Conference turris::cooks

    You're right, it is shredded filo - (shredded wheat, yah right)...
    but thats as far as I've gotten...no recipes yet - still searching.

I'm not a Greek pastry lover but I did remember seeing this recipe in an old
Bon Appetite magaine.  So, reprinted without permisson from the Feb 1984 BA.

It leads into the recipe saying that kadaife dough, which has the texture of
shredded wheat, is used frequently in Greek desserts.  The dough is available
at Greek and Middle Eastern markets.

                       Kadaife with Citrus and Nuts

1 lb. kadaife pastry dough 
2 cups minced walnuts or blanched almonds
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
1 t. cinnamon
butter
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and clarified
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 t. fresh lemon juice

Open pastry and air dry 15 minutes.

Combine walnuts, orange juice, 1/3 cup sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly butter baking sheet.  Separate pasrtry strands.
Shape into eighteen to twenty 10-12 inch rectangles.  Place 1 T. filling at
narrow end of rectangle.  Roll up tightly as for jelly roll, making sure 
filling is completely covered.  Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.
Arrange on prepared baking sheet; do not crowd.  Pour melted butter over.
Bake until golden, 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook 1 1/2 cups sugar, water and lemon juice in heavy medium 
saucepan over low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar dissolves,
then simmer 15 minutes.  Pour hot sugar syrup over pastry.  Serve at room
temperature.

    From my Greek cookbook - read the whole recipe thru first, since
    its translated directly from Greek, some steps are missing but if
    you've made bread before, you can figure it out. Good luck!
    
    			Easter Plaited Bread
    			(Tsourekia paschalina)
    
    3 lb. 5 oz flour
    3 tbsp. yeast
    5 eggs
    1 1/4 cup butter
    1 1/2 cup sugar
    1 cup milk
    1 tbsp grated lemon rind
    1 tsp. salt
    1 tbsp. anise
    red dyed Easter eggs
    
    Boil the anise in a little water, strain and measure out 1 demitasse
    cup of the flavored liquid. Make a soft paste of the yeast dissolved
    in lukewarm milk. Set aside in a warm place. In an earthenware bowl
    sift flour with salt and grated lemon rind. Form a well in the center
    and pour into it melted butter, the eggs, sugar, anise water and
    yeast paste. Knead well into a stiff dough. Cover thebowl with oiled
    paper and a napkin then let the dough rise in a warm place. Knead
    again, divide into pieces and shape small, plaited breads into
    different forms. Make a depression in each plaited bread and set
    a red Easter egg into each. Arrange the plaited breads in a buttered
    baking dish. Cover and let rise. Then brush the risen dough with
    beaten eggs and bake in a medium oven (350?) for 30 minutes.
    

    Here's one for Galatoboureko that I found in my Filo Cookbook
    
    
    GALATOBOUREKO
    
    Filo 1/2 pound
    1/2 pound or less unsalted butter, melted
    
    FILLING
    
    1 quart milk
    1/2 cup sugar
    1/2 cup farina
    2 tablespoons butter
    6 eggs, lightly beaten
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    
    SYRUP TOPPING
    
    1 cup honey
    1/2 cup or less water
    1 cinnamon stick
    1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
    a few strips of fresh orange peel
    juice from half a lemon or lime
    
    TO ASSEMBLE
    
    In saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, farina, butter and beaten
    eggs.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture
    thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and mix
    in the vanilla.  Set aside.
    
    To layer the filo dough in a baking pan, brush the bottom and
    sides of the baking pan with melted butter.  Cut filo sheets to
    fit the pan.  Stack sheets and cover with clear plastic wrap or
    a slightly damp cloth.  Lay 1 cut sheet of filo at the bottom of
    the pan and brush evenly with butter.  Now lay down 3 more sheets,
    brushing each lightly with butter before layering the next on top.
    
    Spread a thin layer of filling evenly over the filo.  Continue the
    layering process in this manner; after every fourth sheet of filo,
    spread a thin layer of filling.  After the final layer of filling
    has been spread, continue layering with 10 to 15 filo sheets (re-
    membering to brush each with butter).  The more layers of filo on
    top that you use, the higher and more elegant your pastry.
    
    Do not cut pastry until after it comes out of the oven.
    
    Bake in preheated 350F oven until golden brown and custard is set,
    about 50 minutes.
    
    While the pastry is baking, prepare the honey syrup topping by
    mixing together all of the Syrup Topping ingredients in a saucepan.
    When the syrup comes to a boil, immediately lower the heat and
    simmer about 8 minutes.  Remove from the heat, let the syrup cool
    and set aside.
    
    When the pastry comes out of the oven, cut with a very sharp knife
    into diamond or square shaped pieces and pour the cooled syrup over
    the hot pastry.  Let the galatoboureko cool at least 2 hours before
    serving.
    
    Makes about 16 pieces.  Should be served at room temperature and
    eaten the same day it is baked.  If you have some left over, be sure
    to refrigerate it.
    
    Good Luck!!
    
    Gail
    
    

        Thanks, it sounds great (but fiddly).
        
        Small problem, what is FARINA?? - I looked it up in the
        dictionary, and it said "cereal flour"... can I have a quick
        translation, 'cos there's a lot of different cereal flour around!
        Does it mean wheat (plain or self-raising) or corn (maize)
        or rice?? Farina sounds like some kind of baby-food...
        
        Thanks again,
        
        Michele
        

    Farina is a brand name of Cream of Wheat cereal.  Usually on the
    shelf with the other hot breakfast cereals.
    
    	-Nancy

RE: .5

Actually, I thought it was Cream of Wheat that was the brand name and that
farina was the generic name (it's a variety of wheat).

--PSW

    I read this note one year late, but there may be still people reading
    it.
    
    What's funny is that majority of the people in this country know
    kataifi as greek food. This dessert is very common is Turkey, just like
    Baklava, and a few other desserts unjustly know in the US as "Greek
    Food". I will not get into the details of how these cousines emerged
    and why some of these food should not be simply called greek.
    
    This dessert is known as "KADAYIF" in Turkey. (I had to use capital
    letters since the "I" is spelled with no dots. KADAYIF is a very
    Turkish word, in case you are interested from linguistic point of view.) 
    It is very common in Turkey. My mom made it all the time, and we used to 
    buy 1000 different ways of it baked in shops, restaurants, and special 
    kind in the Kebob Restaurants, where they only serve delicious Turkish 
    Kebobs.
    
    Anyway, it is a piece of cake to buy this kadayif raw in the markets
    back in Turkey. I have seen the frozen packages of it (similar to filo
    dough) in super markets in New York, and New Jersey. Here, you might
    not have much luck. It is easier for me. Everytime I go to Turkey, I
    bring back a few kilograms of it, and freeze it. You might find some in
    Ethnic food stores.
    
    
    Now, how to make it:
    
    You simply butter a baking pan, put layers of kadayif, and butter on the
    pan, on the mid way, put the filling, then continue layering, 
    and finish with butter on top. You can also mix butter with corn
    oil to make it lighter. Remember that the butter has be melted. Then
    bake it in the oven until it bakes into golden brown. Use temparature
    around 375 degrees.
    
    On the side, you make the syrup. 1.5 cups sugar for 1 cup of water, and
    a 1/2 lemon's juice. Boil the sugar and water. When it first bubbles,
    add the lemon juice. Keep boiling again until it bubbles again, and
    take off the stove.
    
    When they are both luke warm, pour the syrup over the kadayif.
    
    You can use different fillings. Since Turkey is the pistachio country,
    that is the most common filling back home, and really does justice to
    the dessert. We use pistachios in baklavas too. If you can't use
    chopped pistachios, you can also use chopped walnuts, too. You put the
    filling midway on the kadayif when you are putting it in the baking
    pan.
    
    
    But the most unusual way of Kadayif is called "Kunefe", and is a native
    food of central, eastern, and southeastern Turkey, and is very popular
    in Kebab restaurants.
    
    You oil a thin baking pan, and start layering it with kadayif, and
    butter. Half way, you spread cheese as the filling, enough to cover the
    kadayif. (The best cheese to use here is Ricotta, you can also use
    "Fresh Kashar" cheese if you can find it). Then you continue with
    layering the rest of the kadayif and butter. Then, you press this by
    placing a smaller tray, or plate over the kadayif. Let it stay for an
    hour. Press the kadayif real well. It HAS to be flat. Then bake it. On
    the side, prepare the syrup.
    
    When the kadayif is baked (should turn to golden brown), take it out of
    the oven. Let it stay a little while to cool off. Then pour the hot
    syrup over it, and serve immediately. This is served hot, is very rich,
    but tastes absolutely delicious. Enjoy.

    re .6 
    The Greek version of kataifi (last syllable not pronounced in Greece)
    is rolls as in the first recipe given here rather than layered as
    in .6.  I have some kataifi dough sitting in my freezer waiting to
    be used (kataifi and diets don't mix).  I either bought it at the 
    supermarket or at a Greek market.  Apollo packages it - it's in the 
    frozen food section.  Somewhere I have a recipe that uses shredded 
    wheat.  I prefer to use the real dough so I've never tried this
    recipe.                          
    
    Barb