Lots of protection from the evil eye, Plaka, Athens

• A very interesting article on how pistachios ended up in Greece and why Aegina is the center of its cultivation
• The Society for the Protection of Prespa is finalist for the Thiess Riverprize
• Greek products take center stage at UK Great Taste Awards
• Harvard dining halls to feature Greek dishes in their winter menus 
• A recount of a recent visit to Greece, the history of wine making Patras

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

This sandwich came together using leftovers from a combo of previous recipes but don’t let that dissuade you from trying this one out. Reinventing and turning leftovers into an entirely new, fresh dish is a kitchen triumph with a delicious reward. I lucked-out with some tri-tip steak at the butcher and made a marinade of East and West ingredients, had some leftover mushrooms from my recent Warm Mushroom Salad and smeared Talstenes, a spread made of roasted eggplants, red peppers and tomatoes.

I was starving when i made this sandwich and I made it again after thinking and craving it the following day. There’ a little prep involved in making the accompaniments but it is worth it. Make this steak sandwich, your tummy will you thank you!

Steak Sandwich With Talstenes, Mushrooms & Graviera

(serves 4-6)

Steak marinade

1 flank or tri-tip steak

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

6-7 cloves of garlic

3-4 scallions

1 knob of ginger, grated

1/3 cup soy sauce

lots of fresh ground pepper

2 Tbsp. fresh ground pepper

2 Tbsp. fresh thyme

 Warm Mushrooms

2 cups sliced Cremini mushrooms

2 cups sliced King mushrooms

2 bay leaves

1 spring of fresh rosemary

handful of fresh thyme leaves

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 cloves of fresh garlic, smashed

salt and pepper

Garnishes

Talstenes eggplant/red pepper spread

slices of Graviera cheese (or Gruyere)

toasted baguette bread

1. Place all your steak marinade ingredients in food processor and whiz until the scallions are pureed and amalgamated into the marinade. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Place your steak into a zip-lock bag and pour the marinade contents, seal and place in the fridge for 3 hours.
2. In the meantime, Place a heavy skillet (I like a cast iron pan) over medium-low heat and add your olive oil, garlic, mushrooms, herbs, salt and pepper and stir to coat. Allow the mushrooms to slowly cook, occasionally stirring for about 20 minutes. Reserve/keep warm.
3. Remove your steak from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Pre-heat your gas/charcoal grill to high, brush the surface clear of residue. Wipe access marinade off the steak and discard. Season both sides of the steak with sea salt and place on the hot grill and cook for 4-5 minutes a side (for medium rare). Allow the steak to rest five minutes before slicing.
4. Slice the steak across the grain into thin slices. Lightly toast your baguette slices, smear Taltsenes on the bottom slices then lay some slices of steak  followed by warm mushrooms and slices of cheese.
5. Place under the broiler to just melt the cheese and place the top slice of baguette on your sandwich and serve.

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

This past summer I took a day trip to the middle finger or peninsula of Halkidiki, known to Greeks as Sithonia. Halkidiki comprises of three peninsulas, it’s located just east of Thessaloniki with the nearest being the peninsula of Kassandra and the most distant being Agio Oros. To visit Halkidiki one gets the feel of the islands despite the three peninsulas being part of Greece’s mainland.

There’s always been a debate among northern Greeks as to which peninsula is prettier, which has the best beaches, etc. Much like all of Greece, all of Halkidiki is pretty and there is something for everybody. What you will definitely see are some of Greece’s most beautiful beaches and that’s our first stop, Vourvourou beach.

This beach is rather shallow (lots of room for kids to safely swim) before the waters open up and deepen. The approach to this beach is surprising as it’s hidden in winding dirt roads, coniferous trees and lots of park cars. You finally descend a small slope and you arrive at this striking beach with many other beach goers but there’s plenty of space to lay with some privacy or set your belongings under the shade of a tree and simply descend down to the waters.

Vourvourou does not have any restaurants or tavernas but many snack shacks offering refreshments, beer, coffee, sandwiches. If fast isn’t your cup o’ tea you can always pack a cooler and go picnic mode. We did neither and after our swim we hopped back in our car and traveled further south for another swim just 20 minutes south in Sarti.

The beach of Sarti is more organized with many tavernas, restaurants along the beach with a promenade built for those wishing to take a walk seaside with a gorgeous view of Mount Athos across the body of water separating the two peninsulas. The water here deepens after about 10 metres, there’s more waves/tide pull so extra care should be exercised when traveling with children.

Sarti’s waters are gorgeous and worth a trip just to swim with beautiful Mount Athos as the backdrop. Keep in mind that Sithonia has lots of beaches that dot the coastline and if your grow restless, hop in the car and try out another beach nearby! We decided to stay as a whole day’s worth of swimming works-up an appetite.

One of the best eating experiences in Greece is to eat fish & seafood by the sea -  it’s one of my favourite experiences and one I never grow weary of. We settled in at a taverna called “Noah’s Ark”. If the kitschy name is not to your liking, Sarti boasts of several fish/seafood tavernas that hug along the bay.

Wonderful country-style bread arrived at our table and I ordered a 50ml bottle of the local tsipouro with anise.

We held off on ordering the Horiatiki and opted for the no Feta salad of tomato, cucumbers, sweet onions, olive oil and some pickled hot peppers in the mix.

After seeing the fried calamari arrive at the neighboring table we made an order for ourselves.

Grilled fresh sardines are de rigeur in Greece…high in omega 3′s, always fresh and absolutely delicious!

Grilled peel and eat shrimp..sweet and finished with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

How can I resist grilled octopus? This one was a little different with a balsamic dressing but it was delish!

House cut fried potatoes, fried in olive oil. Have you had olive oil fried French Fries?

Finally, a local specialty of Thessaloniki and Halkdiki..Mussels Saganaki. This one was a tomato-based sauce with crumbled Feta and some hot peppers spiked in for a touch of heat.

Other points of interest in Sithonia:

* Halkidki produces the most honey in Greece and it’s very good honey. You will see lots of honey stands along the roads, try some and buy a jar or two.

* The local wine is very good (both red and white), namely the nearby Porto Carras winery

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

I recall seeing these really stylish pieces of Moussaka that were perfectly plated in a Greek food magazine a couple of years ago and (finally) I got around to trying my hand at these stylish individual portions using these metal ring molds used often by chefs. These ring molds are used to structure a salad, a tartar or in today’s instance, Moussaka!

You can get very pretty Moussaka pieces if you carefully layer the ingredients in a large baking tray and patiently wait for it to rest before apportioning but these beauties take the presentation to another level. These individual Moussakas are round but I suppose one could also buy the square ones. Your call.

This method can be applied to the classic meat Moussaka but today we’re featuring a vegetarian version and one that’s every bit as filling as the meat version. The meat is replaced with a mushroom and bean sauce that’s thick, flavourful and aromatic with hints of allspice, bay, oregano and cinnamon.

The base has some sliced potatoes and the I’m using both eggplant and zucchini slices for variety and more colour. There’s some breadcrumbs in the assembly and the chief purpose is to absorb any water that may be released from the veggies. The Bechamel is classic with roux being made followed by milk, nutmeg, cheese and finally eggs being stirred-in.

Individual Meatless Moussaka

(serves 8-10)

Mushroom & Green Bean Sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion (1 cup) diced

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 carrot, peeled and passed through a box grater

1 stalk of celery, finely diced

2-3 bay leaves

3 cups of assorted mushrooms, chopped

1/4 cup dried mushrooms

2 cups hot water

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

2 cups of crushed (canned) plum tomatoes

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 lb. of green beans, trimmed and blanched (boil in salted water until just tender and strain well)

pinch of ground cinnamon

coarse sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Other ingredients

5 zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch  rounds

5 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch rounds

5 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds

salt and pepper

breadcrumbs

Bechamel Sauce

1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1/2  cup of all-purpose flour
5 cups of whole milk (warm)
3 eggs (room temp.), beaten
1/2 cup grated Kefalotyri   (or Romano cheese)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2  tsp. grated nutmeg

1/2 cup grated Kefalotyri cheese (or Romano) for topping

1. Place a large skillet on your stove-top over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, onions, garlic, carrot, celery, mushrooms and bay leaves and saute for 8-10 minutes while stirring. Season with some sea salt and fresh ground pepper and reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer the vegetables for another 5 minutes or until almost all the liquid has cooked off.
2. In the meantime, to rehydrate your dried mushrooms, boil 2 cups water and place in a bowl with your dried mushrooms and cover. Allow to steep for 10 minutes and pour the mushroom stock through a fine mesh strainer and chop and add the re-hydrated mushrooms along with the wine, allspice and bring to a simmer and reduce the liquid to half. Add some more salt and pepper to taste.
3. Now add the crushed plum tomatoes, thyme leaves and bring back to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick (about 30 minutes). Adjust seasoning once again with salt and pepper, stir in the dried oregano and remove the bay leaves.
4. In the meantime, cut your zucchini and eggplants in approx. 1/4 inch rounds (ensure you choose vegetables that are of similar diameter) and lightly oil, season with salt and pepper. Lightly grill or bake (middle rack) in a preheated 400F for 2-3 minutes/side. Reserve on a paper towel lined plate.
5. Roughly chop the green beans and add to the sauce along with a pinch of cinnamon, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and reserve.
6. For the Bechamel , in a medium pot, add your butter over medium heat and when it’s melted add the flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes or until the flour has turned a light brown. Grab a whisk and pour in a steady stream of milk into your roux. If you still get some lumps, use a potato masher to break them up.
7. Continue stirring until your Bechamel has become thick or until the sauce coats the back of the spoon. Take the Bechamel Sauce off the heat and pour a steady stream of the beaten eggs into the mixture. Add half the grated Kefalotyri, nutmeg and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Place a kitchen towel over the pot and cover with the lid and reserve (prevents condensation from diluting your Bechamel). Pre-heat your oven to 375 F, middle rack.
8. To assemble your individual Moussaka, place the ring molds on a lightly greased baking tray and place the sliced potatoes in a circular overlapping fashion to cover the bottom and season lightly with salt and pepper. Now place a layer of overlapping eggplant slices to form the next layer. Now spoon some mushroom and bean sauce followed by a sprinkle of breadcrumbs. Now place a layer of overlapping slices of zucchini followed by another sprinkle of breadcrumbs. Now spoon another layer of mushroom and bean sauce and finally top with Bechamel Sauce. Repeat filling the other ring molds.
9. Place in your pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes or until tops are golden-brown. Remove and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Carefully slide a spatula under a serving and lift and place on a serving plate. Run a knife around the side to loosen the mould and slowly lift the mold up. Repeat with remaining servings.

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Sun-dried octopus, Sarti, Halkidiki

• Messinia and Halkidki apply for Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status for their extra-virgin olive oils
• Tax hikes in Greece have backfired, causing almost 4000 restaurant closures
• Souvlaki joint and frozen yogurt shops were all the rage in 2012 Summer in Greece
• Greek reds elbowing their way on to the tables of wine afficionados right beside the whites
• Postcard from one of the Pomak communities in eastern Thrace

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Every Saturday I like to treat myself to a big breakfast. That is to say I enjoy eggs (scrambled or sunnyside up), some bacon or breakfast sausages, toast, orange juice, fruit, coffee. Yesterday I broke-up the monotony of having the same breakfast by adding some mushrooms leftover from last week and one of my favourite cheeses, Halloumi from Cyprus.

Halloumi cheese is from the island of Cyprus, it’s an PDO appellation product (Product of Designation) status meaning it is made uniquely in a particular geographical region of Europe (Cyprus). It is made of a goat and sheep’s milk blend, it is semi-firm, briny and it holds-up well under heat. It’s great for grilling and in this case, it melts slightly and it squeaks in your mouth when you chew it.

The mushrooms I used for this strapetsada (a Greek scrambled egg dish traditionally made with tomatoes and Feta) were Cremini and Oyster mushrooms. These two varieties were simply ones I had on hand but you can use what’s available in your area or in season. There are a multitude of mushrooms out there these days with varying subtle flavours and various cooking times.

In this dish, the Cremini mushrooms need a longer cooking time and the Oysters require little time. They need little time and you do not want them to get mushy from overcooking. The dish is complemented with fresh thyme and tarragon, the Halloumi and mushrooms offering similar textures in your mouth and the crispy bacon makes the dish into one you will make for breakfast, brunch or as a dinner if you’re in Greece (or Europe).

The dish is almost done…I dropped spoonfuls of my Dad’s chunky hot sauce which contain olive oil, onions, sweet and hot peppers, ripe tomatoes and some dried Greek oregano. Now the dish is complete!

Mushroom Strapetsada With Halloumi and Crispy Bacon (Στραπατσαδα με Μανιταρια, Χαλουμι και Τραγανό Μπέικον)

(serves 4)

1 cup sliced Cremini mushrooms

1 cup Oyster mushrooms, large ones torn in half

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup diced onions or scallions

4-6 slices of Halloumi cheese, torn into pieces

6 eggs, beaten

splash of cream or evaporated milk

4-5 strips of crispy bacon

salt and pepper

1 tsp. fresh thyme

1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon

drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

chopped fresh  chives for garnish

spoonfuls of salsa or splashes of your favourite hot sauce

1. Add your olive oil into a large heavy skillet over medium heat and add the onions and garlic and soften for about 5 minutes. Now add the Cremini mushrooms with some salt and pepper and stir. Allow the mushrooms to soften for another 3-4 minutes, adding more olive oil if needed.
2. In the meantime, crack your eggs in a bowl with a splash of cream, salt and pepper, thyme and the chopped fresh tarragon. Whisk and set aside. Once the mushrooms have softened, add the Oyster mushrooms and stir in and cool for a minute. Now add the pieces of Halloumi cheese and stir in for another minute.
3. Time to add the eggs, stir in until the eggs have form soft curds then crumble half of the bacon and stir-in. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and add some more olive oil and plate.
4. Garnish with the remaining crumbled crispy bacon, chopped chives and fresh ground pepper. Serve family style with toast or good crusty bread.

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

I spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Kitchener-Waterloo area (just over an hour southwest of Toronto) and I stopped by one of southern Ontario’s best butcher shops, Brady’s in Waterloo (with a second location in the St. Jacob’s Market). This family-owned butcher shop has beef, pork, poultry, wild game, lots of local and exotic pantry items and if he (Rob Brady) doesn’t have it – he can usually order it.

I dropped off some Moussaka for Rob to try and he comp’d me a couple of Prince Edward Island (PEI) grass-fed ribeye beef steaks. This past Thanksgiving was cold so I wasn’t up for outdoor grilling and I’m thankful I didn’t. Otherwise this recipe may not have come to being.

Once again, I used some ingredients left in the fridge like som leftover thyme, rosemary and Cremini, Oyster and King mushrooms. I also had some dried figs, which I adore in the cold months. They remind me the summer that just past when I was eating ripe, jam-sweet picked right from the tree.

The sauce is savoury but teases with some sweetness from the figs and Greece’s most well-known fortified wine, Mavrodaphne. This is a sexy dish, Greek bistro if you will and you can pull it off weekdays or weekends, for family or friends!

Ribeye With Mushroom, Mavrodaphne & Fig Sauce

Marinade

(per steak)

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. sweet paprika

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Sauce

(enough for four steaks)

1/3 cup diced red onions

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/3 cup Mavrodaphne wine (or other fortified wine)

1 cup beef stock

1 1/2 – 2 cups assorted mushrooms, sliced/chopped

1 cup of dried figs, re-hydrated in hot water, halved

1. Add the olive oil, Dijon, garlic, allspice, paprika, Worcestershire in a bowl and quickly whisk then sub onto your steak(s) and cover and place in the fridge for one to two hours. Return to room temperature before grilling and season with fresh ground pepper and coarse sea salt.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 375F and place a large cast iron pan on your stovetop over high heat. Add a couple of drizzles of olive oil into the pan and place your steaks in the pan and sear for about 3 minutes or until a nice deep brown crust has formed.
3. Flip the steaks and carefully place in the pan into your pre-heated oven for another 6 minutes for medium-rare. Carefully remove the hot pan and place on your stovetop, remove the steaks and tent with foil to keep warm.
4. In the meantime, turn the heat onto to medium and add your onions, mushrooms and garlic and stir to pick up the brown bits (add some olive oil if needed) for 3 minutes. Now add the wine, stock, rehydrated figs, thyme and rosemary and stir in and simmer while occasionally stirring until the sauce has thickened (if the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon you’re done). Adjust seasoning.
5. Remove the foil from your steaks (pour any juices into your sauce) and slice in half and mound in the center of your plate and spoon over some sauce.
6. Serve with Feta mashed potatoes and pair with Kir Yanni Kali Riza Xinomavro red.

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I am going to a dinner this coming Friday but I went to the person’s home early…one week early! I mixed up my calendar and thought the dinner was happening last Friday. I arrive at the appropriate time, wine in hand for the hostess and she pulls into the driveway right after I do. Looking puzzled.

I quickly realize the dinner is happening in another week (this Friday) and I beamed with a huge smile…perhaps to distract from my reddened face. To make the most of the moment, I entered the home for a glass of wine, some conversation and some food appears on the table. A large dish of Spanakorizo is presented and divided to satiate the Friday hungrys we were all feeling.

I was intrigued by this Spanakorizo that was topped with green olives and crumbled Feta. I’ve only had the more traditional version – no green olives and Feta. I love this twist on Spanakorizo as it was different, tasted fabulous and the spinach wasn’t blackened, overcooked.

I was promised the recipe and after having made the dish in my own kitchen, I can now share the dish with all of you. The Dassios family cooks their Spanakorizo on the stove-top and I like my rice baked. Here, you have both options and neither one better or worse…your choice!

Dassios Spanakorizo With Green Olives & Feta

(serves 4)

2 lbs. fresh spinach, rinsed well, rough chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves minced garlic

1 cup long-grain rice, rinsed

1 1/2 cups chicken/vegetable stock

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill+ 1/4 cup finishing dish

 juice of 1 lemon

salt & pepper to taste

Garnish

1/4 cup each of crumbled feta

chopped green olives

1. Heat olive oil in heavy pot over medium heat, add onions and garlic, sweat for 5 minutes. Add rice, cook for a couple of  minutes while stirring.
2.  Add chopped spinach in batches until it starts wilting. Add  the stock and half the dill. Cover & steam until liquid is absorbed about 20 minutes. Add more stock if necessary. When rice is done, add lemon juice, rest of dill. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into serving dish, fluff rice with a fork, top with crumbled feta and chopped green olives and dill.
3. Alternatively, you can finish this dish in the oven: After the spinach has wilted in the pot, pour contents into a deep casserole dish, cover with foil and place in a pre-heated 375F oven for approx. 30 minutes. Again, fluff rice, mix remaining dill and lemon juice and top with green olives and Feta (omit Feta and the dish is purely Lent-friendly).
4. Serve as a main or side with a Kir Yanni Samaropetra.

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Antiques market, Athens

• Check out “Going Out in Athens” program offering $10 meals at many of Athens’ fine eateries
• Greek wineries are adjusting to weather the uncertain market in the coming years
• Alexander, a rock opera opens in Thessaloniki
• Athens’ Kalamiotou Street featured in a ‘Hidden Gems’ article in the New York Times
• A new Greek restaurant set to open soon in Detroit’s Greektown

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The question I often get is, “Why does the food in Greece taste different, better than over here”? My simple reply is that the best Greek cooking is simple, relying on local, fresh and seasonal ingredients. The simplicity of the dish is allowed to shine when this maxim is practiced. Practically anyone I know in Greece that cooks, will patronize their local “Laiki Agora”, literally translated to “People’s Market”.

Laikes Agores (the plural form) are found throughout Greece, in every corner of the land and in almost every town and village. If there isn’t one then the town will likely host a weekly “Pazari” ( taken from the word bazaar)  or a central market. At a Laiki you can shop for local fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish and seafood, eggs and cheese, yogurt,  an array of olives, local honey, herbs, teas, spices, local Tsipouro or Raki, wine. olive oil, butter, dried legumes, pasta, sausages/salami. You will also find the odd cantina/food truck selling food for vendors and patrons who may want to grab a bite.

You can also find non-food items like kitchenware, clothing (of various degrees of quality), linens, tools, plants,toys, g-strings, etc, etc! The Laiki Agora has been around since the day’s of Eleftherios Venizelos, who introduced the Laiki as a way of assisting local farmers and artisans to sell their goods to the locals.

The Laiki will consist of both “producers” and “professionals” who sell their goods: producers would be local farmers, apiaries and then the professionals are folks who buy product and then re-sell at the Laiki. The Laiki is not just a rural occurrence as you will find it in operation in the neighborhoods of Greece’s largest cities like Athens and Thessaloniki.

These Peoples’ Markets operate on a schedule, that is to say the Laiki sets-up in your town, village or neighborhood on a set day, once a week. Tables, counters, kiosks and tents are arranged in a designated area closed to traffic from the early morning to just after noon. At that point, vendors pack-up and either sell their goods through their own channels (pick-up trucks, storefront) or travel to another town nearby that may have its turn hosting a Laiki.

The closest comparison I can give you is that our local farmer’s markets are much like the Laiki. When in Greece, the Laiki sets-up on Tuesdays in Nea Kallikratia where usual vendors show up, the usual customers and everyone has a preferred vendor to shop from. We have our favourite farmer who sells juicy, meaty and sweet tomatoes. We buy Feta cheese from one specific vendor. I like the Tsipouro from this fella from the neighboring town of Agios Pavlos. You catch my drift.

As someone who travels to Greece almost each year, it is interesting to see where some of the other tourists shop for food items: most will hop into the supermarket but it’s nice to see some of the more acute tourists shopping for some fruit, yogurt or buying local honey from the Laiki. I love visiting the Laiki: people watching, hearing the shouts of the vendors touting their product, listening to the haggling and bartering, watching the produce change week by week and taking lots and lots of photos of this Greek institution.

When visiting Greece, you should make time to visit a Laiki during your stay. Ask the locals when the Laiki occurs in your town, village or which neighborhood in the city is hosting one. Below are some links that can help you plan when and where to visit a Laiki throughout Greece. The links are not complete, there is no one website with a calendar of all the Laiki Agoras.

If you have a link to the calendar for other Laikes Agoras not listed below, please add in the comments section.

Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki

http://www.laikesagores.gr/

http://www.buildings.gr/greek/ipiresies/laikesagores/laikagores.htm

http://www.olath.gr/ut_olath.aspx?type=olathMap

http://www.dionet.gr/news/biolaikes.htm

http://www.scribd.com/doc/110413629/laikes-agores-thessalonikis

Thessaloniki and many areas in Macedonia and Thrace

Halkidiki

Patras

Lamia

Larrisa & Thessalia

Macedonia, Thrace, Trikala, Volos

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There are still lots of eggplants in the markets here and this year’s crop has been sweet with very few having the usual bitterness one finds in eggplants. Not all eggplants are the same: the usual big purple ones often have some seeds and bitterness and one sprinkles salt on the exposed flesh to draw some out. The Tsakonian and more familiar Japanese eggplants rarely have bitterness and they are usually sweet.

The baby eggplants are also wonderful in that you can count on them being sweet, containing few seeds and they are cook ready. This dish came around as I was looking for an alternative to meat and eggplant is filling, meaty – substantive. Eggplants are a sponge for flavour so I opted to lightly fry them in Greek olive oil. Nevermind the progaganda, you can fry in olive oil…the “low smoke point” that olive oil begins to break down at/around 500F…far above what you need for frying. Ideally I fry between 325 – 365F.

Another reason I used olive oil was to inject some flavour into the eggplant along with some salt, pepper. The eggplants are crisp on the outside, soft and flavourful on the inside. The sweet eggplant is complimented by this spicy tomato sauce, featuring local tomatoes still in season and another Autumn favourite, peppers.

This spicy sauce contains ripe, fresh plum tomatoes passed through a box grater, sweet onions, garlic, sweet red and green peppers and small hot chillis for that kick. Dried Greek oregano, grated Kefalotyri cheese and a final topping of Greek yogurt thinned out with a little vegetable stock complements this zesty, delicious sauce.

Makaronada With Fried Baby Eggplant

(serves 4)

For the tomato sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 sweet banana pepper, sliced

1/2 cup diced red pepper

1 small chilli pepper, finely chopped

7-8 ripe plum tomatoes, passed through a box grater

pinch of sugar (if needed)

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp. dried Greek oregano

For the eggplants

4 small eggplants

all-purpose flour

salt and pepper

olive oil for frying

Greek yogurt sauce

1/2 cup strained Greek yogurt

warm/room temperature vegetable stock

————————————————-

500 gr. package of spaghetti

grated Kefalotyri cheese (Romano cheese is fine)

1. Place a large skillet on your stovetop over medium heat and add the olive oil, onions and garlic and sweat for 5-6 minutes. Now add the peppers and stir-in, cooking for another 5 minutes. Now add the grated tomatoes and once a boil returns, reduce to a simmer, add salt and pepper and simmer uncovered until the sauce is thick. Adjust seasoning, add dried Greek oregano. Reserve/keep warm.
2. In the meantime, place a large pot of water on your stovetop and bring to a boil. Season with lots of salt and drop the pasta in the water and cook for 7-8 minutes.
3. Pre-heat about 1 1/2 inches of olive oil in a deep pot to reach a temperature of 350F. To slice your eggplant, place the handle end of your wooden spoon parallel to the eggplant and slice down (the wooden handle will prevent you from cutting all the way through).
4. Mix salt and pepper into some all-purpose flour and lightly dredge your eggplants and reserve. In the meantime, stir some vegetable stock into your yogurt to transform it into a thick sauce consistency. Reserve.
5. Now that your oil is hot, carefully place your eggplants in the hot oil and fry on both side for about 3-4 minutes or until just golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve on paper-lined platter.
6. When your pasta is ready, drain and toss some of the sauce in the pasta then divide and plate. Grate some Kefalotyri over the pasta, top with fried eggplant and spoon some yogurt sauce over the eggplant. Sprinkle some more Greek oregano and serve.

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photo by Craig Geleff

My bones are a little achy today but I’m beaming (still) after last night’s Supper Club with a focus on the cuisine of Florina. Being that this region is where my parents are from, I went into this dinner very confident but also still worried because I knew some folks would be there who shared the same ancestry (from towns in/around Florina). Would the food be as good as Yiayia’s? I think so.

The sold out event was a mixture of friends who have attended prior dinners of mine, some new and curious attendees, Greeks and non-Greeks (lovers of our cuisine) and of course, wine lovers who know Greek wines are “where it’s at”. The menu was paired almost exclusively with Kir Yanni wines (Boutari) from Naoussa and Amynteon. Many thanks to Steve Kriaris of Kolonaki Group who chose the wines of the evening and even brought a surprise offering of Kir Yanni Ramnista for all guests to try out!

Three appetizers were rolled out: Taltsenes from Florina and made with fire roasted eggplant, red peppers and tomatoes, Kebapia and housemade Prassopita, a leek and Feta pie made with hand-opened phyllo.

One of the indispensible ingredients of Greek cuisine is olive oil and I delighted when chef, TV personality, Christine Cushing offered to supply her signature oils for cooking and for liberal bread-dunking at each table with my homemade Floriniotiko Lagana topped with sesame seeds.

Christine also has two roasted red pepper sauces, one mild and the other spicy for the heat freaks out there. The jars with opened up, dipped in, swooshed and smeared on bread. Thank you again, Christine!

Great olive oil turns simple dishes into manna from the Gods and my rice and herb stuffed peppers soared with a liberal use of Christine Cushing’s olive oil. The dish was heightened even more with the incorporation of Katsamaki – another Florina recipe using cornmeal, beef stock and grated Kefalograviera cheese.

The second dish that got a few good shakes of the olive oil was the roast potatoes with onions, carrots, sweet and hot peppers, smoked Greek paprika and some Boukovo. A little more olive oil and some dried Greek oregano and all this dish needs is some high heat roasting in the oven.

The main course was some braised beef short ribs, slow-cooked for 4 hours in homemade beef stock and Xinomavro red from Kir Yanni. The aromas of bay, thyme and allspice perfumed the studio kitchen space where I hosted the dinner. A big thanks to Vanessa of Aphrodite Cooks!

The dinner just kept on getting better and better. One should always leave room for dessert and the evening’s final course was Touloumbes on a bed of strained Greek yogurt with lots of lemon zest and Attiki honey from Greece.

After three appetizers, a soup, stuffed peppers, braised beef and roast potatoes, Touloumbes for dessert and lots of wine in between and during each course, the evening came to a close. One last offering  of Greek coffee and new friends and old experienced some New Greek cusine. New in that this was regional Greek cooking…looking beyond the well-known taverna faves, the often praised Cretan and Aegean island dishes. There’s more to Greek food than the Athenian estiatorio or the taverna of Thessaloniki.

It was my pleasure to feature my family’s regional cooking (Florina) and soon I will feature your family’s regional cooking. Pencil-in November 18th for my next dinner.

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Monument in honour of Cretans who fought in the Macedonian struggle, Thessaloniki

• Join me on Sunday, November 18th for a dinner and movie as I collaborate with Reel Eats to cook up a Big Fat Greek Dinner
• Ikaria, the island where people forget to die
• Halkidiki sees boost in real estate and tourism from Russians
• Diane Kochilas shares her thoughts on the Greek crisis and opines Greeks are returning to their roots both in food and family
• Nemea red is chosen as Vintages (Ontario) best buy
• Join me for a tour of Toronto’s Greektown/Danforth tomorrow and each Saturday (until weather permits)

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This dish comes from Greece, handed to me from my mom who tried the dish via a family friend, Kuria (Mrs.) Anna. For this dish I used sea bream (tsipoura) filets but you can use any white fish filets (preferably with skin on). I like the skin on fish – when it is crispy and in the case it is delicious when paired with soft vegetables like the wilted spinach and fennel here.

Spinach is available all year ’round, its good for you, its delicious and it complements many dishes. Fennel is also in season and this anise-flavoured bulb can be used to make a bright salad or complement fish and seafood. Besides onions and scallions, the dish also gets flavouring from selino, a European thin-stalked type of celery that you will see more often than the usual celery that you and I cook with. Here in Toronto, Asian grocers usually carry “selino”.

The great thing about this dish is ease with which it comes together and the minimal use of kitchen utensils: cutting board, strainer, bowl, large skillet. As with any dish, you should have your ingredients ready (mise en place) and that’s probably your most important task here.

Head to your fish monger and ask for sea bream. Greece ships very fresh farm-raised sea bream and sea bass to much of the world and its great roasted, pan-fried or grilled. Most fish mongers will filet the fish you and all you have to do is cook. The finishing touch is the Avgolemono sauce: often used to thicken a soup without using cream, this tangy sauce is also used as an accompaniment to cabbage rolls, dolmades, fricassee and fish dishes.

Making an Avgolemono sauce without it turning to scrambled egg is easy: you’re tempering hot liquid by slowly adding it to the egg/lemon mixture. Do this and you’re home free and fearless in the Greek kitchen.

Pan-Seared Sea Bream With Spinach, Fennel & Avgolemono Sauce (Τσιπουρα με Σπανακι, Μαραθο Και Αυγολεμονο)

(serves 4)

4 fresh sea bream, skin-on and fileted

2 stalks of European selino (celery), diced (or one stalk regular celery)

1 large onion, diced

2 stalks of fennel, diced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups of hot water

4 cups of fresh spinach, washed well, roughly chopped

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Avgolemono Sauce

2 large eggs

juice of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. of olive oil

1 heaping Tbsp. of flour

salt and pepper to taste

chopped fennel fronds for garnish

1. Rinse your filets and pat-dry, then drizzle and rub both sides of fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes (to firm up). Remove from fridge and allow the fish to return to room temperature. In the meantime, prep your remaining ingredients (mise en place).
2. Use a sharp knife to just barely score the skin side of the filets. Place a large non-stick pan on your stovetop over medium-high heat and when hot, add some olive oil and gently place the fish (skinside down first) into the pan. Sear for 2-3 minutes or until you can see the fish has cooked 2/3 of the way (look at them sideways). Flip and sear the flesh side for another 2 minutes and remove with a spatula and keep warm on a platter.
3. In the same pan over medium heat,  add the remaining olive oil, onions, fennel and sweat for 5-6 minutes while stirring. Now add the chopped spinach and stir until it just begins to wilt. Add the stock or water, salt and pepper and cover. Once the water begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until veggies and spinach are just soft.
4. In the meantime, beat your eggs and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside. Place a small pot on your stovetop and add the oil and flour and stir with a wooden spoon for a minute. Carefully strain the liquid from the skillet and slowly pour into the pot with the roux, and continue to stir until it begins to thicken. Take off the heat.
5. Now whisk your egg/lemon and slowly pour the hot liquid then pour back into the skillet with vegetables/spinach. Add the sliced scallions, fish fillets on top, cover and gently shake your pan back and forth and allow to thicken.
6. Adjust with salt and pepper and divide and serve with a garnish of fennel fronds. Pair with a Kir Yanni Petra.

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A friend of mine told that a new Gyro joint opened on the Danforth and I immediately headed into Greektown to check this new spot. After a spate of Greek shops having closed, this news made me smile. I’m optimistic.

Maras Gyro & Grill is located on the south side of the Danforth, just west of Logan. The space is clean, newly renovated and the owner Christos (Maras) insistes everything on the menu is housemade. Like the name of the shop, the focus is Gyro – both pork and chicken and they also offer both varities of meat in souvlaki form.

Pork Gyro

Souvlaki on a stick, Gyro on a vertical rotisserie. Maras’ pork is made of pork butt and the chicken comes for leg and thigh meat You won’t get any of that “Chicago style”  mystery meat here. Greek food has morphed into many things outside of Greece – some good, some bad. Forget that mystery-meat crap. Gyro in Greece is made of real, identifiable meat and that’s what Maras offers.

The pork tastes like pork and the chicken tastes like chicken, seasoned well but not with too much spices to cover up the meat. With pork butt and chicken leg and thigh used for both Gyro and souvlaki…you’re gonna get juicy, succulent meat.

The fries are hand cut on the premise and fried to order. The Tzatziki is made daily with strained Greek yogurt, garlic, wine vinegar, olive oil and some dill.

chicken Gyro

I was delighted to taste (and find out) that Maras’ Greek Salad is made with Greek Feta cheese, ripe tomatoes, Greek olive oil, Kalamata olives and Greek olive oil.

If I haven’t convinced you to head over to Maras yet, head over to try one of the many alcoholic, non-alcoholic beverages imported from Greece. There’s Ivi soft drinks, still and sparkling water, Greek wine.

Maras is located at 467 Danforth Ave., near Chester subway and open daily. Call for hours at 416-778-6880.

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Another summer has come and gone and once again our little quince tree did not bear any fruit. Although quinces are associated with the Mediterranean, they can grow in the lower parts of Canada (like here in the Toronto area). It seems the few quince tress that are in Canada are on family plots or used for pectin.

Quinces have been cultivated in Persia, near East, Greece for ages and this fruit looks like a cross between an apple and a pear. The aroma of quinces is intoxicating and the sweet and sour flavour is ideal for jams, spoon sweets, desserts and it pairs very well with pork. Although an under-ripened quince may be aromatic, it’s still green skin will tell you its not ready for us…yet. Once the colour turns to a yellow colour, you’re quinces are ready and that fruity aroma will perfume the room they are in even more so!

Greeks don’t eat quinces raw – too dense, firm to the tooth and tart. Quinces come alive when introduced to heat and today I am baking them and serving them with a good French vanilla ice cream. Much like apples or pears, it’s best to place your peeled and cored quinces in acidulated water so they don’t brown from exposure to oxygen.

This recipe is very simple, relying on sugar to balance quinces’ tartness, cinnamon and cloves to add complexity to the flavour and Greece’s most well-known brandy, Metaxa to coax the fruit’s natural sugars out. Metaxa can be found anywhere in Greece, here in Ontario most LCBO stores have it in stock.

Quinces can be a little harder to find but they are around. A neighbor gave me this basket of quinces but I’ve also seen some at green grocers on the Danforth (near Logan), near Pape Station and some Korean and Asian markets. Are you ready to try some quinces?

Baked Quinces With Metaxa, Cinnamon & Clove (Κυδωνια στο Φουρνο με Μεταξα, Κανελλα και Γαρυφαλλο)

(serves 8-10)

12-14 large quinces, peeled, cored and quartered

3 cups of sugar

1 demi-tasse (Greek coffee cup) of Metaxa brandy

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground clove

Pre-heated 375F

1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skins of your quinces, cut into quarters and remove the core and place in a large bowl of acidulated water.
2. Bakes uncovered 1 hour until golden-brown, approx. one hour, tossing the quinces in the liquid once or twice during baking. The quince should be fork-tender, if not, then bake longer.
3. Serve warm with a big scoop of French Vanilla ice cream, serve with a topping of 2-3 wedges of quince and spoon over some of the syrup.

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I’ve visited Istanbul twice…correction – three times after this past summer and this city has countless places where one can eat. There’s something for every budget, in each district and most (if not all) of Turkey’s regional cuisines on offer. Anytime I travel someplace I like to do some homework, which includes finding out which places I should check out fora meal.

My Turkish friends and others who have visited Istanbul supplied me with a long list of places to try out and in fact, the list I was given the last time I visited (two years ago) just grew in size. The same names came up and some new ones popped up. I chose where to eat based on my location at the time and instinct. My food instinct is usually right.

Travel from Thessaloniki to Istanbul is pretty convenient as the two cities are now serviced by daily flights, numerous Greek tour operators offer 2, 3, 4, 5 day packages to the city. Most offer a similar package and price and you have the choice of what category of hotel to stay at. Splurge on a 4 0r 5 star hotel as they don’t cost too much more than the 3 star, mediocre hotels offered by the tour operators.

We stayed in Taksim Square among a cluster of hotels that is also within walking distance of the Beyoglu district and the vast and very populated pedestrian mall known as Istiklal Street. Here, you’ll descend upon a sea of moving people walking down this cobble-stoned street, shops and eateries to the left and right. The clang-clang-clang of the trolley warns you that it’s coming through. The smell of chestnuts, the sound of street buskers, the site of ice cream hawkers toying around customers all vie for your senses’ attention. The aroma of donair kebabs, the sweet smell of Turkish delight and Baklava entice you. What to eat first?

My first night in Istanbul was a Thursday and I followed the advice of Chef, instructor Ozlem who recommended that I check out Antiochia, located in one of the sidestreets of Beyoglu. Antiochia specializes in Hatay cuisine, the region of Turkey wedged between Syria and the Mediterranean. The small restaurant isn’t too hard to find, just down an alley off of Istiklal and parallet to it. It’s a half-flight of stairs below street level with a young, urban crowd, cordial and eager to serve.

The menu and restaurant belong to young, pretty chef Jale Balci and her brother and another partner. What you get here is a choice of dips and array of stylish and tasty kebabs along with a thin, warm flat bread very much like the ones we know in wraps. I opted to choose a sampler of dips from muhamarra, hummus, yogurt and mint and a relish and red and green peppers with some pomegranate molasses swirled in.

I tried out the lamb kebab and the wrap contained minced lamb and beef, seasoned well, with a touch of heat that can always be soothed with any one of the dips on your plate.

When in Turkey (a muslim state) you must be know that many establishments do not serve alcohol while many others still do. There’s no logic to it, a matter of personal choice for the proprietor and thankfully Antiochia serves alcoholic beverages.

• The dessert reminded me of Greek spoon sweet made of baby eggplant but this one was very forward with clove flavouring but the ice cream cut the richness. If you’re looking for a quiet meal away from the din and crowds of Istiklal yet still nearby, check out Antiochia. They say that on any given night there are about 3 million people in Beyoglu at night. Antiochia provides comfort, great food and a chill (relaxed) atmosphere.

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Each year I see people throw out their carved pumpkins when they can use the flesh to make another good dish or two. Hold on to those pumpkins after Halloween, we’ve got a Greek dish to make! Inspired by Diane Kochilas’ version of Pastitsio with pumpkin, I took this riff on Greek’s answer to lasagna and turned it into a vegetarian dish. Swap ground meat for roasted pumpkin or squash…whatever you have on hand.

Classic Pastitsio uses hollow bucatini-type pasta with a layer of spiced, aromatic meat sauce in between and a creamy Bechamel on top. The dish is baked until the top is golden, allowed to rest before cutting into big square portions.

The flavour profile is different from the classic Pastitsio: I chose herbs and flavouring that flavours pumpkin and squash: there’s onions and garlic to make the dish more savoury: some thyme, allspice and sage to warm the di sh and some crumbled Feta cheese to balance the pumpkin’s natural sweetness.

The Bechamel is the same: butter, milk, grated Kefalotyri cheese and fresh grated nutmeg, pinch of salt and pepper. This dish is great if you want to give the family a break from meat and you have another use for that Halloween pumpkin!

Pumpkin Pastitsio (Παστιτσιο με Κιτρινο Κολοκυθι)

1 packet of Misko brand “macaronia no.2 Pastitsio” pasta (500 gr.)

1 medium-sized pumpkin or 2 butternut squash

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves

2 tsp. fresh chopped sage

1/4 chopped fresh parsley

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup crumbled Feta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Bechamel sauce

6 Tbsp.  butter
1/2 cup flour
5 cups of warm milk (no lighter than 2%)
4 eggs
3/4 cup of Kefalotiri or Romano cheese
salt to taste

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400F. Carefully cut your pumpkin into wedge (or halve your squash) and remove any seeds. Drizzle the inside with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in your preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from t he oven and allow to cool enough to handle. Use a spoon to remove the cooked pumpkin and place in a large bowl (discard skins).
2. In the meantime, place a medium skillet on the stove over medium heat and add the diced onions and garlic and sweat for 6-7 minutes or until translucent. Allow to cool and place in a bowl along with the pumpkin, allspice, sage, thyme, parsley, ricotta, Feta cheese. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and gently mix. Cover and place in the fridge.
3. For the pasta, place a large pot of water on your stove stovetop and bring to a bowl. Add salt and the entire package of pasta and cook for 5 minutes, drain. You may toss a bit of oil in the pasta so it doesn’t clump up.
4. To make the Bechamel, put the butter in a pot to melt. Add the flour, stirring quickly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps from forming. Stir & cook the flour/butter mixture to a golden colour. Pour in the milk while stirring and then and salt to taste, stirring the mixture constantly. When it thickens, turn off the heat and add your cheese and pour in your eggs, continue stirring. Add your nutmeg and stir in.
5. Pre-heat your oven to 375F and grease/butter a 9 X 13 deep baking dish. Add a ladle of Bechamel into the dish and spread evenly on the bottom. Now lay half of your boiled pasta evenly on the bottom. Spread the entire pumpkin filling evenly over the pasta then place the remaining pasta over the pumpkin.
6. Pour the remaining Bechamel over the pasta and spread evenly. Grate some more Kefalotyri cheese on top and place in your pre-heated 375F oven for 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden-brown.

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Strolling through Nafplion, Peloponnese

• Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous) takes us on a journey of the Peloponnese 
• The 53rd Thessaloniki International Film Festival opens today and ends Nov.11, check out the schedule
• David Rosengarten shares his five favourite Greek dishes
• Yes, there is also an obesity problem in Greece…western and processed foods being major causes
• We’re well into Autumn but the island of Rhodes is still warm and sunny
• Wine & Spirits magazine awards Domaine Gerovassliou “2012 winery of the year”

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REEL EATS- Hear, Smell, Taste, Touch and Watch What You Eat

REEL EATS invites you to engage all of your senses. Join us for a monthly gastronomic film and story-telling event that brings together Toronto’s finest chefs, raconteurs (think CBC Radio’s DNTO live) and food lovers in one gloriously delicious evening. Themes generated by a famous culinary film lie at the heart of every event.

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” directed by Joel Zwick and written by Greek Canadian Nia Vardalos is the story of a Greek gal who falls for (drum roll please) a WASP! Toula Portokalos is, according to her father Gus, destined to marry a nice Greek boy. But after completing college computer classes and taking over her aunt’s travel agency, she meets hunky Ian Miller, played by John Corbett. Dating on the sly leads to her family finding out and eventually, Toula learning to accept herself, her culture and how she fits into it all.

In the spirit of Greek OPA! We’re delighted to welcome pop-up dinner sensation and the friendliest blonde Greek culinary authority you’ll ever meet, Peter Minaki. Toula’s wedding by the way, was filmed at the fictional “Aphrodite Banquet Hall” which is fitting since our own Reel Eats chef is Aphrodite Cook’s aka- Vanessa Yeung and we’ll be at her studio for this party! Peter has created a Greek wedding feast sure to put fire in your belly and mirth in your heart! We hope you’ll join us for a true, Mediterranean celebration of life, love and food.
Peter Minakis’ “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” Inspired menu:

v  Wedding Welcome Cocktail called “The Windex” made of Ouzo, blue curaçao and lemonade

v  Appetizer Platter: Yiayia’s (grandmother’s) Dolmades (rice filled grape leaves) with house Tzatziki, warm pita bread or homemade bread, Mama Portokalos’ Spanakopita with handmade phyllo

v  First Course: Toula’s favourite soup: Chicken Avgolemono Soup brightened with Cookin’ Greens kale

v  Main: Mama Portokalos’ Braised & baked lamb shanks served Giovetsi-style with aromatic, warm spices, kritharaki (Greek orzo) and grated dry Mizithra cheese. “You vegetarian? We have lamb!” (from the movie).

v  Side: Aunt Voula’s “No Hormonies” seasonal green salad with a fig and Greek yoghurt dressing.

v  Dessert: Meester Portokalos’ Galaktoboureko (milk/semolina custard pie baked in phyllo, finished with honeyed orange syrup and Greek coffee

The Delectable Details:

v  ***While the movie will be playing silently in the background, it serves as our inspiration and not our focus. Besides, the food, story-telling and the company will be so fabulous, we recommend you watch it prior to joining us!***

v  WHEN: Sunday, November 18, 2012 starting at 6:00pm- dinner starts sharply at 6:30pm!

v  WHERE: Aphrodite Cook’s Culinary Loft:

REEL EATS invites you to engage all of your senses. Join us for a monthly gastronomic film and story-telling event that brings together Toronto’s finest chefs, raconteurs (think CBC Radio’s DNTO live) and food lovers in one gloriously delicious evening. Themes generated by a famous culinary film lie at the heart of every event.

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” directed by Joel Zwick and written by Greek Canadian Nia Vardalos is the story of a Greek gal who falls for (drum roll please) a WASP! Toula Portokalos is, according to her father Gus, destined to marry a nice Greek boy. But after completing college computer classes and taking over her aunt’s travel agency, she meets hunky Ian Miller, played by John Corbett. Dating on the sly leads to her family finding out and eventually, Toula learning to accept herself, her culture and how she fits into it all.

In the spirit of Greek OPA! We’re delighted to welcome pop-up dinner sensation and the friendliest blonde Greek culinary authority you’ll ever meet, Peter Minaki. Toula’s wedding by the way, was filmed at the fictional “Aphrodite Banquet Hall” which is fitting since our own Reel Eats chef is Aphrodite Cook’s aka- Vanessa Yeung and we’ll be at her studio for this party! Peter has created a Greek wedding feast sure to put fire in your belly and mirth in your heart! We hope you’ll join us for a true, Mediterranean celebration of life, love and food.
Peter Minakis’ “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” Inspired menu:

v  Wedding Welcome Cocktail called “The Windex” made of Ouzo, blue curaçao and lemonade

v  Appetizer Platter: Yiayia’s (grandmother’s) Dolmades (rice filled grape leaves) with house Tzatziki, warm pita bread or homemade bread, Mama Portokalos’ Spanakopita with handmade phyllo

v  First Course: Toula’s favourite soup: Chicken Avgolemono Soup brightened with Cookin’ Greens kale

v  Main: Mama Portokalos’ Braised & baked lamb shanks served Giovetsi-style with aromatic, warm spices, kritharaki (Greek orzo) and grated dry Mizithra cheese. “You vegetarian? We have lamb!” (from the movie).

v  Side: Aunt Voula’s “No Hormonies” seasonal green salad with a fig and Greek yoghurt dressing.

v  Dessert: Meester Portokalos’ Galaktoboureko (milk/semolina custard pie baked in phyllo, finished with honeyed orange syrup and Greek coffee

The Delectable Details:

v  ***While the movie will be playing silently in the background, it serves as our inspiration and not our focus. Besides, the food, story-telling and the company will be so fabulous, we recommend you watch it prior to joining us!***

v  WHEN: Sunday, November 18, 2012 starting at 6:00pm- dinner starts sharply at 6:30pm!

v  WHERE: Aphrodite Cook’s Culinary Loft: 201 Weston Road (at St. Claire West and Keele)- Suite 101

v  WHAT: A night of food, film, story-telling and fabulous Greek-themed prizes for the fortuitous few. This is a BYOB event – we will send out wine pairing suggestions 1 week prior to the event.

v  NOTE: This is a fully pre-paid event- to reserve your seat, please contact Domenic Ubaldino at: reeleats@rogers.com We may film this event- so please be advised that you might appear in a YouTube video near you! Cost is $75.

(at St. Claire West and Keele)- Suite 101

v  WHAT: A night of food, film, story-telling and fabulous Greek-themed prizes for the fortuitous few. This is a BYOB event – we will send out wine pairing suggestions 1 week prior to the event.

v  NOTE: This is a fully pre-paid event- to reserve your seat, please contact Domenic Ubaldino at: reeleats@rogers.com We may film this event- so please be advised that you might appear in a YouTube video near you! Cost is $75.

Reel Eats seeks to celebrate the art of a good story through every frame, plate and experience. We hope you’ll join us for the delicious journey. Concept created and brought to you by: Mary Luz Mejia and Mario Stojanac of Sizzling Communications, Vanessa Yeung and Domenic Ubaldino of Aphrodite Cooks and Sang Kim – restaurateur, writer and cook behind Sushi Making for the Soul.

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.