The Izola 620

And the batch of feta-oregano cookies

I faintly remember my grandmother cooking with this Izola 620 electric kitchen. She had it since the fifties and she loved it; I don’t know how she managed to bake without a glass oven door to check on the pies and cookies every five minutes like I do; but she did, and her food was always the cause for friends and family to get together.

My grandmother used to say that those Izola electrical appliances were immortal and I think she was right: this kitchen still works, we just stopped using it, preferring newer brands, more sophisticated, more fragile, that once or twice left us in the middle of important dinners.

“Izola is one of the most historic brand names in Greek industrial history, founded in 1930. Izola produced equipment for the Greek military during preparations after the outbreak of World War II, while during the Axis occupation its facilities were used by the occupying powers for vehicle repair and maintenance. It recovered soon after the war and in 1951 it introduced its first electric home appliances. Soon an extended range of products was introduced (kitchen ovens, refrigerators, freezers, heaters, TV sets etc.) and the company became a legendary success story in Greek industrial history. These were the times of the Greek economic miracle and industries like Izola benefited greatly from improving living standards. Izola was a classic case of a brand name associated in people’s minds with progress, modernity and a more comfortable life”.

With its characteristic elephant logo and its role to bring civilization at home according with the company motto, with its sexy curves and impeccable retro letter font, the Izola 620 kitchen is mine now. I love it too; but for so many different reasons than my grandmother. Except from the fact that I am a sucker for memorabilia -we will do a post about the company’s refrigerator soon:) -the Izola appliances, like the Kitchen Aid mixer or the Smeg fridge, brought an authentic vision of optimism and carefree creativity in our kitchens and in our lives.

And now, the cookies

• 1-cup oat flakes
• 1/4-teaspoon salt
• 11/2-teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 of cup flour
• 1/2 of cup sunflower oil
• 1 egg & 1 egg yolk
• 100 g. of feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons oregano
• 1-tablespoon spearmint
• Fresh ground pepper

To make the dough, mix all the ingredients in a bowl using a spoon. Preheat your oven at 185 degrees C. Put some baking paper in a pan. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place them on the baking paper. Flatten each cookie with a fork. This recipe is for 10 to 12 cookies. Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven; when properly baked, the cookies will be light golden brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before you taste them.

Ι came up with this recipe one day that I wanted to prepare a super easy, healthy savory snack. The cookies are sooo delicious; give them a try.

 

photography by christos drazos

words by maria alipranti

 

Izola history source: Wikipedia