Ethnic Cuisine: Greece
Introduction
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Ancient Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilization, starting about 2500 years ago. In those days Greece controlled much of the land bordering the Mediterranean and Black Seas. In Athens and elsewhere in Greece, magnificent ruins stand as monuments to the nation's glorious past.
The Greeks came under control of invaders for more than 2,000 years. They lost their independence to the Macedonians in 338 B.C. and did not regain it until A.D. 1829, from the Ottoman Turks. Since then, Greece has had many serious political problems. Yet their arts, philosophy, and science became foundations of Western thought and culture.
About a fifth of Greece consists of islands and no part of Greece is more than 85 miles from the sea.
Greece and its sun-kissed isles offer a tantalizing cuisine that is fresh and fragrant, served with warmth and vitality. The Greeks' zest for the good life and love of simple, well-seasoned foods is reflected at the table. Theirs is an unpretentious cuisine that makes the most of their surroundings.
It is a cuisine entrenched in history and punctuated by the cultures of its neighbors for centuries: Turkey, the Middle East, and the Balkans.
This
land of blue skies and sparkling seas offers a variety of fresh ingredients close
at hand. Olive trees flourish, providing a flavor-packed oil to bathe other foods.
Vineyards thread the rolling hills, and the grape crush and ferment produces excellent
wines, some resin-flavored. Fragrant lemon trees produce the golden fruit whose
tang pervades Greek gastronomy.
The seas are blessed with a variety of fish and shellfish and harbor-side tavernas serve them grilled, baked, and fried and often whole, with the head still on.
Lamb is the principal meat served and a holiday festivity calls for ceremoniously spit-roasting a whole carcass out of doors. For everyday meals, lamb is braised and stewed in casseroles with assorted vegetables and skewered and broiled. Pork, beef, and game are marinated, grilled, and baked. Chicken is broiled or braised. Good meat and vegetable combinations are endless, often embellished with the golden lemon sauce, avgolemono, or a cinnamon-spiced tomato sauce.
Moussaka, layered with eggplant
or zucchini and a garlic-scented meat sauce, and bearing a custard topping, is
the ubiquitous casserole dish. Pilaffs are laced with spices and nuts. Fila pitas,
composed of the wafer-thin pastry, and layered with chicken and mushrooms, spinach
and feta, or lamb and leeks, are a delight. An abundance of fresh vegetables inspires
imaginative cooked and marinated vegetable dishes and salads, often strewn with
mountain-grown herbs: garlic, oregano, mint, basil, and dill. Fresh feta, Romano,
and Kasseri, in particular, are used lavishly to accompany homemade whole-grain
bread or salad or to grate and top vegetables or pasta.
Undoubtedly baklava is the most famous pastry, a multi-layered affair ribboned with nuts and oozing with honey syrup. A visit to a Greek pastry shop reveals the versatility of fila dough in dozens of different fila pastries, many of Turkish derivation.The honeyed fila pastries and buttery nut cookies compose a separate late afternoon meal accompanied by thick Greek coffee. Fresh fruit -- generally figs, orange, apples, and melon -- usually conclude the late evening dinner.
Feasts and festivals are integral to Hellenic life. Name days, saints' days, weddings, and holidays are the occasion for merriment, a bounteous table and spirited folk dancing.
Common Greek Cooking Terms and Ingredients
General Terms
Arni
lamb
Avgolemono
An egg and lemon mixtures used
as a sauce or a soup base.
Baklava
the most famous Greek dessert,
made of layers of fila pastry, chopped nuts, and a honey-flavored syrup
Bourekakia
fila puffs made with various fillings
Dolmades
grapevine leaves
stuffed with rice or meat
Feta
the classic white goat cheese of
Greece
Fila, filo, or phyllo
the paper-thin pastry
dough essential for appetizers, entrees, and desserts.
Gouvetsi
the Greek word for casserole, or baked in the oven
Garides
shrimp
Kafes
coffee
Kalamaria
squid
Kalamata
probably the most famous Greek olive
Kasseri
creamy farm cheese
with a bitey flavor
Kefalotiri
a hard, salty cheese, good for grating
Kourabiedes
butter cookies topped with powdered sugar
Mezethes
small savory appetizers
Moussaka
a layered casserole usualy made
with eggplant and chopped meat, and topped with a custard sauce
Orzo
tiny melon seed-shaped pasta
Ouzo
a colorless alcoholic drink flavored
with anise.
Pastitsio
a layered casserole of macaroni and chopped
meat topped with a custard sauce
Pilafi
rice boiled in broth and
flavored with onion and spices
Psari
fish
Retsina
white or rose wine flavored with pine resin
Rigani
oregano, an
indispensable herb used in countless dishes
Skordalia
garlic sauce
Souvlakia
skewered food
Spanakopeta
spinach fila
pastries
Tahini
crushed sesame seed paste
Tarama
fish roe from gtray mullet
Taramosalata
fish roe spread
Tiropita
fila stuffed with Greek cheese
Tsatziki: cucumber yogurt dip
Definitions for the following Greek cooking terms are from Steve Ettlinger's book The Restaurant Lover's Companion.
Tyria (Greek Cheeses)
Haloumi
A semisoft cheese, not very salty; usually made from sheep's milk
Kefalograviera
a mild GruyŹre-type cheese; made from either sheep's or cow's milk
Manouri
a soft unsalted cheese; made from sheep's or goat's milk whey; served with fruit
Mizithra
soft and hard varieties; made from sheep's or goat's milk
whey
Greek Olives
Amfissa
black and round with a nutty-sweet
taste; from the central mainland of Greece
Green
large and crunchy
with a mild flavor; from various Ionian islands
Cracked green
made
by cracking unripe green olives, placing them in water for several weeks to remove
their bitterness, then storing them in brine
Black
small, wrinkled,
dry-cured olives with a very strong flavor; from the island of Thassos
Glykismata (Desserts)
Karidopeta
Single-layer, dark, moist nut cake (made
with coarsely chopped walnuts or almonds) topped with a light honey/sugar syrup
Pasta Flora
a lattice-topped tart filled with apricot purŽe
Ravani
Golden yellow cake made with farina or semolina and topped with a light sugar/honey
or orange-flavored syrup
Fenikia or Melomakarouna
Oblong,
honey-dipped cookies covered with chopped nuts
Diples
Thin strips
of dough tied, folded, or twisted into bows or loops and deep-fried, then dipped
in a honey syrup and topped with chopped nuts
Rizogalo
creamy
rice pudding with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top
Loukoumades
made-to-order
deep-fried honey balls topped with honey; served warm
Galatoboureko
A custard-filled dessert made with phyllo topped with a light honey/sugar syrup
Kadaife
Shredded dough filled with chopped nuts and cinnamon and
topped with a honey/sugar syrup
Koulourakia
Crisp, golden-colored,
subtly sweet cookies shaped by hand; sometimes covered with sesame seeds
Greek Cookbooks
Flavors of Greece
by Rosemary Barron
published by William Morrow, 1991.
Featuring 250 classic and modern Greek
recipes by the author who founded Kandra Kitchen, a cooking school on Crete.
The Foods of Greece
by Aglaia Kremezi
Stewart, Tabori & Chang,
1993.
Written by an Athenian journalist with beautiful food and location photography
by Martin Brigdale. It features 135 recipes collected from the mainland and the
islands.
Greek
Cooking
by Lou Seibert Pappas
Galahad Books, 1995.
Originally
published by Harper & Row, 1973.
Recipes from a Greek Island
by Susie Jacobs
published by Simon & Schuster, 1991.
A collection
of dishes and stories gathered from living among the islanders.
A Sampling of Bay Area Greek Restaurants
Stoyanof's Cafe
1240 9th Avenue near Irving Street
San Francisco, Calif.
415-664-3664
Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Excellent fila pastries, both savory and sweet.
Asimakopoules Cafe and Deli
288 Connecticut
Street at 18th Street
San Francisco, Calif.
415-552-8987
Open for lunch weekdays and dinner daily.
Evvia
420 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, Calif.
415-326-0983
Charming taverna featuring Hellenic cuisine with a California emphasis in an upscale atmosphere. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner; closed Sunday.
Greek Food Products
Peloponnese
6114 LaSalle Street, #502
Oakland, Calif.
94611
Tel: 510-339-4194; fax: 510-339-4193
Purveyors of farmstead foods from Greece and the heart of the Mediterranean. Products include eight naturally cured olive varieties: Kalamata, Amfissa, Elitses, Atalanti, Ionian Green, Cracked Green, Thasos, Nafplion; olive specialties include marinated party olives, country olive mix, and Kalamata olive paste. Other products include roasted sweet peppers, dolmas, eggplant appetizer and meze, extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegars, pickled peppers, olive oil dressings, sauces, spreads, and salad bases.
Greek Recipes
(These recipes are published in Greek Cooking by Lou Seibert Pappas; Galahad Books; 1995.)
Sesame Spread / Hummus
Tahini
makes about 2 cups
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini paste
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Parsley sprigs or cilantro for garnish
Lavosh (cracker bread) or pita bread, quartered
Place the beans in a blender or food processor with the lemon juice, tahini, onion, parsley, cumin, and garlic. Add salt and pepper and blend again. Turn into a bowl, cover and chill. When ready to serve garnish with a wreath of parsley or cilantro. Spread on lavosh or pita bread.
Spinach and Feta Salad / Spanako me Feta Salata
makes 8
servings
2 pounds fresh spinach
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cucumber, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
2 green onions, chopped
Remove stems from spinach. Wash and drain leaves, cut into 1-inch wide strips, and place in a salad bowl. Shake together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, cinnamon, mustard, salt, and pepper; pour half the dressing over the spinach and mix well. Thinly slice cucumbers and arrange in a ring across the top with the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with cheese and onions. Pour remaining dressing over the salad.
Lamb on Skewers / Arni Souvlakia
makes 8 servings
3 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, grated
2 red peppers, cut in 1-1/2 inch pieces
1 large white sweet onion, cut into eighths
Place the meat in a bowl. Mix together the lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and grated onion, and pour over the meat. Cover and chill several hours or preferably overnight, turning several times. Thread the meat on skewers, alternating on each one about 4 to 5 lamb cubes, 2 pieces of pepper, and 1 piece of onion. Barbecue over medium-hot coals, basting often with marinade and turning to brown on all sides, allowing about 15 minutes for medium-rare meat.
Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms / Pilafi me Manitaria
makes 6
servings
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped Italian-style flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 pound mushrooms
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Using a heavy saucepan, sautŽ the onion in 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add half the garlic, the parsley, thyme, and rice and saute 1 minute, stirring. Bring both the broth and wine to a boil, pour over the rice, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Meanwhile, wash and trim mushrooms; leave whole if small or slice if large. Melt the remaining butter with garlic in a large frying pan. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice and saute quicky 2 to 3 minutes, just until hot through and glazed. Add to the cooked rice, fluff with a fork, and sprinkle with cheese..
Rum Nut Cake Diamonds
makes 3 dozen
Rum Syrup: Combine in a saucepan
1 cup sugar,
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/3 cup water
Bring to a boil and boil until clear. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup rum.
6 eggs, separated
1/8 teaspoon each salt and cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2-1/2 cups ground almonds
Preheat the oven to 350ˇF. First prepare the rum syrup and
let cool. Beat the egg whites until foamy; add the salt and cream of tartar and
beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar, eating until the
meringue stands in peaks; set aside. With the same beater, beat the egg yolks
until pale yellow and gradually beat in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until
thick and lemon colored. Beat in the extract. Mix the crumbs with the baking powder
and grated peel and beat into the yolks. Mix in half the nuts. Fold in the egg
white meringue and remaining nuts. Turn into a buttered, floured 9 by 13-inch
baking pan. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the top springs back when
touched. Let cool 5 minutes. While hot,
pour over the cool syrup. Let cool
and cut into diamonds.
Dining in Greece
On
a recent cruise of the Crystal Harmony with members of the Newspaper Food Editors
and Writers Association, we dined in Athens and Rhodes at select restaurants.
Ouzeries are a popular new style of restaurant, featuring an assortment of meze.
Certain fish restaurants are stellar. On earlier trips I have enjoyed the simple
taverna fare at the island beaches. Canopied lunch stands serve Greek salad, pita
sandwiches, rice-stuffed tomatoes and peppers, and grilled souvlakia.
To
Cafenio (The Cafe)
26 Loukianou
Athens
Located in the fashionable Kolonaki section, this ouzerie offers regional specialties from throughout Greece. A luncheon menu features 16 meze. They include:
fava
fava bean
purŽe
kolokithokeftedes
zucchini fritters
lachanodolmades
cabbage leaves stuffed with beef and rice and served with avgolemono sauce
melitzanosalata
eggplant purŽe
tyropita
cheese pie
spanakopita
spinach pie
patatosalata
potato salad
melizana papoutsaka
eggplant stuffed with ground beef with tomato
sauce and cheese
gardumba
lamb intestines rolled into a sausage
saganaka
fried Kasseri cheese
kolokithia yemista
zucchini stuffed with ground beef and rice and served with avgolemono sauce
splena
spleen
marides
fried white bait
souzoukakai
beef meatballs baked in the oven
keftaidakia
fried beef meatball
house salad
artichoke zucchini, green beans, mushrooms, and onion
dressed with dill vinaigrette.
Zefiros (The Wind)
48 Alex Koumoundourou
Microlimano
This is an excellent fish restaurant located in the little yacht harbor next to the port of Piraeus.This is one of 15 to 20 psarotavernas or fish restaurants in this area.The owner, Thanassi Panagiotou, insists on top quality fresh fish. A superb menu there consisted of grilled octopus dressed with oregano vinaigrette, fried white bait, fried crayfish, Greek salad, boiled wild greens dressed with olive oil and lemon, grilled sea bream served with olive oil and lemon sauce, melon, grapes, and baklava. Ouzo, beer, and a dry white wine accompanied.
Alexis Restaurant
18 Socrates Street
in the Old Town of Rhodes
An outdoor and indoor taverna, this restaurant features a comprehensive display of fish and seafood and an excellent selection of Greek wines from small boutiques. Dining there, Yannis Katsimprakis, the chef, served grilled octopus dressed with olive oil, vinegar, and oregano; tiny fried shrimp, mussels steamed in white wine with onion and herbs; sea urchins, large clams on the half shell, little clams on the half shell, oysters, arugula salad, tzatziki: a dip of yogurt and cucumber; grilled prawns; grilled white fish, and spinach sauteed with tomato and garlic.
Use your new-found knowledge of Greece by attempting the companion crossword puzzle to this article!
Lou Seibert Pappas is a former food editor of the Palo Alto Times Tribune and a home economist with Sunset Magazine. She currently writes food, home, and travel-related articles for national magazines and newspapers and is the author of more than 30 books.