distinctive flavour of this dish you must first hang the birds for a week before plucking to tenderise and flavour the meat; delicious served with game chips Game Chips - Thinly sliced potato rounds deep fried to accompany your roast game fowl Roast Partridge on a bed of Liver Pate - Crisp and succulent partridge served on a bed of liver pate and garnished with watercress and fried breadcrumbs. Delicious! Plum Pudding (1) - You can make this delicious fruity pudding well in advance of the festive season and store or freeze it for your convenience Traditional Roast Turkey with Festive Stuffing - celebrate the family meal of the year with this succulent roast turkey and festive savoury stuffing Festive Stuffing - A sausagemeat stuffing with a delightful added bonus of celery and spinach Glazed Chestnuts - A simple yet striking accompaniment to adorn the festive turkey; best served when not serving a chestnut stuffing Bread Sauce - Yet another recipe that proves that packet sauce is no substitute for the real thing; this version of bread sauce has a delicious subtle flavour of bay leaf and cloves Cranberry Chutney - Boxing-day would not be complete without this delectable chutney to accompany the cold turkey Good-bye Turkey Curry - Say a final farewell to your festive bird with this super fruity curry recipe Roast Sirloin of Beef with Horseradish Cream - Roast beef has been served on the Christmas table centuries before the supermarkets decreed that turkey was the traditional Yuletide fare; succulent roast sirloin makes a welcome change from that most over-hyped of Christmas birds Roast Loin of Pork with Prune and Apple Stuffing - Succulent roast pork with a tasty stuffing and terrific crackling Vegetarian Christmas Roast - A scrumptious Christmas nut roast that will suit most vegetarians. Serve with brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce to make this a truly memorable meal. Chestnut Loaf - For a really delicious alternative Christmas meal, serve thick slices of this chestnut loaf with red cabbage, sprouts and roast potatoes. Great for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike Festive Salad - A tasty, yet diet conscious salad that will come as a welcome relief to many an abused digestive system over the celebrations; will keep for several days if stored and refrigerated in an air-tight container Savoury Cheese Nibbbles - Scrumptious savoury nibbles that will delight your party guests; hide a few as a treat for when they've all gone home Chicken and Mushroom Vol-au-vent - An equally delicious supper or party dish you can serve hot or cold; the little extra effort needed in making this dish will more than compensate for it's vastly superior flavour to the cardboardy tasting ready-made alternative Party Sausage Rolls - Don't forget to serve these tasty nibbles at your party; it's just not Christmas without the trusty sausage roll lurking somewhere amongst the festive fancies Festive Omelette with Brandy and Mincemeat - Set alight this delicious omelette for a scintillating climax to a festive candlelight dinner; you'll find it's much more romantic than plum pudding! Little Christmas Puddings - These light and fruity puddings that can be cooked in small bowls or teacups are ideal for individual servings or as presents for elderly or single people Traditional Sherry Trifle - Treat your family and friends to this superb traditional boozy trifle full of sherry, raspberries and cream. Forget about counting calories until the New Year! Mince Pies with Shortcrust Pastry - A no-nonsense recipe for mince pies, ideal for entertaining unexpected guests at the festive season Christmas Cake - A super Christmas fruit cake, enriched with brandy, that is best made in early November Almond Paste - Cover your Christmas cake with this almond paste at least acouple of days before adding the royal icing or the almond oil may discolour the icing Royal Icing - A lovely icing that's the ideal topping for your Christmas cake prior to your decorations Syllabub - An enchanting creamy, lemon and sherry dessert that can be made well in advance, the perfect finale to a festive dinner party Claret Cup - Excellent drink to welcome your guests over the festive season Mulled Wine - A wonderful combination of wine, sherry and cinnamon with a honey flavour traditionally served hot; an inexpensive wine will work just as well for this drink Egg Nog - Golden yellow egg and milk drink laced with brandy; said to originate from the old English 'posset' Kourambiethes (Greek Christmas Sweets) - These delightful little sugar coated biscuits have a delicious brandy, cinnamon and almond flavour. They are the traditional Christmas sweets in Greece where it is customary to prepare them in every home although they are now to be found in most Greek cakeshops and supermarkets during the festivities Brandy Truffles - Delight your guests with this delicious after-dinner sweets Date and Walnut Squares - Delectable little chewy squares full of traditional dates and walnuts Chocolate and Mint Creams - Cute and colourfull mint creams to adorn your Christmas table Brandy Snaps - Crispy toffee coloured snaps with a brandy cream filling Turkish Delight - Why not make your own Turkish delight this Christmas, maybe as an extra present from you to you! Sangria - Not really a Christmas drink, more of a gentle reminder of where you could have been if you hadn't spent so much on those festive fripperies Yuletide Stollen - Delicious rich fruit and nut dough cake coated with vanilla icing, ideal for the Christmas break Christmas Bread - A rich and fruity bread that's ideal for the festive season. Served with butter it's a delicious afternoon treat Bloody Mary - Classic hangover cure or 'hair of the dog' after that wild party: also serves as an excellent pre-dinner cocktail Christmas Party Punch - This old fashioned recipe certainly packs a punch and is a good talking point for your newly arrived guests. Don't forget to serve in heat-proof glasses http://www.hookerycookery.com/xmas-menu.htm Go to the link to access the recipes. I cannot imagine chestnut soup, either.

Greek pastry made before Lent: Kaltsounia Ingredients: Pastry: 1 cup oil 1 glass water Juice of 1 lemon Salt 1 kilo flour Filling: 1 1/2 kilos mezithra cheese 3 eggs Salt Sesame seeds 1 egg yolk for glazing Mix the oil with the lemon juice, add a little salt. Add the flour little by little until a manageable dough is formed. Roll out the dough into a sheet of medium thickness. Cut it into rounds with the rim of a glass. Prepare the filling by combining the cheese with the three eggs and some salt. Fill each round of dough with this mixture, then fold over the pieces into half moon shapes. Pinch the edges of the pastry with the fingers to close well. Brush each round with the egg yolk and sprinkle sesame seeds over them. Bake in a preheated oven of 175C/350F for about 30 minutes.

I think the above is not dessert - there are no honey and almonds in it.

Cheesecake no-bake cake By The Associated Press This Strawberry Cheesecake in a Glass looks inviting, with layers of fruit, cream cheese and crumbly top colorfully visible, perhaps under a garnish of more berries and a tiny sprig of mint. The content in calories and fat is not too great, since the recipe calls for light cream cheese and skim milk. And it's a no-bake "cake." STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE IN A GLASS 1 pint basket strawberries, stemmed and sliced 3 Tbsps. currant jelly or 2 Tbsps. sugar 8 oz. light cream cheese, softened 3 Tbsps. skim milk 2 Tbsps. lemon juice 2 Tbsps. sugar 1 cup light whipped topping 1 cup graham cracker crumbs In bowl, toss strawberries with jelly or sugar; cover and set aside. In mixer bowl, beat cheese, milk, juice and sugar until smooth; fold in whipped topping. Spoon 2 tablespoons crumbs into each of four 8- to 10-ounce stemmed glasses; top each with about 1/4 cup of the strawberries, 1/2 cup of the cream cheese mixture, then the remaining crumbs and strawberries, dividing equally. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition facts per serving: 365 cals., 14 g fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 478 mg sodium, 48 g carbo., 3 g fiber, 9 g pro. Recipe from: California Strawberry Commission. http://www.dnj.com/dnjtoday/1998/04/22/food.html

This recipe is from Bon App�tit magazine. It does taste very much like carrot cake and you can replace the parsnips with carrots or turnips (yes, turnips). Parsnip Space Cake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cloves 3 large eggs 1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil 1/2 cup whole milk 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided 2 cups (packed) shredded peeled parsnips (about 3 large) 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger 3 cups (about 12 ounces) powdered sugar Preheat oven to 350�F. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Combine flour, sugar, ground ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in large bowl; whisk to combine. Whisk eggs, oil, milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in medium bowl to combine. Pour egg mixture over dry ingredients; stir until just combined. Stir in parsnips and walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack. Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in fresh ginger and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until frosting is smooth. Spread over cake. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Er, make that previous recipe Parsnip Spice Cake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting. I must've been in space that day. Yikes!