TAKE SOME ADVICE

TAKE SOME ADVICE

 We surely haven't finished yet with Greek recipes but so far take the following into consideration.

Do you want to live longer? Be Greek when meal time comes.

Choose Greek breakfast to start your day in the best way.( milk, bread, honey, yoghurt, juice, fruit )

Bake and cook  with olive oil instead of butter. ( it is much healthier )

Choose Greek feta for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even snack. You can’t imagine what you can make with it.

Eat olives almost with every meal.

Eat fish cooked in many ways and served with fresh salad. You don’t need anything else to be happy… except for some greek raki or ouzo. And most of all eat with your family or friends, never alone, discuss during meals and share your thoughts with others.

To be continued..............

NUT CAKE

The ancient recipe: Nut Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup shelled almonds
• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 1 tbsp bitter almonds
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• ½ cup sesame seeds
• 7 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• Olive Oil

Preheat the oven at 350 F. Mix all the nuts except the sesame seeds and bake them for a few minutes in the oven. Do the same for the sesame seeds and then let them cool down. In a small pot let 3 tablespoons of honey simmer for about 7 minutes, add the sesame seeds, mix well. Let it cool enough so that you can handle it, pour it on an oily surface and knead into a ball. Separate it into 2 pieces,  roll 1 piece out with a rolling pin into a thin sheet that will fit in a shallow pan. Place the sheet on the bottom of the pan. Put all the nuts with the pepper in a blender or mixer and mix well for about 1 to 2 minutes. Boil the rest of the honey for 7 minutes and then add all the nuts and mix well. While it is still hot pour the nut and honey mixture in the pan on top of the sesame layer. Spread evenly. Roll the other piece of sesame seed dough into a sheet and cover the nut mixture. Let it cool off for 1 hour and then cut it small pieces.
Similar to today’s: Pasteli, a honey- sesame bar, a great sweet and healthy at the same time.

FRIED PANCAKES WITH HONEY

The ancient recipe: Fried Pancakes with Honey and Sesame Seeds

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp honey
• Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Mix the flour, water and 1 tbsp honey to form the batter. Heat some olive oil in a pan and add ¼ of the batter to the pan. When the mixture thickens, turn it 2 or 3 times until it is golden on both sides. Make 3 more pancakes with the rest of the batter.  Serve with honey and sprinkle sesame seeds.
Similar to today’s: Loukoumades, a Greek doughnut ( batter with yeast ) fried in olive oil and drenched in honey. A kind of sweet the Greeks could eat during difficult economic periods and which are still eaten.

LENTIL SOUP

The ancient recipe: Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry lentils
• 2 small leeks sliced
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 ½ tsp dry mint
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Olive Oil
• Red wine Vinegar

Boil on low heat 1 cup of dry lentils over low heat with enough water to cover them and 1 inch above. Add the leeks and the fresh coriander (cilantro). In a small bowl mix the mint, dry coriander and the black pepper, add to the soup. Let it simmer until the lentils are soft, add vinegar and olive oil.

Nowadays Lentil soup is still basic food in our diet with some changes perhaps- oregano instead of cilantro and onions instead of leeks. 

FROM ANTIQUITY TO MODERN GREECE

When you live in Greece you are reminded everyday of the history of this land. Not only by the ancient temples and ruins you can find all over the country, but by the language, music, art and of course the food.
 The food culture of the ancient Greeks has influenced many cultures and  the food in Greece today is the result of many influences from various cultures as well. But we  see many similarities when we compare the modern Greeks with the ancient Greeks.
 The ancient Greeks wanted to establish a civilized lifestyle that distinguished them from the barbarians and food played an important role in this. A meal was civilised because  Ancient Greeks  had good company while eating , served wine in a special way e.t.c. For them eating was not a necessity but it was a social event.
Plutarch, a Greek historian had said, “We do not sit at the table to eat… but to eat together”.
Today, eating in modern Greece is indeed a very social event. It is common  for people to relax and have great discussions or arguments about  politics, social problems or relationships while eating dinner or lunch. These meals can last for hours.
 Eating alone, even for the younger generations of Greeks is not common. You won’t see people taking a lunch break at a park eating their meal alone. Instead Greeks will  order all together at the office or sometimes share the food they have brought from home.  
Bread, Wine  Olive Oil, Honey and Figs ( which are still found in our dietary habits ) were part of their diet. For the Greeks these foods represented frugality but it is thought also loyalty to their country since these foods were produced in Greece.



In the book FOOD, A CULINARY HISTORY it says that the Greeks consumed no more than 4 pounds of meat a year-those who consumed meat and milk were nomad hunter-gatherers as opposed to civilized people who farmed the land and could transform nature (grapes=wine, wheat=bread, olives=olive oil).
Economics also played a role: the animals were more useful alive providing milk for cheese and wool.
Nowadays though Greeks eat a lot of meat



References
Dalby, A. (1996). Siren Feasts: A History of Food and Gastronomy in Greece. New York, NY: Routledge.
Dalby, A., Grainger, S. (1996). The Classical Cookbook. London and Los Angeles: British Museum Press/John Paul Getty Museum Press.
Sonnenfield, A. (1999). Food, A Culinary History, J.L. Flandrin, M. Montanari, (Ed.). New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Tannahill, R. (1988). Food in History. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press a division of Crown Publishers