Greek extravaganza

When I was the supermarket last week I got some things to make a Greek meal, which we decided to have for yesterday’s tea. I discovered the supermarket’s pitta breads aren’t labelled vegan any more, so I huffily got a different bread product instead. Later, I was grumbling to myself about the lack of pitta breads in my future when I came across a blip of a stack of perfect-looking homemade pitta breads. Blipper Arja was kind enough to share her recipe with me, so, next time, we’ll have delicious homemade pitta breads. Who needs shop-bought ones?

When I was buying all the Greek things – Greek kebab strips, peppers, Greek-style cheese replacement, cucumber, not olives (I thought we already had loads), not pitta breads (see above), humous – I also picked up a packet of filo pastry.

When I got the filo pastry out, Mr Pandammonium asked the all-important question: what are you going to do with that? I had no idea. He suggested baklava. I wasn’t keen – for a start, I hadn’t a clue how to make it. Guess what was on the back of the filo pastry box. Only a recipe for baklava. Our nut shelf is now seriously depleted, as is the golden syrup, and there was just enough unsalted butter left.

It took ages to make, what with the blitzing and the buttering and the baking and the cooling and the leaving to ooze for at least two hours, so it wasn’t ready till today. It’s not as crispy as it’s meant to be, and the nuts aren’t as finely chopped as I’d like (the food processor fooled me into thinking it was pulverising them when it was barely doing anything), but it’s quite moreish. I fancy a bit now after telling you about it. I’d go and get a piece if my lap wasn’t being kept toasty by Mr Perkins and if I hadn’t just had a piece.