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ATHENS
GREECE
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Eating
out in Greece is a national pastime and a leisurely pleasure. Whether
dining at a local taverna or an elegant restaurant, Greeks take their time
over food. The native cuisine is delightfully uncomplicated and quite different
from what's found in Greek or Cypriot restaurants abroad. Much of the cooking
relies on simple seasonings and fresh meat and vegetables.
 For
breakfast,
Greeks rarely eat more than bakery-fresh tiropitas
(flaky cheese-filled pastries)
Greeks
eat lunch in late afternoon, generally between 2 and 4 pm,
and dinner around 10 or 11 pm. To stave off hunger between meals,
they enjoy snacking on souvlaki (garlic-marinated lamb kabobs or
tiropitas It's common for Greeks to make a lunch of mezedes, or hors d'oeuvres.
 Typical
dishes include fried meatballs, squash balls, octopus,
shrimp,
squid,
cheese,olives,
stuffed
vine leaves,
tzatziki (garlicky yogurt and cucumbers),
eggplant
dip, small sausages and giant beans. You can find mezedes
at an ouzeri (serving ouzo, an anise-flavored liqueur) or at a
mezedopolio (serving locally produced wine or beer); both of these
types of restaurants are open only during the day.
 For
the evening meal, Greek tavernas serve such specialties as moussaka
(lamb, eggplant and bechamel sauce), kabobs, pastitsio
(lamb or goat meat with macaroni and tomatoes), stifado (braised
beef with onions) and paidakia (grilled lamb or goat chops).
The
cost of dinner for one, not including drinks, start 6 Euro
Recipes:
Cheese
Pie -- Tiropita
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6 tablespoons
Butter
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8 tablespoons
Flour
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2 cups
Milk
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1 teaspoon
Salt
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dash Nutmeg
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1 lb.
Feta Cheese
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1 cup
grated (or Parmesan) Kefalotiri Cheese
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4
Eggs
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chopped
Parsley
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3/4 lb.
Phyllo (pastry sheets)
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3/4 cup
melted Butter
Preparation
Melt
butter in small saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour until smooth. Gradually
add milk, stirring constantly with wire whisk or wooden spoon. Add salt
and nutmeg, stirring occasionally, simmer for 5 minutes, or until white
sauce is thick. Mash feta cheese with a fork and combine with the grated
cheese, well beaten eggs, parsley and white sauce. Butter a 9X13 inch baking
pan. Line with half the pastry sheets, brushing each sheet with butter,
and letting them come up the sides of the pan. Pour in the cheese filling
and cover with the remaining pastry sheets brushing each sheet with butter.
Brush top with remaining butter and, with a sharp knife, score the top
sheets into strips about 3 inches wide from one end of the pan to the other.
Bake in a moderate oven until golden, about 45 minutes. Cut into squares
and serve hot.
Baked Macaroni With Ground
Beef -- Pastitsio
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1 tablespoon Butter
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2 lbs. Ground Beef
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1 small, finely chopped Onion
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1 clove Garlic
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2 teaspoons Salt
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1/2 teaspoon Pepper
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chopped Parsley
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1/2 cup White Wine
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2-3 peeled and diced or Tomatoes
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1 lb. can Tomatoes
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1 egg whites Eggs
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The Sauce:
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1/2 cup Butter
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3/4 cup Flour
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4 hot cups Milk
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Salt
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Pepper
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Nutmeg
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1 cup grated (or Parmesan) Kefalotiri
Cheese
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2 and 2 egg yolks Eggs
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***
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1 lb. Macaroni
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1 tablespoon Salt
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2 tablespoons Butter
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1 cup grated (or Parmesan) Kefalotiri
Cheese
Preparation
For the filling: Heat the
butter in a large frying pan and saute the ground beef and onion until
slightly browned. Add remaining ingredients, except egg white, cover and
cook over a medium heat; allow to cool and add egg whites.
To make the sauce: Melt
the butter in a heavy saucepan, add the flour and cook stirring constanly
for 1 minute. Add the milk all at once, and stir until the sauce is smooth.
Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, eggs
and egg yolks.
Cook the macaroni in salted
boiling water until soft but firm. Drain and return to the pan. Add the
butter.
Butter a baking pan and
put in half the macaroni. Sprinkle with cheese and cover with the meat
filling. Top with remaining macaroni. Sprinkle with cheese and cover with
the sauce. Sprinkle top with the rest of the cheese and cook in a moderate
oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Leave for 20 minutes then
cut into square pieces and serve. |
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