Nutty, crunchy and drenched in syrup

Syrup-drenched and packing a hearty nutty crunch, the so-called “siropiasta” (syrupy) sweets that combine a varieties of nuts with layers of wafer-thin or finely shredded phyllo pastry are so delicious that almost every country east of the Ionian likes to claim them as their own.

Their execution is not the stuff of top patisseries -- requiring precision in measurement, skilled action with the whisk or a whole arsenal of specialized utensils and equipment -- but there is a knack for getting them right.

The essentials of siropiasta are pretty basic as they depend on good-quality butter, nuts and pastry and a rich-but-not-too-thick simple sugar syrup. Once these are in place, you can assemble the sweets in layers, coils, baskets, bite-size nibbles or large trayfuls of crispy buttered phyllo interspersed with walnuts, pistachios, almonds and even hazelnuts. For something more adventurous, you can mix different nuts together or jazz up the syrup with orange zest, liqueur or a few drops of rose water.

Pastry chef Stelios Parliaros takes the ABCs of siropiasta and elevates them to another level, merging different recipes to create new and exciting flavors.

RECIPES Baklava cheesecake Ingredients (for 12 portions) For the cream 1,400 gr cream cheese 200 gr all-purpose flour 4 eggs + 2 yolks 400 gr creme fraiche For the baklava 1 packet thin phyllo pastry 250 gr cleaned walnuts 125 gr sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder 200 gr butter, melted 400 gr honey For the cream Mix the cream cheese and sugar in a blender on a whisk setting until the sugar dissolves. Add the whole eggs and the yolks one at a time and continue mixing until fluffy. Add the flour and then the creme fraiche. For the baklava Grease a baking tray (30x30 cm preferably) and start laying half the phyllo sheets on the bottom, building them up one on top of the other in a crisscross manner and buttering each layer carefully as you go along. Preheat the oven to 170-180C. Meanwhile, in the blender, crush the walnuts together with the sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle half the mixture over the phyllo in the pan. Add the cream mixture evenly on top and then sprinkle the rest of the nut mixture over it. Fold the ends of the phylo sheets inward and then lay the remainder on the top, trimming the excess bits off with a pair of scissors and making sure to butter every layer thoroughly. Bake the sweet for 1 hour and 10 minutes. When it is ready, douse the phyllo in honey that has been warmed slowly over a medium heat. Let the baklava cool down before serving. Saragli with nuts Ingredients (for one large rectangular baking pan) 500 gr phyllo pastry 500 gr butter 300 gr walnuts, roughly chopped For the syrup 500 gr sugar 400 gr water 1 stick cinnamon 1 tsp glucose powder Melt the butter in a small saucepan and, using a brush, grease the baking pan well on all sides. On your work surface, lay out a sheet of pastry, butter it and fold it in half. Sprinkle the nuts generously over the surface and then roll the pastry into a long tube, making sure to butter the clear sides as you go. If you want to make the rolling easier and to give the saragli its customary wrinkled look, place a knitting needle in the center, roll the pastry and then hold the needle upright and gently press down on the roll, before removing the needle. Repeat the process with all the sheets of phyllo, laying them into the pan as you go. Bake in a preheated oven at 150C for about one hour until golden brown. A few minutes before removing from the oven, prepare the syrup in a saucepan by boiling all the ingredients together for three minutes. When the saragli are done, douse them in the syrup and allow to sit for at least one hour before serving.

What did the ancients eat?

By Christina Sanoudou
What were the ancient Greeks’ favorite specialities? How has the diet in the region changed since Byzantine times?
These are among the many questions that will be addressed at a symposium on “Ancient Greek and Byzantine Gastronomy,” which is taking place on Saturday and Sunday at the new Lazaridi Estate Wine Museum in Kapandriti, eastern Attica.
Participants include food historians, critics and writers from Greece and elsewhere, who will deliver lectures, while there will also be ancient Greek and Byzantine recipe tastings, accompanied by live music.
Historians specializing in the dietary habits of ancient cultures have drawn their conclusions from finds at excavations and written sources, which, however, are rare, as well as from local lore passed down from one generation to the next.
As Johannes Koder, a professor of Byzantine Studies at the Austrian Academy, told Kathimerini, “writing down recipes or dietary rituals would only have made sense if the majority of the population was literate; which was not the case. Written sources from ancient Greece -- mostly regarding medical journals and directions for fasting -- are only partly reliable.”
Despite the shortage of tangible evidence, however, the subject does not fail to hold a certain fascination for a lot of people, as it illustrates daily rituals and a way of life that we can relate to more closely today. For example, it is known that in the Byzantine period what people ate differed greatly between the rich and the poor. The poor fared on bad-quality bread and onion soup with only a tiny bit of olive oil, while the rich were treated to a rich soup of cabbage, egg, cheese, cream and plenty of olive oil, which they would accompany with a dish of fish, meat or fresh vegetables and wine. The poor, according to Koder, were mocked because they couldn’t even afford the cheapest caviar on the market.
With the passage of time, dietary habits in the Greek region changed as a result of climate change and external influences. Spinach, for example, first made its appearance in the 12th century, when it was brought by the Turks from Persia and Mesopotamia.
Some flavors, however, remain unchanged, according to experts, such as fried dough and honey, or “kollyva,” a dish of grains, nuts, raisins and sugar that used to be eaten frequently as a dessert during antiquity and which today is part of the Greek Orthodox funeral ritual.

For octopus, trust your senses

Tips on choosing this eight-legged delicacy wisely and cooking it to perfection

By Christina Tzialla
Your nose is your best ally in buying octopus -- if it’s even slightly off, you’ll know about it.

The most usual variety found at fishmongers in Greece is the common octopus, which usually weighs around 3 kilos; a total of nine different varieties are found in Greek waters, but they vary only slightly.

A similar species, known in Greek as “moschi,” “moschoch-tapoda” or “kalamarochtapoda,” is usually smaller, cheaper (about 3 euros per kilo, compared to 13-20 for octopus) and doesn’t quite taste the same. The only way to really tell the difference is by looking at the tentacles -- a “genuine” octopus has two rows of suckers on each tentacle. But for some dishes, such as those with a rich sauce or octopus rissoles, their poor relations will do just fine.

You may have seen fishermen beating freshly caught octopus on a rock or the wharf -- at least 40 times is the rule -- to soften the flesh and then spinning it in the air to remove the red juice that would otherwise spoil the flavor. In fish markets, this is done mechanically, but when time is of the essence, it might have been done hurriedly or even not at all. The only way to tell is by feeling the tentacles -- they should be firm and the ends curly. If the flesh is too soft, however, and the tentacles hang limply, then it either hasn’t been prepared properly or it is a female that has just produced young and won’t have much flesh.

Another trick is one used by fishermen -- grab two tentacles that are side by side and pull. If the membrane at the point where they join tears easily, then the octopus has been well beaten.

Fresh or frozen doesn’t really make as much difference as the country of origin. According to gourmet chef Lefteris Lazarou of the Varoulko restaurant, frozen octopus from Morocco, Tunisia or the Atlantic isn’t as tasty as that fished in the Saronic Gulf or the Aegean Sea.

“Octopuses, like fish, get their flavor from the food they eat. The tastier the seabed, the tastier the catch will be,” Lazarou says.

If it has been frozen properly, there is no reason not to buy it if you can’t find fresh octopus. There are some cooks and fishermen who claim freezing helps soften the tissue. Shop at larger supermarkets to be sure they have been frozen and stored under the right conditions.

RECIPES

Keeping it simple on the grill

Choose a good-sized octopus of 1.5-2 kilos. After washing it well, cut each tentacle in two, and remove the very thin end as it will burn. First, lightly oil the octopus. Ideally, it should be grilled slowly over a low heat for 20-25 minutes on the barbecue or 10-12 minutes on each side in the oven. Make sure the grill is not too hot, or keep the octopus as far away as possible from the heat. Turn the pieces over so they cook on
all sides. The thinner pieces will be done first, so be ready to remove them. To ensure the flesh is tender, cut it into thin slices as soon as it is done. If desired, pour an oil-and-vinegar mixture over it. And if you really want to do it properly, take a tip from taverna owners, who hang the octopus out in the sun -- it makes them much tastier and they grill more easily.
Christoforos Peskias

Octopus souvlaki
Ingredients (serves 6-8)
1.5 kg octopus, cleaned
1 bay leaf
5 peppercorns
1 small finocchio
1 unwaxed orange, preferably organic
90 gr green olives, stoneless (about 30 olives)
2 tbsp olive oil
For the marinade:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
or 1 tsp dried, crushed oregano

Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the octopus in a baking dish to fit exactly, placing the tentacle suckers upward. Add the bay leaf and peppercorns and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Allow to cool enough so that you don’t burn your fingers, but while it is still warm, take hold of the skin at the ends of its tentacles and pull upward carefully so as not remove the suckers. Cut the octopus in 2-cm pieces and place in a bowl. Cut the finocchio in half and then lengthwise into 1-cm slices and drop into boiling water for 4 minutes, then into ice-cold water and strain. Cut the orange into four slices and then quarter each slice. Take 16 large skewers and alternate a piece of octopus, a slice of finocchio and an olive, continuing in that order until most of the skewer is covered. Finish with a piece of orange.
Marinade:
Beat all the ingredients in the blender and pour into a rectangular baking dish. Place the souvlakia into the mix, turning them so they are coated on all sides. Leave to stand for half an hour in the marinade. Then strain, retaining the marinade in a bowl to use when serving.
Rub the souvlakia with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season and grill on the barbecue or in the oven for about 32 minutes on each side. Pour the marinade over them and serve with a green salad or rusks with olive oil, tomato and capers.

 Helpful preparation tips to make sure you achieve a delicious, mouthwatering result

By Christina Tzialla

Cooking octopus in a rich wine sauce with herbs and spices calls for special caution if the result isn’t going to be too salty. The octopus should be cleaned and washed properly and then placed in a saucepan, either whole or cut in pieces, covered and cooked over a low heat until it releases its juices and starts to soften.

Its own juice is tasty and salty enough, so it doen’t really need any other liquid. You may, however, add a little wine, with some herbs or spices to taste. If the juice looks like it might evaporate before the octopus has softened, add a cup of water or preferably wine. For a more aromatic result, use the zest and juice of citrus fruits.

Remember that octopus shrinks during cooking, so keep that in mind when estimating the number of servings you will get from it.

Prick the octopus with a fork to see if it is soft – the prongs should slide easily into the flesh. An average-sized octopus (1-1.2 kilos) takes about 40 minutes to cook. A bigger one might need over an hour. The safest way to tell if it is done is to taste it.

If you want to add olive oil, do so toward the end so it is not overcooked; the result will be lighter and tastier. Octopus can be served on its own as a snack or as a meal with rice, vegetables, potatoes or pasta. Vinegar or tomato can also be added.

Remember that it has to be cooked slowly so the juices don’t evaporate before the meal is ready. If you need to thicken the sauce, raise the heat right at the end, removing the octopus and other contents if necessary, leaving only the liquid.
If you are using vegetables that need to be sauteed, start with the octopus as described above, then remove it once it has released its juice, put it aside and pour the juice into a bowl. Add the olive oil to the pan and saute the vegetables. Then return the octopus to the pan, stir and add a little wine, then the octopus juice. Add a little more liquid if necessary to cook all the ingredients.

As the octopus is already quite salty, no extra salt is needed during cooking. Taste halfway through and add only if necessary, for example if you have added a lot of extra liquid.

Herbs & spices

Bay leaves, pepper, allspice, oregano, thyme and rosemary all go well with octopus. Parsley, fresh thyme and fresh oregano are also excellent – add them at the end of cooking time, but don’t go overboard, particularly if you aren’t sure.
Some more to try include dried coriander, star anise, and orange juice and zest (some even use whole slices of orange). A classic recipe calls for cloves with bay leaves, cinnamon stick, allspice and paprika, perhaps with a little Mavrodaphne wine. For an even “hotter” version, try finely chopped chili.

RECIPES

Octopus with olives

Ingredients (serves 8)
1.2 kg cleaned octopus
100 ml olive oil
250 gr finely chopped onions
300 ml dry red wine
300 ml homemade tomato sauce*
250 gr Halkidiki olives, stoned and sliced in rounds
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper

Wash the octopus well, cut off the tentacles and discard the hood.
Heat the olive oil and saute the onions until slightly softened. Add the tentacles and saute, stirring continuously. Lower the heat and add the wine; leave to cook for 10 minutes and add the tomato sauce and olives. Simmer until the octopus is soft, adding a little water at the end if the octopus doesn’t release much juice. Add the basil and season. Remove from the stove.
* Saute a chopped garlic clove in a tablespoon of oil, add 400 gr canned chopped tomatoes, fresh or dried herbs as desired, salt and pepper and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring and mashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
Lefteris Lazarou

Octopus with wild greens

Ingredients (serves 6)
1.2 kg octopus (one large or 2-3 smaller ones)
1 kg wild aromatic greens, washed and chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup of dry white or red wine
1 onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup olive oil
A little salt and plenty of black pepper

Clean the octopus and, using scissors, remove the hard part (the mouth), found where the tentacles join. Turn the hood inside out and discard the stomach (which could be full of sand), leaving the ink sac if desired. Cut the octopus into pieces, according to the desired serving size.
Wash well and place in a saucepan over a high heat, leaving uncovered until the juice released has evaporated. Then add the oil and onion and saute briefly. While it starts to spit, add the wine and pepper. When the wine has evaporated, add about a cup of boiled water and leave to cook until the octopus is half done (when a fork slides in easily). Add the chopped greens and cover the pan until they settle, stirring occasionally.
The greens will release their own liquid, which will be enough, but keep an eye on it just in case a little more boiled water is needed. Add a little salt to season the greens. There should be no surplus liquid left at the end of cooking time.

Moussaka made better

The usual goo served at many tavernas is not how it's supposed to be

By Yvette Varvaressou

Ask any tourist what Greek dishes they know and the first thing that comes to mind is usually moussaka. Unfortunately, what used to be the pride of every Greek homemaker (and a rite of passage for every prospective village bride) now often devolves into a greasy pile of potatoes and tomato sauce with a spattering of minced meat and eggplant. As for toppings at tavernas, a quivering layer of faux bechamel sauce tends to be the order of the day.

But it’s unlikely that any of these taverna cooks have taken the trouble to follow the recipes of chefs such as Nikos Tselementes, once the foremost authority on Greek food. (It is Tselementes, in fact, who is credited with introducing the bechamel sauce layer back in the 1920s.)

Older moussaka recipes call for eggplant, ground lamb, onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes, herbs and spices -- including cinnamon and allspice. Potatoes were intended to be added as a variation, but have increasingly pushed out other ingredients as an easy way to increase bulk and cut costs.

One of the following recipes uses mashed potato instead of the bechamel sauce as a lighter variation. The second recipe is for an eggplant pie that uses the ingredients of the original moussaka while adding a crust pastry.

RECIPES

Moussaka pie with mashed potato crust
Ingredients (serves 6-8)
For the pie:
0.5 kg beef fillet, in small cubes
2 large eggplants, cubed
2 zucchini, cubed
15 baby tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp tomato juice
2 shallots, finely sliced
1 medium-sized onion, grated
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white wine
2 dried allspice berries
Salt and pepper

For the mashed potato:
1 kg potatoes (preferably organic)
150 ml fresh milk
50 gr fresh butter
A little grated nutmeg
2 tbsp grated cheese (kefalotyri)
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the grated onion and beef and saute until browned, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the wine and keep stirring for 1-2 minutes. Then add all the vegetables, tomato juice, parsley and allspice. Season, cover and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a large saucepan in plenty of salted water. In another saucepan, heat the milk with the butter. As soon as the potatoes are quite soft, remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the saucepan with the milk. Mash them with a fork, stirring continually. The potatoes don’t have to be pureed, but should be well blended with the mixture. Then add the nutmeg, salt (if necessary), a spoonful of the grated cheese, and the pepper. Pour the meat mixture into a deep, greased oven-proof dish and spread the potato mix on top of it. Sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese over the top and bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes until the top turns golden.
Myrsini Lambraki


Moussaka tart
Ingredients (for 6-8)
3 sheets of pastry
2 large eggplants, cut in small cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
250 gr minced beef (minced once)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 shot of brandy
1 whole garlic clove
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 finely chopped tomatoes
A little sugar, salt and pepper

For the sauce:
500 ml fresh milk
2 heaped tbsp cornflour
A little freshly ground nutmeg
2 eggs (preferably organic),
yolks and whites separated
2 tbsp strained yogurt (2 percent fat)
Salt and white pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C. Wash the eggplant, remove the stalks and cut into small cubes. Place the cubes in a bowl and pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them. Mix them with your hands, lay them on a sheet of greaseproof paper on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and saute the minced meat for 4-5 minutes until done. Don’t stir it too much or you’ll dry it out. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes more until they are transparent.
Add the brandy and gently stir with a wooden spatula until the alcohol has evaporated. Add the tomatoes, sugar, parsley and seasoning. Cook for another 7-8 minutes until the meat has absorbed all the liquid. Remove from the stove.
For the sauce, put the milk, cornflour and nutmeg in a saucepan and mix with a whisk so no lumps form. Heat for 7-8 minutes and when it begins to boil, remove from the hub and keep whisking, while adding the cheese.
Using the whisk, beat the egg yolks together with the yogurt and add to the sauce.
Beat the whites for 4-5 minutes until a soft meringue has formed and fold into the sauce with a spoon.
Lay three oiled pastry sheets in a lightly oiled 26-centimeter tart tin, pushing the corners down to form a pocket.
Cut the corners and round the edges. Mix the baked eggplant with the meat mixture and pour onto the pastry. Cover it with the sauce. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the sauce has fluffed up and a crust has formed. Then leave it in the oven for 10-15 minutes and cut into individual servings carefully so that it doesn’t break up.
Argyro Barbarigou

When cheesy is good

There are plenty of dairy products on the market with reduced fat content and many of them are just as flavorful as their full-fat versions -- and then there are some cheeses that are naturally low in fat. Anthotyro, for example, which is made from the whey of feta cheese, has only a 12-20 percent fat content, compared to 25-30 percent of fat for feta and 40-45 percent for yellow cheeses such as graviera and kasseri. Other light traditional Greek cheeses include katiki, tsalafouti, galotyri and goat cheeses generally. Anthotyro, with a Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC) is a variation of and similar to myzithra, made from sheep’s and goat’s milk. Katiki is a creamy white cheese made from goat’s milk or sometimes a combination of goat’s and sheep’s milk and has a salt content of just 1 percent. Soft and spreadable galotyri, one of the oldest traditional cheeses in Greece with a Controlled Denomination of Origin, has a fat content of 13.8 percent. Goat and sheep’s milk products are often thought of as healthier than those made from cow’s milk. Although they have the same amount of lactose as cow’s milk, the different fermentation process reduces the amount of lactose in the cheeses. It is also thought that goat’s milk is more easily digested than cow’s milk, mainly because goat’s milk does not contain the same levels of the protein casein as cow’s milk does. Below are three recipes by Dina Nikolaou for light and deliciously cheesy dishes. RECIPES Zucchini, katiki and dill tart Ingredients (serves 6-8) For the pastry 250 gr all-purpose flour 1000 ml olive oil and 1 tbsp for the tart base 50 ml milk 1 egg, preferably organic, lightly beaten 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp dried crushed oregano For the filling 4 fairly large zucchinis, grated Leaves of one bunch rocket, finely chopped 250 gr strained yogurt 300 gr katiki Domokou or tsalafouti 2 eggs, preferably organic Leaves and soft stalks of half a bunch of dill, finely chopped 1/3 tsp ground nutmeg Salt & pepper Pastry: Sift the flour into a baking dish and add the olive oil. Knead them together with your fingers until a loose dough is formed. Add the milk, egg, oregano and salt and knead until smooth. Don’t overmix it. Mold the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least half an hour. Filling: Squeeze out most of the liquid from the grated zucchinis with your hands. Beat the eggs and yogurt together in a bowl and add the katiki or tsalafouti, beating continually. Add the zucchini, rocket, dill, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix well. Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease a round 28 cm pie dish or a rectangular one and spread out the dough with your fingers, covering the bottom and sides. Pierce it with a fork in several places and then add the filling. Bake for 40-45 minutes. If the top browns earlier, cover the tart with greaseproof paper until the time is up. Light cheese pie with mint Ingredients (serves 8) 12 sheets shortcrust pastry (about one packet) 1/2 cup olive oil 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds For the filling: 250 gr anthotyro 250 gr katiki Domokou 250 gr low-fat white goat’s cheese (there are several of these sold packaged in supermarkets) 1 egg, preferably organic, plus 1 egg white for the filling and 1 egg yolk to baste with 1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped or 2 tbsp dried mint 1 tsp sweet paprika Salt & freshly ground pepper In a large bowl, break up the cheeses with a fork and add the whole egg and the white, the paprika, mint and a little salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Brush a round or rectangular (26-38 cm) pie tin with the oil and lay three sheets of pastry, basting each one with oil. Divide the filling into three equal portions. Spread the one portion over the three layers in the dish and cover with three more, basting each one with oil. Continue the process until all the filling and all the pastry layers are used up, finishing with pastry. Preheat the oven to 180C. Baste the top of the pie with oil. Beat the yolk lightly with a teaspoon of water and baste the top of the pie with it. Make shallow cuts in the top of the pastry to form squares and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for an hour. Baked eggplant with cheese Ingredients (serves 4) 3 large eggplants, cut in 1 cm slices 4 tbsp olive oil for the eggplant plus 2 for the sauce 1 onion, finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 8 ripe tomatoes, peeled and cubed 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried thyme 300 gr low-fat goat’s cheese, grated 1 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped or 1/5 tsp dried basil Salt & pepper Put the eggplant slices in a colander, salt well and leave for at least half an hour until they sweat, to remove the bitterness. It will also prevent them from absorbing too much oil while cooking. Rinse with cold water, dry with kitchen paper and lay on a baking tray. Brush the slices on both sides with the olive oil and grill on the highest shelf in the oven for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. Heat the onion and garlic in 2-3 tablespoons of water in a large frying pan, add the tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of oil and stir. Add the oregano and thyme, season and simmer (at 3 on a scale of 1-9 or at 1 on a scale of 1-3) for about six minutes or until the sauce thickens a little. Remove from the hob and add the fresh herbs (parsley, basil). Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly oil a deep baking dish (about 30x22 cm), add a layer of eggplant and sprinkle with half the cheese. Then add a layer of sauce, continue with the rest of the eggplant slices and then the rest of the cheese. Add the rest of the sauce and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Pretty, tasty and light in pink

Fagri, or sea bream, is one of the most delicious fish for the summer table

By Dinos Kiousis

Three of the four species of Pagrus swim in Greek waters, moving in winter from the deeper water, where they feed on shellfish and small fry, to within 10-30 meters of the shore in the summer.

The common sea bream (“fagri” in Greek) is long; it’s pinkish-red along its back and silver along its sides. The head is a little darker and the fins are rosy.

The other two species in Greek waters are known as the “tenioto,” with a large head and 4-5 vertical stripes, and the “kilidoto,” with blue marks along its back and sides. The larger the fish, the greater the number of marks.

Sea bream can reach one meter in length and weigh over 10 kilos. They are sometimes confused with a similar fish called the “tsaousis,” also known in the market by the name “crowned sea bream,” which is cheaper, although not really lacking anything in flavor by comparison.

The “tsaousis” has a large hump on its forehead and a mauve strip along its sides.

Sea bream are fished in large quantities every year in Greek waters, but imports from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Oman (mainly the “tsaousis”) and Senegal are also available.

Fresh Greek sea bream are sold for about 35 euros a kilo, the “tsaousis” about four euros less.

Fish over four kilos can be sold in fillets and fetch 25-30 euros a kilo. The “tsaousis” from Oman go for about 14 euros per kilo, sea bream from Senegal for about 16 euros a kilo. Sea bream should be grilled, or baked, but never fried.

RECIPES

Oriental sea bream
(Recommended for frozen sea bream or an import from Oman or Senegal)
Ingredients (serves 6)
1 sea bream, cleaned and gutted,
the head removed (about 1.8 kg)
2 tbsp olive oil
For the marinade:
250 ml white wine
1 tsp Tabasco
1 tsp orange marmalade
1 tbsp fresh ginger, roughly grated
or 1 tsp ginger powder
Juice of one lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 level tsp mustard

In a shallow baking dish just big enough for the fish, mix all the marinade ingredients well. Make two parallel, diagonal cuts along both sides of the fish, place it in the marinade and leave for 15-20 minutes on each side.
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Remove the fish from the marinade, and set the latter aside in a small saucepan. Salt the fish and place it on a sheet of aluminum baking foil. Close it up tightly, place in another baking tray and bake for about 20 minutes.
Boil the marinade for 10 minutes and use it as a sauce, either for the fish or for a white rice accompaniment.

Baked sea bream with herbs

Ingredients (serves 6)
1 cleaned sea bream (about 2.2 kg with the head)
200 ml white wine
6 tbsp olive oil
15 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried chives
1 tsp dried estragon, lightly crushed
1 shallot, finely sliced
Salt, freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Season the fish well inside and out and place in a baking dish.
Mix the herbs and shallots on a plate and stuff the fish. Place whatever is left over in the dish with the oil and wine.
Bake for about 30 minutes, turning the fish over half-way through the ba

The precious yield of Kozani’s regal crocus

Saffron has been a jewel in the country’s crown for some 500 years By Evi Voutsina In the fields of many villages on the Tsarsambas Plain, which stretches south of the northern Greek region of Kozani to Lake Polyfytos, the mild climate and rich soil make them the perfect hosts for top-quality saffron extracted from Kozani crocus. The region has been cultivating crocus flowers for some 500 years and now these efforts have been rewarded with a slot on the European Union’s list of products of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). The cultivation of this precious plant was initiated by Kozani merchants whose travels across Europe and the Mediterranean had made them aware of the commercial potential of the spice that is extracted from the plant. Saffron is also grown in Spain, Morocco and several countries in Central Asia, though the Kozani variety is widely considered to be of the best quality. Crocus sativus is a domesticated perennial that bears three long stigmas of a bright orange/red hue and with a strong aroma which can be used as a seasoning and coloring agent in food preparation. Growing the Kozani crocus is not an especially difficult job. Extracting the saffron, however, is – and it takes 20-30 days of backbreaking work that normally begins in mid-October. The plant wilts at the end of spring and does not produce any new shoots until the first rains of autumn. Farmers observe the plants’ growth to see whether they can expect a good crop or not, waiting until the flowers cover their fields in a fragrant purple carpet. Once the plants have reached maturity, it is time for the farmers to get moving before the stigmas begin to wilt. The harvest begins early in the morning, with the laborers bent over double to gently pull the flower from the plant without harming the stalk or the stigma with an expert twist of the wrist. This continues until the entire field is cleared and can take several hours. The plants are then taken to the separating table and the field left to blossom again day after day for the 20-30 days of the flower’s cycle. The flowers are then tossed onto a round, spinning surface that separates the petals from the stigmas and then the stigmas are sorted by hand. They are next placed on large wooden planks and left to partially dry out in a well-ventilated room at 35-40 degrees Celsius (95-104F). Once dried, the stigmas are gone through again by hand so that only the best of the harvest makes it to market. To produce 1 kilogram of Kozani saffron, producers have to pick and sort as many as 150,000 to 170,000 flowers within the space of a month. The Kozani crocus is also protected by a cooperative established in the area that includes all saffron producers. The product is sold in small packages or glass jars, though it really does take only a pinch of the spice to give dishes that deep orange tint and hay-like fragrance. To get the maximum color and flavor, soak the saffron in a small bowl of water for an hour or two before use.

Το κρασί «ασπίδα» στην καρδιά

Τους μύθους του κρασιού παρουσίασε στο αμφιθέατρο της Δημοτικής Πινακοθήκης Λάρισας ο Ηλίας Μαμαλάκης στην εκδήλωση «Άμπελος και Οίνος: Στην πρόληψη των καρδιακών παθήσεων».

Η φράση «οίνος ευφραίνει καρδίαν ανθρώπου», είναι γνωστή από τα παλιά χρόνια, αυτό όμως που αρχίζει τώρα να γίνεται γνωστό είναι ότι, εκτός από την ευχαρίστηση που προσφέρει, το κρασί, αποτελεί και ασπίδα πρόληψης καρδιαγγειακών παθήσεων.

Μέσα από εκδήλωση, που διοργανώθηκε, από το Ινστιτούτο Αγγειακών Παθήσεων, στο Αμφιθέατρο της Δημοτικής Πινακοθήκης Λάρισας, με θέμα «Άμπελος και Οίνος: Στην πρόληψη των καρδιακών παθήσεων», ο κόσμος ενημερώθηκε από επιστήμονες και όχι μόνο, για τα ωφέλει του κρασιού στην πρόληψη καρδιακών ασθενειών.

Στην εκδήλωση καλωσόρισμα, στο κόσμο που παρευρέθηκε, απεύθυναν οι κ.κ. Α. Γιαννούκας, Πρόεδρος Ινστιτούτου Αγγειακών Παθήσεων και Καθηγητής Αγγειοχειρουργικής Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλίας, Ν. Τσιτσανούδη – Μαλλίδη, Λέκτορας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας Πανεπιστημίου Ιωαννίνων, Συγγραφέας και Κ. Γιαννακόπουλος, Πρόεδρος Ιατρικού Συλλόγου Λάρισας.

«Το κρασί είναι ένα προϊόν, που αποτελεί πηγή ευθυμίας, ακριβώς επειδή λειτουργεί περισσότερο στο νου και λιγότερο στο στομάχι. Είναι η φυσική συνέπεια η ευθυμία του ανθρώπου, την οποία, συνήθως αντλούμε εφόσον έχουμε και τις κατάλληλες διαθέσεις. Το κρασί είναι ένα προϊόν καθαρά λαϊκό και το οποίο χρησιμοποιείται κυρίως από αυτούς που έχουν τη διάθεση να προσθέσουν κάτι παραπάνω στην «ξερή» πραγματικότητα, στην «ξερή» καθημερινότητα, να διαντλήσουν δηλαδή με ένα υλικό προϊόν που βγάζει πάρα πολύ πνευματικότητα», τόνισε ο κ. Σ. Τιτής, Φιλόλογος, Συγγραφέας, ομιλητής της εκδήλωσης με θέμα «Εγκάρδιος Οινοχόος»

Ο ΜΑΜΑΛΑΚΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙ ΜΥΘΟΙ ΤΟΥ ΚΡΑΣΙΟΥ

Καλεσμένος ήταν και ο κ. Ηλίας Μαμαλάκης, ο οποίος αναφέρθηκε στο θέμα «Οι μύθοι και οι πραγματικότητες του κρασιού», ενώ τόνισε μεταξύ άλλων, ότι «είναι μία πολύ σπάνια συγκέντρωση όπου, μία ομάδα από γιατρούς, κάνει μία εξωστρεφή συγκέντρωση, προσπαθώντας να ενημερώσει το ευρύτερο κοινό για θέματα ιατρικά, με απλό τρόπο».

Ο κ. Δ. Κουρέτας, Καθηγητής Βιοχημείας και Βιοτεχνολογίας Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλίας, κατά την ομιλία του, παρουσίασε δεδομένα από το εργαστήριο, για το πώς φτάσαμε να παρασκευάζουμε ένα προϊόν, το οποίο, κυκλοφορεί στο εμπόριο και έχει ισχυρισμό υγείας από τον ΕΦΕΤ, για την λειτουργία των αιμοφόρων αγγείων, και του οποίο το κύριο συστατικό είναι το σταφύλι.

Ομιλητές της εκδήλωσης ήταν επίσης και οι κ.κ. Α. Κατσαμούρης, Καθηγητής Αγγειοχειρουργικής Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλονίκης, με θέμα «Οίνος και αρτηριοσκλήρυνση: μύθος & πραγματικότητα», Φ. Τρυποσκιάδης, Καθηγητής Καρδιολογίας Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλίας, με θέμα «Οίνος και πρόληψη της στεφανιαίας νόσου» και Ν. Ρούσας, Επιμελητής Β' Αγγειοχειρουργικής Π.Γ.Ν. Λάρισας, με θέμα «Πειραματικά δεδομένα για την προστατευτική δράση του οίνου στις καρδιαγγειακές παθήσεις», ενώ δεν έλειψαν και το θεατρικό δρώμενο από διασκευή, ενός ανέκδοτου, από τον κ. Σ. Τιτή με τίτλο: ''Ελιξίριο'', στο οποίο έπαιξαν οι κ.κ. Θ. Κανάκης και Α. Γιουρούκης. Η εκδήλωση περιείχε επίσης μουσικές παρεμβάσεις με τραγούδια για το κρασί, με τους κ.κ. Ν. Ζούκας (κιθάρα), Α. Ζούκα (ακορντεόν) και στο τραγούδι τους Θ. Κανάκης και Κ. Σδράλη.     

Στο τέλος ακολούθησε δεξίωση.    

               

High-protein Greek yogurt gains in popularity

By Elena Conis, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Super-thick, creamy nonfat Greek yogurt has become a highly popular product, with the benefits of a high-quality protein.

A few short years ago, Greek yogurt was a rarity on supermarket shelves.These days, however, brands and flavors abound. The super-thick, creamy yogurt has become a highly popular product — and with good reason, says Susan Bowerman, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. "It has all the benefits of a high-quality protein without the fat and without the calories," she says.

In many ways, Greek yogurt looks like the ideal health food. A 6-ounce serving of Chobani nonfat plain Greek yogurt, for example, contains 100 calories, 18 grams of protein, 20% of the recommended daily value of calcium and 7 grams of carbohydrates. The same size serving of Dannon All Natural nonfat yogurt may have slightly fewer calories (80) and some more calcium (30% of the daily value), but it's got half the protein (9 grams) and almost double the carbohydrates (12 grams).

Greek yogurt's protein content, in fact, is probably what accounts for its skyrocketing popularity, says Barbara Davis, vice president of HealthFocus International, a market research firm based in St. Petersburg, Fla. The firm's research shows that since 2004, the number of shoppers choosing foods and beverages for their high-protein content has risen by 62%.

More shoppers are also reaching for yogurt in particular, says Harry Balzer, chief food industry analyst at NPD Group, a market research firm in Chicago. About 28% of Americans now eat some kind of yogurt on a regular basis, compared with about 14% in 2000, Balzer says.

Greek yogurt likely accounts for a small fraction of overall yogurt consumption, but increasingly, says Davis, it "fits the bill of what shoppers are looking for — high protein in a product they believe is good for them and that tastes good as well."

Both Greek yogurt and regular yogurt are made from milk fermented with live bacterial cultures. But Greek yogurt is then strained, resulting in a product that's as thick as sour cream.

The straining process means it can take as many as 4 pounds of raw milk to make a single pound of Greek yogurt, according to the makers of Fage brand Greek yogurt. That final pound is a highly concentrated source of the milk protein casein, which is considered a "high-quality" protein because it contains a complete set of the essential amino acids that the body can't make on its own, Bowerman says. Most brands of nonfat Greek yogurt contain between 15 and 20 grams of protein per 6-ounce serving.

Greek yogurt's protein content makes it a boon to vegetarians as well as dieters in search of satiating foods, Bowerman adds.

Like other products cultured with live bacteria, Greek yogurt helps populate the intestine with beneficial microbes that can promote digestive health, says Vicky Newman, director of the Healthy Eating Program at Moores UC San Diego Cancer Center in La Jolla.

But consumers should be circumspect about other health claims. Some Web chatter has pronounced Greek yogurt easily digestible because it's low in lactose and whey. But all yogurts are low in lactose, Newman says, though she adds that the slightly lower levels in Greek yogurt compared with regular yogurt may make it a little easier for people with lactose intolerance to consume.

On the other hand, the high concentration of casein in Greek yogurt may make it difficult for people with slight milk allergies to tolerate, Newman says. Most people who are allergic to milk are allergic to casein specifically.

The ratio of casein to whey in Greek yogurt has another implication as well, Bowerman says. People using Greek yogurt to make post-workout smoothies might want to find a substitute, since whey — not casein — contains the amino acids that are crucial for muscle recovery after tough workouts.

It's also wise to read yogurt labels carefully, Newman says. Many Greek yogurts are low in fat or fat-free, but they're sold right alongside the full-fat versions, which can contain 20 grams of fat — including 16 grams of saturated fat — per serving. And while most brands of plain Greek yogurt are made from nothing but milk and bacterial cultures, flavored versions are often very high in sugar and calories. Some Greek yogurts also contain added thickeners, which consumers might not be expecting. Yoplait's Greek yogurt, for one, includes added gelatin (as well as vitamins A and D).

Newman strongly recommends sticking with plain, nonfat Greek yogurt, sweetening it with fruit or maple syrup at home, and experimenting with it beyond breakfast.

"It has a mild flavor, it's spreadable, and it's a good substitute for sour cream in dips or other recipes," she says.