Adventures in eating Greece

[QuinaQuen]

Yeah, you probably did say so already. So tell us about the food already! With all due respect, it sounds like you all but asked for cheeseburgers while avoiding the rich gustatory treasures that Greece has to offer.

Just kidding. But please, tell us about the food! Lay the heavy stuff on us! Seattle and girly you might well be, but how about the chef stuff?

[Seattlegirlychef]

Hey, for those of you wondering (quina), I'm still in the process of actually typing up some of the FOOD stuff from Greece, it's all in my handy journal laying on my desk in the other room, but I'm too lazy to get it and about to retire for the night. I know, I gotta start living up to my 'chef' name eh? Believe me, I did try plenty of Greek foods, and yes...some eats from "Goody's", their version of an 'upscale' McDonalds. All in due time, but for now, one more email....and I think I actually mention something in here about cooking:

Sunday, Aug. 10, 2003

Hello my fellow Anglos~

This will be my last report from Greece. I know so sad, but not sad that I'm finally going home! It really does seem like an eternity since I've been home. I'm missing all your happy faces too much. I went to the beach with Maria this past week. I finally got some color, sort of, but nothing like a major tan. We went to Goody's, one of the major fast food chains here in Greece, even bigger then McDonalds. Goody's was the first fast food place I've been in were the serve Heinken on tap and the majority of the seating is for smoking. Pretty crazy. I made some grilled pizzas for the crew in the tavern on Thursday. Evagelia bought me some top ramen noodles so I could make some stir-fry. I have been craving Asian food like mad. I don't trust the Greeks to do Asian food. I made some more lemon squares on Friday for a family lunch we had today at church. They turned out pretty yummy. Today was my last day at church. It was such a blessing because the had one of the tall black Nigerian guys pray for me and an older lady that was going back to Africa. We ate lunch after church and I talked to a lady name Ute ("ewe-tah") from Germany. She's really sweet. I took several pictures as well so you can all see the faces of this very international church. God is good!

We've had about 2 more rainstorms this past week which I always get a kick out of. We have been pretty lucky with the rain, unlike the other countries here. I had seen several shots of forest fires of Italy on the Greek news, but didn't realize how severe it was till I read the news online. They even had the Pope ask everyone to pray for rain. Well, I was hoping to make this last email longer then the rest, but my brain's fried. For those of you that would like to meet me at the airport (hint, hint) I arrive this Wednesday, Aug. 13th, around 4:30pm on British Airways. My parents will be there was well, at the top of the escalator. On my flight back I take an hour flight to Athens then I'll be camping out in the airport till the morning when my 8am flight to London leaves. Fun times! Pray for a safe trip home, love you all,

Leah

The English word for "Ya sas" is "Health to you".

[Seattlegirlychef]

And now, something about Greek food, yes, I did learn some things on my voyage overseas last summer. I have my journal sitting here next to the keyboard waiting to be transposed into this lovely message post. I added in more descriptions and information. Here we go:

Monday 14/7/03 (notice the change in date display)

So, today is Monday, My parents anniversary-30 years- I'm sitting here in the tabepna (taverna) that's how you write it in Greek. Evagelia helped me write it. Were' listening to Josh Groban on the stereo, she likes his music. My tummy is upset-I think it's freaking out from all these new things I'm putting into it. We had moussaka earlier-sliced potatoes, eggplant, ground pork, and mornay sauce, layered, very rich and heavy. I didnt' eat much, some bread, tzatziki-yogurt, cucumber, dill, and onion, some salad-with green peppers, tomatoes, olive oil and dried herbs. And now I'm drinking sprite to calm my stomach. It's not as sweet as the US's drink. The main soda beverage's of choice here are coca-cola, diet coke, sprite, and fanta. No dad's root beer, dr. pepper, mt. dew, overly complicated sugary soft drinks, etc. All the soda comes in refillable glass bottles so the restaurant doesn't have to pay extra for new bottles.

Themis took me to buy some ice cream at the village 'convenience store'-an outdoors kiosk of sorts, with all types of candies, chips, drinks, cigarettes and magazines on display to sell. These kiosks are located almost every other block, super convienent for that momentary sugar fix. There's all types of ice cream novelty treats-cones, bars, 1/2 pint containers, pop-ups-and all different flavors-chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, caramel, mocha, hazelnut, peanut butter and various fruits. Some topped with nuts and fudge, some with a frozen fruity sauce, they're definately big here on the ice cream.

more to come~

Edited February 2, 2004 by Seattlegirlychef (log)

[jhlurie]

We've combined these threads into one so that it reads more like a diary--a single continuing narrative. Hopefully, in addition to making this easier to read it will encourage more responses.

[Pan]

Leah, you mention Moussaka with ground pork. To my knowledge, I've always had it with ground beef, not pork. Assuming you're sure it was in fact pork, do you think using pork might be part of a regional Macedonian version of the dish?

[marlena spieler]

moussaka, i've always had it with lamb, or lamb and beef.

moussaka is an interesting dish. the version we most commonly know of layered eggplant, sometimes another veg such as potatoes, zucchini, artichokes, etc, and a topping of bechamel and cheese, dates only from around the turn of the twentieth century when a passion for french cuisine sort of wafted by: hence the bechamel topping.

otherwise, moussaka is a traditional dish of eggplant, onions, tomatoes in a stew, something layered, sometimes stewed, sometimes with lots of other vegetables added, and stretches from the balkans through turkey and the middle east. i love probably every version known to humanity.

[Carlovski]

I've only ever had lamb versions of it (Interestingly, in Greece, there always seems to be lamb on the menu, but you never see one in a field. Lots of goats though)

There always seems to be a lot of confusion over the definitive version of the dish - I prefer it made with potatoes, although I may be in a minority, most recipes I have seen in the higher class of cookery books don't include them.

I also prefer it made with a touch more oregano, cumin and cinnamon than is the norm. It can be incredibly rich though, and it never seems the same unless it is oozing oil, and served just luke warm.

[marlena spieler]

I prefer it made with potatoes, although I may be in a minority, most recipes I have seen in the higher class of cookery books don't include them.

I also prefer it made with a touch more oregano, cumin and cinnamon than is the norm.

when i lived in crete, they only added potatoes when they didn't have enough eggplants, ie in the winter. in spring sometimes there was a layer of artichoke slices which made me very happy.

yes, the spicing: i also like more oregano, cinnamon, cumin and allspice than is normally added, but it depends on where you eat it. if you eat it on an island that had a spicy past, voila, you'll get these wonderful spices.

and if you eat it at my house, voila: you'll get these lovely spices. and lots of em.

[Seattlegirlychef]

Ah moussaka, you guys make me so happy, stuff to read! woowooo...I was informed from Evagelia that ground beef is harder to come by then ground pork. They used very little beef anything in their dishes, mostly pork, chicken and veal. And lamb as well, but not as much as you think. They don't use lamb for the gyros like most places here in the states. Eva tells me that lamb is too expensive and greasy for the majority of Greek's taste. So instead pork and chicken is used, seasoned and skewered onto a huge metal rod, propped up vertically, not horizontally, cooked over hot coals. Most eateries have the gryo displayed proudly for passerbys to see and smell the delicious meat.

~~~

Pictures from my travels here.

more to come!

[Seattlegirlychef]

Another Installment, yeah for me:

18/7/03

I filmed Eva in they kitchen making the sweet cake the serve at Patsatzis. It's made mainly with semolina, sugar, yolks, baking soda and powder, lemon zest, and egg whites folded in, baked, then a cider type of syrup is poured on top-sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and water, then set to cool. She also did lamb's neck-roasted with mustard, s&p, retsina wine, bay leaf, lemon juice, water, and roasted in the oven at 300C-about 450F for 3 1/2 hours-I can't wait to try it.

Nikos is a cutie- he reminds me of one of the guys I cooked with at school-Matt- but Nikos is actually nice. He just asked me, "You write letter now?"-"no, It's my journal", I say.

23/7/03

Yesterday we ate at the Canadian Pizza place-blech. I learned that you should never eat at a place like that-where they make frood from another country-named by another country-served in another country. I think even the CANADIANS would be embarrassed. It was pretty sad-I ordered a 'calzone'- A squishy pocket filled with gobs of unidentified white cheese, sliced kalamata olives, some greasy mushrooms and slathered in tomato sauce...which was actually ketchup. And the 'cobb salad' was actually large chunks of iceburg lettuce, cubes of edam cheese-which I'm still not clear on the origin of-kalamata olives, slices of canadian bacon, and the dressing which was mayonnaise...yes, straight mayonnaise, not oil, vinegar, s&p...eek! I made an attempt to be as gracious as possible picking through the this messy dinner, trying to recover the somewhat edible bits. The Greek family I was eating with seemed unphased by this culinary humiliation. It was pretty sad, I learned I need to eat at places where the food is made by people that actually know how to make it-in a region where the ingredients are local and used appropriately. Yeah and I won't eat at Goody's ever again-I need to eat some calamari!