The People and Places of Northwest Washington September 23, 2009 ■ Page 19 Festival is labor of love, heritage for Greek women By LINDA LOMBARDI Current Correspondent he line snaked around the church courtyard and out to T the parking lot on Saturday evening as patrons waited to order food at the Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church festival. Many return every year, but few probably have any idea what it takes to mount the three- day festival that has been a fixture at the 16th Street church for 49 years. On a morning before the festi- val, two women punching at a big ball of dough in the church base- ment are wearing blue aprons bearing the motto “It’s Chic to be Greek.” This morning, though, it is hard work to be Greek, at least if you’re one of the dozen or so women gathered to make pastry. Bill Petros/The Current The women of the women’s likes to use the one you Dina Papoulias, top, was one of about a dozen women who auxiliary have been gathering since crank by hand, and after baked for hours in preparation for last weekend’s Sts. June to prepare one menu item per 38 years of making Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church festival. The week, and today’s assignment is diples, she’s had plenty of group makes everything from scratch: “We’ve used the diples, a fried pastry coated in time to decide her prefer- honey. The morning began with 15 ence. After four passes same recipes for over 40 years — we’ve cultivated them to dozen eggs mixed with enough through the machine, the where we think they’re perfect,” said festival coordinator flour to make a dough of the prop- strip of dough is almost Andrew Recachinas. er texture, and this large bowl is paper-thin and at least 4 only one of several. The others are feet long. made diples at home, book, are next laid out on trays and out in the church hall, where Suzi Raptis takes it, “my mother would say rolled back to the small kitchen, dough is being cut into balls and drapes it over two hands ‘Honey, look,’ but I where three women are elbow-to- patted down, then taken to a pasta held in the air, and wouldn’t pay attention,” elbow at the stove. Dropped into machine to be rolled thin. spreads it out on a well- to measure where to cut it into so now she’s learning how. hot oil, the pastry quickly becomes Two of the machines are elec- floured table, where another squares. Raptis is helping out for The square sheets of dough, covered with little bubbles, and tric, but Dina Papoulias says she woman uses the width of her hand the first time. When her family about the size of a paperback See Festival/Page 26 Spanish classes HOME & GARDEN for toddlers? Si! Aid and save with local startup group By CHRIS BARYLICK The premise is relatively simple: Create By STEPHANIE KANOWITZ Current Correspondent an account at earthaid.net, enter your current Current Correspondent utility information, and the site begins to our folks always used to remind you track your energy use while creating a base- ou could teach a child that the to turn out line for comparison Spanish word for “red” is “rojo” by Ythe lights based on your past Yusing flashcards and repetition. Or when you left a use (such as gas, an actor dressed as a 16th-century Spanish room. Now you water and electric artist could point out the red in one of his can get discounts bills). Subscribers most famous works while telling the artist’s and deals for doing then receive points life story. so. that can then be Pilar O’Leary and Alexandra Migoya pre- Local startup used to get dis- fer the second approach — experiential firm Earth Aid counts or deals at learning. That’s why they started Isabella & introduced a first- approximately 30 Ferdinand, a Spanish language immersion of-its-kind energy- local businesses program for children ages 1 through 9. Courtesy of Pilar O’Leary savings reward pro- Chris Barylick/The Current including Treet Wait. Spanish lessons for a 12-month-old? Alexandra Migoya, left, and Pilar O’Leary gram at an event on Council members pose with Earth Aid CEO online bakery, Love Research shows that it’s much easier for are launching a Spanish language school in the Georgetown Ben Bixby and Agraria owner Dan Simons. Cafe coffee shop children to become fluent in a language Northwest offering experiential learning. waterfront this and Balance yoga when they begin learning it early, explained month. The company runs a Web site where studio. O’Leary, a Palisades resident who is fluent in she said. “They don’t have to think about it. residents can save toward special offers at Representatives from participating busi- English, French, Italian and Spanish. They’re not translating.” local businesses by going greener in their nesses as well as D.C. Council Chairman “It comes much more viscerally to them,” See Isabella/Page 22 daily lives. See Earth Aid/Page 22 26 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 THE CURRENT Northwest Real Estate Renovated Classic is actually a walk-in deep freezer, and grilled on the days of the festi- FESTIVAL filled with dishes waiting to be val and some dishes like chicken From Page 19 defrosted and cooked to feed a livers and sausage prepared at the crowd that some years is as many last minute. And there’s no dele- before it gets stiff, the cook, using as 5,000 over three days. A peek gating to professional cooks or a long two-tined fork in each hand, inside reveals 5-foot-tall carts vendors. “Everything is made here. skillfully folds over the We don’t bring anything two sides toward the in,” said Recachinas. middle. Now the tradi- “We’ve used the same tional shape, the pastry is recipes for over 40 years fried a moment longer to — we’ve cultivated become golden, then them to where we think removed to an enormous they’re perfect.” Bright, renovated rowhouse offering sun-filled living room, colander to drain. The Greek name of beautiful hardwoods and moldings, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, The process is compli- the women’s group, table-space kitchen leading to private rear patio, finished cated and the quantities Philoptochos, means lower level & more! impressive, but it all goes “friends of the poor,” smoothly, a result of their Offered at $999,000 and much of the pro- years of experience put- ceeds from the festival ting on the largest and go to programs for the Call John Bragale oldest Greek festival in needy, as well as into a the D.C. area. The long building fund for the 301-503-1300 (direct) 301-907-7600 (office) tables covered with church. They also sup- diples waiting to be coat- port the church’s youth ed in honey, which is activities, including a 5)&8&45$)&45&3t$BUIFESBM"WF /8 warming in large electric Greek dance troupe that cookers, are just a hint of visits nursing homes. the bounty. The troupe performed at To give an idea of the the festival, as did a quantities, Nina Alexiou, band that provides who has worked for the Greek music for partici- festival for more than 30 patory dancing. Even if A GRAND years, says that on the you haven’t done it 3 bedroom, Saturday prior to the fes- before, said Recachinas, 3 bath apart- tival, she made 150 Bill Petros/The Current “it doesn’t take much to ment with pounds of sugar into Dina Papoulias, top, rolls out dough until it’s paper- get people Greek danc- 3,000 square syrup for all the pastries, thin. Then another cook cuts it into squares before ing.” feet features like baklava, waiting to frying the pastries, called diples. The church also holds a large center be baked and finished. a sale of baked goods hall gallery, expansive living room, banquet-size dining room, Festival coordinator Andrew filled with trays of moussaka (an the week before Greek Orthodox home office with built-in bookcases. This flexible floor plan Recachinas gives part of the shop- eggplant casserole) and pastitsio Christmas and Easter each year; is completely renovated with extensive ping list just for sweets: “We use (something like a Greek lasagna). check the parish calendar at 120 pounds of butter, 500 pounds Despite all the advance prepara- schgoc.org for dates. Its Greek upgrades, refinished parquet floors and of honey, 300 pounds of walnuts.” crown molding throughout. $1,250,000 tion, church members don’t relax Taverna night fundraiser will take And what looks like a large and enjoy themselves when the place on Oct. 3. Tickets are on sale metal shed out behind the church crowds arrive. Meats are roasted on the Web site. Darrell Zimmerman Long and Foster 202 302-5566 202 944-8400 Simply the Best—Join Us! Another Multi-Million Dollar Producer Moves to W.C. & A.N. Miller Realtors Place your trust in the largest private lender in the Washington Metro Area. 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