I went home for Easter and I knew what was coming! In Cyprus any major religious holiday is accompanied by a feast of food, a celebration of diverse culinary options. Unable to prepare most of these foods on my own, I enjoyed our traditional Easter feast once again. Some of my favorites include a yogurt based starter with toasted Arabic bread and tomato paste, covered in cashewnuts. Next is the homemade cannelloni stuffed with spinach and feta cheese, a favorite to many. The traditional pasta bake with a mixture of beef mince and herbs and a rich topping of béchamel cream. And my personal favorite, Koupepia also known as Dolma, which is vine leaves stuffed with mince, finely chopped onion, rice, tomato and herbs. There are variations of this dish in several other countries.
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| Crisp bread covered with tomato paste, yogurt and cashenuts |
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| Cannelloni with spinach and feta |
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| Pasta bake with beef mince and béchamel |
Vine leaves stuffed with rice and minced meat
