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Ingredients:
(Serves 6)
|
- 1 scant cup/200 ml
Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 1 lb/500gground beef
- 2-3 tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and diced 1 bay
leaf
- 1 lb/500 g macaroni
1 1/2 cups/150 of grated kefalotiri cheese Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh basil |
For the bechamel sauce:
- 1/4 cup/60 g butter
- 1/4 cup/60 gall purpose flour
- 3 cups/750 ml warm milk 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup/100g grated kefalotiri cheese - Grated
nutmeg to taste Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper |
|
Preparation:
Heat half the olive oil, soften the onions in
it, then brown the meat. Add the tomatoes and bay
leaf, together with some water. Season with salt and
pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes. Cook the
macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente,
drain, and leave to cool. Combine the macaroni with
the remaining oil, and spread half in a baking pan.
Sprinkle with grated cheese, spread the meat sauce
over the top, and cover with the remaining macaroni.
Preheat the oven to 400 of (200 °C). For the sauce,
make a roux with the butter and flour, then
gradually add the heated milk, stirring constantly.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the eggs,
grated cheese, leaving some for topping and season
with nutmeg, salt and pepper, adding more warm milk
if necessary. Pour the sauce over the macaroni and
sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake in a
preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes until browned
on top. Remove from the oven, leave to cool
slightly, and serve garnished with chopped basil.
|
Excerpt from:
"Culinaria Greece" by Marianthi Milona
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Watch Your Manners In Greece |
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On a
Fairy Boat |
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Continued from January's issue...
- Traveling by boat is idyllic (especially during
the exciting, chaotic departure and arrival). One
should bear in mind, though, that if we are in a
hurry to get somewhere we should use an airplane,
and if we are fond of military discipline we should
cram up in a bus. If, however, we wish to travel
purely for the joy of it, then only a boat may offer
us such rich, enjoyable experiences.
- Better safe than sorry: we should aim to arrive
early at the port, rather than spending a last
minute of agony in the car.
- If we are easily seasick, we should avoid
traveling by boat. We shouldn't put others or
ourselves on a trial.
- In time, ferryboats have become speedier, more
comfortable and safer. We must carefully obey all
safety rules and all indications by the captain and
crew members.
- We should not sit in somebody else's seat.
- If the ferry is crowded, we shouldn't lie down
taking over two spaces or more and forcing others to
sit on the floor.
- The sea is vast but this does not mean that we are
allowed to treat it as a huge waste bin.
- The jostling, shoving race to get onto an
overcrowded ferry in mid-August should most
definitely be avoided.
- We should arrange the hiring of a taxi before
arrival at the port of destination.
Excerpt from "Watch Your Manners In Greece" by
Christos K. Zampounis
 |
Valentine's Day is approaching!
Koukla
Mug Valentine Gift Package
For
Valentine's day we have a very special gift for her!
A unique charming Koukla Mug is a Gift Package
filled with Greek Candy (the all time favorite Greek
Jelly Candly)!
Only
available at GreekShops for this special occasion. Please
order as soon as possible for timely delivery before
February 14, 2007
 |
|
|
Special Feature:
Greek Appetizer Culture
 For a Greek restaurant, its appetizers,
or starters, mezedes, are a kind of visiting
card. Through its mezes, the restaurant
demonstrates just what its kitchen can do.
After all, the whole range of foodstuffs -
meat, fish, vegetables, and dairy products -
is available for use in Greek appetizers.
They range from the simple and refined to
the brilliantly creative, and quite often
reflect the main courses. They can be eaten
hot or cold and may be just the introduction
or the main course itself - whatever the
customer chooses.
In the cities especially, around midday the
great army of office workers is drawn in
little groups to the countless small
restaurants that have opened up in recent
years, hidden among the rows of houses, and
that have now become sought-after addresses.
In the mezedopolio, a shop selling nothing
but mezes as far as the eye can see, there
will certainly be something to suit every
taste. Ouzo, the Greek anise-flavored
schnapps, is a constant accompaniment to all
mezedes. Drunk with ice, water, or straight
its task is to reinforce the appetizing
sensation aroused by the mezedes. "Appetite
making" is, after all, the meaning of the
word mezes, which comes from Turkish.
Appetizers certainly do that, but if you are
not careful, they manage to do something
else as well; they make you feel much too
full much too quickly, just because you are
longing to try a bit of everything. You can
always tell experienced connoisseurs of
mezedes by the restrained way their forks
pick up, say, a piece of squid, then a
potato, perhaps an olive next or maybe a
small meatball. In between people chat,
break off a piece of bread, sip their glass
of ouzo, have a drink of water, and
generally take their time. Where people dine
in groups, all selecting uninhibitedly from
the dishes, something of the original rural
Greece has obviously survived, as in the
past whole villages would demonstrate and
renew their social solidarity through
similar forms of communal eating.
The different regions of Greece reveal in
the characteristics of their cuisine not
least in the selection and preparation of
the typical local mezedes. So, the mezes
must definitely be seen as a kind of
ambassador. For example, in the areas which
were once strongly Ottoman, oriental
influences predominate, while a western
fragrance permeates those parts of the
country which were formerly under Venetian
sovereignty. On the Greek islands, the
selection of mezedes is still determined by
what is produced on each island, and on the
mainland, appetizers have a stronger taste
than in the south of Greece. The whole
variety of Greek mezedes can be seen
gathered together in the big cities, where
the host's origins and the preferences of
his regular customers are the deciding
factors. And they are available from morning
till night, because Greek appetizer culture
is a round-the-clock affair. Mezedes will be
available at any time of day, even if you
arrive at 11 p.m.
(to be continued in next month's
newsletter...)
Excerpt from:
"Culinaria Greece" by Marianthi Milona
Craving Greek Mezedes?
Discover everything you always wanted to
know about Greek meze in these recommended
publications:
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What's
New!!! |
|
Featured New
Additions |
|
|
|
Music & DVDs |
Despina Vandi, Singles - 18 of her best |
Giorgos Alkeos, Nihtes Apo Fos |
Aggeliki Iliadi, Apofasi Kardias
|
Christos Menidiatis, Vima Vima |
H Kalomira Paei Sinema + DVD Karaoke
|
Natassa Theodoridou, Eho Mia Agkalia
|
Mario Frangoulis, Music of the Night CD + DVD (PAL) |
Manolis Lidakis, Afstiros Laikon |
Marinella, Ta Logia Ine Peritta (8 CD) 50 Hronia
Tragoudi |
Petros Giatanos, Anthologia (2CD) |
Nikos Vertis, Pos Perno Ta Vradia Monos (Deluze Edition)
CD + DVD (PAL) |
Dimitris Mitropanos, 40 Hronia (5CD) |
Vasilis Papakonstantinou, Ef Olios Tis Ilis (4CD) |
George Dalaras, Tomiosyni / To Axion Esti (2CD)
|
Lefteris Papadopoulos, Spaei Rodi - 13 Great New Laika
|
Panos Gavalas, Anthologia 1926-1988 (4CD)
|
Manos Loizos, Me Faro To Feggari (4CD) recordings
1966-1995 |
Dimitris Mitropanos, Kalokeria Ke Himones Live (3CD) - A
Collection of Hits |
Manoli Mitsias, Iperoha Monahi |
Hrises Epitihies 2007 (2CD) |
Hriso Paketo 2007 - 13 Super Hits |
Ta Zeibekika Tis Nihtas - 20 Modern Zeibekika |
Minos 2007 DVD (PAL) |
Super Srars 7 - The Greek Video Collection DVD (PAL) |
O Barba-Mathios CD - 18 Fun Songs
|
H Mikri Arahni Ke Alla Tragoudia CD - 10 fun kids songs |
Cars DVD (PAL), in Greek |
SpongeBob Volume 1 : Kinigi Ston Vitho DVD (PAL)
|
A Bug's Life DVD (PAL) in Greek |
Garfield the Movie DVD (PAL), in Greek |
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Books |
|
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Beijing 2008
|
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More Additions |
|
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|
Featured Destination: Pholegandros
|
|
 Geography.
Between Sikinos (5 nautical miles) and Melos (15
nautical miles), Pholegandros has a surface area of 32
sq. km., 40 km. of coastline and is 105 nautical miles
from Piraeus. Its capital is Pholegandros (Chora) with
567 inhabitants, mainly concentrated there but also in a
few scattered hamlets. In the summer there is a daily
link with Piraeus and regular connections with Paros,
Naxos, Sikinos, los and Santorini and, less frequently,
with Syros, Siphnos, Seriphos, Delos, Herakleion in
Crete, the Dodecanese, Chios, Samos, Mytilene, Ikaria,
Lemnos and Kavala. Local craft make trips to Sikinos and
los during the summer season. A mountainous island
(highest peak Aghios Eleftherios, 415 m. a.s.l.) with
little provision for tourists, it is an ideal place for
a restful vacation.
 History.
Karians are mentioned as the island's first settlers.
They were succeeded by Phoenicians and then Cretans. In
historical times it was colonised by Dorians, became a
member of the Athenian League and under Roman rule was a
place of exile. From 1207 till 1607 it was governed by
the Gozzadini family, then it was captured by the Turks.
It was pillaged by pirates many times.
Sight-Monuments. Chora stands in an elevated
position (200 m. a.s.l.) above the harbour and consists
of the quaint old quarter around Kastro, the castle
built by Marco Sanudo in 1212 which is architecturally
very similar to those of Siphnos and Kimolos in which
the external row of houses comprises the outer wall. Two
of the entrances to the castle are preserved
 and
three little churches. The more recent sector of the
village is equally picturesque esque with its dazzling
white houses, narrow streets and courtyards. On the
northeast side of Chora, at Palaiokastro are remnants of
fortifications and ruins of the ancient city. The church
of the Virgin is actually built on part of the city
wall. Further south is the Chrysospilia, a cave with
stalgamites and stalactites, evidently used as a cult
centre in antiquity but as yet unexplored. In the region
of Ano Meria, on the northeast side of the island, there
are traces of a small fortress at "Kastelli". Southwest
of Ano Meria is the small bay of Aghios Georgios with a
lovely beach. There are numerous tiny churches all over
Pholegandros, most of them for private worship. One can
swim at Karavostasis, the island's harbour and in Aghios
Georgios bay north of Ano Meria, which one can reach in
the local bus. Accommodation is available in rented
rooms. |
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|
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Travel
& Museum Guides
for your trip in the area |
Around Greece in 80 Stays by Jacoline Vinke |
Alistair Sawday's Special Places to Stay - Greece |
Cyclades : Discovering the Greek Islands of the Aegean |
Athens - History, Momuments, Museums (in English) |
National Museum - Illustrated Guide to the Museum (in
English) |
| |
|
Saints'
Name days in February |
|
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
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1
Tryfonos |
2
Ypapanti tou Sotiros |
3 |
4
|
5
Agathis |
6
Voukolou / Fotiou |
7
Partheniou |
8
Zaxariou /
Theod. Stratilatou |
9
Nikiforou |
10
Charalampous / Zinonos |
11
Vasiou |
|
12
Meletiou |
13
Akula & Priskillis |
14
Ayxentiou |
15
Euseviou |
16 |
17
Theodorou Tironos / Poulcherias |
18
Leontos Romis |
19
Agathonos/ Vissarionos |
20
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21 |
22 |
23
Polykarpou |
24
Nestoros |
25
Tarasiou |
26
Porfuriou |
27
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28
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Icons
depicting the celebrated Saint, make great gifts for
namedays.
Shop among our great collection of icons at our
store. Also available, namedays, birthday, holiday, and
special occasion greeting cards.
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Share
With Others!!!! |
Let your family and friends share the savings by
forwarding them this email.
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Suggestions
& Comments |
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Thank you for contributing to our effort to bring
unique and hard to find Greek products to your home. We
value your opinion, so please let us know if you have
any concerns, suggestions, comments that will improve
and help us grow. Send us your feedback at:
[email protected]
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