Volume 10, Issue 083 - April 26, 2006

Greetings ,

Big Fat Greek Fact #1:

Greeks are the largest consumers of red meat in the European Union. That's pretty amazing considering that until just a generation ago, meat, a luxury, was usually served just a few times a month and on holidays. Ground meat - kimas in Greek - is prepared many ways. Two regions have special meat dishes. In Kefalonia you'll find a meat pie that is made of ground pork, lamb, and veal; and during the Christmas season in Ipiros, you can sample a festive ground meat pie baked with béchamel sauce.

Big Fat Greek Fact #2:

Meat is an important part of Greek holiday celebrations. During Carnival, the festive period before Lent, Greeks attend masked balls and indulge in eating plenty of meat and milk products. Meat is integral to this celebration: the word in Greek for Carnival is apokries, which means "of meat". The second week of Carnival is the meat-eating week. The Thursday of that week is called "sputtering" Thursday because of the sizzling sound meat makes when it hits a hot grill.

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Beef Stuffed Vegetables
"Yemista"

My wife loves when the "yemista" are mixed - when there are peppers and tomatoes together. I personally like to separate the vegetables that are going to be stuffed and bake them in individual casseroles. I make just peppers or just tomatoes because when I bake them together, I think the tomatoes end up tasting like peppers.

Makes 6 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

6 large tomatoes
6 bell peppers
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound ground beef (other meats can be used)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup uncooked short-grain rice
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Preparation:

Slice the tops off the tomatoes and peppers. Remove pulp from tomatoes, chop and set aside. Scoop out the seeds from the peppers. Throw away seeds and reserve peppers.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add ground beef, onion and garlic and sauté until meat is browned. Add reserved chopped tomatoes, rice, parsley, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook until everything is hot and well combined.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill each vegetable with some stuffing and place in a casserole dish. Fill the casserole dish with enough water to cover the vegetables half-way up. Cover. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours until rice is tender. (You may need to add more water.) Serve warm or at room temperature.

Big Fat Greek Fact #3:

If you are looking for great fish in Greece, head to a psarotaverna (fish tavern). Most psarotavernas are located very close to the sea or a port. They are know for fresh whole grilled fish and seafood dishes. Fish is usually sold by the pound, and guests are welcome to walk into the kitchen and choose their own fish.

Big Fat Greek Fact #4:

Squid, octopus and shellfish are favorite catches from Greek waters and play a prominent role in the Greek diet. Squid is usually fried, grilled, or stewed. Very large squid are grilled whole, or stuffed and grilled. Squid is also frequently added to a stew pot.

Don't be scared of squid! The following dish is simple and elegant; yet if not prepared properly, it can be a disaster. Don't skip the baking soda step, or the squid will become tough and rubbery.

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Fried Squid
"Kalamari Tiganita"

It doesn't matter where in the Mediterranean you are from - everyone knows this dish. In Greece this dish is served with fresh lemon juice and no sauce. This is done because the fresh squid from the Mediterranean has such an amazing flavor you don't want to complicate it.

Makes 4 appetizer servings or 2 as an entrée

Ingredients:

1 pound squid, beak and ink sac removed
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 cup Greek Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 cups flour
vegetable oil for frying
1 lemon

Preparation:

Cut squid into rings. Cut tentacles into 1/2 inch long pieces. Sprinkle squid with baking soda and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (This will help tenderize the squid.)

Combine tomato sauce and red pepper and heat through. Reserve.

Remove squid from refrigerator. Rinse under cold water and dry. Sprinkle squid with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Heat oil in a medium-size frying pan over high heat. Fry squid in oil until golden brown. Remove from oil and place over a paper towel to drain.

Squeeze lemon over squid and serve with sauce. Serve immediately or squid will become tough.

Greek Tomato Sauce

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon chopped mint leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
3 ounces tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
3 1/2 cups water
2 cups crushed tomatoes

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pot, then sauté onions and garlic. When onions are transparent, add cinnamon stick, bay leaf, mint, sugar and salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, mixing well. Add tomato paste and let caramelize for a couple minutes.

Deglaze with red wine. Add water and crushed tomatoes. Let simmer for 30 minutes.