Tastes of Cyprus – An Interview and a Recipe

According to Greek Mythology, the island of Cyprus takes its name from the goddess Aphrodite, which makes the island her own special abode. I have never been to Cyprus, though I have heard of its natural beauty, and I do have a number of Cypriot friends. Toronto has a sizable Cypriot community, and over the years, I have had a chance to learn something about their ways and means. I have also had a chance to sample some of their foods.

A table filled with Cypriot and Greek food specialties

There are many similarities between the foods of Greece and Cyprus, but there are notable differences too. At the invitation of the Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Stavros Avgoustides, I had a chance to sample some specialties of that island nation. Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the annual cutting of the Vasilopita at the Cypriot Consulate in Toronto. It was a small, intimate affair which included family members of the consulate staff, the consul general and staff from the nearby Greek Consulate, local community leaders, and last but not least, yours truly.

Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Stavros Avgoustides, cuts the vasilopita as his family watches

Mr. Avgoustides was also happy to answer some questions I had prepared for him about Cypriot cuisine. Seems he and I share a common interest in food and uncommon anecdotes which relate to its preparation and consumption. Suffice it to say, I enjoyed our interview, his answers were informative and interesting. He was also kind enough to provide a recipe for Koupepia, a stuffed vine-leaf recipe which is similar to Greek dolmades, yet different and very tasty.

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my interview on Cypriot cuisine with the Consul General of Cyprus in Toronto, Mr. Stavros Avgoustides:

Q: What would you like my readers to know about Cypriot cuisine?

A: Cypriot cuisine is shaped by the island's Mediterranean climate, its geography, culture and history. It is a unique blend of Greek, African and Middle Eastern dishes.

Q: If there was one dish that you would associate with Cyprus, what would it be?

A: Kolokasi- A root vegetable (colocasia esculent) rather like a sweet potato cooked in a casserole with pork and celery in tomato sauce. They say that Richard the Lionheart had kolokasi at his wedding feast in Limassol in 1191.

I think Cypriot Mezedes is considered the most famous dish or combination of dishes. On Cyprus, Mezedes is a rich selection of appetizers and savouries in up to 20 saucerlike dishes! They include: fresh and pickled vegetables(cucumber and "kapari" - pickled caper stems), "elies tsakistes" ("crushed" green olives with a dressing of lemon, garlic, herbs, coriander seeds and oil), "Lounzta"(smoked and marinated loin of pork) and "Chiromeri" (marinated, smoked and pressed ham), "octapodi krassato"(octopus in red wine), grilled "halloumi" (local cheese made from sheep's milk), "tallatouri" (yogurt with cucumbers, garlic and mint), "melitzanosalata" (aubergines with spices), "tashi" dip (crushed sesame seeds - tahini paste, garlic, lemons and olive oil), "hummus" (made from yellow peas with olive oil and parsley), "Pourgouri Pilafi" (Bulghur - Cracked Wheat Pilaf Prepared from hulled wheat), "Cyprus salad" (a mix of fresh tomatoes, lettuce, coriander leaves, rocket leaves, cabbage, cucumbers, onions and black olives). "Koupes" (cigar shaped wheat cases with meat filling), "Halloumi Cheese Ravioli", "Karaoloi yahni" (snails in tomato sauce), "Tavas"( meat with onions, vegetables and spices, cooked and served in a clay pot), "Afelia" (small pieces of pork cooked in red wine and crushed coriander seeds). "Kleftiko" (lamb baked in a clay oven). "Koupepia" (rice cooked with onions, tomatoes and herbs, then wrapped in vine leaves).

'Koupes', fried bulgur pockets stuffed with minced meat

Q: What are your favourite Cypriot recipes (i.e. appetizer, main course, dessert) and do you cook them?

A: Difficult question... Almost all Cypriot recipes are among my favourites. If I am forced to narrow down my choices, they would be as follows. For an appetizer I would prefer to eat Halloumi cheese grilled over a charcoal fire and when at home my mom prepares these Halloumi toasted pita bread sandwiches . As a main course, I would choose barbequed Pork Souvlaki Kebabs and Sheftalia (minced pork in caul fat) served in envelope shaped pita bread. Also, "Moujendra" - lentils and rice (mixed) with fried onions (a must!!!), "Souvla" (large chunks of lamb, flavoured with fresh herbs, threaded onto a spit and grilled over charcoal), and "Ofton Kleftiko" (Lamb in the oven): this dish got its name from the word kleftis (robber), and they say that in the past mountain men would cook their stolen meat in sealed underground ovens. For dessert, "Lokmades" - Cinnamon and Honey Fritters, and "Daktyla" (Almond filled finger shaped pastries).

A platter of almond filled Daktyla or 'fingers', with Lokmades in the background

Q: What are some characteristically Cypriot ingredients and flavourings? Are there any specialty products that are uniquely Cypriot in origin?

A: The main ingredients used in Cypriot cuisine are lamb, chicken, fish, vegetables, fruit, yogurt, cheese and of course different spices: coriander seeds, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, pepper, caraway, parsley and garlic. Halloumi cheese originates from Cyprus. It is often served as a starter, grilled or fried (in slices as part of a cooked breakfast), in salads, and stuffed inside ravioli.

Q: Tell us about some noteworthy grape varietals which are unique to Cyprus and are used in wine/spirit production?

A: Wine has been produced on Cyprus for thousands of years – there’s proof of Cypriot winemaking dating back to 2000BC. It is believed that Cyprus was one of the first countries to cultivate the vine and lay out vineyards. One of the best known and oldest wines is "Commandaria", a sweet dessert port-like wine made from the grape varieties Xynisteri and Mavro. One of the legends says that Richard the Lion Heart conquered the island especially for "Commandaria" and proclaimed it "the wine of kings and the king of wines." It is also used for Holy Communion in the Greek Orthodox Church.

Q: Do you have any anecdotes relating to Cypriot cuisine or food customs which stand out in your mind?

A: Cypriots eat a lot, especially during Christmas and Easter. I remember there was a year that over 1000 people visited the hospital emergency department suffering from stomach complaints caused by overeating. It’s now a national pastime exacerbated over any holiday period, and especially at Easter.

I’d like to thank the Consul General for taking the time to answer my questions. As mentioned, he was also kind enough to provide a recipe for Koupepia, which are a Cypriot version of stuffed vine leaves (Dolmades). I reproduce the recipe just as he provided it:

Koupepia, a Cypriot version of stuffed vine leaves (Dolmades)

Ingredients:

½kg (1lb.) of fresh vine leaves. (See note on vine leaves*).
½kg (1lb.) of fresh minced beef or pork, a mixture of both also works very well.
½ cup or 90g long grain white rice (this is a matter of preference, some people prefer more rice some less)
Some Dried mint about ½ - 1 tablespoon
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes (fresh are better if you can get them)
1 tablespoon tomato puree
Juice of ½ lemon
Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of ground cinnamon (not too much of this)

Preparing the vine leaves:

If you are using fresh vine leaves, wash them and place in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover, leave to stand until they change colour then remove them from the water. Allow to cool before using. If you are using packed vine leaves just wash them to remove the brine. For frozen vine leaves allow to defrost normally or just defrost in cold water.

Preparing the filling:

Fry the onion in a little olive oil, till golden, add the tomato and fry till reduced to a sauce, allow to cool. Put the mince into a bowl and add the rice, dried mint and seasoning. Add the sauce and lemon juice. Mix together till everything is evenly distributed.

Filling the Koupepia:

Take a vine leaf and place with the top side (shiny) facing downwards and the inside (veined) facing upwards. Place about a tablespoon of the mixture on the leaf near the stem part of the leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf inwards and the bottom part up, then roll up tightly into a cylindrical shape (make sure there is not too much mixture in the leaf, this comes with trial and error). Continue to do this until all the mixture has been used up. Place the rolled vine leaves in a large saucepan making sure to pack tightly. It's best to start on the outside edges of the saucepan and work in. Once the koupepia are in the saucepan, cover them with a plate (the plate should be big enough to hold them all in place so that they do not escape when boiling). Add water to the saucepan to come up just above the plate. Put saucepan on to boil and once it has started to boil, bring down to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Koupepia can be served hot or cold, and garnished with some fresh lemon wedges. They are also lovely served with a salad. The best salad to serve them with is Glistiria which is another name for purslane (which is something like a sweet watercress). Glistiria is added to tomato and cucumber with some dried mint, oil and vinegar. The mint in the salad really compliments the koupepia.

*Note on vine leaves: If you cannot find vine leaves for this recipe, Swiss chard leaves work very well, just wash and blanch them and use in the same way as vine leaves. If you are lucky enough to find fresh vine leaves, all the better, otherwise you can use preserved vine leaves, they come in brine or in vacuum packed bottles. If you have fresh vine leaves and you want to preserve them, the easiest way is to just blanch them, allow them to cool then pack the required amount in cling film or cellophane. Some people just pack them fresh without blanching them. Both methods work. If you find you have vine leaves left over after making the koupepia just wrap them in cling film and freeze them, they are OK to re-freeze. Finally, with fresh vine leaves you need to remove the stalks before filling.

---
Once more, I wish to thank Mr. Avgoustides, Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus, for his invitation, the interview, and his recipe for Koupepia.


Kali Orexi! (Bon Appetit!),

Sam Sotiropoulos
Greek Gourmand™
http://www.greekgourmand.com
Greek Food Recipes and Reflections
Copyright © 2008, Sam Sotiropoulos. All Rights Reserved.

Gigantes Beans with Bacon & Cretan Graviera Cheese (Γίγαντες με Μπέικον και Γραβιέρα)

Now that the first week of the New Year 2010 has come and gone, we have another fifty-one to look forward to, and I wish all of my readers the Very Best for the rest of 2010! I want to thank those of you who sent along your kind words and wishes over the Holiday period. Our family celebrated with a traditional cutting of the Vasilopita and a New Year’s Day late lunch at my in-laws’ home. It was a day filled with family, great Greek food, fun, and custom; we look forward to many more days filled with the same.

A serving of my Gigantes with bacon and Cretan Graviera cheese - Click to enlarge image

In the spirit of ushering in a New Year with something novel, I offer my own spin on one of the classic dishes of Greek cookery: a baked bean dish that we call “Gigantes” (pronounced ‘YEE-ghan-dess’) after the name of the extra large runner beans that are its main ingredient. Five varieties of Gigantes beans have been registered as PDO/ PGI produce within the European Union by the Greek government. Gigantes beans are cultivated primarily in the area of Lake Prespa, in the north-western part of the Greek region of Macedonia, but they are universally enjoyed throughout Greece.

Dried Gigantes beans - Click to enlarge image

Many of the local dishes in the northern Florina prefecture include variations on a red pepper theme. In particular, the spicy red “Florina pepper” (a cultivar of the species Capsicum anum) is used widely in regional specialties. This variety of pepper is peculiar to the area, and is much sought after in Greece and throughout the Balkans for its distinctive flavour and heat. Florina peppers are enjoyed in several ways; they are pickled (toursi in Greek), sliced raw into salads, as well as dried and crushed into red pepper flakes known as “boukovo”. Within Greece, the use of these peppers (and/or the boukovo flakes) in a baked Gigantes dish is unique to this locality.

Baked to perfection! - Click to enlarge image

Now, I have long enjoyed southern Greek versions of baked Gigantes, but when I was first introduced to the spicy northern variation I was immediately hooked. I have a thing for spicy dishes, especially during the winter months here in Canada. Thus, I thought it might be fitting to share my own seasonal spicy and savoury variation on the classic baked Gigantes theme. In addition to the boukovo, I added two unconventional ingredients to my recipe: thick-cut bacon and mild-flavoured Cretan Graviera cheese. The result was simply mouth-watering and I hope you will give this Greek comfort food recipe a try.

Ingredients:

½ lb. dried Gigantes beans
¼ lb. Cretan Graviera cheese
2 - 3 slices extra-thick cut bacon
1 medium sized onion
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 cup strained tomato pulp/sauce
½ cup Olive oil
3 garlic cloves
A small bunch of Parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Boukovo or red pepper (chilli) flakes
1 tbsp. dried Greek oregano
Salt & pepper

1. Soak the dried Gigantes beans overnight (use at least a 3:1 ratio of water to beans).
2. Rinse and add rehydrated beans to a generous pot of boiling water and cook for 45 minutes over a medium heat, until the beans are soft. Using a large spoon, periodically skim away any surface foam that may develop.
3. In a large sized skillet/pan, fry off the bacon until cooked but not completely crisped, then remove the bacon from pan but retain the fat. Cut the bacon into thin strips and set aside.
4. Add the diced onion to the pan with the bacon fat and sauté until soft.
5. Press and add garlic to the pan along with two tablespoonfuls of olive oil; stir for a few turns and then add the diced red pepper for several turns/tosses. Season with oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stir in the tomato sauce along with 1 cup of water and half the bacon strips along with the chopped parsley and boukovo, bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low and let simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C and place an earthenware/stoneware/clay baking vessel in the oven to warm. (I prefer to use a Pampered Chef ® square stoneware baking dish).
8. When the beans are cooked (i.e. soft), drain them and add them to the pan with the sauce to combine.
9. Take the heated vessel out of the oven, add the beans to it, pour the remaining olive oil over top and return to oven. Bake for 35 minutes.
10. Remove baking vessel from oven; add cubed cheese and bacon strips over top of the beans and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
    

Serve immediately along with some chewy sourdough village-style bread.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: If you like Gigantes beans, you may also enjoy my Pan-Fried Gigantes recipe.


Pànta Kalà (Always Be Well),

Sam Sotiropoulos
Greek Gourmand™
http://www.greekgourmand.com
Greek Food Recipes and Reflections
Copyright © 2008, Sam Sotiropoulos. All Rights Reserved.

Kourabiedes (Κουραμπιέδες)

Christmas provides another opportunity for Greeks to celebrate a holiday season with family and friends. Here in North America, we celebrate Christmas much like many others; we decorate trees, exchange gifts, and enjoy festive meals with relatives and close acquaintances. We also remember those who are less fortunate, and we show our gratitude for all we have by providing a helping hand to those who need it most. In the Spirit of the Season, I would like to ask each of my readers to click here for an easy and free way to help people in need via The Hunger Site. It will only take a moment of your time, it will not cost you anything, and you will be helping to ensure somebody somewhere gets a meal they desperately need. Thank you for your kind consideration.

Now, on to the fun stuff- a sweet Greek recipe!

One of the quintessential Greek holiday cookies is immediately recognizable by its confectionery sugar- dusted coat. Though they may be made in a variety of shapes, Kourabiedes (pronounced “koo-rah-bee-YEH-thess”) are most often fashioned into an S shape or lady finger style biscuit. My own preference is for a round bite-sized type of cookie, and that is how I make them.

Kourabiedes are butter cookies traditionally baked for Christmas and Easter festivities, but they keep well when stored, so you can enjoy them with a morning Greek coffee long after both holidays have passed. In some regions of Greece, the Christmas Kourabiedes are adorned with a single whole spice clove embedded in each biscuit. This is done to commemorate the spices which were among the gifts presented by the Biblical Magi to the baby Jesus. As I am a soft touch for quaint sentimental customs, I add the spice cloves to my Kourabiedes at Christmas too.

During the Holidays, most Greek homes will have a plate of Kourabiedes on hand to share with guests. Each matron in any Greek household on the planet has a family recipe for these cookies. Nonetheless, there are some universal points of confluence among the variations. One prerequisite for fine Kourabiedes is that they are light and fluffy- airy to the point of being slightly brittle to the touch; and, they must NOT taste of flour. I have tried many Kourabiedes in my time, most were good, some were bad, but they all had a little raw almond in the mix to keep the mastication interesting, as the rest of the cookie should practically melt on your tongue.

This recipe is from my mother in law, though I have added a twist or two of my own. (Note: the flour measurement is an approximation based on the resulting “feel” of the dough after its “rubbing”, more on that below.)

Ingredients:

7 ½ - 8 cups flour, sifted (“Five Roses” All Purpose, if you can find it)
1 lb good quality unsalted butter (Gay Lea is excellent)
1 lb Crisco® vegetable shortening
4 eggs
½ cup of well-chopped raw almonds
¼ cup mastic liqueur (or brandy)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Rosewater
Whole spice cloves
1 ½ cups powdered/confectionery sugar
Extra powdered/confectionery sugar for the dusting

1. In a deep pan, melt the butter together with the Crisco® vegetable shortening, then pour into a mixer bowl and start whisking at a moderately high speed for 10 minutes or so.
2. Add 1 ½ cup of powdered/confectionery sugar to the mixer bowl and continue whisking for another 10 minutes.
3. Add the baking soda and baking powder to the mastic liqueur (or brandy) and mix together thoroughly, then add liqueur to the mixer bowl and continue whisking for another 10 minutes.
4. Separate the egg yolks and whites of 2 of the eggs, then add the yolks to another bowl and add the remaining 2 eggs to that bowl. Combine and add the 4 yolks and 2 egg whites to the mixer bowl; continue mixing at medium-high speed for 30 – 40 minutes. (Save the 2 extra egg whites for a low-fat omelette on Boxing Day!) By this point the mixture should have the consistency of a velvety smooth well-whipped butter.
5. Add the chopped almonds to the mixer bowl and mix for a further few minutes.
6. Transfer the now velvety smooth mix to an extra large mixing bowl and roll up your sleeves.
7. In stages, without rushing, start adding the flour by sprinkling a cup at a time into the mixture. When incorporating the flour, once past mixing the initial paste, do not knead the dough; rather, you should hold the edge of the bowl with one hand and rub the flour into the dough with a downward spiral motion towards you. As you add flour, the dough will become harder to work and you must continue to “rub” it until soft again. Once you have incorporated the flour, test the consistency of the dough by rolling some between your palms. It should stay together and be very soft and malleable. The key is to make sure the dough will have enough rigidity to keep the cookies from going flat on your baking sheet while in the oven. You may need to add a little flour to achieve the desired consistency. However, be careful you don’t add too much flour and end up with hard cookies. This part may take you a few tries to perfect.
8. Once the dough is ready, break away small pieces (about the size of a walnut) and roll between your palms to form a sphere. Place your cookies on a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet in neat rows.
9. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Be sure to adjust the oven racks so that one is at the bottom of your oven and one at the top.
10. When your baking sheets are ready to go into the oven, start by putting one (or more) onto the bottom rack of your oven and bake the cookies for 20 minutes. Then, move that sheet (or sheets) to the top rack of the oven and put another one (or more) on the bottom rack. Bake the cookies on the top rack for a further 10 minutes before removing them from the oven. In this way, each cookie sheet will bake for approximately 30 minutes. Rotate the trays as needed if uneven browning occurs. The cookies are ready when small cracks start to appear in their surface and an even light golden-brown colour is achieved.
11. Remove cookies from oven and immediately sprinkle with rosewater such that a couple drops falls on each cookie.
12. Take several trays/flat pans and sprinkle their bottoms to completely cover them with powdered/confectionery sugar. Place still warm cookies onto these trays/pans in neat rows and proceed to sprinkle a first covering layer of powdered/confectionery sugar over top.
13. Once all the cookies have been covered with the first sprinkling of powdered/confectionery sugar, let the cookies stand to cool for a few hours (overnight if possible).
14. Dust the biscuits with another thicker coating of powdered/confectionery sugar and then serve or store. (Note: If you add the spice cloves to the cookies you will need to slightly wet your fingertip with a little rosewater and dab overtop of the sugar covered cloves to make them appear again. Cookies can be stored in plastic Tupperware® style containers with lids that seal closed.)
    

Makes anywhere from 75 - 100 cookies, depending on their size.

*A word to the wise on eating and serving Kourabiedes: I remember viewing a TV show where Chef Gordon Ramsay choked because he inhaled while taking a bite of one of these cookies. Not to worry, Chef, we’ve all been there! LOL! So, whatever you do, do not breathe in (or out) through your mouth when biting into one of these biscuits; the powdered sugar will either end up in your larynx or on your clothes, or both! In the case of the former, a glass of water will help once the coughing subsides. Always make sure to serve Kourabiedes with a glass of cold water. ;)



Wishing Celebrants a Very Merry Christmas, and Compliments of the Season to All!

Sam Sotiropoulos
Greek Gourmand™
http://www.greekgourmand.com
Greek Food Recipes and Reflections
Copyright © 2008, Sam Sotiropoulos. All Rights Reserved.

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: My Big Fat Greek Baptism

One year ago, I posted a FoodBuzz 24, 24, 24 submission entitled Greek Food Hospital-ity, detailing a Greek food night I put together for the staff at Mount Sinai Hospital - 7 South Ward, in celebration of our son’s birth. Days prior, and after my wife Sophie had spent almost three weeks in the hospital’s High Risk Pregnancy Ward, Ilias was born premature at 28 weeks gestation. My son went on to spend another couple months in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) until he was ready to come home. One year later, on the occasion of our son’s Baptism and First Birthday, I am happy to report that both Ilias and my wife are well, and our son continues to flourish as a healthy, happy, and sociable baby boy.

Achilles being baptised in the river Styx by his mother, Thetis, from a 19th Century French lithograph

By this point, almost everybody knows that weddings are a Big Fat deal for Greeks. Of lesser renown, but of no less importance to us, is the custom of Baptism as a naming ceremony. The ritual is the first of the sacraments in the Orthodox Church. It is a day of celebration which is seen as a natural fulfilment of the marriage bond between a man and a woman. At your wedding, friends and relatives wish you a speedy passage to parenthood; at your baptism they express their wish to be present at your wedding. The two go hand in hand.

The practice of infant baptism in the Orthodox Church goes back over eighteen centuries and has evolved into a highly ritualized affair. I will not go into any great detail describing the ceremony, but there are a few points that I will touch upon. Unlike the Roman Catholic Christening rite in which water is trickled over the head of the child, Orthodox baptism involves complete immersion in a large copper or chromium font - the child is stripped down to their birthday suit and dipped three times into the water. In addition, the godparents who stand as sponsors for the child during the ritual are charged with anointing the infant completely from head to toe and in the mouth with handfuls of olive oil. Ilias’ godmother, made sure to pick up a bottle of Iliada brand Greek olive oil for this purpose, in honour of my son’s name, which is an eponym taken from the ancient title of the Iliad: Ilias (ΙΛΙΑΣ).

The baptism ceremony took place at the beautifully illuminated Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Toronto, with Fr. Nicholas Alexandris presiding over the affair. We were late getting to the church as I had what I’ll classify as a ‘wardrobe malfunction’. Suffice it to say, we held up the proceedings a tad while my pants were stitched up. My tailor will be hearing about it, believe me!

The beautifully decorated interior of St. Nicholas Church

When things finally got under way, everyone played their assigned part. The priest performed the age-old ritual without a hitch, the godparents dutifully cupped their hands for the olive oil, the photographer danced about all of us snapping away, I tried video recording and taking some photos of my own, and my son went up into the air and down into the water bloomp without a squawk. Usually, babies cry uncontrollably when they are baptised, but my son surprised everyone by laughing and kicking his legs as if he were splashing about in a wading pool; it was super cute, and even the priest was smiling!

Fr. Nicholas Alexandris smiling as he baptizes our son

After the dunking, Ilias had his gold baptismal cross from his godparents blessed and placed around his neck. At this point, the ritual completed, our son was dressed in the customary white outfit his godparents had picked out for him, and then, we were off to the Arkadia House restaurant for the traditional baptismal reception.

Our guests for the afternoon meal totalled 98 adults and 26 children. Service began with an appetizer plate composed of a selection of dips which included tzatziki, taramosalata, scorthalia, and hummous. This was accompanied by some pan-fried squid or Calamari, which was followed by an iceberg lettuce salad with a creamy feta cheese dressing. For mains, the choices included grilled salmon, chicken breast, or filleted pork loin, and a vegetarian penne pasta dish. The food was excellent. The wine served was Cava Camba Red & Cava Camba White from Boutari, both very drinkable.

For anyone looking for some good Greek food in the east end of Toronto, I highly recommend the Arkadia House Restaurant. The meals were well-prepared, the portions were generous, the service was good, and the price quite reasonable. Two thumbs up!

Ilias and some of the food that was served in his honour

All of which brings me to the final element of our meal: the sweet table. Family members spent the better part of two days preparing the traditional Greek desserts we served our guests. We had sliced baklava rolls, Greek shortbread cookies (kourabiethes), fried pastry pleats drizzled in honey (diples), walnut & honey-syrup cake (karythopita), and an assortment of freshly cut fruit. In addition, we had two cakes from the celebrated St. Phillips Bakery; one of the cakes was strawberry shortcake and the other was a chocolate ganache layer cake, the former was for his Ilias’ baptism, the latter was for his first birthday. Before serving dessert, we sang “Happy Birthday” for Ilias, and fed him his first taste of cake.

A selection of the desserts and cakes served in Ilias' honour

All in all, we had a wonderful day filled with family and friends. Our son smiled, cooed, giggled, laughed, kicked, wriggled, yelled and cuddled his way through the entire affair. This served to tire him out by the end of it all, which allowed his mother and me some moments of respite from the long day’s events. When we got home, we wound down with a few shots of Skinos Mastiha (a mastic liqueur). Our son’s Big Fat Greek Baptism was a beautiful celebration and one of the most important events in our lives. The fact that we were able to celebrate his birthday at the same time was a bonus! We want to thank our friends and family who attended the event, particularly Ilias’ godparents, as well as the many well-wishers who sent their kind sentiments through the Internet via Twitter, Facebook, etc. We also want to thank the good folks at FoodBuzz for choosing our 24, 24, 24 submission and giving us a chance to share our family’s special day with a wider audience.

Pánta Kalá! (Always Be Well)


Sam Sotiropoulos
Greek Gourmand™
http://www.greekgourmand.com
Greek Food Recipes and Reflections
Copyright © 2008, Sam Sotiropoulos. All Rights Reserved.

Cretan Dakos, or Koukouvayia (Owl) - Ντάκος

I have returned from my Blog Interruptus with a tale of autumn adventures on the island of Crete, along with a recipe for all those tomatoes in the pantry. Enjoy!

Cretan Dakos - Click to Enlarge Image

In my travels about Greece, I have been to Crete twice. The first time I touched foot on the legendary isle of King Minos, I spent a day there as one leg of an Aegean culture cruise; we visited Knossos and the Herakleion Museum. I was so inspired by my visit to the former that I was left with a burning desire to return someday and see more of that famous isle. As I sailed away that first time from the Cretan shoreline, I half-expected Talos to appear along the coast to see me off...

Years later, I landed on Cretan soil again. This time, I spent a couple months exploring the island by foot, motorbike, and boat. It would not be an exaggeration to say that my sojourn there had the character of a sacred pilgrimage, or perhaps it was something akin to an initiatory walkabout or rite of passage. In every way that mattered, I was committed to seeing Crete's wild places and exploring her backcountry, and to learning about her people and their folkways. In short, I was intent on immersing myself into the geist of the place. Yes, my purpose was to commune with the very spirit of Crete herself. With that in mind, I threw myself upon the tender mercies of the Fates.

I arrived in Herakleion in mid-September and stayed on Crete till mid-November. The weather was generally good, the tourist season was over, and the seas were at their warmest having been heated by the sun all summer long. During my visit, I camped on shorelines, slept in hostels and hotels, was a guest in private homes, and once, I even spent a frigid night in a desolate shepherd's redoubt on the upper slopes of Mount Ida (Psiloritis). Suffice it to say, I gained an intimate knowledge of Cretan topography; from the island's northern shoreline to its southern beaches and meandering coastlines, I immersed myself in the landscape. I traversed Crete's mountainous backbone on foot, starting from the mythical Idaeon Andron and the Nidha Plateau, and ending up in the great Messara Plain on her southern flank.

This course brought me into contact with Crete's people and history in a manner that few tourists get to experience anymore. Best of all, I kept a careful journal of my Cretan travels which allows me to relive most aspects of that trip. I am grateful for the experiences themselves, as well as the opportunity to share them with others.

Interestingly enough, I was aided in my efforts to discover the Cretan way of life by an Englishman and his half-Greek wife. If Steve, or Tina Pryor, ever read these words, I want them to know that our meeting remains an inspirational highlight of my life. I thank them for introducing me to Crete, and to their little village of Axos, which lies in the afternoon shadow of Mount Ida (Psilotiris). The two of them welcomed and shepherded me into the bosom of that most ancient land. I shall never forget their generosity.

Crete is a universe unto itself. From her bustling port cities on the northern shore, to the timeless isolation of hamlets in out of the way inlets along her southern coast, there is something for everyone on Crete. In a popular Greek song, Nikos Xilouris refers to Crete as "the key to Paradise", and I am convinced that he was correct. Which brings me to another salient point.

The Cretans are natural poets. To this day, they maintain a wonderful facility with a syntactical arrangement that forms the basis of Greek folk poetry and verse: decapentesyllabic (fifteen syllable) rhyming couplets. Try saying that ten times fast! In any given situation, a Cretan is able and quite willing to produce a ditty-on-the-spot, if you will. At such moments, they will be able to cleverly rhyme off something playfully erotic or satirical. These couplets are called mantinades and they are usually accompanied by the plaintive strains of the Cretan lyra. It really is marvellous to observe, most especially after a few glasses of tsikoudia, a grape marc spirit (Cretan 'moonshine').

Along with all her physical beauty, her mythology, history, poetry and music, Crete offers one more bounty for restless spirits: the Cretan diet. Much has been said or written about the cuisine of Crete and I will not exhaust the topic in this post. Suffice it to say, the Cretan diet in all its simplicity and salubrity is the original inspiration for what is today known as the "Mediterranean" diet.

As we are blessed with a surfeit of tomatoes from this year's kitchen garden, I have been using them up as quickly as possible. One of my favourite ways to enjoy an unconventional tomato salad is the Cretan Dakos, or as it is also called, Koukouvayia (Owl), pronounced as "koo-koo-VAH-yee-ah". My understanding is that it takes this name from its resemblance to the eye of an owl when viewed from above. This owl-eye effect is even more pronounced when two Dakos are placed side by side on a plate.

Owl's eye view - Click to Enlarge Image

Ingredients:

Cretan barley rusks
Fresh tomatoes, diced
Real Greek Feta cheese, crumbled
Greek extra virgin olive oil (try Kolympari, an excellent Cretan olive oil)
Fresh mint. finely chopped
Dried Greek oregano
Red wine (optional)
Olives

1. Soak the Cretan barley rusk slightly w/water or a splash or two of red wine and set aside for a couple minutes.
   
2. Drizzle the rusk with olive oil and let it sit for another couple minutes until the oil is absorbed, then drizzle another tablespoon or so over top of it.
3. Combine the diced tomato with the chopped mint and top the rusk with the mixture, then add the crumbled feta cheese, a pinch of oregano, and another touch of olive oil.
4. Finish by placing an olive on top of it all.

Serve and enjoy!

Pánta Kalá! (Always Be Well)


Sam Sotiropoulos
Greek Gourmand™
http://www.greekgourmand.com
Greek Food Recipes and Reflections
Copyright © 2008, Sam Sotiropoulos. All Rights Reserved.

The Taste of the Danforth

Every year for the past 16 years, the city of Toronto goes Greek for a weekend. The annual "Taste of the Danforth" street festival is one of our city's premier summer events; and it's all about the food, especially the Greek food. Since its inception, this yearly fete has grown to become North America's largest event of its kind. When all is said and done, over 1 million visitors are expected to attend "The Taste" this year.

The most striking aspect of "The Taste" is the sheer size of the crowds. It really is quite a spectacle; day or night, it's a people watcher's delight. In the first photo below, the view is looking east from Chester Avenue along Danforth Avenue, into the heart of Toronto's Greektown. All along the street, people line up to purchase all manner of tasty eats, or they stroll leisurely along one of Toronto's major city roadways. For the three days of "The Taste", Danforth Avenue is closed to vehicles and only pedestrian traffic is allowed. The second photo is a shot of the beer garden in the "Alexander the Great Square", located at the intersection of Logan and Danforth Avenues.

Click to Enlarge Image

What would a Greek themed street festival be without pork souvlaki? Yiannis, one of my past co-workers, is pictured grilling it up outside the Astoria Restaurant. Or, if you prefer seafood, you can always try a shrimp souvlaki, or some grilled squid tentacles from Avli restaurant, as pictured below.

Click to Enlarge Image

I'd wager that my brother's chums, Jimmy and Nick, from Kalyvia restaurant did not sleep a wink as I found them in exactly the same spot, two days running, cooking up chicken and pork souvlaki sticks. And for those of you who like a good gyros, there was plenty to go round and around. ;-)

Click to Enlarge Image

One interesting sight this year was a group of individuals dressed in 5th century BC Greek hoplite outfits. These folks are part of an organization called Hoplologia whose purpose is the re-creation of the past through what they call "experimental archeology". In addition to the food and history, it would not be a Greek festival without some Greek music, courtesy of Yiannis Kapoulas & his band Ena K’ Ena.

Click to Enlarge Image

Last but not least, the sweets: loukoumades, baklava, and kataifi... I think this picture says it all.


That's it for this year's "Taste". There is no doubt in my mind that this annual event is one of the greatest foodie extravaganzas on the planet. So, if you're in our neck of the woods next year, and you enjoy Greek food, be sure to visit Toronto's original and best street party.

Opa!

Sam Sotiropoulos
Greek Gourmand™
http://www.greekgourmand.com
Greek Food Recipes and Reflections
Copyright © 2008, Sam Sotiropoulos. All Rights Reserved.

Revani (Ρεβανί)

According to the Greek Orthodox Christian calendar, today is the Metamorphosis (Transfiguration) of the Saviour. The Greek word for "saviour" or "deliverer" is Soter (Σωτήρ), and my Greek name is Sotiris; which makes this my Name Day. In point of fact, my name is an epithet which pre-dates Christianity among the Greeks. The term, Soter, has been used as an epithet for Olympian gods, ancient heroes and liberators, and most recently, as a title for Jesus of Nazareth.

A thing of beauty! - Click to Enlarge Image

For Greeks, Name Days are more important than birthdays. Indeed, it is on one's Name Day that a party in honour of the individual is held, usually at the celebrator's home. Name Days are a time for family and friends, and the day is filled with visits and phone calls from well-wishers. The traditional greeting for someone who is celebrating a Name Day is "Chronia Polla" (Χρόνια Πολλά), which translates as "Many Years"; similar to, though less specific, than the Italian "cent'anni" or "Hundred Years".

Among the most popular features of a Name Day celebration are the desserts which are prepared (or bought) for the occasion. Along with copious amounts of Greek food, visitors are always treated to a sweet "for the health" of the honoured individual. The treats are often family specialties which are served up with a glass of water, a coffee, or a shot of liqueur, usually Ouzo or brandy.

This year, I prepared one of my own specialties for the occasion, it is called Revani. Revani is essentially a syrup-soaked semolina cake. Traditionally, Revani is a specialty of the city of Veria in the northern Greek province of Macedonia. There are a number of regional variations of this cake throughout Greece. In some Revani, nuts like almonds or walnuts are added, in Veria they add yoghurt to the mix, and I have even run across a Revani with a chocolate centre. My Revani recipe is lighter than many of the other versions, and rather than adding them to the mix, I prefer to garnish it with some chopped blanched almonds and/or candied orange or lemon rind.


Allow me to treat you to some Revani in honour of my Name Day. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 eggs
2 cups fine semolina
1.5 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
0.5 cup of unsalted butter
0.5 cup of milk
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the syrup:

2 cups of sugar
2 cups of water
1/2 cup Greek blossom honey
juice and rind of 1/2 a lemon (or orange)

1. Sift together the semolina, flour, and baking powder.
   
2. Cream the butter in a mixer until the butter is light and fluffy; usually this takes about half an hour or so, with the mixer set to a medium-high speed.
3. Add sugar to creamed butter and mix well for a few minutes.
4. Add egg yolks to the butter and continue to mix well for several minutes.
5. Whip the egg whites into stiff peaks.
6. Add the flour to the mixing bowl in stages, alternating with either some milk or some of the whipped egg whites; continue until all three are added and mix everything well.
7. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 9 inch square baking pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350 for approximately 45 minutes, until the surface is golden brown.
8. Prepare the syrup by adding the 2 cups of sugar, 2 cups of water, the honey, lemon juice and rind in a saucepan and bring to a boil; allow it to simmer for 10 minutes or so.
9. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven, place it on a trivet, and proceed to pour the syrup overtop of the entire cake using a spoon or ladle. Pour the syrup slowly in order to allow for a complete and uniform suffusion of the cake. Note: save the candied lemon rind and chop it up into small pieces for use as a garnish for slices of the cake.
   
10. Set the cake aside to cool, preferrably overnight, cut into diamond shaped pieces and serve as is with a sprinkle of cinnamon, or with a garnish of chopped blanched almonds and some of the candied rind (which we saved from the syrup).

Pánta Kalá! (Always Be Well)


Sam Sotiropoulos
Greek Gourmand™
http://www.greekgourmand.com
Greek Food Recipes and Reflections
Copyright © 2008, Sam Sotiropoulos. All Rights Reserved.