April's Recipe:
Springtime Stuffed Artichokes
with Citrus-Saffron Sauce
|
| Ingredients:
Serves
6-12 |
12 large
artichokes
Juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 cut lemon
For the Filling
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 scallions, finely chopped, including as much of the
upper green tops as possible
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped (about 1
cup)
1 small carrot, pared, trimmed, and finely chopped
(about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup Carolina rice
1 fresh or defrosted frozen cod fillet, from any other
white-fleshed fish, shredded or finely chopped and bones
completely removed
3/4 cup white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup mixed finely chopped fresh herbs: mint leaves,
dill, parsley, and wild fennel
For the Sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup vegetable broth or stock 1/2 teaspoon saffron
threads
1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Preparation:
|
1. Clean the artichokes: Fill a large bowl with cold
water and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon in it.
This is the acidulated water necessary to keep the
artichokes from turning brown.
2. Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut off the stem of
each artichoke at the base, so that it can stand
upright. Lay the artichoke on its side, hold it from the
stem end, and cut through at about 1 1/2 inches from the
base. Discard all the upper leaves. Using the same
knife, and holding the artichoke the same way, trim
around it to remove the tough outer leaves from the
bottom periphery, the way you might trim the crusts off
bread. Immediately take a teaspoon and scrape out the
hairy choke. Rub the artichoke with the cut lemon and
drop the artichoke into the acidulated water. Repeat
with the remaining artichokes.
3. Heat a large pot of lightly salted water. When it
comes to a rolling boil, add the artichokes and blanch
to soften, about 8 minutes. Remove and drain.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and sauté all the
vegetables together until soft. Rinse and drain the rice
and add to the vegetables. Turn to coat in the oil. Add
the fish. Add the white wine and 3/4 cup water. Season
with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat
until most of the water has been absorbed by the rice.
The mixture should not be completely dry. Remove. Mix in
the herbs.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F Lightly oil an ovenproof
glass or earthenware baking dish large enough to hold
all the artichokes.
6. Fill the artichokes with the rice mixture and place
in the pan. Add enough water to come about one-third
inch up the artichokes. Cover and bake for 20 to 25
minutes, or until the rice is completely cooked and the
artichokes tender.
7. In the meantime, make the sauce: Melt the butter over
low heat in a medium saucepan. When the butter melts and
the bubbling subsides, add the flour. Stir with a wire
whisk or a wooden spoon until the flour is smooth and
pasty and has turned a light golden color. Pour in the
vegetable broth or stock, saffron, water, and citrus
juices. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to
medium and stir until the sauce has thickened to the
consistency of a loose gravy. Remove. To serve, place
one or two arti¬chokes on each serving plate and spoon
the sauce over and around them.
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|
Excerpts from:
"Meze", by Diane Kochillas
Are
you missing some spices and incredients for your recipe?
| |
| Watch Your Manners
In Greece |
| Dress Code (Part
H) H) |
|
In past
years there has been pressure on women to be in tip-top
shape 24 hours a day. This rule still applies today.
What has changed is that it now also applies to men!
A woman should dress according to the way of life she
leads and depending on her family's financial resorts.
If a lady is wearing an impressive evening dress while
her husband is clad in a humble, cheap suit, the
combination looks odd. True elegance is when someone
wears the appropriate clothes at the appropriate time.
It is foolish for a woman to consider herself
well¬dressed if she copies an expensive, complicated
dress using a cheap fabric and an inept dressmaker.
A black dress is a timeless item. It suits all women of
all ages. It matches with all kinds of jewelry and
accessories, and can even be worn in the morning -
unless it is made of satin, velvet or silk.
- When in doubt as to what one should wear for an
evening invitation, less is more.
- Wearing clothes that suit our body and age is key.
While in our twenties we may wear anything as long as it
is decent, but during our fifties our clothes should
cover our imperfections.
- It took a long time for women in Greece to adopt the
habit of wearing trousers. Although trousers may suit
models, they are not necessarily suitable for all types
of female bodies.
- It is inelegant for a woman to walk her dog, or even
just cross the street to buy a newspaper, wearing her
bathrobe or pyjamas.
- A lady should never comb or brush her hair in public.
- Nothing is more cute and feminine than a lady who
removes a pocket mirror from her bag to check on her
lipstick, or who apologizes and goes to the ladies room
to powder her nose. However, when she gets out her whole
beauty case, spreads her day creams on her work desk,
paints her nails in the bus, and delays a whole line of
cars when applying her eye-liner at the traffic lights,
no matter how attractive the result may be the whole
process seems totally inelegant. While women's fashion
changes every season, men's fashion remains more or less
the same, resisting time.
- An elegant gentleman ignores fashion's foibles and
extravagances. He is aware that eccentricity in clothing
is not meritorious in men. He avoids flashy colors,
outrageous outfits and daring combinations. He should
wear new clothes, paying attention to each and every
detail, but he should ensure that his appearance is
subtle. His clothes should not seem as though they have
been just bought, but as though they had been tailor
made for his body, fitting him snugly and suitably like
an animal's fur or a bird's feathers. A man's appearance
should be described in three words: uniform, simple,
neutral.
- There are two theories behind the wearing of a white
T-shirt underneath a shirt. The first says that it is
useful, since it protects us from perspiration in the
summer, and from cold in the winter. The opposing theory
holds that it is pass& and that the sight of a white
T-shirt protruding out of the shirt's collar is an
unpleasant sight. However, as it happens in most cases,
the truth is somewhere in between.
- We are only allowed to wear shorts in the city in two
occasions: if we are sitting outside at our own home's
swimming pool (if we are lucky enough to have one, of
course), and if we are very young, since most things are
pardonable in the young!
- Speedo swimming suits should have a weight¬rate
warning. They should only be worn by well-formed, lean
bodies.
- When visiting someone's house, a gentleman should only
remove his jacket after receiving permission from his
hosts.
to be
continued...
THE ATHENS 2004
DVD SET in NTSC IS HERE !!!!
 As
announced in our previous month's newsletter the
Athens 2004 DVD set is now available and shipping.
Please also note that we are also extending
the free Athens 2004 t-shirt offer to all our
members of our mailing list. To claim your
free t-shirt enter the size in the "Special
Instructions" box during checkout when purchasing
the Athens 2004 DVD set.
This is similar to the PAL version of the set also
sold here but features the ability to view it with
Greek or English subtitles. It also features some
extended footage not previously available in the
Greek version.
DVD 1 - Opening Ceremonies - 211 minutes
DVD 2 - Highlights From the Games - 62 minutes
DVD 3 - Greek Athletes & Their Greatest Moments - 93
minutes
DVD 4 - Closing Ceremonies - 136 minutes
DVD Set includes a 68 page photoalbum illustrating
various athletes, events, and glorious moments of
the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The narration is in
Greek but the DVD includes the ability to select
subtitles in English and Greek (for the hearing
impaired).
For more details on the Athens 2004 DVD set
click here!
| | |
Technical Tips::
Protecting your Privacy Online -
Trojan Horses and Spyware
This
is the second article of our security and privacy
protection series. This month we will cover Trojan
Horses and Spyware programs that are installed on your
PC unintentionally and which monitor your usage or allow
someone to access your system without your knowledge.
These types of programs (aka malware) are becoming more
common than viruses and due to their stealthy nature
they can cause extensive damage to your system or
privacy violations.
Like its mythological counterpart, a Trojan Horse is a
piece of programming that sneaks in under the guise of
being useful, entertaining, or merely mysterious, and
bides its time until it's ready to reveal its
destructive purpose. This breed may destroy files, but
it's most common use is to create a back door for
intruders to access and control your computer. Trojan
Horses do not replicate like viruses and worms. A common
way to detect and remove a Trojan horse is using an
antivirus program which is up-to-date (has been updated
to the latest version). One can also look at programs
specifically designed to detect Spyware, such as The
Cleaner by Moosoft (at www.moosoft.com).
Spyware similarly to Trojan Horses are installed without
your knowledge using either security "holes" of your
operating system or in parallel to the installation of
"free" software available on the Internet. They are
typically more "innocent" in nature than viruses or
trojan horses but they typically can cause as much
damage. Strictly defined, spyware consists of computer
software that gathers and reports information about a
computer user without the user's knowledge or consent.
More broadly, the term spyware can refer to a wide range
of related malware products which fall outside the
strict definition of spyware. These products perform
many different functions, including the delivery of
unrequested advertising (pop-up ads in particular),
harvesting private information, re-routing page requests
to illegally claim commercial site referral fees, and
installing stealth phone dialers.
Spyware as a category overlaps with adware. The more
unethical forms of adware tend to coalesce with spyware.
Malware uses spyware for explicitly illegal purposes.
Exceptionally, many web browser toolbars may count as
spyware. On the other hand, adware may simply load ads
from a server and display them while a user runs a
program, with the user's permission; the software
developer gets ad revenue, and the user gets to use the
program free of charge. In these cases, adware may
function ethically. If the software collects personal
information without the user's permission (a list of
websites visited, for example, or a log of keystrokes),
it may become spyware. According to a study by the
National Cyber-Security Alliance, spyware has affected
90% of home PCs!
Since most antivirus programs will not detect spyware
and adware it is important that you select and use one
or more programs that are specifically designed for the
detection and removal of spyware and adware. Some useful
programs available for free include:
Spybot - Search and Destroy* ,
Ad-ware Personal Edition* , and
Microsoft's Beta AntiSpyware*
*Greekshops.com does not endorse or support any of
these programs. Install them at your own risk.
| |
| What's New!!! |
| Books |
|
|
| Children Books, DVDs, and
Music |
|
|
|
Greek
Music and DVDs |
Sakis Rouvas - Se eho erotefti
|
Elena Paparizou Proteraiotita - Euro Edition 2CDs
|
Sarbel Parakseno Sinaisthima
|
Yiannis Tassios - Anisiho gia sena 2 CD set |
IME EDO - Kostas Karafotis
|
FAME STORY 3 Part One : The Album (3CD) |
POLITIKI KOUZINA Soundtrack |
An Invitation to Greek Dance CD |
Spirited Greek Dance Masters CD |
ARHIPELAGOS ... CD Single - O.S.T. |
Pentikostarion - Byzantine Easter Hymns
|
Holy Easter Week Hymns - Holy Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday |
Holy Easter Week Hymns - Holy Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday |
Tzeni Tzeni - DVD (NTSC) |
Mantalena - DVD (NTSC) |
H Liza kai h alli - DVD (NTSC) |
To xilo vgike apo ton Paradiso - DVD (NTSC)
|
|
|
|
|
NYC2012
Apparel - Available in limited quantities and while
supplies last |
NYC2012 T-Shirt |
NYC2012 Long-sleeve T-Shirt |
NYC2012 Pullover Hoodie |
NYC 2012 Candidacy Key Chain |
NYC 2012 Candidacy Lapel Pin Logo on Brass
|
|
Featured
Destination:
Ithaca |
|
 Throughout
the ages Ithaca has been known as the home of Odysseus.
For years Homer's hero wandered before he finally
returned to his Island kingdom. Though he visited
beautiful, exotic, far-flung lands, Ithaca never left
his mind for a moment. And even today, once you've been
to Ithaca, it's difficult to forget this small,
mountainous island with Its captivating coves that
conjure up some earthly paradise. Ithaca is separated
from Cephalonia by a channel some 2 to 4 kilometres
wide. The west coast of the island is steep and almost
barren in contrast to the green, gentle shoreline on the
east.
The capital and largest settlement is Ithaki or Vathi;
its red-roofed delightful houses set amidst enchanting
scenery at the end of the deep closed bay of Molos.
Taking the capital as a starting point, It's easy to get
to know the Island's landmarks.
Three kilometres to the northwest lies the so-called
Cave of the Nymphs (NImfon Cave). Here according to the
myth, Odysseus hid the gifts bestowed upon him by the
Phaeacians who deposited him upon Ithaca's shores ten
long years after the end of the Trojan War. Also worth
visiting Is the medieval Monastery of the Archangels at
Perahori.
North of the capital and 600 metres above sea level, the
Kathara Monastery (Mon! Katharon) has a unique view of
the island from its bell tower. On the horizon you can
make out the mountains of Akarnania, the Echinades
islets, the peaks of Zakinthos, the eastern coast of
Cephalonia and even the entrance to the Gulf of Patras.
The bay of Polls to the west is the site of another cave
(Loizos' cave). This one yielded up shards on which were
carved inscriptions testifying to the worship of
Artemis, Hera and Athena. Even more Interesting, in the
cave were also found recently twelve tripods similar to
the other that the Phaeacians were supposed to have
given to Odysseus.
Stavros, a village 17 kilometres northwest of Ithaki, is
a good base from which to explore the northern section
of the island.About 1 kilometre north of Stavros is
Pelikata; excavations on this hillside between the bays
of Polls and Frikes brought to light remains of a small
Bronze Age settlement. The finds unearthed there
reinforce the theory that the ancient city of Ithaca
lies somewhere In the vicinity Kloni and Frikes,
typically Ionian villages, on the northeast coast are
unspoilt, wonderful places for a short excursion or an
extended sojourn.
Ithaca offers lovely beaches for bathing, caves for
exploring and uncrowded hamlets where noisy nightlife Is
unheard of. "When you set out for Ithaca", wrote the
poet Constantine Kavafis. He was referring to Ithaca as
one's ultimate destination. Thus, Ithaca, this verdant
Ionian island, may become your own favourite place, a
place that draws you back year after year, when you plan
your summer holiday.
|
|
New Travel Guides,
Videos, and DVDs |
Map of Cephalonia and Ithaca |
Greece
10 map set |
Cruise Greece DVD
|
Visions of Greece DVD Travel Documentary (NTSC) |
Vignettes of Modern Greece by Melissa Orme-Marmarelis |
|
|
Ecclesiastical
Calendar in
April - Saint's Namedays are not celebrated during
Lent |
| Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
| |
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|
|
1
Salutations to the Theotokos |
2
|
3
Sunday of the Holly Cross
|
4
|
5
|
6
Presanctified Liturgy |
7
|
8
Salutations to the Theotokos
|
9
|
10
Sundat of St.
John Climacus
|
|
11
|
12
|
13
Presanctified Liturgy
|
14
Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete
|
15
Akathist Hymn |
16
|
17
Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt |
18
|
19
|
20
Presanctified Liturgy
|
21
|
22
|
23
Lazarus Saturday
|
24
Palm Sunday |
25
Holy Monday
|
26
Holy Tuesday |
27
Holy Wednesday |
28
Holy Thursday
Vespers of Basil
|
29
Holy Friday
Lamentations Service |
30
Holy Saturday |
--
May 1, 2005 --
Easter Sunday | |
|
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.
|
|
Share With Others!!!! |
Let your family
and friends share the savings by forwarding them this
email.
|
|
Suggestions &
Comments |
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 Send us your feedback at: [email protected]
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Information |
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