trachanas, traditional greek pasta

They say in Napoli the warm afternoon breeze in the narrow streets is what makes the home-made spaghetti so nice... And so the Italians invented spaghetti, but since ancient times, people mix flour and water, then dry it and make a more stable food material than the initial ingredients.

In Crete, it is fundamental to taste trachanas - or as it is called, ksinochondros (the accent in "NOCH"). If you can't buy it, you make it: but it needs to be made in the summer as it needs heat to dry well.

3 litres of sour milk
1 kilo wheat, some salt.
If you can't buy it, you must make sour milk: take fresh milk, and keep it out of the fridge at room temperature. Mix it once everyday, and it will be sour in about 3 - 4 days, sometimes more.
You will need to grind the wheat, not fine but gross. This is call chondros in Crete.
Slowly boil the milk, add the pounded wheat and mix until it is a thick puree like dough. Take off the heat.
Keep one dish full for the cook to eat it fresh immediately or the next day(superb), and all the rest you will dry it: With a spoon, take little spoonfuls the size of walnut and lay them on clean dry cloth. Let them dry in an airy warm place, but not in direct sunlight. Alternatively, heat the oven to about 70 - 80 degrees - but it will not be as tasty. As it dries, it crumbles - or you help it to, because you also need to overturn the bits twice a day, so they do not develop mold.
When totally dry, keep the crumbles in clean cotton-cloth bags.

To cook, add a few spoonfuls of the stuff to several cups of water, and simmer for about 1 hour - add salt, or grated salty cheese for more flavor.

2 simple recipes:

trachanas and cauliflower

saute an onion in one cup olive oil, add the cauliflower chopped in small pieces, add 1 glass red wine and some tomatoes (fresh or canned, or paste etc). Cook for about 20 mins, until cauliflower is tender.
In another pot boil 1 cup trachanas in 2 cups water. when ready, mix it with the cauliflower, simmer for 2 - 3 mins, then let for 10 - 15 mins to set. Serve hot or cold.

trachanas and chicken

Saute one chicken cut in small pieces, add tomato and wine, salt and pepper, then add one cup trachanas and 2 cups water and let it cook slowly for 30 minutes.

Well, let me know..

Dimitri