“FOOD FOR THOUGHT” GYMNASIO FERON, EVROS, GREECE MARCH 2019

EDITORIAL Gastronomy is one of the authentic cultural aspects of a region. The different tastes of its cuisine are often linked with the quality characteristics of its society, while the “unveil” elements of its cultural and economical history. Moreover, taste seems to be a way of communication. A way to “talk” into someone’s heart. Greek gastronomy goes back in the past, almost 4000 years, with special features which are based on pure and of unique quality products of the Greek land. To be precise, Archestratus was the one that wrote the first recipe book in human history in 330 B.C.

The main factors that influenced the Greek cuisine were navigation, wars, colonies, invaders that brought together different cultures, different ingredients and techniques that influenced our eating habits. The first impact comes with the Mediterranean cooks that worked in the kitchens of the Greek and Roman aristocrats in ancient times. After the conquests of Alexander the Great we trace the development of the Macedonian cuisine. However, a new wind blows in Byzantine times. The Byzantines had fish and meat as the base of their nutrition. It is then that the Greek cuisine becomes a mixture of the Roman and Byzantine cuisine.

During the centuries that follow two different cuisines emerge. The Eastern cuisine ( Asia Minor & Eastern Aegean) which is practically the Byzantine cuisine, and the austere cuisine of the Greek mainland. After the Ottoman conquest, they are greatly influenced by the Eastern way of eating and habits. After the Asia Minor Catastrophe these two trends mingle and develop depending on the economical and social condition of its region.

In Greek traditional diet the taste is harmonically matched with high nutritional value. A great number of scientific research has proven the positive impact of the balanced Greek diet on health, beauty and long living. Additionally, Greed dietary culture has added an extrovert social dimension in feasting, joining taste with entertainment and communication keeping alive the echo from the ancient Greek symposium.

Four are the secrets of Greek cuisine: high quality fresh ingredients, wise use of herbs and spices, the famous Greek olive oil and simplicity. Also, it is common knowledge that thanks to the wild Greek climate most of the vegetables are fresh, thus retaining their flavour and taste.

DOLMADAKIA (Filled vine leaves)

INGREDIENTS

 2 cups of Carolina rice  2 finely chopped onions  2 bunches of chopped green onions  1 clove garlic  ½ bunch dill  ½ bunch mint  1 lemon (zest and juice)  1 teaspoon ground fennel seed  1 teaspoon salt  ½ teaspoon pepper  1 cup olive oil  60 vine leaves  water

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the rice in a bowl for an hour. Rinse it well and let it drain. Choose 50 medium sized tender leaves. Place the rest at the bottom of the cooking pot. Rinse the vine leaves under running water, place them in a large pot of simmering water for 5 minutes, drain and trim the stems. Sauté the onions and garlic in ½ cup olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and stir gently for 5 minutes. After adding the lemon zest and herbs, pour 2 cups of water and let the rice simmer for 10 minutes until almost dry. Remove from heat. Place a vine leaf on a plate, veined side up. Put one spoonful of the rice mixture in lower centre. Fold the bottom of the leaf to cover the rice. Neatly fold in the edges of both sides (but not too tight), and then complete by wrapping up into a cigar shape. Repeat with the remaining grape leaves and filling. Place the filled vine leaves (dolmadakia) in the sauce pan in the saucepan cyclically one beside the other and with the edge looking at the bottom of the pan. Cover the dolmadakia with water, add the lemon juice and the olive oil and place a heavy plate on top of the stuffed vine leaves to avoid being opened. Simmer for an hour, until there is no more water left. Serve hot or cold and accompany them with yoghurt.

REVITHOKEFTEDES (CHICKPEA BALLS) INGREDIENTS

• 1 red onion (finely chopped) • 2 tsp olive oil • 1 garlic clove (minced) • 1 red chilli (deseeded, finely sliced, *optional) • 2 x 400 g can chickpeas (drained and rinsed) • 1 egg • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

INTSTRUCTIONS  Heat oven to 180°C conventional or 160°C fan-forced and line a baking tray with baking paper.  Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium. Add oil, onion, garlic and chilli (if using) with a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes stirring frequently until onions are soft and translucent. Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Pat drained chickpeas dry and place in a food processor. Pulse until broken up but not smooth  Mix chickpeas with onion mixture along with egg and breadcrumbs. Season well with salt and pepper and roll into balls (about 1 tbsp per ball). Place on oven tray and bake for 20 minutes.

GIOUVARLAKIA (MEAT BALL SOUP) INGREDIENTS For the meatballs 500g lean minced beef (18 ounces) ¼ of a cup long-grain rice (not boiled) ½ cup parsley, finely chopped 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped 1 egg 2 tbsps olive oil ½ carrot, grated (optional) 3 tbsps fresh dill, finely chopped (optional) 1 tsp salt a pinch of coriander freshly ground pepper For the egg lemon sauce 2 eggs juice of 2 lemons 1 tbsp flour For the egg lemon sauce 2 eggs juice of 2 lemons 1 tbsp flour

INSTRUCTIONS Place all the meatball ingredients into a large bowl, knead the mixture squeezing the ingredients with your hand until smooth. Leave the mixture to rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. (This will prevent the youvarlakia to break up when boiled.) Form the meatballs (youvarlakia) and set them aside. Pour into a large pan 2 ½ cups of water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and gently add the meatballs (youvarlakia) in the water, put the lid back on and cook for 20-25 minutes. (The water should be enough to cover the meatballs, so add some more warm water if needed) To prepare the egg lemon sauce for the Greek meatball soup, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Add the lemon juice and the flour and whisk well. Add into the bowl a ladle of hot soup and whisk quickly. Add one more ladle and whisk again until combined.

Stir in the egg lemon sauce into the youvarlakia soup and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, until warm but not boiling. Serve this extra warming Greek meatball soup, while still hot with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

GREEK FISH SOUP (KAKAVIA) INGREDIENTS 1/3 cup olive oil 1 brown onion, diced 5 garlic cloves, crushed

1 large carrot, diced 1 leek, white part only, diced 2 sticks celery, diced 1 lemon, rind finely grated 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 cups fish stock 1/2 tsp saffron threads 1kg ripe tomatoes 500g bread 750g thick white boneless fish fillets, cut into 4cm pieces 1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped 1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS  Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add onion, half the garlic, carrot, leek and celery. Stir until combined. Cook for 10 minutes or until softened. Add lemon rind, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, stock, 6 cups of water and tomato mixture. Bring soup to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are softened.  Preheat oven to 200°c. Line a tray with baking paper.  Combine remaining oil and garlic in a bowl. Place bread onto a chopping board and brush both sides with garlic oil. Cut into 6 wedges. Transfer to tray. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden and crisp.  Add fish to soup and cook for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and mint.  Ladle into bowls. Serve with toast.

GIOUVETSI ( BEEF WITH ORZO PASTA) INGREDIENTS 1 kg/35 ounces veal (shoulder), cut into portions 2 medium red onions, finely chopped 2 carrots, sliced (1 cm thick) 1 tin of chopped tomatoes 2 tbsps tomato puree 1 tsp sugar 1 glass of red wine 1 cinnamon stick 1/2 cup of olive oil 250g orzo pasta ( kritharaki / manestra ) 100g grated kefalotyri or feta cheese (5 ounces)

INSTRUCTIONS Wipe the meat with paper towels. Heat 1/2 of a cup of olive oil into a pan, add the chopped onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes in medium-low heat. Turn up the heat and add the veal; brown the meat on all sides until crusty. Stir in the tomato purée and pour in the red wine; wait for the wine to evaporate. Add the tinned tomatoes, a glass of water, the sugar, the cinnamon stick and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 45 minutes. In the meantime, heat another pan, add 3 tbsps of olive oil and the orzo pasta and sauté, until golden. Place the orzo pasta in an oven tray along with the meat and sauce (remove the cinnamon stick) and mix. Cover the tray with some aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil, add a glass of water if needed, and put back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Sprinkle with some grated kefalotyri or any hard yellow cheese and enjoy!

TRADITIONAL GREEK SOUTZOUKAKIA

INGREDIENTS

 For the soutzoukakia  For the tomato sauce 800g ground beef 3 cups tomato juice (passata) 4 cloves of garlic (mashed) 1 cup red wine 2 eggs 2 garlic cloves (mashed) 1 teaspoon of ground cumin 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon olive oil 1/4 cup of olive oil 1 tsp sugar 1 cup finely chopped parsley salt and freshly ground black 5 slices of stale bread soaked pepper in red wine and squeezed dry 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon sugar 1 bay leaf salt and freshly ground pepper 1 onion, grated

INSTRUCTIONS:  For the soutzoukakia Μix all the ingredients together knead and leave the mixture in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Shape into oblong meatballs and fry in olive oil till golden brown.  For the sauce Sauté the onion in olive oil. Add the mashed garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes until the onions are tender. Add the wine, the tomato juice, sugar, cumin, tomato paste, the bay leaf and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer, until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the fried soutzoukakia in the tomato sauce and stir gently, being careful not to brake them. Leave to simmer in low heat for 15 minutes, enabling the meatballs to absorb all the wonderful flavours from the tomato sauce. Serve the soutzoukakia while still hot with some rice or mashed potatoes.

SPAGHETTI WITH EGGPLANTS, BELL PEPPERS AND FETA INGREDIENTS For the spaghettini - 250gr/9oz whole wheat spaghettini Nr.3 - 1lt (4 cups) of water - 1 tablespoon of margarine/soft butter - salt

For the sauce - 400gr/14oz eggplants, cut into small cubes - 250gr/9oz green bell pepper, cut into thick pieces - 160gr/5.5oz onion (1 big onion), finely chopped - 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped - 300gr/10.5oz tomatoes, grated - 70gr/2.5oz (3 tablespoons), tomato paste - 1 teaspoon turmeric - 125gr/4.5oz feta cheese, cut into small cubes - 180ml (3/4 cup) olive oil - 250ml (1 cup) water - salt and pepper INSTRUCTIONS For the spaghettini  Boil the spaghettini in the water (add salt). Try to boil the spaghettini al dente. This means that it must be soft/tender but also slightly firm when you bite it. When ready, drain, put the spaghettini back in the pot and add the margarine/butter. Stir well until the butter melts.

For the sauce  Add the olive oil in a frying pan or a medium-sized pot and put it on medium to high heat.  Add the onion and the peppers and saute until soft (about 4 minutes).  Add the eggplants and the garlic and continue to saute for 8-10 minutes more. Once the vegetables are soft, pour the tomato, the tomato paste, the cup of water and add the turmeric.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until most of the water is evaporated and the sauce thickens.  Add salt and pepper. Serve adding the feta cheese cubes.

Kali orexi!

MIDOPILAFO ( MUSSLES WITH RICE) INGREDIENTS onions: 2 finely chopped garlic: 1 tbs., finely chopped parsley: 2 tbs., finely chopped fresh mussels: 1 ½ kilo white wine: ¼ cup olive oil: ½ cup short grain rice: 1 cup tomatoes: 300 gr., finely chopped tomato puree: 1 tbs. chilli pepper: 1 finely chopped salt a bit pepper freshly ground

INSTRUCTIONS

 Clean the shells, remove the beards and wash well. Steam in a pot with the wine until the shells open. Discard the mussels whose shells did not open. Keep 5-6 mussels in their shells for garnish and remove the shells from the rest.  Sauté the onion, garlic and chilli pepper in the oil. Add the mussels and all the ingredients except for the rice and salt and pepper. As soon as the sauce comes to a boil, pour in the rice and water to make the pilaf (you can also use the juice used to steam the mussels but you must strain it first).  Remove the pot from the heat when the rice is cooked, before all the liquid has evaporated. Salt and pepper and serve garnished with the mussels in their shells.

Prasorizo (Greek rice and leek pilaf)

INGREDIENTS 80 g olive oil 1 onion 3 leeks 200 g long grained rice 1 ½ liters water 1 vegetable bouillon cube salt pepper juice from 1 lemon 3 tablespoons dill, finely chopped 3 tablespoons mint, finely chopped 1 spring onion, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS Place a pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Finely chop the onion and add it to the pot. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the onion softens. Chop the leeks into 1 cm rounds and add them to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes, until the leeks wilt a little. Mix every so often with a wooden spoon. Add the rice and sauté for 1 minute. Add the water, bouillon cube, salt and pepper. Mix well. Lower heat, cover with lid and simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the rice will have absorbed most of the liquid from the pot. Add the lemon juice and mix. Cover with lid again for the last 4-5 minutes of cooking. Check if the rice has softened. Remove pot from heat. Add the dill, mint and spring onions. Mix with a wooden spoon and cover pot for at least 15-20 minutes. If the rice is still not done, cook for another 5 minutes. You may need to add a little more water. Season to taste and serve with fresh aromatics and spring onions.

CLASSIC GREEK SALAD (HORIATIKI) INGREDIENTS 1 large, ripe tomato 1/2 a large cucumber, roughly chopped 1 small green bell pepper, roughly chopped 1/2 a large red onion, roughly chopped 1/4 cup Kalamata olives 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt 8 ounces high-quality Feta cheese 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 Tablespoon capers

INSTRUCTIONS  Cut the tomato into bite-sized pieces over a large serving bowl to catch the dripping juice.  Add in the cucumber, bell pepper, onion, olives, and salt. Use hands to toss together, squeezing occasionally to allow the tomatoes to release more juices.  Place the whole brick Feta cheese on top of the salad. Sprinkle with oregano, drizzle with olive oil, and top with capers. SERVE!!!

FASSOLIA PIAZ (GREEK WHITE BEANS SALAD)

INGREDIENTS 500 grams of medium size beans (white haricot beans, cannellini, or navy beans soaked overnight) Salt Extra virgin olive oil 2 tomatoes Parsley Lemon juice 1 medium onion Freshly ground black pepper Fresh oregano, optional

INSTRUCTIONS  Soak beans overnight.  Next day strain, add fresh water and boil. When they start boiling foam is formed on top which remove with a slotted ladle.  When this is done, strain them again and put fresh water to cover the beans. After they start boiling, add salt, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 – 1 ½ hours covering with lid, until they are soft.  Once cooked, let them cool down and strain them.

 Add olive oil, lemon juice, taste and adjust salt if necessary and sprinkle some black pepper on top.  Serve finely chopped tomato, onion and parsley, oregano.

Traditional Greek Skordalia (garlic sauce)

INGREDIENTS 4-5 garlic cloves 2 ½ ounces of walnuts 1 large slice stale bread ¾ cup olive oil Red wine vinegar (or lemon juice) Salt

DIRECTIONS  Grind the walnuts.  In a food processor process the garlic cloves with a bit of salt until it is a paste.  Add the walnuts to the garlic paste and mix well.  Soak the bread (without the crust in water and vinegar) and then squeeze well.  Mix the bread with the walnuts and garlic mixture. Mix until smooth.  Add olive oil gradually until olive oil is absorbed.  Add a bit of red wine vinegar for taste.

Aliada( traditional garlic sauce with potatoes)

INGREDIENTS

7-8 garlic cloves 1 pound of potatoes 1 cup olive oil Red wine vinegar (or lemon juice) Salt

INSTRUCTIONS  Peel the potatoes cut in cubes and boil in water until soft.  Once boiled, strain and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.  In a food processor process the garlic cloves with a bit of salt until it is a paste.  Add ½ of the olive oil in the food processor and continue mixing.  Add the garlic paste to the potato and mix with a wooden spoon.  Add the rest of the olive oil gradually, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until oil is absorbed  Add a bit of red wine vinegar for taste, mix well.

Risogalo (Rice paddy)

INGREDIENTS • 2 l of milk • 13 spoons of rice • 13-15 spoons sugar • 1 little spoon of corn flour • 1 vanilla flavour

INSTRUCTIONS In a saucepan, add 1-2 fingers of water and a little salt. When the water boils add the rice. Mix well and when the water is off, add the milk and the sugar. When the milk starts boiling, lower the temperature of the oven, and let it boil for approx. 20 minutes. At the end, dissolve the corn flour into a little frozen milk and with the vanilla flavor, add it to the saucepan. Let it curdle, share it out in bowls and serve with cinnamon!

Loukoumades

INGREDIENTS For the loukoumades 1 cup of lukewarm water (240g) 1 cup of lukewarm milk (240g) 15 g active dry yeast 3 and 1/4 of a cup flour (450g) 2 tbsps sugar 1 flat tsp salt 4 tbsps olive oil oil for frying

For the garnish 3/4 cup honey (350g) cinnamon powder chopped walnuts INSTRUCTIONS For the dough.  In the mixer bowl add the water and yeast. Stir with a fork and wait for 5 minutes, until the yeast dissolves completely. Into the same bowl, add the rest of the ingredients for the dough and whisk at high speed (for about 2 minutes) until the mixture becomes a smooth batter. Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for at least 1 hour to rise.  Into a medium sized frying pan pour enough vegetable oil to deep fry the loukoumades. Heat the oil to high heat until it begins to bubble. Test if the oil is hot enough by dipping in some of the dough for the loukoumades. If it sizzles the oil is ready.  Dip a tablespoon in some water and spoon out some of the dough into the hot oil. Repeat this procedure until the surface off the pan is comfortably filled. You should dip the spoon in the water every time, so that the batter doesn’t stick on it.  While the loukoumades are fried, use a slotted spoon to push them into the oil and turn them on all sides, until golden brown.  Place the loukoumades on some kitchen paper to drain. Repeat with the rest of the dough.  When done, place the loukoumades on a large platter, drizzle with the heated honey and sprinkle with cinnamon and chopped walnuts.

Lalagites ( traditional Greek pancakes)

INGREDIENTS 750gr lukewarm water 500gr flower 15gr baking powder 8gr yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons salt

INSTRUCTIONS  In a bowl put the yeast with the sugar and add 2oo gr of water  Mix and then add the rest of the water and the flour  Add the baking powder and the salt  Mix until some bubbles appear on the surface of the batter  Cover and let it rest for half an hour or more until it swells  Add some oil in a frying pan and when it is hot add a full spoon of the batter and spread it until it cover the pan  Turn it over in a minute and let it dry up