(www.monsoonjournal.com) by: Nate. V
Greek cuisine is the cuisine of Greece and of the Greeks. It is typical of Mediterranean cuisine accompanied by commonalities with the cuisines of Southern France, Italy, the Balkans, Anatolia, and the Middle East.
The most characteristic and ancient element of Greek cooking is olive oil, which is present in almost every dish. It is produced from the trees prominent throughout the region, and adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food. The basic grain in Greece is wheat, though barley is also grown. Important vegetables include tomato, eggplant, potato, green beans, okra, green peppers, and onions. Honey in Greece is mainly flower-honey from the nectar of fruit and citrus trees (lemon, orange, and bigarade trees), thyme honey, and pine honey from conifer trees. Mastic is grown on the Aegean island of Chios.
Greek cuisine uses some flavorings more often than do other Mediterranean cuisines: oregano, mint, garlic, onion, dill, salt, and bay leaves. Other common herbs and spices include basil, thyme and fennel seed. Many Greek recipes use “sweet” spices in combination with meat, for example cinnamon and cloves in stews. Greek flavor is often characterized by the use of mint and nutmeg. Other typical ingredients are lamb, pork, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, grape leaves, zucchini and yogurt. Dessert items are dominated by nuts and honey.
The terrain has tended to flavor the production of goats and sheep over cattle, and thus beef dishes tend to be a rarity by comparison. Fish dishes are also common, especially in coastal regions and the islands. A great variety of cheese types are used in Greek cuisine, including Feta, Kasseri, Kefalotyri, and Mizithra. Some dishes use phyllo pastry.
Too much refinement is generally considered to be against the hearty spirit of the Greek cuisine, though recent trends among Greek culinary circles tend to flavor a somewhat more refined approach.
Many dishes names come from the Ottoman cuisine tradition and their names reveal Arabic, Persian or Turkish roots such as moussakas, baklavas, tzatziki, yuvarlakia, keftedhes. Many dishes names probably entered the Greek vocabulary during Ottoman times, but there was earlier contact with the Persians and the Arabs. Some dishes may be pre-Ottoman, only taking Turkish names later; Ash and Dalby, for example, speculate that grape-leaf dolmathes were made by the early Byzantine period.
A few dishes are influenced by Venetian (Italian) cuisine, such as pastitsio, makaronia me kima, though pasta with meat together is considered in culinary circles an “eastern” tradition, found mostly in Greece and Anatolia and Asia Minor and regions of that influence.
Recently, American food has also become more popular in Greece and Europe, with local fast-food chains such as Goody’s springing up. Although fast food is gaining popularity and many major fast food chains have opened all over Greece, Greek people still rely primarily on the rich and extensive dishes of the Greek cuisine. In addition, some traditional Greek foods, especially souvlaki, gyro, pita/pites, for example tiropita and spanakopita (savory or sweet stuffed phyllo) are often served in fast food style. Eating out has always been common in Greece. The Taverna and Estiatorio are widespread, serving traditional Greek home cooking at affordable prices to both locals and tourists.
Typical Greek food is simple, colorful and packed with robust flavours. Although many dishes show influences from the Greek past, they have a distinctive style of their own which has changed little over the years. Greek cuisine has a long tradition of fine cooking and the full range of Greek dishes usually remains undiscovered by the tourist.
Greek Salad
5 vine ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 English seedless cucumber, cut into bite-size chunks
2 small red bell pepper, seeded and chunked
2 small green bell pepper, seeded and chunked
2 cup Kalamata black olives
Several sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, about 1/2 cup
3 (1/4 pound) slices imported Greek feta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons (4 splashes) red wine vinegar
2 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse salt and black pepper
Pita breads
Combine vegetables, olives, and parsley in a large bowl. Rest sliced feta on the top of salad. Combine oil, vinegar, and oregano in a small plastic container with a lid. Shake vigorously to combine oil and vinegar and pour over salad and cheese. Season with salt and pepper and let the salad marinate until ready to serve. Serve salad with pita bread blistered and warmed on a hot griddle or grill pan.
Greek style leg of lamb
INGREDIENTS:
• 6 pound leg of lamb, boned and tied
• 5 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste
PREPARATION:
Mix together everything but the lamb. Place lamb leg in a large shallow baking dish. Pour marinade over leg, making sure to coat every inch. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Preheat grill and prepare rotisserie.
Remove leg from marinade and discard the marinade. Tread lamb onto spit and secure tightly. Place on grill over medium to medium low heat and cook until the interior of the meat reaches 145 degrees, about 2 hours to 3 hours. Served with pita bread, tzatziki and rice pilaf.
Baklava
INGREDIENTS
• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 pound chopped nuts
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup honey
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9×13 inch pan.
2. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.