22 TUESDAY 5 MAY 2009 NEWS IN ENGLISH Ï Êüóìïò Russian psychic foresaw Sakis’ victory! A little bit before the Eurovision competition, Prohodko would have had good chances if the theme INXS. which will take place in Moscow, “Cosmopolskaya of her song was different. Due to family problems, His colleague Greg Portales, whose signature is pravda” newspaper announced that the famous Prohodko will not be focused at the day of the con- also under Sakis’ song, has written songs and has Russian psychic Alexander Litvin foresaw the win- cert, which will prevent her from ranking first. been a producer of famous singers like Rod ner. The psychic became famous from the show According to the psychic, the singer form Andorra Steward, Cher, Ozzy Osborne, Fleetwood Mack, “The battle of the psychics” and as a result the has good chances if she changes the color of her hair Terrence Trend D’Arby, Richie Sambora and many Russian newspaper turned to him with a request to and the Hungarian singer should work a little bit others. “For me, the secret of a song is for it to make see in the future and find out who the Eurovision more on the style of his song. you have fun. The Eurovision contest is fun and we winner will be. And so, when the names of the par- Meanwhile, the two Australians, who wrote Sakis are extremely happy to be participating in it,” says ticipants were out, Alexander Litvin reviewed the Rouvas’ song “This is our night,” said that they are Mr. Portales. photos and the personal information of the singers. very optimistic about the concert. Both of them will What will be the choreography and how Sakis’ According to Alexander, the biggest chance of try out the Eurovision competition for the first time, song will be presented remains a mystery. During his winning has the British singer Jade Ewen. The prob- and they hope it will be “their lucky first.” visit in England, Sakis Rouvas gave a press confer- ability of Sakis Rouvas to win is also big. According “We wanted to write something optimistic and ence, on which he said the best of words for his col- to the psychic, the emotional state of Sakis in the day positive,” says Jails Web, who has been writing songs leagues but to a question about his presentation in of his concert will be conductive to winning. for 25 years and has his own sound-recording com- Russia, he refused to give any information, which Other interesting predictions, which the Russian pany “Gusto Music” in Sidney. In Australia, he has awoke the media’s interest even more about the gave are that the Russian representative – Anastasia been working with big bands, including the 90’s boys Greek participation. The Modern Evangelia’s great view Vegetarian Book Review of coffee palace history After 10 years Evangelia Varsamis was the of unsung work princess of the coffee palace, heading up the Delfina Studio surveying the city far and wide Café in London, from her balcony throne. Maria Elia is slowly moving t was the 1910s and the young centre stage. As girl was photographed on the well as regular second storey of John forays into televi- I Varsamis’ Pantheon Coffee Palace sion, the daugh- ter of a Greek and Dining Room, in Florence Cypriot restau- Street. rant owner was named as one of 10 female Her father John was holding her as chefs to watch by The Independent last year. she balanced on the balcony rail – After stints writing for food magazines, Elia and today the image is being seen by has turned her attention to a cookbook. The hundreds of visitors to the Migration result is The Modern Vegetarian - a creative, Museum in Adelaide. vivacious look at vegetarian dishes. The girl is now Evangelia Nowhere in her biography does it suggest Monogios and still lives in Port Pirie. that Elia has ever turned her back on meat, In a sentimental mood, Mrs while her restaurant at the Delfina studios is Monogios recalled her days living in Evangelia Monogios holds a photo of the palace. At left is a favorite photo of her far from an expressly vegetarian operation. niece, Marilyn, at her marriage to Trevor McAuliffe. However, by targeting this market Elia has geared her lively, pan-global cuisine to an palace. The premises had 10 rooms often-ignored area of cooking, and has given Mrs Monogios said she loved living there. “I remem- upstairs which were each rented for the book a creditable raison d’être among the ber a big mirror in the dining room with John 10 shillings a fortnight and 12 rooms piles of cookbooks published each year. at the rear for pensioners. Elia’s CV is littered with worthy names, Varsamis’ Pantheon Coffee Palace and Dining Room In the floods in 1934, about 40 from stints at El Bulli and Arzak in Spain to - three course meal - 1/6 pence,” she said. people took refuge on the second spells in Italy, America and Australia. Her floor of the building. motive for writing a vegetarian cookbook, and Greek café proprietors permitted Mrs Monogios was born in 1925 in cited in the introduction, is the feeling that the coffee palace in an interview with the coffee palace, the building she vegetarians are treated with contempt in them to drink their coffee while din- The Recorder. ing in their restaurants. grew up in. many modern restaurants. Then after her father died when “As much as I love a mushroom risotto or a She was impressed, but could not This helped transform Australia’s she was five, she helped in the busi- mozzarella, tomato and basil salad, I am understand how, the little café had culture. A taste for instant coffee always amused to see how many restaurants made its place into Australia’s Greek grew among Australians with espres- ness, especially with the language only offer these dishes as their vegetarian Café Exhibition being staged at the so coffee now being a favorite. barrier because her mother spoke lit- choice,” she says. With not a nut loaf in sight, museum. But Mr Varsamis, who owned the tle English. Elia unleashes her lively style on meatless and The display is a touring exhibition John Varsamis’ Pantheon Coffee Mrs Monogios said she loved living fishless dishes. Grilled radicchio and straw- which looks at key roles by Greek Palace and Dining Room in Port there. “I remember a big mirror in berry risotto, lemon grass and sweetcorn soup Australians in our formative years Pirie, had clients who were Greek the dining room with John Varsamis’ with crème fraîche, and sumac spiced with a collection of photos and Australians and his coffee was not Pantheon Coffee Palace and Dining aubergine schnitzel with tabbouleh exhibit a national costumes. instant but ground and brewed – Room - three course meal - 1/6 vibrant and cosmopolitan approach to vege- The exhibition shows a photo of pence,” she said. tarian cuisine reminiscent of the Ottolenghi thick, black Turkish-Greek coffee. the Pantheon Coffee Palace which Mr Varsamis came to Australia After her older sisters and brother chain of restaurants. Mediterranean and married and left the home, Mrs Middle Eastern influences are scattered was one of the oldest and only coffee from Greece in 1910 looking for a throughout - rosemary porcini on toast, for venues in South Australia being better life, leaving behind his wife Monogios along with her mother ran example, or carrot pancakes with hummus shown in the exhibition. and three children. the business until 1955 when her and feta salad as well as dishes of a more fine Today, Australians are among the Because of the war, his family did mother died. She had previously dining lilt like textures of peas. For chefs leading coffee drinkers in the world, not arrive in Port Pirie until 1924. married Adam Monogios and they unwilling or uninspired to jazz up their vege- but this was not always so. He formed a club at 63 Florence eventually bought the building from tarian option this book could be the catalyst In World War II, with American Street for new migrants and then the family and leased it out. Today, to finally consign that goat’s cheese tart to the servicemen on leave, instant coffee bought the building across the road the site includes a Chinese annals of your restaurant’s history. was issued to them in their rations which was to become the coffee Restaurant, being the end of an era.