traditional

23 Mar 2017

Stamatis Patisserie – Bakery

Jessie bakery, cakes, handmade, Limenas, loukoumades, Patisserie, Stamatis, sweets, traditional 0

Attention, please! For all sweets lovers, this information is very important.

This story will discover where to find world’s best sweets, decorated with delicious creams, fruits and chocolate.
Stamatis patisserie-bakery is among the most famous shops in Thassos. It has a tradition of almost 60 years, and is known for its quality everywhere, not just in northern Greece.

It began a long, long, time ago, in 1958. when the first Stamatis pastry shop opened in Limenas.

Stamatis Patisserie – Bakery

The first letters of this sweet fairy tale were wrriten by Mr Σταμάτης Παπακυριακού. He learned the craft of pastry in Thessaloniki and since he has worked hard, paving the way for his heirs even as they learn the ropes from him.
Pastry recipes are handed down from generation to generation and jealously kept as secret. We, their guests, enjoy every bite, because Stamatis pattisierie makes all our dreams of sweet come true.
They created two elegant shops in Limenas, where they serve first class handmade sweets, while paying attention to every little detail because they know it is important to us.

This time we had a chance to take a look at how they made one of the most popular traditional Greek sweets, the loukoumades.

Loukoumades

It’s a bite sized delicacy, frosted by honey, cinnamon, suggar or chocolate.
The history of loukoumades reaches far into the past. The ancient Greek poet Kalimahus wrote that Olympic winners would be rewarded with fried balls of dough as a reward dipped in honey , the so called honey medals, today widely known as loukoumades.

Loukomades that we tried, disappeared from our table in the blink of an eye, as we competed in who will eat more and in a shorter time.
When you find everything you love in one place, nice people, tasty sweets and excellent service, you’ll definitely come back to that place.
Just like we do. We return again and again to Mr. Stamatis.

Stamatis Patisserie – Bakery
Telephone: +30 25930 22131
Fb: https://www.facebook.com/patisserie.stamatis

: Stamatis Patisserie - Bakery

: Cakes

: Just married

: Hard working man

: Inside

: Stamatis Patisserie - Bakery

: Little guest

: Loukoumades

: Njami..

: Guest from Potamia

: Eric's bar in visit

10 Mar 2017

Serraiki Bougatsa Sakis

Jessie bakery, bougatsa, choco milk, domestic, feta cheese, fresh pie, Limenas, Sakis bougatsa, traditional, vanilla pie 0

Welcome to Sakis’ world of fine food and good taste.

We’re taking you to our favorite spot for any time of the day and any delight to the palate. A rich breakfast, a light lunch, the right dose of caffeine or the daily dessert. All of that in the place where the crowding, the noise and the stress end, leaving you to just scents and flavors.

Bougatsa Sakis Limenas

The hero of today’s story is Sakis, born and raised in Serres. The heroine is his bougatsa, born and developed in that same northern Greek city.

Already as a boy Sakis wanted to become a master baker. Today, the veteran pie maker is proud of his craft and all he has achieved. After years of learning and improving, Sakis opened his first pie shop in Limenas three decades ago, in 1987. His two daughters and son assist him and gradually grow into the baking business.
The offer includes food from delightful old recipes, as well as modern modifications, all of which will put a grin on your face.
Apart from the famous Serres bougatsa, made the old way with cheese, onion-laced minced meat or spinach, as well as the sweet version with vanilla filling, there are cottage pies with feta and spinach or yellow cheese and ham.
Depending on what you take, the food goes well with kefir or „ariani,“ a Greek yoghurt. There is also plain or chocolate milk. For those who want to stick to what they eat at home or picky children unwilling to try something new, there are mini-pizzas and sandwiches.

Bougatsa Sakis Limenas

Sakis’ bougatsas, some frozen and some done, have traveled the world! People asked friends visiting Thassos to bring them their ration of it and the shop always obliged, packing the food for those missing their summer destination.

Μπουγάτσα με κρέμα/Bougatsa krema

Now Sakis’ Serraiki Bougatsa has a tradition stretching back more than 40 years.

For the marquee product, he and the Karabigiki family use the best ingredients in line with a traditional recipe. Though the shop is set up so visitors can see the popular Hristos in the back, stretching and twirling the dough and making packets that will after baking become delicious bougatsa, some details remain in the family.
That is why there is a long queue every morning in front of Sakis’ place. People wait to get their serving, some to eat it right away, others wrapped for the beach. Mostly it’s all smiles, in spite of the wait, because it is bougatsa, tiropita, spanaki or vanilia at the end of the line.
We have no doubt that on your first morning in Limenas you should pay a visit to Sakis bakery on the waterfront and check if we overstated. Consider it while you munch away, gazing at the sea and let us know if we were wrong. Or right!

Serraiki Bougatsa Sakis
Limenas, Thassos
(0030) 25931 12256
fb Serraiki Bougatsa Sakis

: Bougatsa Sakis Limenas

: Domestic production

: Old tradition

: Flying bougatsa

: Special recipe

: Master of bugatsa

: Helpers

: Ready for the oven

: Ready to eat

: New product

: Salty or sweet..

: Bougatsa Sakis Limenas

: Enjoy!

: daughters in action

: Bugatsa garden

: Bougatsa inside

21 Feb 2017

Thassos time machine

Jessie archaeological, exhibition, Kalogeriko, museum, Old, traditional 0

Have you ever been anyplace in Greece that isn’t rich in history? I thought not. Here in Thassos, there’s an excellent archeological museum and plenty of ruins for you to explore. Let’s go back in the Thassos time machine.

Kalogeriko can be found at the centre of the harbour and it’s the trademark of the capital of Thasos. It’s a two-storey building that was built in the 19 century is at the old port. The openings are wooden as is the staircase leading to the first floor where a traditional Thassian house is represented and various embroidery, nightwear, furniture, kitchenware, loom, laundry room with all the paraphernalia, shrine etc. are exhibited. It belongs to the municipality of Thassos and is used as a venue for cultural events, exhibitions, lectures etc.

Kalogeriko Limenas

The Archaeological Museum of Thassos is located in the homonymous capital of the island and it is situated near the ancient market, almost in the centre of Limenas. At the museum you can see unique sculpture, ceramics, miniature sculpture and coin collections dating from the 7th century BC until the 7th century AC. In the hall you will be able to watch a short film, which will be informative about the history of plastic art of the island and also watch a film with reference to the antiquities of Thassos.

Archeological Museum, Limenas

The Ancient Agora of Thassos was the political, administrational and religious center of the ancient town of Thassos. Located in a walking distance from the centre of Limenas, this is the most important archaeological site on the island. The Agora was actually a rectangular space surrounded by columns. This space included buildings of various use, temples, monuments and statues.

Ancient Agora Limenas

Agora market Limenas

Polygnotos Vagis Museum is located in the area of Potamia. Polignotos Vagis was a famous Greek sculptor. He was born on the 14th of January in 1894 in Potamia. At the age of 19, he emigrated in New York city. In 1919 he obtained the American citizenship and studied sculpture in the University of Beaux Arts Institute, N.Y. On the 15th of March in 1965 he passed away and then he was transferred in Potamia where he was buried.

Vagis Museum Potamia

There are three Folklore Museums on Thassos. First in Theologos, second in Limenaria and third in Kallirachi. They are in relatively small but renovated houses. Interior is decorated with traditional furniture representing the old traditional thassian houses.

: Kalogeriko exhibition

: Old Thassos

: Kitchen

: Limenas old town

: Kalogeriko exhibition

: Old bedroom

: Kalogeriko

: Old port, Limenas

: Old way of life

: Livingroom

: Old way of life, Limenas

9 Feb 2017

Greek moussaka

Jessie food, greek, Limenas, recipes, restaurant, traditional, Γιάννα 0

The first discovered mention of moussaka dates to a XIII ecntury recipe book from today’s Iraq, where it was called magmuma.
It is believed that the contemporary moussaka was concocted by Nikolaos Tselementes in early XX century. The famous chef studied and worked throughout Europe. He has adapted two dishes, moussaka and pastizio, and promoted them as part of the national Greek cuisine.
There are many variations of moussaka. Here we are presenting one leaning on Tselementes’ recipe for the aubergine and potato moussaka.
Layers of aubergine, potato and ground beef and pork, all baked drenched in white sauce delight the plate, particularly when served alongside a salad and white wine.
For this lunch we thank the generous personnel of the restauran Γιάννα, located on the waterfront in the center of Limenas. Γιάννα is a traditional Greek cuisine restaurant working all year for tourists and the locals.

Restaurant Γιάννα, Limenas

Restaurant Γιάννα, Limenas

Restaurant Γιάννα, Limenas

Restaurant Γιάννα, Limenas

Ingredients for nine plates:

750 g of ground meat, mostly beef and a little pork
Two aubergines
Three large potatoes
Kefalotyri cheese for grinding
One onion
Parsley, salt, pepper, nutmegs,
300 g of tomato sauce,

Bechamel white sauce:

One l of milk
Six spoons of flour
Salt, pepper, nugmets, sugar
Three spoons of butter
One egg

Preparation:
Slice potatoes circularly and unpeeled aubergines lenghtwise. Fry briefly, without allowing color to change.

moussaka

Slice the onion and braise, then add minced meat, mix and turn throughly until grained evenly. Add tomato sause, salt, pepper, nugmets and parsley and leave to stew, mixing occasionally.

moussaka

Line potatoes, aubergine, add pepper, salt, nugmets, grated cheese in a pan, then the meat filling and cover with another potato and aubergine layer. Finally, cover with bechamel, made like this:
Mix 6-7 spoons of flour, three spoons of butter with one liter of cold milk, add salt, pepper according to personal preference, nugmets and a bit of sugar. Cook on low temperature stirring constantly to prevent coagulation until the sauce thickens like pudding. Remove from stove and add a beaten egg, with constant stirring.

moussaka

moussaka

Wit bechamel added, bake in oven at 220C for 30-35 minutes. Cut 3X3 quares and dig in!

moussaka

moussaka

Bon apetit!

27 Jan 2017

Panagia

Jessie carneval, honey, olive oil, Panagia, traditional, Village 0

A mountain village surrounded by a pine forest, with a view of the sea far below and a rugged peak far above, Panagia has a history spanning 300 years.

In XVIII century, in the face of pirate raids, inhabitants of the old town Thassos were forced to withdraw into the hills. That increased the population of Panagia. It was the island capital after the Greek war for independence in 1821. The village was named after the church of the same name, built in 1832.
At entry into Panagia, a fantastic view of the Golden Beach breaks to the east and to the mountains the opposite way. I passed through, or, better said, I grazed the town several times before purposefully going for a visit.I made daily trips from Limenas to some new place, discovering the realm of villages strewn across the mountain. The villages attract me wherever i go, as I feel that they hold their secrets much more closely than cities. Panagia was a revelation.

Mornings are particularly pretty in Panagia

As sun rays fight to break through a sycamore canopy, the bakeries are in full gear, luring people to step in and grab a breakfast, or just a treat. The whole place smells of vanilla. Coffee is taken and newspapers are read in the kafenion at the village square. The elders tell tales of the life past and the youngsters race to catch up with their work.
The wave of tourists surging over Panagia with the evening is the bread and butter for many small shops offering local products – from handmade souvenirs, over olive oil, delicious honey, wine, tsipouro brandy, liqueurs, to pasta or healing herbs. There is often a queue for a table in restaurants emanating an irresistible aroma of grilled lamb, a Panagian specialty.

Water from Ypsario, at 1,204 meters the highest peak on Thassos, springs in upper reaches of Panagia.

The Spring of Love is famous and a main attraction. A square, beneath sycamore trees, is adorned with messages of love. The Bridge of Love, leaping over a small fountain filled by water from the three springs there, is a must for photographs. From there, running water is channeled through the village, running as a brook, but also through little canals along the houses and under the streets.
A 20 minutes walk from Panagia there is the Drakotrypa, the Dragon Cave. It was named after stalactites in the shape of a dragon. It has not been explored in detail, but that doesn’t stop many tourists from summoning their courage for an underground adventure.