Cuisine Featured: Greek
The Melting Pot section is where we have placed recipes for cuisines brought to America by the many immigrants to our shores. Over the years these cuisines have been Americanized, i.e., most viewers of our site have probably been exposed to many of these cuisines, either via the dining-out route or, perhaps, directly within our own families due to the multi-ethnic makeup therein. As an example of this multi-ethnicity within a single family, I can cite my own case-- My family consists of the following ethnicities: English, Irish, Scottish, German, Polish and Greek. Is it any wonder then that America is called the Melting Pot?
At the bottom of this page, you will have an opportunity to E-mail us and give us your thoughts on this page. We encourage this. After all, we will be tailoring this "Cooking Around the World" series according to the wishes of our viewers.
1 T butter, softened ¼ c fine dry bread crumbs
12 egg yolks 2 tsp cinnamon
1 c confectioners' sugar ½ tsp baking powder
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted ½ tsp salt
½ c milk 12 egg whites
2 T Metaxa spirits, or substitute
brandy 1 c heavy cream, chilled
2 tsp vanilla extract ¼ c confectioners' sugar
1 pound walnuts, ground (6 c) 12 candied cherries, halved
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Preheat the oven to 350°. With a pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides
of a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish with the tablespoon of softened butter.
Set the dish aside.In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1 c of sugar together with a wire whisk or a rotary or electric beater. When the mixture is light and thick, beat in the chocolate, milk, liquer and vanilla extract, then stir in the nuts, bread crumbs, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
In a separate mixing bowl, with a clean, dry whisk or beater, beat the egg whites until they form unwavering peaks on the beater when it is lifted from the bowl. With a rubber spatula, fold them gently but thoroughly into the nut mixture, using an over-under cutting motion rather than a stirring motion. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes. Cool the cake to room temperature, then cut it diagonally into 2-inch diamonds.
With a whisk or a rotary or electric beater, whip the cream in a large chilled mixing bowl until it begins to thicken. Gradually sprinkle in the ¼ c of confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until the cream forms soft peaks. Pipe the whipped cream onto the top of the cakes through a pastry bag fitted with a plain tube, or drop the cream in mounds from a spoon. Top each cake with a cherry half. Makes about two dozen 2-inch cakes.
