Greekgourmet Vol 05

O5

www.kerasma.gr

GREEKGOURMET.VOL 05 05.03.07 a 5/3/07 1:29 PM Page 2

3 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER

ContentsISSUE 5 WINTER-SPRING 2007

Letter from the President of HEPO 4

Letter from the CEO of HEPO 5

Kerasma Places, Kerasma Faces 6

Letter from the Editor 9

Groves of Plenty: Greek Citrus Fruits 11

By Diane Shugart

Food for Life: Lessons from the Monastery Kitchen 17

By Georgia Kofinas

Kerasma Monastery Recipes 24

Gorgeous Graviera Cheese 31

By Diana Farr Louis

Rustic Delicacies: Greek Artisan Delights 37

By Epicurus

Sweet Success: World Class Greek Dessert Wines 44

By Konstantinos Lazarakis

Eating Around Macedonia 53

By Diana Farr Louis

Kerasma Macedonia Recipes 62

Bring on the Sauce 67

By Dimitris Andonopoulos

Coffee Time 74

By D. Kochilas

Kerasma: Treat Your Taste with Great Recipes for Rustic Delicacies, 77

Graviera, Citrus, Sweet Wines, and More

GREEKGOURMET.VOL 05 02.03.07 a 5/3/07 11:35 AM Page 3

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT OF HEPO

Kerasma, as the vehicle via which Greek gastronomy and Greek food products are

amassing a recognizable identity across the globe, has traveled far and wide and

with notable results. A plethora of new chefs, trained in classic Greek cuisine, are

creating superb, unique, seductive dishes with broad appeal. Greek cuisine has

something new to offer foreign chefs, too: the marriage of health and flavor, which

is the basis of all our dishes, old and new. At the heart of Greek cuisine is the inter-

nationally acknowledged Cretan diet, one of the most healthful on the planet.

Perhaps then it’s no surprise that 25 Manhattan restaurants—Greek and non-

Greek—were inspired enough by our cuisine to take part last fall in a Greek culinary

festival, highlighting Greek ingredients in an array of new dishes, appetizing, deli-

cious creations derived from the basic ingredients that have always been part of

the Greek kitchen.

Today, in a western world plagued by obesity, the direct result of poor dietary

habits, Greek treats—Kerasma—offers a viable solution. Not only does our food

taste good, it’s very good for you. There is a never-ending litany of publish research

on the health benefits of olive oil and on the health benefits of many of the other

basic elements of Greek cuisine, all of which we highlight in the

GreekGourmetraveler.

In this issue, for example, we’re serving forth a menu of places and foods that long

have been known and revered, from the variegated, rich agricultural landscape of

Macedonia to the sweet wines for which Greece has been renowned since antiqui-

ty. Look, too, for our playful piece on coffee and the array of small plates, sweet

and savory, that Greeks enjoy with a cup of brew at all hours of the day.

We’re thankful, too, for all the communication we’ve received from readers and par-

ticipants in the Kerasma programs. I want to reiterate that we are at your disposal

to answer any questions you might have regarding Greek products, their distribu-

tion and availability. After all, Greeks have always communicated via food and

wine, and we value our contact with you.

Panagiotis I. Papastavrou

President

HEPO



LETTER FROM THE CEO OF HEPO

Restaurant festivals, international conferences, trade shows around the

world…HEPO is initiating and participating in a whole host of events in the com-

ing months, all as part of the effort to spread our Kerasma campaign of Greek

treats, Greek lifestyle, and Greek healthy traditions across the globe. We’ve never

been so busy.

After the tremendous learning experience and success of our 2006 Taste of Greece

in New York City, a campaign to promote Greek-inspired dishes in 25 of

Manhattan’s top Greek and non-Greek restaurants, we decided to expand the arena

this year, by embracing American restaurants at three different levels. First, by

paying homage to the heart and soul—or, I might say hearth and soul—of Greek

America, we’re planning a springtime festival in Astoria, where the famous Greek

neighborhood’s 20-plus restaurants and retail outlets will promote the best of the

best of Greek regional and specialty food items. We’ll publish a restaurant guide to

the area for residents and visitors alike to access and we’ll offer a range of trips to

Greece, lottery style, for visitors who dine at any one of the participating bastions

of traditional Greek cuisine.

Our Greek heart is just the beginning, though. We’re planning to take a little Greek

summer sun to Manhattan once again, by hosting a citywide restaurant feast in

the city’s best-known Greek and non-Greek high-end restaurants. Look for sunny

Greek skies and fresh Greek flavors on New York plates in July.

True to our wanderers’ spirits, we’re venturing further afield, to Greek and

Mediterranean restaurants in key cities all over the United States, all in our contin-

ued effort to promote the delicious culinary treats of Greece and encourage

American consumers to sip a glass of Greek wines and spirits with a plate of ele-

gant Greek fare. Look for the Taste of Greece feast in Chicago, Boston, Washington,

D.C., San Francisco and Atlanta.

HEPO, always under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance, is

also planning a second Kerasma Conference, like the unique one we held last

March for over 50 foreign food and beverage professionals and journalists. This

year, health, cuisine, and lifestyle are key elements, and we’re heading to the two

Aegean islands that best exemplify that trinity: Crete, home to some of the coun-

try’s best olive oils as well as birthplace of the Cretan Diet; and Santorini, with its

stunning vistas, volcanic mysteries and excellent wines.

So, please, join us as we wander and extend a hand filled with Kerasma treats for

all. Greece appeals to every one of the five senses, but also to the basic human sen-

sibility of eating not only deliciously but well.

Panagiotis Drossos

CEO

HEPO





Kerasma FacesKerasma Places




WINTER-SPRING2007

O5GreekGourmetravelerGreek Food, Wine & Travel Magazine

Editor-in-ChiefDiane Kochilas

Art Director & Designerk2design

HEPO Liaison Anastasia Garyfallou

ContributorsDimitris Andonopoulos, Epicurus, Georgia Kofinas,

Konstantinos Lazarakis, Diana Farr Louis, Diane

Shugart

Contributing Chefs Yiannis Baxevannis, Lefteris Lazarou, Stelios

Parliaros, Christoforos Peskias, Kostas Vassalos

PhotographyNikos Bagdinoudis, Christos Dimitriou, Yiorgos

Dracopoulos, Constantine Pittas, Vassilis Stenos

Food StylingDawn Brown, Tina Webb

PrintingRed Line

G. Kossyfologos & Associates A.E.

87 Byzantiou Street, Nea Ionia 142 34

ISSN1790-5990

CoverVassilis Stenos

PublisherHellenic Foreign Trade Board

Legal representativePanagiotis Drossos, CEO

Marinou Antipa 86-88

Ilioupoli, 163 46 Athens, Greece

Tel: 00 30 210 998 2100

Fax: 00 30 210 996 9100

http://www.hepo.gr

http://www.kerasma.com

Information and subscriptionGreekGourmetraveler, a publication of the Hellenic

Foreign Trade Board, promotes Greek cuisine, wine,

travel, and culture. The magazine is distributed free

of charge to food-, beverage-, wine-, and travel-

industry professionals.

If you wish to subscribe, visit our website at

www.hepo.gr or www.kerasma.com

Reproduction of articles and photographs No articles, recipes, or photographs published in

the GreekGourmetraveler may be reprinted with-

out permission from the publisher. All rights

reserved. GreekGourmetraveler©Hellenic Foreign

Trade Board.



LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Although we've called this, our fifth, issue of the GreekGourmetraveler the winter-

spring 2007 issue, I like to think of it more definitively as the harbinger-of-spring

issue because some of the best food in the country is prepared in the transitional

period between March and June, when our next issue is due out.

For example, citrus fruits are still the luscious backdrop to so many Greek dishes at

this time of the year, and we highlight Greece's formidable citrus industry in an

informative article by veteran GGT writer Diane Shugart. Lent also takes place

now, in the long, cold days of March. While we haven't explored the Lenten table

per se, we did ask Georgia Koffinas, a cooking teacher and the wife of a Greek

Orthodox priest, to share her experiences in a life spent close to so many

monastery kitchens, where the most healthful Greek traditions still flourish. The

article explores a little-known aspect of Greece's culinary heritage and sheds light

on a cuisine that has so much to offer our harried, modern lifestyles.

In this issue, we also wanted to begin an exploration of Greek food beyond the

inspiring array of ingredients that are its heart, by looking past the pantry to the

actual techniques that define Greek cuisine. We start with sauces, the lode star of

every cuisine. In the Greek kitchen the sauce tradition differs radically from that of

the French, as Greek sauces are a marriage of flavors already in the pot, not a sepa-

rate entity to be used as an enhancement or accompaniment. In that light, one can

say we Greeks boast the first real infused sauces.

No issue is complete, of course, without its menu of varied epicurean pleasures,

among them the cheese course, served forth here by Diana Farr Louis, who writes

about graviera, one of our finest, nuttiest, most delicate cheeses; she also takes us

on a tour of Macedonia, with food as the ticket to ride. Our veteran wine master

Konstantinos Lazarakis pours forth more than a sip's worth of Greece's sweet nec-

tars, wines made from some of Europe's finest Muscat grapes as well as from other,

even older, indigenous Greek varietals. Finally, speaking for itself in a few laconic

pictures, is a steaming cup of ellinikos kafes-Greek coffee-which goes well, as you'll

see, with just about everything. We've even provided a quick how-to for making the

frothy, delicious brew.

As always, welcome to our Greek table and all its healthful, delicious dishes. Those,

of course, you'll find in the form of our consistent back-of-the-book digest of

Kerasma recipes-Greek treats-created by the country's top chefs.

Kali Orexi!

Diane Kochilas

Editor-in-Chief



Groves of PlentyGreek Citrus Fruits

Looking back on my childhood trips to Greece in the late

1960s and early ‘70s, my most vivid memories are of food.

Even back then in southern California, where I grew up, food

came in shiny packages neatly arranged on supermarket

shelves. But in Greece, you could touch, and smell, and taste

everything fresh.


By Diane Shugart

Photography: Vassilis Stenos

Styling: Dawn Brown


I remember peering into dark vats

of olives at the local market in

Plaka, staring mesmerized as the

grocer hauled a chunk of feta from

the barrel to the marble counter. I

can still the aroma of steaming,

sweet pots of rice pudding at a

local taverna in the Plaka, where

we stayed, and the feeling of antic-

ipation as Latifis, the proprietor,

served the prized portion, the one

with the glistening yellow lemon

rind on top.

That particular memory has stayed

with me longest, maybe because it

was a practice that flew in the face

of what I have always been

advised, not to mix citrus with

dairy.

But in Greek cuisine, citrus is used

widely, and lemon, in fact, is the

most common flavoring for pud-

dings, custards, and creamy fill-

ings. From rice pudding, rizogalo in

Greek, to rich galaktoboureko, a cus-

tard-filled phyllo pastry, the place

of lemon is a given. In fact, Greek

cooks use lemons in an enormous

range of dishes, from sweets to

grilled meats to salads. Lemons,

like many citrus fruits, have flour-

ished in Greece for millennia.

MYTH, HISTORY, AND ORANGES

Citrus fruits are native to Asia but

were known to the Greeks since

antiquity. Mythology’s famed gold-

en apples guarded by the

Hesperides may have been

oranges. Likewise, it may have

been orange juice that Alexander

the Great sought in his quest for

immortality by drinking the water

of the golden apples.

Though little information exists as

to when and how citrus fruits were

introduced into Greece, the coun-

try is now among Europe’s leading

producers of oranges, lemons, and,

to a lesser degree, grapefruits. The

range of citrus grown in Greece

includes kumquats, which are cul-

tivated on Corfu and closely identi-

fied with local cuisine; bergamots,

which are familiar to the rest of the

world as the flavoring in Earl Grey

tea but which Greeks use to make

one of the most intoxicating spoon

sweets; tangerines; and citrons,

which may have arrived in Greece

from Persia as the armies of

Alexander the Great returned.

Citron has found its home on the

Cycladic island of Naxos where it is

distilled into a potent liqueur simi-

lar to Limoncello. Also popular,

especially in marmalades and

spoon sweets, are bitter oranges,

or neratzia, and blood oranges,


The biggest segment

of orange cultivation

is the W. Navel vari-

ety, commonly

known as Merlin.


which in Greece are especially suc-

culent.

WHERE THE CITRUS TREES GROW

According to George

Polychronakis, special advisor to

Incofruit, the Association of Greek

Fruit, Vegetable, and Juice

Exporters, “citrus represents a sig-

nificant sector of fruit tree cultiva-

tion in terms of acreage, yield, and

gross value.” Citrus cultivation is

extensive in western Greece and

Crete, but its heart is in the

Peloponnesos where it is part of

the arresting natural tableau—

swaths of olive and citrus groves

framed by imposing mountains

and sparkling blue waters. In

spring and fall, along the route

from Corinth to Nafplion or

Epidaurus, the orange trees are

heavy with fruit. On the northern

coast of the Peloponnesos, right

across from the island of Poros, lies

one of the country’s natural won-

ders, the lemonodassos, or lemon

forest, where more than 30,000

lemon trees flourish.

According to Incofruit data, citrus

is cultivated on about 522,000

stremmata (130,500 acres);

oranges account for 70% of citrus

cultivation; lemons and tangerines

amount to 18% and 11%, respective-

ly. Oranges grow mainly in

Argolida, in the northern

Peloponnesos, while lemons grow

mainly around Corinth. Kumquats

are a specialty of Nymphes, on

Corfu, having been brought there

in the 1950s by an Englishman

named Merlin. Now, the island pro-

duces about 60 tons a year, most

of which go into making a bright

red liqueur, candied spoon sweets,

and marmalade. Citrons have

become a specialty of Naxos, but

also grow in Rethymnon, Crete,

and in Achaia, in the Peloponnesos.

ORANGES MOST OF THE YEAR

“The biggest segment of orange

cultivation is the W. Navel variety,

commonly known as Merlin,

which, like the kumquat, was

brought to the country by a British

governor. There is a street named

after him in Athens’ fashionable

Kolonaki district. Navels are har-

vested from November through

March,” says Polychronakis. “The

next largest segment is the “com-

mon” variety, which is harvested

from December to March and sold

mainly as a juicing orange. About

30%—roughly 300,000 tons—of

the common orange crop goes to

the formidable Greek juice indus-



try. The Valencia orange, is the next

largest crop, harvested from March

to September. The Navelina and

New Hall varieties, suitable for

both eating and juicing (although

the New Hall is not as succulent)

are harvested from October

through January. Between March

and June, Navel Late and Lane Late

varieties are in season.

Orange cultivation is staggered so

that fresh fruit is available for nine

out of 12 months. Lemons are avail-

able year-round, although the win-

ter fruit is superior. Tangerines and

grapefruits have shorter fresh-to-

market periods, mainly late

autumn to early spring.

In recent years, demand and pro-

duction of fresh fruit and juice have

increased both domestically and

internationally. In 2005/2006,

Greek orange production totaled

1,017,200 metric tons, a sharp

increase from the 765,200 metric

ton yield of orange crops in

2004/2005. Both years, exports

slightly surpassed domestic con-

sumption although the bulk of the

orange crop went to production,


CITRUS IN THE GREEK

KITCHEN

It’s hard to think of a

Greek dish to which the

lemon doesn’t lend its

scent, from succulent

roasted lamb, to offal,

salads, cooked vegeta-

bles, and the crowning

achievement of lemon in

the Greek kitchen,

avgolemono, the egg-

and-lemon sauce and

soup that is known all

over the world.

Citrus and Meat. Greek

cooks squeeze lemons

over almost every grilled

meat, from pork

sausages to char-grilled

steaks. It helps counter

the fat. Lemons are part

of the marinade in many

roasted meat dishes,

especially lamb and

goat. Even hamburgers

are doused with a

squeeze of lemon.

Lemon-roasted chicken

(with lemon-roasted

potatoes) are one of the

classics of Greek Sunday

meals.

Citrus and Fish. Here,

too, lemon, more than

any other citrus fruit,

plays a major role. One

of the most classic Greek

dishes is fish grilled

whole on the bone and

brushed with a marinade

of fresh lemon juice,

olive oil, and oregano.

Lemon goes over sword-

fish and shrimp bro-

chettes, into ceviche-

type marinated fresh

fish, especially young

anchovies.

Citrus in the Pot. From

soups to stew, whether

with meats, fish and

seafood, or vegetables,

legumes, and grains,

Oranges grow mainly in Argolida, in the

northern Peloponnesos, while lemons grow

mainly around Corinth.



mainly to the juice industry.

Germany imports about a third of

the Greek orange crop, mainly for its

juice industry. Austria, Poland, and

the Czech Republic are also impor-

tant markets for Greek citrus fruits.

The industry is pushing toward

standardization of varietal shape,

size, color, and labeling, and grow-

ers are beginning to brand their

products either by region of origin

or variety.

While oranges and grapefruit have

a solid foothold in the exports mar-

ket, Greek lemons are consumed

almost exclusively domestically. In

2005-2006, 35,600 metric tons of

a total yield of 42,400 metric were

sold in markets as fresh fruit; just

80 metric tons went to processing

and 1,720 tons were exported.

“The statistics reflect an interesting

trend,” says an advertising execu-

tive who handles the account of a

major juice brand. “Greeks show a

growing willingness to buy their

fruit, especially orange juice,

processed and packaged. But

lemons, even when used for juice,

are squeezed fresh.”

Diane Shugart is a freelance journalist based in Athens

and editor of Odyssey Magazine.

citrus fruit a must.

Hearty bean soups are

flavored with a strip of

orange zest in Crete;

cooked greens—horta—

are almost always served

with a wedge of lemon

and olive oil; octopus

and squid are frequently

enriched with oranges;

even spinach is some-

times flavored so.

Citrus in Sauces. The

most famous is the

avgolemono, a liaison of

lemon and eggs; but

lemon juice is also mixed

with flour and added to

certain vegetable stews,

especially artichokes and

celery root. Lemon is also

sometimes married with

tomato, at least in the

Peloponnesos, where

both grow profusely.

Lemons and oranges both

find their way into the

robust seasonings for all

sorts of olives in Greece.

Citrus and Sweets. Here,

citrus finds the most uses:

in custards and cream

desserts; in sorbets; in

nut-filled phyllo desserts

often tossed with a little

grated orange rind; in

cakes, like luscious Greek

lemon-yogurt cake; in

pastries and in spoon

sweets. There is a whole

range of preserved citrus

fruits (spoon sweets),

among them: small,

whole green bitter

oranges, orange rind,

grapefruit rind, bergamot

(one of the most fra-

grant); lemon (even

lemon blossoms), and bit-

ter orange rind. Lemon

and orange blossoms are

also distilled to make

blossom water, which is

used in baking. DK



Food for LifeTradition Flourishes in the Monastery Kitchen

Monastic cookery has a long history and monastery kitchens

have always been—and still are—the safeguards of traditional

Greek cuisine. Today, with so much conflict surrounding issues

of food and so many extremes, from hunger to excess, from

organic vs. genetically modified foods, and so much more, the

Greek monastery kitchen has much to teach the modern cook.


By Georgia Kofinas



First and foremost, in monastic

communities, eating together is an

act of love, and the monastic atti-

tude toward food is one of great

respect. Nothing is ever wasted.

Most monasteries are self-suffi-

cient and produce their own food

and wine. For the most part all

things produced are organic.

Hospitality is sacred, kitchen duty

is shared and fasting is a way of

life.

As the wife of a Greek Orthodox

priest, I’ve visited countless monas-

teries. While each has its own rou-

tine, called the typico in Greek,

which is guided by the spiritual

father of the monastery, along with

the abbot or abbess, according to

the needs of the monastic commu-

nity, all monasteries follow the

same basic principles. Within these

principles the oldest traditions of

the Greek table still flourish.

COMMUNAL MEALS AND DAILY LIFE

Guests and monks gather together

at mealtimes but rarely eat at the

same table. Nonetheless, congre-

gating in the refectory is important

as it deepens the relationship

among the members and their visi-

tors through sharing food. There is

a lesson to be had in that for sure,

especially in this day and age of

quick bites on the run, conflicting

family schedules, and the general

loss of family meal time.

On Mount Athos, the bulwark of

Eastern Orthodox monasticism,

the 20 monasteries practice the

strictest ascetic order. Women

have not been allowed on the

mountain since a decree banning

them was issued by Byzantine

Emperor Constantine

Monomachos in 1060. After rising

very early for their individual

prayers and following the service of

Matins, the monks have their first

and main meal of the day. If it’s not

a fasting day, they eat fish and

dairy products right after the litur-

gy. For them breaking the fast—

breakfast—is a time of celebration.

In other monasteries, breakfast

consists of bread and rusks, butter,

cheese, olives, honey, marmalades,

fruit, and various cookies. During

strict fasting periods, no dairy

products or oil are consumed and

the diet is restricted to fresh and

dried


Making rose petal jam at the Taxiarches

Monastery, Aigion, Peloponessos.


fruits, nuts, rusks or bread, olives,

and tahini. Herbal teas are served

more often than coffee and are

usually gathered from the

monastery grounds and environs.

After the morning meal the monks

or nuns assume their assigned

duties, called diakonia. Some clean

and maintain the premises, while

others do chores that demonstrate

their individual talents, such as

iconography, handicrafts, garden-

ing, and farming. One of the heavi-

est chores is kitchen duty and in

larger monastic communities there

is more than one cook and kitchen

staff that rotates on a weekly

basis.

If the main meal of the day is

served around noon, then a lunch

bell summons the community

members to stop their work and

gather in the refectory. The abbot

or abbess sits at the head of the

table and gives the signal to begin

eating. Before drinking anything

with the meal, a small bell is

sounded and the abbot or abbess

gives a short blessing.

Vesper bells summon the commu-

nity members to attend the

evening service and afterwards

they usually take their last meal of

the day. If there’s a liturgy the next

day during which the monks or

nuns will be taking communion,

then there’s a small meal without

oil. When not fasting, leftovers

usually make up the evening meal,

so that nothing goes to waste.

Bedtime is early and monks are up

long before sunrise.

THE KITCHEN

Community spirit prevails in the

monastery kitchen as it does at the

monastery table. Tedious prepara-

tions such as cleaning freshly

picked greens or vegetables, sort-

ing rice or lentils, and making

spoon sweets or cookies, call for

everyone’s helping hand.

When the monastery is preparing

for its feast day, volunteers in the

kitchen help out and the atmos-

phere is a marked contrast to the

quiet asceticism of daily life.

Although idle talk and frivolous

activities are discouraged, much joy

pervades the monastery kitchen. It

is not unusual to see nuns raise the

sleeves of their black habits up to

their elbows while they work and

chatter about the day’s menu. In


In monasteries left-

overs usually make

up the evening meal,

so that nothing goes

to waste.


the monastery where my husband

serves, the nuns’ favorite gathering

place is the kitchen; cooking is the

ultimate expression of love and

hospitality.

Preserving foods also takes up a

good deal of time in the kitchen of

most monasteries, for anything

left in the garden that can’t be con-

sumed is pickled, frozen, or canned

to be used later in the year.

Wastefulness is considered a sin.

Tradition lives on as the older

members pass down tried-and-

true methods of preserving food

and special recipes to their younger

peers. I have flipped through many

frayed notebooks stashed away in

monastery kitchen drawers and

found cherished and often unique

recipes preserving all sorts of fruits

and vegetables.

FASTING

Both fasting and feasting govern

the dietary habits of a monastic

community. In Byzantium, monas-

tic communities and the laity

shared the same basic diet. As a

result, a rich variety of Lenten dish-

es evolved based on bread, vegeta-

bles, pulses, fish and seafood, olive

oil, and wine. Many of these dishes

still flourish on the traditional

Greek table.

There are four Lenten periods in

the liturgical calendar, and togeth-

er with every Wednesday and

Friday, these add up to about 180

days of the year. That means for

about half the year, monks and

nuns abstain from fish and dairy

products. On Wednesdays and

Fridays throughout the entire year

most monastic communities even

abstain from olive oil. This stricter

fast is referred to as xerophagia,

meaning “consumption of dried


Tending the vineyards at the Vatopaidi

Monastery in Mt. Athos.


foods,” such as nuts, rusks, and

fresh and dried fruits. During

Lenten periods, seafood and

legumes are the main source of

protein, while vegetables and fruit

come to complete the nutritional

requirements of the community.

There is universal abstinence from

meat in the monastic tradition.

Fish and dairy are foods for cele-

brating major feast days.

All in all, the dietary cycle is

extremely healthy, characterized

by simplicity and punctuated by

long periods of fasting. Fasting is

not only a physical practice but

coupled with fervent prayer, to

express the Orthodox tradition

that the body and soul are one.

Even from a secular point of view,

fasting—essentially detoxifying

from all animal products—is

extremely good for the body, espe-

cially in an era where so much of

what we eat is unhealthy and

unnatural.

FOOD, HOSPITALITY, AND INCOME

Upon visiting any monastery in

Greece, a visitor is invariably offered

something to eat and drink.

Typically, confections like loukoumi

and spoon sweets are offered, or

olives, dried fruits and nuts, tea, as

well as homemade soft drinks,

wine, and distillations. Many long

hours go into to the preparation of

these offerings and almost all come

from the monastery’s grounds,

since most monastic communities

are self-sufficient.

Many of these products are also

sold and are both an important

source of income but also a good

mirror of the most time-honored,

traditional foods of Greece. For

example, monasteries customarily

produced their own wine for the



Georgia Kofina is the author of Sarakostiana, a book of Lenten recipes.

sacrament of Holy Communion.

Over time many monasteries

began to sell their wine so that

today wines from Mt. Athos, from

the Monastery of the Holy Trinity

of Jagarolon, Crete, and from the

Voutsa Monastery in Eastern

Zagori, Epirus, are among some of

the best-known in Greece.

Cheese, olives and olive oils, spoon

sweets, marmalades, and a whole

range of traditional pasta products

are among some of the typical

foods produced at monasteries and

sold as a means of income. Almost

all these products are organic.

At many monasteries, older, tradi-

tional varieties of Greek fruits and

vegetables, many of which have

been lost upon industrial farmers,

still flourish; others are beacons of

experimentation. At the Chrysopigi

Monastery, in Chania, Crete, for

example, the nuns cultivate 25 dif-

ferent avocado varieties, adapting

this non-Greek plant to Greek culi-

nary customs, serving it with olive

oil and lemon or with honey on the

strictest fasting days. Chrysopigi

also produces an award-winning

organic olive oil which is found

readily all over Greece, even at

duty-free shops. Other monaster-

ies, such as the Holy

Transfiguration Monastery in

Nafpaktos, make a full range array

of labeled food products which are

sold in small shops both locally and

in Athens. The monastery was also

the first to practice mariculture

and raises livestock as income.

One monastery, Tartanus in

Evrytania, counts a cookbook,

written by one of the monks,

Father Dositheos, among its

sources of income from things culi-

nary. It was published by the

monastery press and is found in

most bookstores. It is now in its

10th edition.

Although the monastic life is one

of simplicity and contemplation, it

is also one in which reverence –

and thanks — for nature’s bounty is

indelibly linked to the table.

Simplicity, frugality, respect for

food, honest preparations that

make use of everything—these

have always been valued in the

Greek kitchen and to this day pro-

vide valuable lessons for how to

live in a harried world where so

much conflict revolves around

food. In the age-old traditions of

Greek monasteries, there is,

indeed, food for life.






Casserole - Poached Grouper

(from Father Dositheos, Holy Monastery of Tatarnus, Evrytania)

For 8 servings

5 pounds (2 kilos) whole grouper,

scaled, gutted, and cleaned

4 large onions, cut into thin slices

1 medium whole head of garlic,

separated into cloves

1 bunch parsley, tied with string

Juice of 4 lemons

400 ml extra virgin Greek olive oil

1-2 tsp. Greek oregano

Salt

Whole peppercorns

1. Remove head and tails and boil with

3 cups water to make fish broth.

Strain and reserve.

2. Cut fish in 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle

with salt and allow to sit for at least 3

hours.

3. Arrange fish in bottom of casserole

and pour over fish broth and enough

water to cover fish completely. Bring

to a boil and remove any foam that

accumulates on the surface.

4. Add onion slices, whole garlic

cloves, and olive oil. Cook over high

heat so that pan sauces blend quickly

with the glutinous flesh of the fish to

produce a thick white sauce.

5. Add peppercorns and the tied bunch

of parsley. When pan liquids begin to

evaporate, add lemon juice and

oregano. Lower heat and simmer until

sauce thickens and is reduced to

about half of original liquid. This usu-

ally takes at least one hour for a

grouper.

6. Carefully remove fish to a platter

with large spatula. Pour sauce over

and sprinkle with freshly ground pep-

per or finely chopped parsley. Serve

immediately.

Variation I: Add 1 1/2 pounds (600 gr.)

thickly sliced zucchini halfway

through cooking.


Kerasma Monastery recipes


1. Remove stems from eggplants, wash

and cut into thin slices. Place in large

bowl of salted water for about 20 min-

utes to remove bitterness. Drain and

dry with paper towels.

Brush each side with olive oil and grill

lightly on both sides until oft.

2. Sauté onions in olive oil until

translucent and add mushrooms.

Cook over high flame until liquid

evaporates. Add tomato, salt and pep-

per, and cinnamon stick. Simmer until

sauce thickens.

3. Oil a medium rectangular baking

dish and sprinkle with about 3 table-

spoons breadcrumbs. Divide eggplants

into 2 parts. Arrange 1 layer of egg-

plants over breadcrumbs and spread

mushroom filling over eggplants.

Sprinkle with enough breadcrumbs to

just cover filling. Arrange remaining

eggplants on top.

4. Prepare cream sauce: mix potato

flakes with boiling water and leave

aside. Heat oil in saucepan and add

flour stirring continuously over medi-

um flame for about 5 minutes. Lower

flame and carefully pour in the potato

water stirring constantly so it doesn’t

get lumpy. Cook over medium flame

until it thickens and add salt, pepper

and nutmeg.

5. Spread cream sauce over eggplants

and sprinkle top with remaining

breadcrumbs. Bake in moderate oven

(about 400°F/200°C) for about 1 hour

or until golden brown on top. Cool

before serving.


Lenten Moussaka with Mushrooms

(from the Holy Monastery of Bethlehem, Koropi, Attica)

For 6-8 servings

Ingredients: 2 pounds (1 kilo) eggplants

1 1/2 pounds (600 gr.) fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup tomato sauce

3/4 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil

1 cinnamon stick

Salt, pepper

1 1/2 cups fine breadcrumbs

Oil for brushing eggplants

For the cream sauce:5 cups boiling water

3/4 cup instant potato flakes


3/4 cup flour

3 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

A pinch of white pepper






1. Boil rice in water and salt until ten-

der. Remove from flame and add half

of lemon juice.

2. In a medium bowl mix tahini with

one cup of soup broth until creamy,

adding more broth if necessary. Mix in

remaining lemon juice.

3. Pour mixture into soup stirring con-

stantly until liquids blend.

4. Stir in carrots, green onions, and

parsley. Adjust seasoning. Serve with

lemon wedges and whole wheat rusks

(paximadia).

Mount Athos Tahini Soup

(from the Holy Monastery of Simonopetra, Mount Athos)

For 4-6 servings

2 1/2 quarts or liters water

1 cup short-grain white rice

7-8 Tbsp. tahini paste

Juice of 1-2 lemons

2 carrots, finely grated

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh green onions (optional)

1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Salt to taste




Lenten “Bougatsa”

(from the Holy Monastery of Osios Meletios, Kithairona, Attica)

For 20-25 pieces

1.600 ml water

12 oz. (300 gr.) fine semolina

1 3/4 cup sugar

3 tsps. vanilla

1/2 cup olive oil margarine*

1 pound (450 gr.) puff pastry (package of 2 sheets of pastry)

Powdered sugar

Ground cinnamon

1. Bring water to a boil in large pot.

Slowly add semolina stirring con-

stantly to avoid lumps. Cook over

medium heat until mixture just begins

to thicken.

2. Add sugar and continue to stir until

mixture is thick and creamy. Remove

from heat and add vanilla and mar-

garine.

3. Lay half of puff pastry in lightly

greased rectangular pan. (Roll out to

size of pan if needed). Spread cream

mixture evenly over pastry and top

with remaining pastry.

* Olive oil margarine is a new greek

product.




GorgeousGravieraCheese

Take a look at the cheese counter in any Greek supermarket

and you’ll see dozens of varieties, ranging from fez-shaped soft

myzithra and glistening blocks of feta to drum after drum of

hard aged cheeses protected by tough rinds. Among these are

the gravieras, a cheese so popular and widespread you’d think

Greeks must have been eating it for millennia.


By Diana Farr Louis


Styling: Dawn Brown, Tina Webb


Surprisingly, it is not even a centu-

ry old. Graviera, as the name

implies, was the result of an

attempt to reproduce Swiss

gruyere in this country. In 1914, a

Swiss-trained cheese expert named

Nikos Zigouris happened upon it

while combining imported tech-

niques with a surplus of sheep’s

milk. Because he was employed at

one of the royal family’s estates in

the western Peloponnesos, his

experiment found its way to influ-

ential circles in Athens and the new

cheese was launched.

Zigouris’s discovery was part of an

effort by the Greek state to mod-

ernize and standardize the nation’s

dairy sector. Under the tutelage of

Reymondos Dimitriadis, considered

the father of Greek cheese making,

Zigouris and other foreign-trained

scientists were dispatched into the

countryside. Their mission: to

teach contemporary

methods of cheese-making and to

help herdsmen organize them-

selves into cooperatives to handle

and sell their products more effi-

ciently and profitably.

Graviera quickly became a tradition.

It is made as far north as Macedonia

and as far south as Crete, in Corfu to

the west, in Mytilini to the east, and

just about everywhere in between.

The cheese can be sweet or piquant,

depending on how long it is aged;

its color ranges from creamy white

to deep yellow; and normally it is

peppered with irregular lentil-sized

holes, but these can shrink to pin-

pricks or swell to rounds the size of

an American dime. (The holes are

caused by the gases given out by

propionic acid bacteria, which are

among the compounds formed

when lactose breaks down. Their

size varies depending on the tem-

perature and humidity in the early

stages and on the degree to which

the cheeses are pressed.)

Although you will find graviera

wherever there are pastures one in

particular stands out for its com-

plexity of flavor, the graviera pro-

duced in Amfilohia. At least one

producer is experimenting with

preserving the cheese by dipping it

an attractive, black wax-like coat-

ing. Three regions in Greece have

won the coveted appellation of ori-

gin status conferred on special

local products by the European

Union: Agrafa, Crete, and Naxos.

Traditionally, Agrafa, in the

Southern Pindos, and Crete pro-

duced their cheese from rich, raw

sheep’s milk, sometimes mixed

with a little, thinner, goats’ milk.

Now virtually all Greek cheeses are

made with pasteurized milk.

The Naxos variety, on the other

hand, employs cow’s milk exclusive-

ly. This gives it a more yellow hue

and a sharper taste. A footnote to

history, the prevalence of cows in

the Cyclades dates back to the 13th

century. After the Frankish con-

quest of Constantinople in 1204,

those duplicitous Crusaders divided

up Byzantine Greece into fiefdoms.


Highly versatile,

graviera can be

tucked into sand-

wiches, shaven over

salads, or eaten on

its own.



Agrafa, Crete, and Naxos are three regions in

Greece that have won the coveted appella-

tion of origin status conferred on special

local products by the European Union.

The priests and monks who accom-

panied them apparently brought

along cows to feed themselves and

their converts, and the Venetians,

who eventually gained control,

encouraged the practice. To this

day, islands like Naxos, Tinos, and

Syros have retained both a consid-

erable Catholic population and a

taste for cow’s milk cheese.

No matter the kind of milk used,

the method of making graviera

remains roughly the same to pro-

duce a cheese that is about 38 %

moisture, 38-40 % fat, and 1.2 to 2.4 %

salt. After the milk arrives at the

dairy, it is immediately poured into

vats and heated to a temperature

of 33°-36° C (91.4°-96.8°F). At this

moment powdered rennet is

added, and within 30 minutes

curds begin to form. Once they are

set, the mass is slid onto a table

and chopped into morsels the size

of corn kernels. These are then

returned to the vats and reheated

gently until fairly dry. At this point

the thick liquid is poured into

round molds holding from 10 to 25

kilos (22-55 pounds), salted, and

removed to a cool place. In Agrafa,

the cheese ripens for at least three

months, until it develops a buttery

flavor. (The mandatory maturation

period is two months.) Some con-

noisseurs esteem Cretan graviera


above all others. A recent visit to a

major Athens supermarket

revealed eight different brands of

graviera from Crete alone. Most of

them were large drums that would

have been aged at least six

months, but there were two rela-

tive newcomers on the market: a

small, 2-kilo head and a large drum

that had been aged 12 months.

These two possessed the nutty, full

taste one expects from Cretan

graviera, while a pale variety with

uncharacteristically large holes

proved delicate and sweet. These

cheeses go very well with red wine

but the islanders often pair them

with local thyme honey, an uncon-

ventional but addictive combina-

tion.

The Cretans themselves believe the

finest graviera comes from sheep

that have grazed in the White

Mountains, home to an array of

herbs and plants found nowhere

else. In the days before electricity,

each shepherd clan had its own

secret cave, called a tripa or hole,

where they stored their cheeses.

Now refrigeration does the job and

the urge to sell sometimes over-

comes the patience to wait out the

ideal six-month maturation period

Unfortunately, traditionally aged

cheeses are rarely found on the

market. Rumor has it that they do

exist but are reserved for special

friends and dispensed from unlikely

locations – the back of a Heraklion

shoe shop, for example. They

resemble the finest old Parmesan.

In the foothills of the White

Mountains, cheese making is such

an industry that the air is heavy

with the cloying aroma of hot milk

long before the cheese-plant comes

into view. Many of these plants are

small, family-run operations. Here

the owner may stir the thickening

mass with a cheese harp by hand,

as well as with an electric comb,

until there are no lumps – a process

that can take up to an hour. He

adds the salt just before pouring

the curds into wicker baskets,

which may have the sign of the

cross woven into their bottoms. In

the old days before running water,

shepherds’ wives used to wash both

the family’s clothes and, less fre-

quently, the family itself in the

whey, at least according to Daphne

Zepos, a cheese expert and

importer in the United States.

No matter its origin, graviera is a

superb all-purpose cheese. Delicious

to eat on its own or with a rusk or

country bread, it is also good grated

and sprinkled over baked dishes,

incorporated into sauces like

béchamel or mornay, fried in cro-

quettes, grilled in a sandwich,

stuffed into crepes, mixed into a pie

or soufflé . . . .Its use is only limited

by the cook’s imagination.





RusticDelicaciesGreek Artisan Cheeses,Cured Fish, Charcuterie,and More

Greek food is strong, simple, and satisfying. Much of it, howev-

er, is still terra—and mare—incognita, a whole undiscovered

world of gourmet delights that mirror the cuisine’s directness:

I always think of these specialties, from cured meats and fish

to cheeses and more, as rustic delicacies.


By Epicurus


Styling: Dawn Brown

Avgotaraho

Mesolongiou


A rustic delicacy might seem like

an oxymoron; something is either

rustic or delicate, not both. But

Greek specialties defy such a seem-

ing contradiction. For the most

part, their simplicity fosters an

inherent elegance yet their strong

agrarian and regional associations

make them intrinsically rustic, too.

GREEK BOTARGO

For me nothing is more rustic or

delicate than a wafer-thin slice of

avgotaraho, the sublime botargo

from Mesolongi, a small city on

Greece’s western coast that

inspired Byron’s poetry and where

he died for the Greek revolution.

Botargo, much prized throughout

the Mediterranean, is pressed fish

roe. The Spanish and Italians make

it from tuna. Greeks have always

preferred the grey mullet, bafa,

with its rich, tumescent egg sacs,

which are removed from the fish as

they go out to sea to spawn from

the marshlands of western Greece.

I have tasted a lot of botargo in my

life, from many different places

around the Mediterranean, but

none conveys the taste of the sea

as delicately as the botargo from

Mesolongi. None evokes the salty

mist, perennially hovering over the

plankton-rich lagoons, or ivaria,

where local fishermen practice

their trade, living for weeks at a

time in wooden huts along the

water. With each bite I can almost

see their shadows shimmering in

the liquid ecosystem. It is in these

quiet marshlands that the roe is

harvested. The fishermen expertly

remove the roe sacs, keeping them

intact, then cure them with age-

old wisdom, with a frugal dose of

sea salt that gently seasons the

eggs without detracting from their

inherent taste. Once cured, the

whole family gets involved in the

next stage, dipping the eggs in

bees’ wax to protect and preserve

them. It is a process that Greeks

have perfected over a thousand-

odd years. Avgotaraho, like many

Greek delicacies, traces its history

at least back to the Byzantine

Empire.

Local fishermen traditionally savor

avgotaraho neat, as an accompani-

ment to tsipouro, a grape distillate

like grappa. But, as if in a nod to

Lord Byron, the delicacy also goes

quite well with a dram or two of

single-malt Scotch. In contempo-

rary Greek cuisine, avgotaraho has

found its place either in pasta dish-

es or in creamy risottos. The cured

roe lends grace and complexity to a

dish, while leaving a long, smoky,

sea aftertaste. It also may be

served on blinis with sour cream or,


Siglino, a cured pork from Mani Kavourmas Smoked trout


even better, on sour dough bread

covered with fresh goat cheese; if

mixed with yogurt, it can trans-

form a simple dip into a meze that

is, well, both rustic and delicate.

OTHER DELICACIES FROM THE SEA

The sea is the source of many more

Greek delicacies beyond avgotara-

ho. Smoked trout, smoked eel and

a host of other preserved fish are

among the country’s most prized

local mezedes and are a growing

part of the specialty foods exports

market. Trout, which traditionally

runs wild in the rushing rivers and

streams of northern Greece, espe-

cially in Epirus, is now largely

farmed. Greece produces a range of

smoked offerings. Greeks serve

smoked trout as a meze, with a lit-

tle olive oil and freshly squeezed

lemon and also make at least one

dip with it. Some cooks also add a

little smoked trout to a batch of

taramosalata, which lends depth.

Eel, too, is a Greek specialty and has

long been considered a delicacy.

Most comes from the same areas

as avgotaraho, as well as Halkidiki,

in Macedonia, and most of Greece’s

production is exported to Italy. To

my mind, the smoked eel from

Halkidiki, especially from the vil-

lage of Galatista, perfectly reflects

the gastronomic uniqueness of

Greece. In the rich waters of

Halkidiki, famous for their sea

bass, lobsters, shrimps, oysters,

and small, indigenous mussels, the

fatty eel acquires a distinct com-

plexity. When lightly smoked with


Smoked trout,

smoked eel, and a

host of other pre-

served fish are

among the country’s

most prized local

mezedes.


local wood its strong flavor is sub-

dued and ennobled. Halkidiki

smoked eel pairs beautifully with

tsipouro as well as with more uni-

versal spirits, such as refined, pre-

mium vodka.

One of the regional fish specialties

of Greece is the particular sardine

from the Gulf of Kalloni, off the

island of Lesvos. What distinguish-

es these sardines from others

processed around Greece is the rel-

atively short time, a day, at most

two, they spend under salt. The

result is a salted sardine almost as

fresh as sushi, succulent, sweet

and juicy. About 100 tons of sar-

dines are fished annually from the

Kalloni Gulf, but many more from

surrounding waters are processed

the Kalloni way; the canning indus-

try is a vibrant one on the island.

The sardines are a perfect match

for Lesvos’ other specialty—the

island is home to some of the best

ouzo in Greece.

SOME GREAT CHEESES

Greece is surrounded by the sea.

Yet most Greeks, ironically even

islanders, trace their heritage to

the mountains because even in the

islands people historically lived

away from the shore in order to be

protected from pirates. Thus, even

islanders developed culinary tradi-

tions rooted as much in the land

as in the sea. It is not an accident,

that Greek islands—like the Greek

mainland—are home to some of

the most unusual cheeses and

charcuterie the country produces.

Tinos, in the Cyclades, for example,

is renowned for its cow’s milk

cheeses, a rarity in Greece where

sheep’s milk dominates, and one

which can be traced to the distinct

breed of cow brought to the island

by the Venetians, who ruled parts

of the Cyclades between the 15th

and 18th centuries. One of the

most unique Tinian cow’s milk

cheese is the petroma, after the

Greek word for rock (petra), and the


Avgotaraho, like

many Greek delica-

cies, traces its history

at least back to the

Byzantine Empire.


process by which it is shaped: The

curds, once formed, are pressed

inside a marble basin carved with a

spout. They are weighed down

with another, close-fitting slab of

the island’s famed marble. The

whey runs off and the cheese

forms into a lovely round disc. This

cheese is the ultimate rustic delica-

cy and finds its way to Athens only

in small quantities.

Greece counts among its rustic del-

icacies an impressive array of other

regional cheeses, surely too many

to list here. The islands are home

to sheep’s and cow’s milk cheeses

but also to pungent, distinctive

wine-soaked cheeses; cheese

swaddled in olive paste; steeped in

olive oil; washed in the sea; aged in

caves; fermented in clay amphorae

or goat skins; and drizzled, among

other things, with golden thyme

honey. Most evolved out of the

shepherds’ traditions, regardless of

whether they were born on islands

or on the mainland. At least two of

the many shepherd’s cheeses stand

out for their intense flavors and

individual character: the soft,

white, piquant tsalafouti, made in

central Greece, and metsovone, a

smoked sheep’s milk cheese from

Metsovo in Epirus. The former

belongs to a whole category of soft

Greek cheeses that are thicker than

yogurt, naturally fermented, grainy

but also soft and creamy, and

sharp. These are old shepherds’

cheese par excellence, once eaten

only seasonally, but nowadays part

of every gourmet shop’s cheese

counter. Metsovone, on the other

hand, is a more European-style

cheese, modelled after the Italian

provolone and smoked. Greeks

consider it one of their most aristo-

cratic table cheeses.

THE HUMBLE PIG

All over Greece, cured pork tradi-

tionally played a major role in a

family’s winter preparations, and

the pork slaughter was, and still is,


Kalloni Sardines Metsovone Cheese and Siglino Kavourmas in an easy sandwich


Epicurus is the nom de plum of one of Athens’ premiere restaurant critics and food writers. He

is the author of A Taste of Sephardic Thessaloniki (Fytrakis), A Critique of Food Reason

(Kedros) and Art Cuisine: Food as Art (Imako).

a celebratory feast where every

part of the animal is savored. As a

result, Greece boasts a large range

of cured pork products. For exam-

ple, Crete is home to unusual

sausages, especially a thin, vine-

gar-cured, smoked pork sausage

and another brine-flavored, herb-

and-cypress-smoked pork called

apaki. These have moved beyond

artisinal and into the mainstream,

with several large Cretan charcu-

terie companies producing good

versions of the local delicacy.

In the Peloponnesos, chunks of

pork are generally preserved in olive

oil in a local specialty called siglino.

There have even been contempo-

rary products borne out of this tra-

dition. One Greek producer of cured

pork products, in the mountain

hamlet of Karpenissi in north west-

ern Greece, recently won a Slow-

Food award for his prosciutto.

One of the most traditional Greek

cured pork products is, like the

rock-pressed cheese, a regional

specialty from Tinos. Called louza,

it is made from pork loin and is

redolent of the red wine and warm

spices in which it is marinated

before being air-dried. A similar

cured pork loin, also called louza, is

produced in Mykonos.

By far, though, one of the most

unforgettable cured meat prod-

ucts in all of Greece is the buffalo

kavourma from Lake Kerkini in

north eastern Greece, not too far

from the Bulgarian border. In this

tranquil Balkan landscape, water

buffaloes, historically important

for their meat and creamy milk,

laze about unfazed by diving

storks and impervious to their

own ultimate fate as a delicacy

that is easily on par with the most

renowned French confit. To make

the kavourma, buffalo, sheep, and

pork meat are simmered together

then “boiled” in pork fat, much the

same way that duck confit is pre-

pared. The word comes from the

Turkish, kavour, which means fried,

and the spices with which it is fla-

vored are decidedly Eastern, a

heady mix of cumin, curry, all-

spice, oregano, and rosemary.

Kavourma is typically served with

a squeeze of lemon, a nice foil to

the fat. One of the region’s richest

dishes is kavourma fried with

eggs.

Each time I serve it I like to think

that I am frying up an oxymoron in

a splash of olive oil, seasoned with

a sprinkle of the mountains and a

drop of the Aegean, perhaps with a

hint of the mist of Mesolongion and

sip of Greek sunshine in a glass.

Those are the things that charac-

terize Greece’s rustic delicacies.


Avgotaracho drying outdoors. Removing the roe sacs from the grey mullet.




SweetSuccessGreece’s Dessert Winesare World Class

Greek wine producers are crafting some of the most amazing—

and undervalued—stickies in the world.

By Konstantinos Lazarakis

Photography: Constantinos Pittas



The king of sweet wine production

in Greece is undoubtedly the

Muscat grape. Greek Muscats are

rich, intense, floral, and sweet but

not cloying, fully displaying in their

character the warm, sunny climate

of Greece and the variety’s compat-

ibility to Greek ground. Muscats

are conducive not only to the

Greek terroir but well-matched to

the local palate, since Greeks

regard sweetness not as a childish

taste but as charming.

The Muscat grape is cultivated in

six O.P.E. (Onomasia Proelefsis

Elenhomeni, or controlled appella-

tion of origin) areas, more than any

other Greek grape. (See box.) Three

are in the Aegean: Samos, Limnos,

and Rhodes. The other three are

Patras, Rion of Patras, and

Cephalonia, in the Ionian.

In most of these appellations the

small-berried white Muscat

(Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains) is

cultivated. It is arguably the finest

expression of all sub-varieties of


SWEET WINES, ANCIENT

PALATES

Greece, an ancient wine-

making country, has been

renowned for her sweet

wines almost forever. In fact,

sweet wines prevailed over

dry in antiquity, mainly

because wine was not con-

sumed with food. Even at the

symposia, participants

would eat first, then philoso-

phize, drink wine, and eat

some fruit. Wines that were

too dry or lean would have

been difficult to drink all

night. Sweet wines could

also be tasty when watered

down, which was customary

in the ancient world. Also,

because of the high sugar

levels of ancient Greek wines,

they withstood oxidation and

bacterial spoilage more easily

and traveled well.

While today producers can

make sweet wines in many

different ways, the ancient

Greeks relied on very high

grape sugar concentrations

in the fruit and must, which

they achieved by leaving the

grapes on the vine until

dehydrated, as in raisins, a

method that concentrates

sugar, acidity, and extract.

They sometimes also added

sweetness externally, with

honey, for example.

Today, Greek winemakers are

well-versed in these methods.

Some forfeit the late harvest,

vine-ripening method, but

dry bunches of grapes on

straw mats, as for raisins.

The most rapid way to do

this—and Greece, with its

sunny clime is an ideal place

for the practice—is to leave the

grapes directly under the sun,

which results in fruit that is

intense, with distinct flavors.

Drying them in the shade, by

contrast, is a slower process

with an elegant result that

respects varietal flavors more.


the Muscat family, which is com-

prised of a number of different

grapes.

In Greece, the Muscat Blanc is cul-

tivated in five of the six O.P.E.

areas, but on Limnos, the Muscat

of Alexandria variety flourishes. It

doesn’t have the same ability to

age as the Muscat Blanc, so the

island’s winemakers focus mainly

on producing relatively fresh,

young Muscats. However, some

high-quality producers are deter-

mined to prove that Limnos’

Muscats can, indeed, age. I have

tasted barrel-matured Limnos

Muscats that are multi-layered,

rich, and full of personality.

SAMOS REIGNS

Commercially, the most successful

Greek Muscats come from the

island of Samos. The main export

market is France. Samos Muscats

are luscious, deep, and intense,

and the island produces a range of

wines.

Samos Muscats may be fortified

and drunk young, which makes for

a very good introduction to this

appellation, being very fruit for-

ward, immediately charming and

not overly complex. They can also

be aged in oak for two or three

years, which makes them more

complex, spicy, and multi-layered.

Despite an extremely high quality

in every expression of the Muscat

grape on Samos, most experts

agree that sun-dried Samos

Muscats aged in oak are superior

to anything else the island pro-

duces with the grape. Standard

bottlings are around four years old

and exceptional but old (and rare)

vintages belong, beyond any

doubt, to the international aristoc-

racy of sweet wines.

A MUSCAT RENAISSANCE

Rhodes is an island blessed with an

exceptional climate and a great

repertoire of local grape varieties,

among them (although not indige-

nous) the Muscat Blanc. Producers

had focused commercially on other

styles of wine for a long time, and

dessert Muscats of Rhodes conse-

quently were made in small quanti-

ties. Today this appellation is re-

emerging on the national wine

scene, with more substantial but

still relatively small volumes and

fine quality. The Muscats made

here are mainly fortified, released

in the market while preserving

their freshness. The character of

these Muscats falls halfway

between the forwardness of

Limnos and the depth of Samos.

Much of the same can be said for

Cephalonia’s Muscats. Although

the appellation was established a


Samos Muscats

belong to the inter-

national aristocracy

of sweet wines.


few decades ago, the wines are

almost obsolete. But the potential

to make first-rate Muscats, very

close to the Samos approach, is

there. Winemakers are beginning

to increase the amount of sweet

Muscat produced on the island and

are seeing commercial success.

PELOPONNESOS

The final two O.P.E. Muscat appel-

lations are found in the northern

Peloponnesos, in the general area

of Achaia and around the city of

Patras. The largest and the most

important designation is Muscat of

Patras, followed closely by Muscat

of Rion of Patras, a small area on

the east side of the city. Neither is

very intense on the nose, showing

more minerals and less obvious

Muscat fruit. Muscat of Patras is

slightly richer and with a higher

level of fruit than that of Rion,

which is more elegant and floral.

Versions vary from fresh to aged,

with the latter showing a more

structured palate.

In general, Greek Muscats span the

entire range of sweet wine styles,

and include vin doux, vin doux

naturel, vin naturellement doux,

and vin de liqueur.

MUSCAT’S BLACK BROTHER

Mavrodaphne is, in some ways,

Muscat’s black brother. It is one of

the best known Greek wines and

most successful, internationally

recognized Greek wine. In fact, it is

typically the first wine a young

Greek ever tastes—and likes.

Mavrodaphne, which means black

laurel, can produce wines with

deep color, intense nose full of dark

but not heavy fruit, sweet spices,

and complex herbs. On the palate,

it is surprisingly elegant, while tan-

nins are silky and sophisticated in

texture. These qualities led many

contemporary producers to use

Mavrodaphne in dry reds, usually

as a blending partner of

Agiorgitiko, Cabernet Sauvignon,

and even Refosco, an esoteric

grape variety originally from north-

ern Italy. However, the variety’s

tour de force is the sweet fortified

wines, as well as the occasional

but very rare dessert Mavrodaphne

made from dried grapes.

There are two O.P.E. regions dedi-

cated to Mavrodaphne: the smaller

Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia and

the larger, and, far better known,

Mavrodaphne of Patras. The first


Santorini Vinsanto


appellation, like the Muscat pro-

duced on the same island, had

almost fallen into obscurity, over-

shadowed by the dominance of the

local white Robola grape. But luck-

ily for the grape, it is never planted

in the highlands where Robola

thrives, instead flourishing in

lower, flatter terrain. As a result, it

has survived. There is a handful of

dried-grape Mavrodaphne wines

still produced on the island and

these are exceptional dessert

wines well worth seeking out.

The O.P.E. growing region for

Mavrodaphne of Patras is large,

which means that wines can be

made in volume, in a variety of

qualities across all price points.

The younger—and cheaper—

Mavrodaphne wines are easy, soft,

and terrifically drinkable wines,

offering great value for money and

all the hallmarks of the style. But

the real grandeur of the variety

and the place is not apparent

unless one tastes the older wines,

aged in large oak casks for many

years and usually blended with

other vintages. These are stun-

ning: breathtakingly complex,

showing development and age but

still holding masses of fruit. Most

companies producing

Mavrodaphne of Patras hold a

“library” of old vintages, in some

cases dating back to the late 19th

century. Usually these rare parcels

are used to add patina to younger

non-vintage blends but, in excep-

tional circumstances, may also be

bottled alone. If someone is lucky

enough to taste one of these bot-

tles, he or she will come across a

world-class paradigm of what

sweet wine can be.

O.P.E. & O.P.A.P.

Greece, like France and

all the European Union

countries, has legislative

nomenclature to delin-

eate the categories of

wines. The top category

is called Onomasia

Proelefsis Elenhomeni

(O.P.E.), which means

controlled appellation of

origin. Wine connois-

seurs might be familiar

with the French equiva-

lent, A.O.C.

There is also the lesser

category of Onomasia

Proelefseos Anoteras

Poiotitos (O.P.A.P.) which

means Appellation of

Origin of Higher Quality,

akin to the French

V.D.Q.S. – Vin Delimité

Qualité Supérieure.


In Greece, the

Muscat Blanc is

cultivated in five of

the six O.P.E. areas.


SANTORINI NECTAR

Greek dessert wines are not limited

to O.P.E. areas. There is a number of

O.P.A.P. appellations (Onomasia

Proelefsis Anoteras Poiotitos or

Appellation of Origin of Higher

Quality—see box) that either allows

sweet styles to be produced or

offers the right potential for expan-

sion.

The most revered is arguably

Santorini, home to the sweet

wine Vinsanto. On Santorini—

hot, arid, and windy, with its vol-

canic, chalky soil—the indigenous

varieties Assyrtiko and Aidani pro-

duce tiny yields, sometimes as

low as 1.5 tons per hectare (0.6

tons per acre). However, the fruit

grows very ripe and concentrated,

while retaining enormous

amounts of acidity. After a week

or so of drying in the sun and at

least two years in large oak bar-

rels, Vinsanto emerges as one of

the most sumptuous golden nec-

tars in the world. It can be

described as a peculiar cross

between Madeira and tawny Port,

with an extract, concentration of

fruit, and high acidity that make it

indestructible over time, as cen-

turies-old bottles can prove.

OTHER GREEK STICKIES

Dessert wines are enjoying a com-

mercial comeback in Greece and

producers in many areas are

expanding their portfolios by mak-

ing interesting wines meant to be

sipped at the end of a meal.

In the O.P.A.P. regions of Nemea

and Mantinia, some producers are

drying Agiorgitiko and

Moschofilero grapes and crafting

some fine sweet wines, displaying

the varietal characters with great

purity, but also with a whole new

twist to the palate structure. Areas

like Gianitsa, with a long history of

dried-grape wine production, are

re-emerging at the forefront, usu-

ally led by young, progressive

oenologists. These winemakers are

redefining traditional as well as

new grape varieties with respect to

sweet winemaking. For example, a

few decades ago Greek winemak-

ers considered Malagousia a grape

exclusively for dessert styles. It

almost disappeared from the Greek

terroir, only to re-emerge in the

1990s but as a promising variety for

aromatic dry whites. Once again,

winemakers are reinventing it by

experimenting with Malagousia in

the top-quality dessert realm. New

sweet wines are released almost

every month from a fascinating

range of Greek and international

varieties, such as Traminer,

Gewurztraminer, Semillon, even

Viognier and Merlot.

Greece is a most exciting place

among wine-producing countries.

Given their long history, sweet

wines had no choice but to change

with the times, again and again

and again. Now there is momen-

tum and critical mass, as well

many reasons for consumers to

turn to these wines. Greece’s

dessert wines combine top quality,

distinctive styles, and really afford-

able prices. That last perk might

change fast as more and more peo-

ple discover them.


Opposite page: Grapes drying in the sun

and kissed by the sea breeze





Eating AroundMacedonia Diversity and Pleasure on the Table

Twenty years ago, if you had asked me what I knew about

Macedonian food, I would have had a short answer: great mus-

sels. My first taste of fried mussels at a classic Thessaloniki

restaurant (now alas defunct) was an epiphany, one of those

moments that stay in mouth and mind forever, like one’s intro-

duction to caviar or fresh foie gras.


By Diana Farr Louis

Photography: Nikos Bagdinoudis

Christos Dimitriou

Va

ssil

is S

ten

os


If you think fried mussels don’t

belong in that exalted category,

then you haven’t eaten them in

Macedonia. Dipped in a batter so

light as to be ephemeral, the

plump molluscs possessed an ini-

tial exquisite crispness followed by

a succulence so mellow it was

impossible to speak until the plat-

ter was empty. And they were

accompanied by skordalia, garlic

sauce, a perfect marriage.

Today, many journeys north later,

I’ve discovered dozens more

palate-tickling Macedonian dishes,

but I still have to treat myself to a

fried mussel orgy before I can enjoy

them. Fortunately, this whim can

be indulged at tavernas almost

anywhere between Thessaloniki

and Kavala, Macedonia’s second

largest port. In fact, the fattest

mussels come from Olympiada, a

little-visited fishing harbor virtually

equidistant from the two, on the

eastern fringes of Halkidiki. Devoid

of big hotels, it does not feature in

any travel brochures, but it does

boast an ancient site that should

be a Mecca for philosophers. The

walled town of Stageira, where

Aristotle was born, crowns the hill-

side above Olympiada and from

there the view cannot have

changed since he gazed at it in the

4th century BC.

EASTERN INFLUENCES

By the time I’ve reached Kavala, I’m

ready to try some of the other fishy

delicacies for which the region is

famous. That’s easy because taver-

nas crowd the old port and their

menus are extensive. But do I

choose a simple grilled bream or a

generous squid stuffed to bursting

with herbs, fresh cheese, and its

own chopped tentacles, ethereal

atherina, smelts, half the width of

my little finger or perhaps a plate

of likourinos, pickled fillet of grey

mullet, to awaken the appetite?

Choosing is no simple matter, in

part because the menus list some

foods rarely heard of in Athens and

the temptation is strong to sample

flavors from Anatolia.

In Kavala the Ottoman presence is

palpable. A three-tiered aqueduct

erected under Suleiman the



Magnificent arches over the traffic,

a crenellated Turkish citadel looms

above it, and echoes of Mehmet

Ali, the city’s most illustrious son,

abound in the old quarter.

The Eastern influence in

Macedonian gastronomy, however,

is not so much a legacy of the past

but rather something that arrived

with the hundreds of thousands of

refugees from Asia Minor who set-

tled there after 1922. Unable to

carry their treasured heirlooms,

they relied on two intangible but

indestructible possessions—their

music and their recipes—to dispel

their homesickness and keep their

memories alive.

Some of their dishes have infiltrat-

ed Greek cuisine so thoroughly

you’d swear they were native. The

whole family of vegetables hol-

lowed out and stuffed with rice,

raisins and pine nuts; dolmades or

yaprakia as they’re sometimes

called in the north (vine or cabbage

leaves wrapped around a similar

filling); eggplants pureed, smoth-

ered in onions or as a base for

moussaka; sesame bracelets of

varying thicknesses; cumin-scent-

ed meatballs; doner kebab—all are

by now so familiar at home and

abroad we forget they were not

always part of the mainland reper-

toire. The same is true of the

sweets introduced by the refugees.

Quintessentially Eastern pastries

combining phyllo, chopped nuts,

and honey syrup—like baklava,

kataifi, galaktoboureko and many

less familiar treats—can be found

in places without a single resident

from Asia Minor.

DIVERSITY ON THE TABLE

But Anatolia and the Aegean are

just two of the flavors of

Macedonian cooking. The largest

region in Greece, Macedonia also

had the most diverse mix of popu-

lation and geography. Here the

country’s highest mountains –

Olympus and its neighbors, for

example – cordon off broad plains,

while its largest lakes and rivers

intersect them. And because its

wheat fields, orchards, vineyards

and pastures are among the most

fertile in the Balkans, they rarely



were permitted to be farmed or

grazed peacefully. From earliest

times, armies from the west, east

and north tramped through, hop-

ing to claim them for their own.

Roman, Slav, Bulgar and Ottoman

conquerors left their monuments

and traditions, as did nomadic

Vlach and Sarakatsan herdsmen.

Macedonia continues to reflect

that past. And its doors are still

open to new influences. In the ‘80s

and ‘90s, ethnic Greeks who for

countless generations had been liv-

ing in the Caucasus and around the

Black Sea (Pontos) sought a better

life in Macedonia and Thrace.

LESS OLIVE OIL, MORE SPICE

To track down these various tastes I

made several trips into the

Macedonian hinterland, which are

so much more rural than the cos-

mopolitan ports. I discovered that

two major themes run through the

cooking of northern Greece, setting

it off from that of the south. For

one, olive oil is used more sparingly.

Except for Halkidiki and the coast,

the climate in much of Macedonia

is too harsh for the olive tree so lard

and butter often take the place of

oil. At the same time, Macedonian

food is more assertive. Here the

predilection for hot pepper flakes,

boukovo, reigns. Sprinkled liberally



on just about everything, their

piquancy comes as a surprise if

you’re used to the herb-rich dishes

of the Peloponnesos.

Northerners are also especially fond

of peppers in general. Florina, a

mountain town with pastel facades,

is the pepper capital of Greece. It

has given its name to a meaty, trian-

gular red pepper so delicious that it

is a popular meze on its own.

Grilled, skinned and brushed with a

little oil, it is eaten fresh or pre-

served in jars for the winter, and

added to stews, soups, and pies all

year long. My favorite pepper dish,

though, is an irresistible dip made

with Florina and chilli peppers,

onions, garlic, and tomatoes. I first

tasted it at a taverna on Megali

Prespa in Greece’s lake district.

It was the prelude to a fish feast—

deep fried tsironia (like smelts),

butterflied grilled trout, sprinkled

with boukovo, of course, and roast

carp. These lakes are home to 14

species of carp alone. What I hadn’t

realized is that their shores pro-

duce tons of Greece’s finest beans.

The Prespes lakes form a national

park and bird sanctuary. You’d

think this remote area would be

rough and wild. Instead, staked

out in orderly rows that vanish into

the horizon, bean plantations

cover every inch of arable land.






And the stalls for tourists don’t

peddle souvenirs emblazoned with

the endangered Dalmatian peli-

cans they’ve come to spy on but

rather sacks of beans of every size

and color, from elephant beans

(larger even than gigantes) to

black, brown, white, and red

beans, and even jars of bean spoon

sweet. As one moves east

towards the Macedonian heart-

land—the area around Pella and

Vergina, where Philip II and his

ancestors had their palaces and

tombs—grape vines and orchards

take over the landscape. Naoussa

is one of the country’s best known

red wine producers, nearby Edessa

grows many of its cherries, peach-

es, apricots, and apples. But while

all Greeks love fresh fruit,

Macedonians possess an uncom-

mon Greek habit of adding fruit,

fresh or dried, to their meat, fish or

vegetable stews. Dishes like pork

with prunes, beef with quinces,

and chicken with apricots sounded

so foreign to my Athenian hus-

band, he thought they must be

American. On the contrary, com-

bining sweet with savory may hint

at traditions that have persisted

since Roman and Byzantine times,

or they may point to holdovers

from Slavic and Bulgarian cuisine

where similar dishes are common.

Other favorite ingredients shared

among Macedonia and its neigh-

bors to the north are pickled cab-

bage, walnuts, and thick sheep’s

yogurt. In Drama, for example,

another wine-producing district, a

typical meal will consist of colorful

ribbons of tangy red and green

pickled cabbage alongside the city’s

spicy soutzoukakia – grilled finger-

length meat “balls.” On the other

hand, a casserole of walnuts and

carp suggests a link with Kastoria,

the lakeside city of fur artisans and

70-odd Byzantine churches. While,

if you sit down to a pilaf of cab-

bage, bulgur wheat, and crushed

walnuts, chances are the cook is

from the Pontos, especially if

there’s a bowl of yogurt on the side.

WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM

Meat in Macedonia comes in vari-

ous guises. Post-war prosperity

(and increasingly lazy taverna own-

ers) have created an appetite for

simply grilled steaks and chops.

But as in so many societies of large

families and limited incomes, the

traditional ways of making lamb,

As one moves toward

the Macedonian

heartland, where

Phillip II and his

ancestors had their

palaces and tombs,

grapevines and

orchards take over

the landscape.


Diana Farr Louis’s latest book, Travels in Northern Greece, will be published

this spring by the Athens News, to which she is a frequent contributor.

beef, and pork go further can still

be found, minced and stuffed into

plentiful vegetables or stretched in

a stew or casserole with numer-

ous, less pricey ingredients.

One delicacy that has been revived

recently, though, is water buffalo.

Look for it up around Lake Kerkini

between Serres and Kilkis, south of

the Rhodopi mountains and

Bulgaria. Once in danger of dying

out, Greece’s last herd of these gen-

tle creatures is actually growing. I

watched them wading on the lake’s

boggy shores, an unexpected perk

added to the thousands of exotic

birds that we had come to see. And I

managed to suppress my guilt when

presented with luscious chunks of

their lean meat cooked slowly in the

gastra, a sealed clay pot, on top of

the embers in an outdoor oven.

My favorite meat, pork, is ubiqui-

tous of course and as versatile as

ever in Macedonia. Especially in

winter, curtains of sausages dangle

in butcher shops. Naturally, they are

spiked with boukovo, and often

contain cumin, black pepper and

leeks as well – a warming meze on a

frosty evening. A rarer specialty,

kavourma, looks like a cylindrical

pillow and tastes like France’s ril-

lettes de porc, but with an Eastern

pinch of cumin. To others, the king

of cured meat is pastourma. Now

made of beef rather than camel, it is

dried and thickly coated with fenu-

greek, hot and sweet paprika, and a

mixture of other spices that are

almost as intoxicating as the ouzo

or raki you drink with it. Just one

whiff hurls you back to Anatolia.

It is wonderful to be able to track

down all these foods and feast

one’s way through Macedonia. The

good news is that if this is impossi-

ble, almost all these specialties and

many more can be found in

Thessaloniki. For me, the Modiano

market in the heart of town exerts

an attraction more compelling

than any of its museums. In its

way, it too is a museum—a living,

ever-changing, interactive exhibi-

tion of the culinary heritage of this

fascinating region. Still owned by

the Sephardic Jewish family who

built the market in 1922, the

bustling emporium mirrors

Macedonia’s diversity, past and

present. Thankfully, the region that

gave its name to fruit salad has

remained an extremely appetizing

mix of people and the pleasures

they bring to the table.


D.

Ko

chil

as



1. Wash the mussels very well, scrub-

bing their shells and removing their

stringy beards. Place in a large pot

without any water, cover, and heat

over low heat. Let them steam in their

own juices until the shells open, for

about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels

whose shells have not opened.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet

over medium heat and cook the garlic

and squid tentacles until bright pink,

about 3 minutes. Add the tomato,

parsley, salt and pepper and simmer

the sauce for about 20 minutes over

low heat, until thick. Bring a pot of

salted water to a boil and cook the

pasta until tender but al dente, about

7 minutes.

3. Strain the mussels, and strain their

liquid through a fine mesh sieve. Shell

half the mussels. Add the steaming

mussel juices and the mussels them-

selves to the sauce. Drain the pasta

with a slotted spoon and empty it into

the sauce, tossing with about one cup

of the pasta liquid, until the final dish

is juicy. Serve immediately.


Mussel Pilaf with Tiny Pasta

For 4-6 servings

3 pounds (1 1/2 kilos) mussels, preferably Greek farmed mussels

1/3 cup Greek extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large squid, cleaned, body cut into thin rings, tentacles chopped

1 cup peeled, seeded, chopped plum tomatoes

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 pound tiny Greek couscousi pasta or other tiny pasta

Kerasma Macedonian recipes


Spicy Pan-Fried Pork with Leeks, and Wine

For 4-6 servings

1 1/4 pounds (750 gr.) boneless pork shoulders

cut into 1 1/2 inch (5 cm) cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. sweet paprika

1/2 tsp. Greek hot red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. dried mint

1 Tbsp. grated orange zest


1 large leek, trimmed and chopped

1 large red onion, chopped

1 cup dry red wine

1. Toss the pork with the salt, pepper,

paprika, pepper flakes, mint, and

orange zest. Cover and refrigerate for

one hour.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy

skillet over medium-high heat. Add

the pork and cook, stirring, until

browned on all sides. Remove with a

slotted spoon.

3. Lower the heat to medium, add the

leek and onion, and cook, stirring,

until translucent. Add the pork back

to the skillet; pour in the wine, and

cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer

for 1 1/2 hours, or until pork is very

tender. Add more wine or water as

needed to keep the mixture moist.

Serve hot as a meze or main course.




1 .Melt the butter in a large roasting

pan over high heat. Season the lamb

with salt and pepper and sear in the

butter. Set aside and preheat oven to

400°F (200°C).

2 .Meanwhile, simmer the liver in

lightly salted water for about 15 min-

utes. Drain and finely chop.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy

skillet over medium heat and cook the

scallions, stirring, until wilted. Stir in

the paprika and continue to cook for 2

to 3 minutes. Add the spinach in

batches, and cook until wilted. Add

the liver and mint, and season with

salt and pepper. Add the rice and cook

for 5 minutes, stirring.

4. Spread the mixture around the lamb

in the pan, add the water, and roast

until the lamb is tender or cooked to

desired doneness and the rice soft.

Remove from oven, let rest for 15 min-

utes, and serve.


Lamb Cooked on a Bed of Spinach- Pilaf

For 6-8 servings

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1 leg of lamb, bone in

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 lamb’s liver, trimmed of membrane


1 pound (440 gr.) scallions or spring onions, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp. sweet paprika

4 pounds (2 kilos) fresh baby spinach, trimmed, chopped and

washed well

1 cup fresh chopped mint

1 cup Greek short-grain rice

2 cups water



Baked Apples Stuffed with Halva

For 6 servings

6 Golden Delicious apples

6 generous tsps. unsalted butter

1/4 pound (125 gr.) sesame halva (Macedonian style)

Ground cinnamon and fresh mint leaves for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (170°C). Cut

off and reserve apple crowns. Core the

fruit and scoop out a hole about 1 1/2

inches (5 cm) wide and deep.

2. Rub the inside of each apple with

1/2 teaspoon butter. Crumble the

halva with your fingers and place

equal amounts inside each apple,

mounding it decoratively. Place the

tops back on and place the apples in a

buttered baking dish. Melt the

remaining butter and drizzle over the

fruit. Bake, uncovered, until the

apples are tender, about 45 to 50 min-

utes. Remove, cool slightly, and serve,

sprinkled with cinnamon and gar-

nished with mint.




Tin

a W

ebb


Bring onthe Sauce

The unique characteristics of the world’s different cuisines

have become more and more important as the world becomes

smaller. It used to be that French cuisine held sway over all

others, at least to western palates.


By Dimitris Andonopoulos


Styling: Dawn Brown, Tina Webb


Now, the world’s tables are all on

equal footing, a moving feast of

images and flavors to globetrotting

gourmets, even those who dine vic-

ariously via television. The result, to

my mind, is a “modern modernism,”

brimming with ethnic diversity and

overpowering the once French

monopoly as the top model for all

things culinary. Case in point is the

subject of Greek sauces.

Greek sauces are generally simple

and spare, and markedly different

from those found in French cuisine,

which dictates that sauce be a sep-

arate entity from the food at hand.

Greek sauces are derived from the

raw ingredients that flourish on

Greek soil, first and most revered of

which is olive oil.

The most common sauces indeed

are those created in the pot itself, a

result of a whole category of olive

oil-based dishes we call lathera.

Vegetables and legumes cooked

this way are delicious; the Greek

kitchen indeed can boast a whole

range of vegetarian dishes that

have real soul, based on tradition

and culled from the seasonal gar-

den. Our vegetarian cuisine isn’t,

by any stretch of the imagination,

the brown and boring food for

thought that stigmatized vegetari-

an cooking in the West for decades.

It’s vibrant, tasty, and a long-

standing part of how we eat. On

the traditional table, vegetable

dishes are sometimes embellished

with meat, cooked as lathera.

Meat cooked this way tends to end

up as falling-off-the-bone tender.

The technique is straightforward:

The ingredients are slowly sim-

mered over two sometimes even

three hours so that their flavors

meld. These dishes are ready when

“all that’s left [of their pan juices] is

a little of their oil,” as a Greek home

cook might advise.

We generally don’t use heavy roux.

Our sauces are laconic, with a min-

imum of ingredients: onions, usu-

ally sautéed in olive oil at the start

of the cooking process; herbs; and,

often, tomatoes.

Cooking “en sauce” the Greek way

results in a kind of infusion of the

basic ingredients. The flavors are

crystal clean. I like to think of our

lathera in another light, too: Like

the aromatic oils infused with

basil, oregano, mint, and other


Cooking “en sauce”

the Greek way

results in a kind of

infusion of the basic

ingredients. The fla-

vors are crystal

clean.


herbs that are so popular on

restaurant tables today, so is the

sauce at the bottom of the pot in

each and every olive-oil based dish

a kind of aromatic oil. It’s just that

the route to the final, intense fla-

vor is a quicker one, since these

dishes are cooked.

When tomato is a part of the dish’s

flavor profile, the main ingredient

(fresh or dried beans, okra, even

potatoes, for example) makes up the

background flavors in the final

sauce. But when the dish is “white”—

without tomatoes, in other words—

its characteristics change complete-

ly. Vegetarian stuffed grape leaves,

dolmades yialantzi in Greek, are one

of the classic “white” oil-based dish-

es. Here, the olive oil takes on a

magnificent almost electric green

hue, thanks to the grape leaves but

also to the dill, which is the herb of

choice in the rice filling. These dish-

es are perfect and elegant in their

simplicity.

SPICES FROM THE EAST

I could easily describe Greek sauces

by their Doric sparseness, but mini-

malism isn’t all that defines the

Greek saucepot. Tomato sauces are

among the most popular in Greece,

and these are often seasoned with

a uniquely Greek spice triplet: cin-

namon, cloves, and allspice. Dishes

like kokoras pastitsada, rooster

cooked in a heady tomato sauce,

specialty of Corfu, or tas kebab,

braised cubes of beef or lamb,

again with aromatic tomato sauce,

dance on our tongues and palates

in Greece. Even simple ground

meat sauces for spaghetti are sea-

soned with the same aromas.

Spiced with the triad of cinnamon,

allspice, and cloves, these dishes

and all like them are a duet of the

sweet and the piquant, with a per-

fumed refrain that echoes back to

Byzantium, to the spice caravans

that landed in Constantinople,

crossroads of East and West. The

triplet of those exotic spices fused

with Greece’s naturally lean culi-

nary aesthetic, so that today, cen-

turies later, we taste the perfume

even in spartan summer dishes

from the islands, like fresh green

beans ragout and baked summer

vegetables, which makes them at

once mellifluous but staccato in

their clean, spare ingredients, like



the music of a lute.

Other dishes play to a different

fusion of flavors. These would be

the pared down, roasted meat tra-

ditions of Greece’s mountains,

where lamb, chicken, goat, beef,

and pork are seasoned ever so

sparingly with olive oil, lemons,

and herbs. Olive oil and oregano

make for just one couplet; here,

our liquid gold is also enriched with

the overflowing flora of the moun-

tains—Greeks especially like

thyme, marjoram, and savory. In

traditional cooking, these would

all be used dried, but a modern

cook could easily do what a con-

temporary chef might do: simmer

the meat confit-like in olive oil and

fresh—not dried—herbs.

Yet another facet of olive oil in the

evolution of Greek sauces is a par-

ticular preparation called stifado.

Stifado is the name of a range of

long-simmered meat and meat-

and-vegetable or -legume dishes

(from rabbit, chicken, beef tongue,

or lamb to dried broad beans) pre-

pared with a type of small, whole

onion, that aromatic trinity of

spices from afar (cinnamon, all-

spice, and cloves), olive oil and a

touch of vinegar, which imposes its

acid rifts on the soft sweet

melodies of the East.

DRESSINGS OLD AND NEW

If Greek cooked sauces are a pot-

pourri of exotic spices and warm

flavor combinations, Greek dress-

ings are refreshing and refreshingly

tart. We love the sour taste of fresh

lemons in our dressings. The pair-

ing of extra virgin olive oil and

lemon juice, called ladolemono, is

one of our favorite dressings.

Without the addition of herbs, the

lemon-olive oil duet insinuates

itself over boiled vegetable salads,

such as zucchini and wild greens,

some 300 varieties of which blan-

ket the Greek countryside from

October through May. The lemon

juice—olive oil ablution is also the

most common way to dress a raw

salad, especially a green salad,

made with lettuce or shredded

cabbage.

Add herbs to it and its role changes

completely, from that of dressing

to that of marinade and sauce

almost exclusively to be used over

Greek grilled fish.

This classic has changed with the

times, though. Today, emulsified

versions of the lemon-olive oil

dressing are a new thing, beaten

together at high speed with some

fish or meat stock. At least one

Greek chef, Christoforos Peskias,

creates what he calls “mayonnaise à

la Grecque” by emulsifying at high

speed. Another trend is to enrich

the basic duet with extra flavor,

with a little lobster stock, for exam-

ple. Additions such as that catapult

the traditional Greek ladolemono

into the realm of sauces that actu-



ally can be served the French way,

separately, that is, from the main

ingredient on the plate.

Greeks have their own vinaigrette,

ladoxido, made with extra virgin

olive oil and red wine vinegar. One

strictly upheld rule among Greek

cooks is that their ladoxido always

be made with extra-virgin olive oil,

and never with anything else. It is

the simplest of vinaigrettes, with-

out the addition of mustard, shal-

lots, or garlic but sometimes with

the addition of dried herbs. The

certain presence of great quality

extra virgin olive oil gives it an irre-

proachable Greekness.

In the contemporary kitchen, even

traditional ladoxido has had to jive

with the times. There are new ver-

sions of this simple Greek classic,

among them a ladoxido prepared

with a little feta, and at least one

other sweetened with a little

honey. Feta vinaigrette is the per-

fect addition to a classic Greek

salad, while a Greek honey vinai-

grette goes especially well with sal-

ads that have some mild cheese in

them, such as Greek myzithra or

Cretan graviera. Ladoxido and tahi-

ni (sesame paste) are an especially

earthy combination. Lately I’ve

seen Greek tomato vinaigrette,

mint vinaigrette, and most unusu-

al of all, a beet vinaigrette.

THE GARLICKY GREEK SOUL

If aioli or brandade lend a rustic,

southern Mediterranean note to

the basic corps of urbane French

cuisine, then the Greek garlic


Greeks have their

own vinaigrette,

ladoxido, made with

extra virgin olive oil

and red wine vinegar.


sauce, skordalia, is one with the

Greek soul. It is made quite differ-

ently from its garlicky cousins

across the Mediterranean.

Skordalia is made primarily by mix-

ing either boiled potatoes or damp-

ened bread with garlic. That’s its

rustic starting point, from which

myriad contemporary recipes have

evolved. Among them: refined

skordalia, with the addition of

blanched almonds; stylized à la

Grecque with the addition of

Kalamata olive paste; bold and

exotic with the surprise addition of

a little Chios Mastiha, which melds

perfectly with lemon and olive oil.

Garlic glitters on the mosaic that is

Greek sauce cuisine in yet another

classic dish, tzatziki, the yogurt-

garlic-dill concoction that by any

standard is a sauce, even though

traditional Greek cooks don’t call it

one. At the hands of avant-garde

Greek chefs, tzatziki becomes an

airy foam and even an ice cream,

melting lusciously to the accompa-

niment of roasted vegetable chips

or sous vide souvlaki.

LEMON AND EGGS FOREVER

While all of the above are among

the main players in the world of

Greek sauces, none is as uniquely

Greek—found in no other cuisine,

in fact—as the most artful of Greek

sauces, avgolemono. Avgolemono

is an egg-lemon liaison that wends

its way as easily into hearty meat

(especially lamb and pork) dishes

as into fish, seafood, and vegetable

medleys. Taken one step further, it

also becomes a soup, arguably the

most famous Greek soup at that.

There are two basic ways to make

it. The first, and probably most

widespread, is by whisking together

egg yolks and lemon juice and

adding to that mixture, in a slow,

steady drizzle, whisking all the

while, a few spoonfuls of the hot

pot juices of whatever it is we want

to dress. The other method calls for

whipping the whites into a

meringue, beating the yolks as

described above, and marrying the

two, a method that produces a

notably thicker end result. Either

way, the whole trick is to temper

the eggs with hot liquid so that they

don’t cook into an omelet when the

sauce is finally poured into the hot

pot and swiveled around.

Avgolemono is an à la minute sauce

with the unique ability, despite the

expediency with which it is prepared,

to absorb the essence of whatever it

is meant to adorn. The end result is

usually a perfectly smooth mar-

riage of flavors, but never the same

since the sauce adapts itself to

each individual recipe.

The most classic Greek recipe for

avgolemono is fricasse, which in

Greek terms is a marriage of either

lamb and greens, pork and celery,

or fish, usually sea bream, and

greens. Stuffed cabbage leaves,

Greek Easter soup, chicken soup,

and rice-and-ground-meat cro-

quettes are among the other classic

Greek recipes that call for avgole-

mono.

But the sauce surpasses tradition

effortlessly. Dishes like Greek

Carbonara, with pastourma and

avgolemono, or lobster and pasta

with lobster stock avgolemono,

come to mind as just two varia-

tions. Lime instead of lemon is

another possibility. Herbs such as

lemon balm might be added to

enhance the citrus overtones.

Lemon grass, soumak, green pep-

pers or hot chili peppers, saffron,

Mastiha, even champagne, and

white wine all marry well with

avgolemono and transform

Greece’s most traditional sauce

into something sexy and exotic.

Alas, one doesn’t have to go that

far afield to find the exotic. One of

the most unusual versions of

avgolemono is the one that mar-

ries the sauce with tomato. It is a

regional specialty of the

Peloponnesos and parts of the

Ionian Islands.


Dimitris Andonopoulos is one of the best-known restaurant critics and food jour-

nalists in Greece. He writes weekly for Athinorama.




Coffee is the arbiter of every social interaction in Greece. Disputes are settled, politics are discussed, deals are

made, teams are rooted for, and fortunes are told, all over a cup of coffee. Cafes exist in every village, often delineated

by political affiliation, and on every urban street corner. Greeks traditionally spend many hours a week at a café and

drink countless liters of coffee a year. We are, by any account, a coffee-loving nation.

Although Greeks like just about every kind of coffee made, we have two national coffee drinks. The first, pictured

here, is our own home brew, ellinikos kafés—Greek coffee. The second is frappé, which was born by accident in the

late 1950s when a local Nescafe salesman in Northern Greece could not find hot water with which to make a cup

of instant coffee. So, he mixed it with cold water and frappé, the frothy, smooth, potent, iced, uniquely Greek

refreshment came to be.

Greek coffee, unlike frappé, is an artform. Made in a small, tapered pot with an elegant long handle called a briki,

smooth-as-silk, medium-roasted, finely ground coffee beans are stirred into water, often with a little sugar, and heated


Ellinikos kafés

Greek coffee


over an open flame. When the coffee begins to simmer, its maker artfully lifts it over the flame—connoisseurs say the

requisite is three times—until the bubbles thicken without boiling over. Then, with noticeable ceremony, it is poured

into a demi-tasse cup and served. The ratio of coffee to sugar determines the style of a Greek coffee. A metrios, or

medium-sweet, coffee, for example, has a heaping teaspoon each of coffee and sugar, stirred into the standard 125 ml

or so of water. A sketos coffee is plain, without sugar; a varis, or heavy, has double the amount of coffee, while a glykos

kafes, or sweet coffee, has two teaspoons of sugar for every one of coffee.

As its social standing might indicate, coffee is not only a morning drink in Greece. Sure, it’s the first thing most Greek

put into their mouths in the wee hours before setting off for work. It’s also a mid-morning mood modifier, often

sipped with either a sweet or savory snack. It’s enjoyed with equal ease in mid or late afternoon as well as early

evening or after a meal. That said, we thought we’d illustrate a few of the many snacks that Greeks enjoy with their

most enjoyable national drink.


Coffee Time

Kouloura, the sesame-

studded bread ring that

hails from Thessaloniki

but is pan-Greek now, is

the breakfast snack

among traditional Greeks,

often served with a wedge

or two of mild kasseri

cheese.

Pasteli. One of the

healthiest sweets in the

world, filled with calcium-

rich sesame seeds and

Greek honey, pasteli and

coffee are a great mid-

morning pick-me-up.

Greek Sandwich. Who

says coffee can’t accom-

pany a sandwich? Here, a

typical coffee lunch for

busy urbanites.

Halvas. Another sesame-

based confection, made

with tahini and often fla-

vored with chocolate or

nuts. Halvas and coffee are

a natural duet, great in

mid-afternoon, either after

the once traditional Greek

siesta or in place of it.

Sokolatakia. Small choco-

lates are the Greek

lagniappe, served with a

hot cup of frothy elliniko

cafe right after the

evening meal.


V.

Sten

os

/ D

. B

row

n



Kerasma:Treat Your Taste with Great Recipes for RusticDelicacies, Graviera, Citrus,Sweet Wines, and More fromGreece's Top Chefs

Photography: Yiorgos Dracopoulos

Food styling: Tina Webb


1. In a large bowl, stir together the

flour, salt, and yeast. Add the warm

milk and water, the egg yolk, and the

orange zest.

2. Whip the egg white to stiff peaks

and fold it into the batter.

3. Brush a nonstick skillet with olive

oil and heat over medium-high heat.

Take one heaping tablespoon at a

time of the batter and pour it into the

skillet. Flip to cook on both sides.

Remove when lightly golden and con-

tinue with remaining batter.

4. In a separate bowl, stir together the

Anthotyro, orange juice, salt and pepper.

5. To serve: place a teaspoon or so of

the Anthotyro mixture on top of each

blini, place 2 slices avgotaraho on

each, drizzle with a little olive oil and

sprinkle with pepper.


Blinis with Avgotaraho and Anthotyro

Chef Lefteris Lazarou

For 4 servings

5 oz. (150 gr.) all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt, plus more for filling

2 tsps. powdered yeast

170 ml milk, warmed

160 ml water, warmed

1 egg, separated

Grated zest from one orange

Juice of one orange

Freshly ground black pepper

16 thin slices of avgotaraho Mesolongiou, trimmed

1 Tbsp. extra virgin Greek olive oil

Kerasma recipes





Avgotaraho Bruschetta with Greek Yogurt Cream


For 4 servings

8 slices rye bread

2/3 cup Greek drained yogurt


Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

5 oz. (150 gr.) avgotaraho, trimmed

1 tsp. extra virgin Greek olive oil

1. Cut the bread into small squares

and toast or broil lightly on both

sides.

2. In a small bowl, combine the

yogurt, pepper, lime zest and juice and

toss well.

3. Cut the avgotaraho into thin slices.

Place a half teaspoon or so of the

yogurt mixture onto each bread slice,

top with a slice or two of the avgo-

taraho, drizzle with a little olive oil

and serve.

Kerasma recipes



1. Boil the pasta to al dente in lightly

salted water.

2. In the meanwhile, whisk together

the yolks and lemon juice. Add the

parsley and avgotaraho.

3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of

the hot pasta liquid. Slowly drizzle the

hot water into the egg mixture,

whisking vigorously all the while. Add

this to the pasta and toss. Add the

olive oil, season with salt and pepper

and serve.

Carbonara with Avgotaraho

Chef Christoforos Peskias

For 5 servings

1 pound (1/2 kilo) spaghetti

5 egg yolks

Juice of half a lemon

1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped

5 oz. (150 gr.) avgotaraho

Freshly ground white pepper


Salt to taste

Kerasma recipes




Pennes with Avgotaraho and Grated Lemon Zest


For 5 servings

1 pound (1/2 kilo) pennes

Grated zest of 1 1/2 lemons


Juice of 1 lemon

Extra virgin Greek olive oil, as needed

3 oz. (100 gr.) avgotaraho, cleaned and finely diced


1. Boil the pasta to al dente in lightly

salted water and drain.

2. As the pasta is cooking, and just

before you drain it, heat 2 tablespoons

olive oil in a large deep skillet and

sauté the lemon zest. Add the pasta to

the skillet and toss.

3. Remove from heat and toss with the

parsley, lemon juice, avgotaraho and

two more tablespoons of olive oil.

Season to taste with salt and pepper

and serve.


Kerasma recipes


1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat

in a large skillet and sauté the onion

and garlic until wilted. Add the cured

pork and the tomatoes, bring to a boil,

reduce heat and simmer until the

sauce thickens, about 12 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle

with the chopped chives and oregano.

2. In a separate skillet heat the

remaining olive oil and fry the eggs

sunny-side up. To serve: If using quail

eggs, use two per serving, if hen's

eggs, one. Divide the sauce evenly

among six plates and place the sunny-

side up eggs on top.


Scambled Eggs with Cured Pork (Siglino)


For 6 servings


1 small onion, finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

8 oz. (250 gr.) siglino (cured pork), diced

1 1/2 pounds (600 gr.) peeled, seeded, chopped tomatoes


1 small bunch chives, finely chopped

1 scant tsp. dried Greek oregano

12 quail eggs or 6 large hen's eggs

Kerasma recipes


Smoked Eel Salad with Green Apple and Celery


For 4 servings

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, lightly browned

3 green apples, cut into small cubes

2 cups finely chopped celery

Juice of 1 lemon

5 oz. (150 gr.) Greek drained yogurt


10 oz. (300 gr.) Greek smoked eel, cut into thin strips


1. Combine the walnuts, apple cubes

and chopped celery in a bowl and toss.

Add the lemon juice and yogurt and

mix well. Season lightly with salt and

pepper.

2. Add the eel strips and toss gently.

Divide the salad evenly in four individ-

ual bowls. Drizzle with 1-2 table-

spoons of olive oil, garnish with

remaining walnuts, and serve.


Kerasma recipes


1. Prepare the mussels: Heat the olive

oil in a large, deep pot and sauté the

onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add

the peppercorns and mussels. Pour in

the wine, tomato, and thyme. Cover

and steam for about 4 minutes, until

the mussels open. Remove from heat

and discard any that do not open.

2. Remove the mussels from their

shells, place in a bowl and strain the

pot juices over them.

3. Bake the dough boats at 400°F

(200°C) for about 12 minutes, or until

golden and done. Remove, distribute

the mussels evenly and spoon into

each of the six dough boats. Pour the

liquid evenly among the dough boats.

Garnish with a little eel and serve.


Dough Boats (Peinirli) with Mussels and Smoked Eel


For 6 servings

6 ready made dough boats* (2 oz./60 gr. each)

1 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin Greek olive oil

2 pounds (1 kilo) whole fresh mussels, cleaned and trimmed

4 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

12 whole black peppercorns

150 ml dry white wine

1/4 bunch fresh thyme sprigs

3 oz. (50 gr.) fresh tomato, peeled and finely chopped

2 oz. (60 gr.) Greek smoked eel

Kerasma recipes


Black Eyed Pea Salad with Smoked Mackerel


For 6 servings

1 pound (1/2 kilo) black eyed peas, boiled to al dente and drained

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 fresh tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped


4 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

Extra virgin Greek olive oil as needed

Juice of 2 lemons


6 smoked mackerel fillets

1. In a large bowl, combine all the

ingredients except for the mackerel.

2. Divide the salad evenly into six

serving bowls and top each decora-

tively with a fillet of smoked mackerel.

Serve.


Kerasma recipes



Kerasma recipes

1. In a bowl using a whisk, stir togeth-

er the honey, mustard, vinegar and

poppy seeds. Gradually add the olive

oil, whisking until the dressing emul-

sifies.

2. With a vegetable peeler or zester,

remove the peel from the grapefruit

and orange, careful not to take any of

the bitter pith, and cut into julienne

strips. Blanch the strips for a few min-

utes and rinse under cold water.

3. Cut the grapefruit and the oranges

into thin slices. Peel the avocado and

cut into thin slices.

To serve, place the rocket leaves on

each of four plates, then alternate

with concentric slices of grapefruit,

orange and avocado. Fold three pro-

sciutto slices decoratively over on top

and drizzle with the dressing. Garnish

with the julienne grapefruit and

orange strips.

Arugula Salad with Citrus, Avocado, and Karpenissi Prosciutto


For 4 servings

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. spicy mustard

30 ml red wine vinegar

1 tsp. poppy seeds


1 grapefruit

1 orange

1 avocado

1 bunch rocket trimmed

12 slices Karpenissi prosciutto






John Dory or Skate with Citrus, Pomegranate and Aromatic Spices

Chef Yiannis Baxevannis

For 4 servings

2 pomegranates

8 prickly pears

1 large grapefruit

1/2 orange

1/2 tsp. allspice berries

1/2 tsp. black peppercorns

1/2 tsp. red peppercorns

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1/2 tsp. aniseed

1/2 chili pepper

4 1/2 pounds(2 kilos) John Dory fish or skate,

filleted or cut into serving pieces

butter

1 pound (1/2 kilo) beetroot leaves, boiled


Kerasma recipes

1. Juice the pomegranates, prickly

pears, grapefruit, and orange and set

the juice aside. There should be about

two cups.

2. Sear the allspice berries in a hot, dry

frying pan. Add the peppercorns, stir,

and pour in the fruit juice. Add a little

of the finely cut hot chili pepper, the

fennel seeds and the aniseed.

3. Place the fish in the skillet and

poach for 2-3 minutes. Carefully

remove the fish from the pan. Add the

butter to the sauce and stir until

thickened slightly. Serve the fish over

the boiled beetroot leaves and drizzle

with the sauce.



Kerasma recipes

1. Cut the eggplants into 1-inch (2 1/2-

cm) cubes. Heat about a third of the

olive oil and sauté the eggplant cubes,

in batches, until their skin blackens.

Repeat with remaining eggplant,

replenishing the oil as necessary. Save

one tablespoon olive oil for searing

the tuna.

2. Boil the orange juice together with

the fennel seeds, cumin, and red pep-

per until reduced by half. Gradually

add pieces of the frozen butter until

the sauce thickens. Add the pickled

watercress.

3. Place the eggplants in a pan, season

with salt, and pour the orange sauce

over them. Bake in the oven for 15

minutes at 375°F(180°C).

4. Heat a nonstick skillet or iron plate

and brush with a tablespoon of olive

oil. Sear the tuna on both sides, care-

ful not to overcook it. Sprinkle with

the coarsely ground black pepper and

lemon zest. Serve the tuna accompa-

nied by the eggplants and the orange

sauce.

Eggplant with Orange and Spicy Tuna


For 4 servings

4 large eggplants

1/2-1 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil, as needed,

for sautéing the eggplant

3 cups orange juice

Pinch of fennel seeds

Pinch of cumin

Pinch of red peppercorns

3 oz. (100 gr.) butter, cut into small pieces and frozen

1 1/2-2 pounds (800 gr.) fresh tuna,

cut into 1 1/2- X 3-inch (4- X 7-cm) strips

1/2 pound (200 gr). pickled watercress or other small-leaf green

Grated zest from one lemon

Pinch of coarsely ground black pepper


Breaded Mackerel with Orange and Purslane


For 5 servings

1 1/2 cups finely ground, plain breadcrumbs

1 tsp. turmeric

Zest and juice from 1 orange

2 pounds (1 kilo) mackerel

1 cup sea salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 - 1 cup water, as needed

Olive oil for frying

1 pound (500 gr.) purslane or curly lettuce (frisee)

1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced

3 oz. (90 gr.) almonds, ground

4-6 Tbsp. extra virgin Greek olive oil

3-4 Tbsp. lemon juice


Kerasma recipes

1. Mix the bread crumbs, turmeric, and

orange zest together on a wide plate

and set aside.

2. Cut the mackerel into fillets and

cover each fillet for 10 minutes with

coarse salt. Rinse off the salt thor-

oughly.

3. Whisk together the flour and water

to make a batter, dip the mackerel,

skin-side only, in the batter. Turn over

carefully and press the flesh side into

the bread crumb mixture.

4. In a heavy, non-stick skillet, heat

the olive oil and fry the mackerel,

skin-side down.

5. If using purslane, blanch for one

minute then immediately shock in

cold water. If using frisee, trim and

cut as for a salad. Whisk together the

extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, scal-

lion, almonds, and orange and pour

the mixture over the greens. Serve the

mackerel on top of the salad.




1. Scrub the mussels thoroughly and

remove the threads.

2. In a pot, place the wine, saffron,

garlic, onion and pumpkin, bring to a

boil over high heat, add the mussels,

cover and steam for 5 to 7 minutes,

until the mussels open. Remove the

mussels with a slotted spoon, discard-

ing any that did not open. Pulse the

remaining mixture in the pot through

the blender.

To serve, remove half the shell from

each mussel. Place the mussels on a

large platter. Pour over the saffron

and pumpkin sauce and garnish with

the finely chopped parsley and a few

drops of olive oil.

Mussels Steamed in Samos Muscat


For 4 servings

2 pounds (1 kilo) mussels

150 ml Samos Muscat wine

1 pinch of saffron

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 pound (250 gr.) pumpkin, grated

1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped

1-2 tsp. extra virgin Greek olive oil


Kerasma recipes



Kerasma recipes

1. Boil the head of the lobster, cut it in

two and keep the coral separate.

2. Next, sauté the head in a little olive

oil, adding half the finely chopped

onion, ouzo, and a little water. Let

simmer for 30 minutes over medium

heat until reduced to 1 1/3 cups.

Strain. Pass the coral through a sieve

to mash it.

3. Soften the gelatine in a little cold

water. Place the broth, gelatin, 80 ml

olive oil, egg yolks, juice of two

lemons, salt, and pepper into a

whipped cream canister. Place 3

ampoules into the top of the canister

and heat gently in a double boiler

until ready to serve.

4. Cut the zucchini and asparagus into

thin slices. Toss with the sun-dried

tomato, salt, pepper, scallions, mint,

and cumin. Whisk together the olive

oil and the juice of the third lemon.

5. Slice the lobster tail in its shell.

Sauté the slices in the remaining 70

ml olive oil. Add the remaining

chopped onion, garlic and coral.

6. Serve the lobster slices on the cold

salad and spray the frothy avgole-

mono foam-sauce on top.

Zucchini, Asparagus, and Lobster Salad with Avgolemono Foam


For 4 servings

For the lobster: One 2-pound (1-kilo) lobster, the head and tail separated


1 onion, finely chopped

100 ml ouzo

2 gelatin sheets

3 egg yolks

Juice of 2 lemons

Salt and pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

For the salad: 6 small zucchini, trimmed

12 stalks of tender green asparagus, trimmed

4 ounces (120 gr.) sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into thin strips

2 scallions

2 tsp. chopped mint leaves

1/2 tsp. cumin


Juice of 1 lemon






Warm Avgolemono Foam over Surf and Turf Phyllo Cones


For 20 cones

For the sauce 4 egg yolks

500 ml broth, made from the crawfish shells


100 ml lemon juice

1 tsp. dried lemon zest*

3 gelatin sheets, softened

For the cones500 gr. commercial phyllo pastry

1 tsp. butter

For the filling2 pounds (1 kilo) crawfish, boiled and cleaned

7 ounces (200) gr. chicken breast, boiled and shredded

1 scallion

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, ground

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground coriander


Kerasma recipes

1. For the avgolemono: Place the egg

yolks, crawfish broth, olive oil, lemon

juice, dried lemon zest, and gelatin

sheets, which have been dissolved and

softened first, into a whipped cream

canister. Screw in 4 ampoules and

heat gently a double boiler.

2. Cut the phyllo into 40 equal

squares. Place two together, buttering

between each, and wrap them around

a cone-shaped mold or cone made out

of aluminum foil. Bake in a medium-

hot oven for 10-12 minutes, until light-

ly golden. Remove and cool.

3. For the warm salad : Slice the craw-

fish and toss with the finely cut chick-

en breast, finely chopped scallion,

ground fennel seeds, cinnamon and

coriander.

4. Fill the cones with the salad and

spray with the avgolemono foam just

before serving.

(*) Dried lemon zest is zest that has

been dried in the oven at very low

temperature for about 4 hours, or that

has been left in the sun to dry. It is

then ground to a powder in a spice

grinder.



Kerasma recipes

1. Cut the cucumbers in thin strands

using a mandolin. Marinate them in a

little salt for one hour. Rinse well

under cold running water for 30 min-

utes.

2. For the fish roe foam, pulse the fish

roe and the fish broth together in a

blender for 2 minutes. While still puls-

ing, gradually add the olive oil until

the sauce begins to emulsify. Add the

lemon juice. Pass the sauce through a

sieve into a large pot.

3. To serve, warm the cucumber and

the mint in a skillet with just a little

olive oil (take care not to cook it).

Season the fish with salt and pepper

and sauté in a skillet for two minutes

on each side.

Beat the sauce with an immersion

blender until frothy.

4. Place a little cucumber on a plate

with the fish on top and circle it with

the sauce.

Sea Bream, Marinated Cucumber and Fish Roe (Tarama) Foam


For 6 servings

3 large cucumbers

Salt

3 1/2 oz. (100 gr.) white fish roe

350 ml fish broth

Extra virgin Greek olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

6 fillets of sea bream (without the skin), 5-6 oz. (160 gr.) each

10 mint leaves, finely chopped



Tahini Sauce


5 oz. (150 gr.) tahini

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

130 ml lukewarm water


1 small garlic clove, minced


Salt

Freshly ground pepper


Kerasma recipes

1. Using a whisk, blend the tahini with

the lemon in a bowl. Note that the

sauce at this point will be very thick.

2. Keep stirring, gradually adding the

water, which will make the sauce

creamier. Add the olive oil and the

remaining ingredients. Serve in a bowl

with bruschetta or crudite.



Kerasma recipes

1. Pour the broth into a food processor

or blender and pulse at very high

speed. Gradually add the olive oil,

pulsing, until the sauce thickens.

2. Add the fennel and lemon juice to

taste, and continue beating for anoth-

er minute.

3. Put the sauce through a sieve and

season with salt and pepper. This can

accompany all grilled fish.

Emulsified Lemon – Olive Oil Sauce for Fish


For 4 – 6 servings

300 ml rich fish broth, warm

Extra virgin Greek olive oil

200 ml lemon juice

1 bunch fennel leaves

Salt



Emulsified Olive Oil Sauce for Lamb


For 6-8 servings

300 ml lamb broth, fat skimmed

100 ml white wine


1/2 bunch wild fennel leaves

1/2 clove of garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt



Kerasma recipes

1. Boil the lamb broth with the wine

until it is reduced to 300 ml.

2. Place the reduction in a blender and

pulse at a very high speed. While puls-

ing, gradually add the olive oil until

the sauce thickens.

3. Add the fennel, garlic and lemon to

taste and keep beating for another

minute.

4. Put the sauce through a sieve and

season with salt and pepper. Serve

warm or at room temperature with

grilled or roasted lamb.



Kerasma recipes

1. Soften the gelatin in cold water for

2-3 minutes and then place in a little

warm water.

2. Whip the egg whites with 4 ounces

of sugar to a stiff meringue and set

aside.

3. Beat the yolks with 8 ounces (240

gr.) of sugar until light and fluffy.

Gradually add the lemon juice, lemon

rind, and softened gelatin. Stir, adding

the heavy cream. Fold in the

meringue. Fill individual bowls and

serve with orange zest.

Lemon Mousse

Chef Stelios Parliaros

4 gelatin sheets (20 gr.)

6 eggs, separated

12 ounces (360 gr.) sugar

Juice of 4 lemons

Grated rind of 1 lemon

600 ml heavy cream


Citrus Marmalade


2 pounds (1 kilo) oranges, peeled and seeded

2 pounds (1 kilo) sugar

1 lemon rind

1 tangerine rind


Kerasma recipes

1. Puree the oranges in a blender.

Place the orange puree, sugar and cit-

rus fruit rinds in a medium pot, bring

to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer

over low heat until the temperature

reaches 220°F (105°C).

2. Have sterilized jars ready. Fill them

to the rim with the marmalade while

both are still warm. Seal shut immedi-

ately and turn them upside down. Let

stand until cool. Store in the refrigera-

tor.



Kerasma recipes

1. Lightly grease a three- or four-quart

or liter jello or other mold of your

choice.

2. Pour the orange juice into a small

pot, add the rind and bring to a boil.

Stir the corn starch with a little water

in a cup. When the juice comes to a

boil, add the corn starch and stir con-

tinuously until the cream sets and

begins to bubble. Remove from heat

and pour into the greased mold. Let

cool slightly.

3. In the same way, prepare the lemon

cream and carefully pour over the

orange cream.

4. Repeat procedure to make the tan-

gerine cream and pour over the set

lemon cream. Chill for several hours

until completely set. Invert the mold

onto a dish and serve.

* Having greased the mold helps you

remove the cream. You may also gar-

nish the dessert with dried nuts and

cinnamon.

Three Citrus Creams


For 8 servings

Orange Cream:1 quart (1 liter) orange juice

3 oz (90 gr.) sugar

2 1/3 oz. (70 gr.) corn flour

1 orange rind

Lemon Cream:1 quart (1 liter) lemon juice

4 oz. (120 gr.) sugar

2 1/3 oz. (70 gr.) corn flour

1 lemon rind

Tangerine Cream:1 quart (1 liter) tangerine juice

3 ounces (90 gr.) sugar

2 1/3 oz. (70 gr.) corn starch

1 tangerine rind


Chocolate Cream with Mavrodaphne Wine


6 1/2 oz. (250 gr.) dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped

400 ml heavy cream

70 ml whole milk

6 egg yolks

2 2/3 oz. (80 gr.) sugar

70 ml Mavrodaphne wine


Kerasma recipes

1. Heat the milk and cream over medi-

um heat in a medium saucepan.

2. Place the chocolate in a large metal

bowl and pour the warm milk mixture

over it. Let stand for three minutes

and stir with a whisk until smooth.

3. Beat together the sugar with the

egg yolks and add to the chocolate

cream mixture, stirring continuously.

Stir in the wine.

4. Pour into individual baking dishes

and place in a three-inch- (10 cm-)

deep baking pan. Fill half way with

water. Bake in a preheated oven at

160-170°C (350-370°F) for 10-12 min-

utes. When removed from the oven,

the cream should be slightly runny in

the center. Let cool to room tempera-

ture then chill for several hours. Serve

cold, sprinkled with a little cocoa.



Kerasma recipes

1. Place the wine, cloves, and cinna-

mon sticks in a large pot and bring to

a boil.

2. Simmer for two minutes, then add

the dried figs and raisins. Simmer for

approximately 15 minutes until the

juices have reduced to a thick syrup.

Remove from heat and cool. Serve

with Greek Anthotyro or other soft,

mild whey cheese.

Dried Figs in Sweet Samos Wine


750 ml Samos Muscat wine

3-4 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

25 dried figs

2 oz. (60 gr.) golden raisins (sultana)

2 oz. (60 gr.) Greek Anthotyro cheese for serving


Balsamic Figs with Mavrodaphe and Cheese Mousse


For 10 servings

40 dried Greek figs

500 ml Mavrodaphne wine

200 ml balsamic vinegar

1 small rosemary sprig

14 1/2 oz. (400 gr.) pine nuts

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

10 1/2 oz. (300 gr.) walnuts

1/2 tsp. powdered cinnamon

3 whole cloves

For the cream: 500 ml whole milk

1 small rosemary twig

14 1/2 oz. (400 gr.) fresh Greek myzithra cheese or other mild, soft

whey cheese

3 1/2 oz. (100 gr.) sugar


Kerasma recipes

1. Soak the figs in the Mavrodaphne

wine for 12 hours. The following day,

add the balsamic vinegar and rose-

mary, place in a pot, bring to a boil,

and simmer until the figs are soft.

2. Lightly roast the pine nuts in a little

butter, adding the walnuts, cinna-

mon, and cloves. Fill the figs with the

dried nut mixture.

3. Bring the milk and rosemary to a

boil, remove from heat, and strain.

4. Dissolve the sugar and myzithra in

the milk, stirring vigorously.

5. Fill a whipped cream canister with

the milk mixture and chill.

Serve the figs with their balsamic

glaze in a bowl or in a glass and fill it

with the light myzithra cream.


In the Next Issue...

Sun-Sweet Summer Fruits

Herbal Essence

Aegean Flavors

Village Salad Goes to Town

Greek Wines on the Global Table

And more ...




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Documents

Greekgourmet Vol 05