A Greek Feast

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            FOOD FUNNY
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I know I have published this before, but what the heck - it's funny,
so here it is again. Thank to L.Hadley in Florida for sending it to
us this time.

Cooking Terms

Recipe: A series of step-by-step instructions for preparing
ingredients you forgot to buy, in utensils you don't own, to make a
dish the dog won't eat.

Tongue: A variety of meat, rarely served because it clearly crosses
the line between a cut of beef and a piece of dead cow.

Yogurt: Semi-solid dairy product made from partially evaporated and
fermented milk. Yogurt is one of only three foods that taste exactly
the same as they sound. The other two are goulash and squid.

Porridge: Thick oatmeal rarely found on American tables since children
were granted the right to sue their parents. The name is an
amalgamation of the words "Putrid," "hORRId," and "sluDGE."

Preheat: To turn on the heat in an oven for a period of time before
cooking a dish, so that the fingers may be burned not only when the
food is removed, but when it is put in the oven.

Oven: Compact home incinerator used for disposing of bulky pieces of
meat and poultry.

Microwave Oven: Space-age kitchen appliance that uses the principle of
radar to locate and immediately destroy any food placed within the
cooking compartment.

Calorie: Basic measure of the amount of rationalization offered by the
average individual prior to taking a second helping of a particular
food.

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This week, rather than give you just one recipe a day as I usually do,
I've rummaged around the World Wide Recipes vault and come up with a
collection of complete menus from the past. Here is what you'll
receive:

Monday's Menu
A Greek Feast

Tuesday's Menu
20th Century American Classics

Wednesday's Menu
Cajun Cookin'

Thursday's Menu
An Extravagant Feast

Friday's Menu
French Bistro Fare

One year back in the mid sixties when I was just a little cooker my
family took a trip through Europe. Quite by accident our itinerary
took us to Rome during Easter, and a week later we were in Athens for
the Greek Orthodox Easter. We had the unique pleasure of celebrating
not only two Easters in one year, but we celebrated both of them in
the most picturesque and historic settings imaginable. This is not a
traditional Greek Easter meal, which would surely include lamb, but it
is a collection of some of my favorite dishes from one of my favorite
countries.

Keftedakia (Mint and Ouzo Flavored Meatballs)

2 slices home-made style bread, trimmed of crust
and torn into small pieces
1/4 cup (60 ml) ouzo (or substitute another anise-
flavored liqueur)
7 Tbs (105 ml) olive oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) finely chopped onions
1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef
1 egg
1 Tbs (15 ml) finely chopped fresh mint leaves,
or 1 tsp (5 ml) dried mint leaves
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour

Soak the bread in the ouzo for at least 5 minutes. Heat 3 Tbs of the
olive oil in a skillet over moderate heat, add the onions, and cook
for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are soft but not brown.
Remove the onions with a slotted spoon, placing them in a large mixing
bowl. Squeeze the bread dry (discard the ouzo) and add the bread to
the onions. Also add the ground beef, egg, mint, garlic, oregano,
salt, pepper, and knead vigorously with your hands, then beat with a
wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Shape the beef
mixture into balls about the size of walnuts (you may find that
wetting your hands with water helps prevent sticking) and then roll
the meatballs in the flour to coat evenly. Place the meatballs on a
cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least one hour. Add the remaining
4 Tbs of olive oil to a large skillet and brown the meatballs, 7 or 8
at a time, over high heat, cooking 8 to 10 minutes and shaking the pan
from time to time. As each batch is done, remove them with a slotted
spoon and place on an ovenproof serving platter. Keep them warm in a
200F (100C) oven while you finish cooking the rest. Serves 4 to 6 as
an appetizer or first course (about 30 meatballs).

Greek Week continues with this wonderful excuse to eat chick peas,
also known as garbanzos. This recipe assumes dried garbanzos. If you
us canned make sure that you rinse them well and remove the skins, as
described.

Chick Pea Soup

4 cups (1 L) dried chick peas (garbanzos)
or 4 15-oz (425 g) cans, drained
Water or chicken stock (about 4 cups, 1L)
2 Tbs (30 ml) baking soda
2-3 onions, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Lemon slices for garnish

Soak the beans overnight in warm water. Strain and dust with baking
soda. Let stand for 15 minutes. Rinse with hot water and rub a few
at a time between your fingers to remove the skins (discard the
skins). Place in strainer and rinse thoroughly for several minutes.
Put into a large pot along with enough water or chicken stock to cover
and bring to a boil, skimming off the foam as it rises. Add the
onions, oil, salt and pepper and simmer covered until the beans split;
about 90 min. to 2 hours. Serve hot with lemon slices. Serves 6 to 8.

These tomatoes are so good you'll find yourself making them to add to
salads, eat on toast, and otherwise sneak onto a menu one way or
another.

Rice Pilaf with Glazed Tomatoes

2 cups (500 ml) raw rice
4 cups (1 L) chicken broth or water
1/2 lb (225 g) cherry tomatoes, washed and stems removed
1/4 lb (110 g) plus 1 Tbs (15 ml) butter or margarine
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar

Butter a baking dish with 1 Tbs butter and put the tomatoes in it.
Melt the remaining butter and pour it over the tomatoes. Sprinkle
with the sugar and bake in a 350F (180C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring the broth or water to a boil over high heat. Add the
rice and stir. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes or
until the rice is done. Do not stir or even open the pot during these
15 minutes. Pack rice into a ring mold and turn out of the mold onto
a platter. Fill the center with the baked tomatoes and pour the sauce
from the tomatoes over the rice. Serves 4 to 6.

This is honest-to-goodness one of my favorite dishes, and a perfect
centerpiece for our Greek menu. Most people think of maussakas,
dolmathes, spanakopita and the like when they think of classic Greek
dishes. After trying this, you will wonder why it isn't at the top of
everyone's list of Greek taste treats. Please, if you only cook one
of this week's recipes, make it this one.

Pork and Celery Avgolemono

4 1/2 to 5 lbs (2 Kg) celery with leaves cut into
1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
3 lbs (1.5 Kg) pork cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1/2 cup (125 ml) butter
3 medium onions, chopped
2 lemons, juice only
2 eggs
1 Tbs (15 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Season the pork with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large pot
and brown the pork lightly over high heat, stirring frequently. Add
the onions and cook 10 to 15 minutes until soft but not browned. Add
enough water to barely cover the meat. Cover and cook over low heat
for about 1 hour. Add the celery and cook another 30 minutes, until
the celery is tender and only about 1 cup of liquid remains. Beat the
eggs in a bowl. Mix the cornstarch in 1/4 cup (60 ml) water and add
to the eggs. Add the lemon juice and beat the mixture well. Temper
the sauce by slowly adding some of the hot liquid from the meat to the
egg-lemon mixture, beating it in thoroughly. Pour the egg-lemon
mixture over the meat and shake the pan gently over low heat until the
sauce thickens. DO NOT BOIL. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

A Greek menu just wouldn't be complete without baklava. This classic
pastry is easier to make than you might think, provided you can buy
phyllo in your area. It is widely available in the US, usually sold
frozen in most supermarkets. Elsewhere you may have to seek out a
Greek or Middle Eastern specialty shop. Even if you have to go to
some lengths to find it, you will agree it was worth the trouble after
you take your first bite of this delight.

Walnut Baklava

4 cups (1 L) chopped walnuts
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
1 Tbs (15 ml) ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups (310 ml) melted butter
1 1/2 lbs (700 g) phyllo

The syrup
4 cups (1 L) sugar
3 cups (750 ml) water
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) honey
1 cinnamon stick
5 to 6 whole cloves

Mix together the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. Select a pan the size
of the phyllo sheets and brush well with melted butter. Use 4 sheets
of phyllo for the bottom layer, brushing each one with butter before
adding the next, and top with a sheet of unbuttered phyllo. Sprinkle
with a handful of the walnut mixture. Cover with a buttered sheet, an
unbuttered sheet, and another sprinkling of walnuts. Repeat until the
ingredients are used up, reserving 5 sheet of phyllo for the top
layer. Brush each of the top 5 sheets with ample butter, and pour the
remaining butter over the top of the last sheet. Trim the edges if
necessary, and cut the baklava into the traditional diamond pattern.
Do not cut through the bottom layer. Sprinkle the top of the baklava
lightly with water from your fingertips. Bake in a pre-heated 250F
(120C) for about 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool. For the syrup,
combine the sugar and water in a large pot and boil for 5 minutes.
Add the honey, cinnamon stick and cloves, and boil for 5 minutes more.
Pour the hot syrup over the cooled baklava. Do not pour over a hot
baklava, it will turn soggy. Cool then cut through the bottom layer
of phyllo following the previous cuts.
Received on Mon Jan 5 22:17:29 2004