Having spent a wonderful holiday in Serres and Thessaloniki, here I am relaxing at home on this last day of the Easter break. Since Alkis and I flew back home on Thursday, I've been looking at all the photos we took, bringing back so many wonderful moments of what was probably the best Easter holiday I've ever spent in recent years.
I slept in today and missed most of the sunshine that flooded my terrace, but I did enjoy breakfast outside and blogging in the remaining sunshine of this bright Sunday in Larnaca. Since we came back from Greece, I've been mostly sleeping or lazing around, unpacking and doing the laundry. It's funny how much laundry can pile up after a week away! I don't have a tumble drier, so I was really thankful for the sunshine today which, apart from drying up laundry, also inspired this post!!
No doubt the Greeks wanted their freedom from the very beginning of the Ottoman rule, but in the 18th century the idea of a free Greece grew into an organised plan. With Russian help a revolt started in 1770, which failed. Inspired by the French revolution and the heroic poems (thourios) of Rigas Feraios, the Greeks did not give up, and the secret society Philiki Eteria ("Friendly Union") was founded in 1814 in Odessa , Russia by Nikolaos Skoufas, Emmanuel Xanthos and Antonios Tsakalof. Weapons and funds were collected, and help was sent from Greeks in exile as well as other countries on the Balkan and the Mediterranean sea.
The revolution started when Alexander Ypsilantis invaded Jassy and declared Greece a free country. In the Peloponnese the Archbishop of Patras Paleon Patron Germanos led the uprising in 23 March 1821 The Greek army of the Peloponese was led by Theodoros Kolokotronis. Other famous Greek leaders of the revoloution were Georgios Karaiskakis, Athanassios Diakos, Odysseas Androutsos, Grigorios Dikaios or Papaflessas, while in the seas, Konstantinos Kanaris, Laskarina Bouboulina and Andreas Miaoulis fought the Turkish fleat.
The Greeks may have got certain aid from abroad, but they had to fight on their own. The Turks got help from Egypt and the whole of the Peloponnese was captured by the Egyptian army by 1826. The year after a republic was proclaimed, and Ioannis Kapodistrias was declared as the first governor of Greece. The same year European countries decided to help Greece and after failed negotiations with Turkey, Britain, France and Russia sent naval forces to Greece. Turkey was forced to accept peace, and the so called London Protocol declared the independence of Greece in 1830.Many parts of Greece were soon given back to the Ottoman empire, though, and several parts of Greece were not free until the beginning of the 20th century. The Greek uprising gained international sympathy for Greece and drew the attention of the three great powers: France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Years of negotiation led to these three nations’ sending their own navies to Greece to intervene.
Lord Byron saw Greece as the home of classical art and literature, and thus held it in high regard for its legacy. Byron's present-day world showed him a country occupied by a foreign power and in need of assistance. Combining his reverence for the classical world with his passion for human freedom and individuality, Byron felt compelled to offer what aid he could to the Greeks in their struggle against the Ottoman Turks. At first, Byron primarily provided monetary support; however, this would not prove a strong enough response for the adventurous Byron. He made plans to join the Greek navy and lead men into battle. Unfortunately for the poet and would-be freedom fighter, Byron became ill and died of an infection before he could engage the enemy personally.
The Isles of Greece (1788-1824)
by Lord Byron
The isles of Greece, the isles of Greece! Where burning Sappho loved and sung, Where grew the arts of war and peace, Where Delos rose, and Phoebus sprung! Eternal summer gilds them yet, But all, except their sun, is set...
The mountains look on Marathon-- And Marathon looks on the sea; And musing there an hour alone, I dreamed that Greece might still be free; For standing on the Persians' grave, I could not deem myself a slave.
A king sat on the rocky brow Which looks o'er sea-born Salamis; And ships, by thousands, lay below, And men in nations--all were his! He counted them at break of day-- And when the sun set, where were they?
And where are they? And where art thou? My country? On thy voiceless shore The heroic lay is tuneless now-- The heroic bosom beats no more! And must thy lyre, so long divine, Degenerate into hands like mine?
'Tis something, in the dearth of fame, Though linked among a fettered race, To feel at least a patriot's shame, Even as I sing, suffuse my face; For what is left the poet here? For Greeks a blush--for Greece a tear....
Fill high the bowl with Samian wine! Our virgins dance beneath the shade-- I see their glorious black eyes shine; But gazing on each glowing maid, My own the burning teardrop laves, To think such breasts must suckle slaves.
Place me on Sunium's marbled steep, Where nothing, save the waves and I, May hear our mutual murmurs sweep; There, swanlike, let me sing and die: A land of slaves shall ne'er be mine-- Dash down yon cup of Samian wine!
As Sir Winston Churchill said during WW2 : "Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"
For the Greeks, the Great Lent has already begun. This is a time period of about 40 days before the Greek Holy Easter. During this time most Greeks fast and avoid eating meat and dairy products.
Ingredients
10 aubergines / eggplants)
6 onions cut in rings
6-8 cloves garlic sliced
1 tea cup olive oil
1 tbs sugar
some finely cut parsley
6 ripe tomatoes finely chopped and peeled
salt and pepper
Directions
1. Peel the aubergines in stripes, cut one edge but do NOT remove the stem and put them in salted cold water for about 30 minutes so that they open up like ...small boats.. Then squeeze the aubergines with your hands.
2. In a bowl mix the onions, tomatoes, garlic, parsely, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Fill in the aubergines with this mixture and pour the rest over them. Add the olive oil plus a cup of water.
6. Put them one next to another in a baking pan and bake in pre-heated oven for about 1 hour at 170*C (= 325 Fahrenheit).
Greece is one of the few countries in the world where folk dances are as alive today as they were in ancient times. Dance has always played an important role in the life of a Greek. It is an expression of human feelings and everyday life. The Greeks danced at religious festivals, ceremonies; they danced to ensure fertility; to prepare for war and to celebrate victories; they danced at weddings; to overcome depression and to cure physical illness. Almost every dance has a story to tell. Dance was regarded as one of the highest forms of art. Plato agreed with his mentor Socrates that every educated man should know how to dance gracefully by which he meant the manly exercises that kept the body strong and supple and ready to do its duty on the battlefield. The Pyrrhic, or weapon dance (a form of mock combat) taken from Crete and perfected in Sparta, was the ideal.
The dance, of all the arts, is the one that most influences the soul. Dancing is divine in its nature and is the gift of the gods. Plato
Traditional dance continues to be passed from generation to generation, which in turns maintains national identity. Folklore is the term used for traditional dance when performed out of its traditional social context. The principal characteristic of folklore dance is that it is not transmitted in a traditional manner but by a process involving dance teachers and gym instructors.
There are two distinct categories in the traditional Greek dance; the springing/leaping dance and the shuffle/dragging dance known as sirtos; the latter being the oldest form of dance. Most dances are circle dances, start with the right foot and move counter-clockwise. Each dancer is linked by a handkerchief or by holding hands, wrists or shoulders. In mixed dances, the man will lead the dance, which allows him in most regions to improvise or break away allowing him to express himself. Until recently, men and women rarely danced together although chains of men and women danced together at the same time, the women in the inner circle and the men in the outer circle. The order of dance varies from region to region. In general, the men are commonly at the beginning in descending order of age, followed by the women also ranked according to seniority. Sometimes the married men come before the bachelors and likewise for the women. The oldest inhabitant always leads the dance. In the islands the circle is usually formed of groups of families, the husband leads the wife who is followed by the eldest son, his wife and their children etc. Occasionally the local priest will lead the first dance symbolising a blessing. In olden times a man never held a woman’s hand but a kerchief. This also applied to married couples. In some regions a woman could not dance next to a man who was not family: therefore a child or an elderly would be placed in between. Most women's dances are slow, simple and dignified
1 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped
1 kilo (2 pounds) grouper or other gelatinous Aegean or Mediterranean fish, bones in, cut into serving pieces 1 medium carrot, pared and cut into diagonal slices
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup Cretan or Cyprus sour trahana, dampened until soft Extra virgin Greek olive oil and fresh parsley sprigs for garnish
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot and cook the onion until soft. Add the fish and saute lightly. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a platter. Add the carrot and celery to the onions.
2. Pour in l litter (1 quart) of water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the fish back in the pot. Put the lemon juice and cook until the fish is fork tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside, and keep warm. Add the trahana to the pot.
Simmer until tender.
3. Place fish back into pot and serve in soup plates, garnished with raw olive oil and parsley.
There are two kinds of Greek coffee: hot and cold (usually iced ). The traditional Greek coffee, though, is always hot. It's a strong brew served with foam on top and the ground in the bottom of the cup. According to tradition and, if desired, the cup of Greek coffee is also used for fortune-telling. Once you drink your coffee, you can put your cup upside down in the saucer and let it dry for a while. Then the lady of the house looks at the patterns formed by the ground and foam and tells your fortune!
This is what you will need to make the traditional Greek coffee (always hot):
You will need:
Greek coffee
sugar (if used)
a "briki" - a special coffee pot for Greek coffee
demitasse cups
cold water
water glasses
The pot used for making traditional Greek coffee is called briki and it comes in 2/4/6 demitasse sizes that help create the right amount of foam - foam on the top of the cup is essential! If you do more than 2 cups, I suggest you do it in stages - making more than one pot - to make sure each cup has its share of foam.
Use the demitasse cups to measure the water needed for each cup of coffee and pour it into the briki. never use hot water!
Add the coffee and / or sugar and turn on the heat (medium-low).
Stir the coffee until it dissolves but do not stir again!
Heat slowly. Foam will begin to rise before it boils.
When the foam rises to the top of the briki, remove from heat.and serve, evenly dividing the foam in all cups, then fill cups with the remainder of the coffee, taking care not to disturb the foam.
Serve piping hot with a glass of cold water ( a must!) and, if desired, homemade biscuits or cake.
If you ask for a traditional Greek coffee , which is very similar to Turkish coffee, by the way, people will ask you how you like your coffee. Never say with or without milk because Greek coffee is never served with milk. You can choose among the following:
"Sketos" - unsweetened coffee. Add 1 heaping tsp of coffee to the briki and stir (just once, remember?)
"Metrios" - medium-sweet. Add 1 tsp of sugar and a heaping tsp of coffee.
"Glikis" - sweet. Add 2tsp of sugar and 1 heaping tsp of coffee.
"Variglikis" - extra-strong sweet coffee. Add 3 tsp of sugar and 2 heaping tsp of coffee.
Curiously enough, the Greek iced coffee is called "frappé". This derives from the french verb "frapper" meaning to beat or to shake. Frappé is enjoyed throughout the year in Greece and Cyprus, come rain or shine!
Here's what you will need for Frappé:
Instant Coffee
a tall glass
milk and sugar to taste
In a shaker put 1 tsp of instant coffee or more , if you like it strong.. Add a tall glass of iced cold water . Add milk or sugar to taste. Add some ice cubes , if you like.
My frappé is black - no sugar, no milk, and I like my Greek coffee "sketos" (no sugar). However, my favourite coffee is Espresso or French coffee. I used to drink a lot of coffee - 5-6 cups daily. I couldn't imagine breakfast without one or two mugs of freshly brewed French coffee. Yet, I've lately discovered all the benefits and great taste of green tea and I only have 2 cups of espresso daily and about 4-5 cups of green tea - sometimes more.
How about you? Are you coffee lovers or would you rather have tea?
Last week was such a busy week at work that I didn't even have the time to do the shopping at the supermarket. Alkis usually does the shopping as he finishes work earlier than me, but he was away on a business trip, so the fridge was almost empty. Saturday night was unusually cold for this time of year, so while Alkis was making a fire, I decided to ...experiment in the kitchen. I came up with pork fillet stuffed with spinach and feta cheese. That's all I had in my fridge. My friend Stefania once advised me to chop fresh spinach and keep it in the freezer instead of buying it frozen as I used to. She was right. The spinach came in handy!
Ingredients
500 g. pork fillet
a bunch of spinach - chopped
200 g feta cheese
5 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 big onion, finely chopped
some oregano
Directions
Beat the pork fillet flat with a meat mallet
In a non-stick frying pan, sauté the onion in the olive oil, reduce heat, add the spinach and stir for about 5 minutes.
Drain the spinach and put a thin layer on the flat pork fillet.
Crush the feta cheese with a fork and add it on the spinach
Sprinkle with oregano.
Roll the pork fillet and keep it tight with bamboo skewers.
Sprinkle with some more oregano.
Bake at 170*C in a pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes. This is what you get:
Serve with brown rice, a mixed salad and a bottle of Ktima Gerovassiliou - a great Greek red.
Sheftalies is a traditional Greek Cypriot dish which is, however, widely known in mainland Greece as well. Just like there's a fish and chips outlet in almost every neighbourhood in the UK, in Greece and Cyprus there's at least one "souvlatzidiko". This is a kind of fast food outlet where you can eat souvlaki and shieftalies. You can eat there or take your meal away or you can have your meal delivered at home. Since I took up cooking as a hobby about 4 years ago, I've been interested in making homemade sheftalies. Here's my mum's recipe.
My first homemade sheftalies
Ingredients
pork or lamb net fat, drained (panna)
1 kg minced pork
1 large onion coarsely grated
1 cup parsley finely chopped
1 level teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
7 tablespoons milk
1 tomato cut in small pieces
1 cucumber cut in small pieces
some more chopped onion and parsley to garnish
cabbage and / or lettuce
fresh lemon juice
pita bread
Directions
Wash the net fat very well and then rinse with a mixture of vinegar and water.
Mix the minced meat, onion, parsley, salt and pepper and add the milk to make a soft mixture.
Cut the net fat into square pieces and put one tablespoon of the mixture on each piece.
Close the two edges and roll.
Place the sheftalies on a flat plate one next to the other, cover with food wrapping film and refrigerate for about an hour.
Put the sheftalies through small, metal skewers and cook over glowing coal or under grill turning to brown on both sides
Serve in hot pita bread filled with a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, finely chopped onion and parsely, cabbage and lettuce. Only add fresh lemon juice.
You can also garnish with pickles, onions, parsely leaves and chips
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