November's Recipe:
Chicken Stewed in Wine, Garlic, and Cinnamon
(Kota Kapama)
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Ingredients: |
| 1
chicken (2 1/2 - 3 lbs) |
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon |
| 2
teaspoons kosher salt |
| 1
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| 5
cloves garlic |
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2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil |
| 4
cups coarsely chopped yellow onions |
| 1/2
cup dry white wine |
| 2
cups water |
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One 6-ounce tomato paste |
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1/2 cup grated Myzithra
cheese |
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1. Pat the
chicken pieces dry with paper towels so they don't
spatter in the pan. Mix the cinnamon, salt, and
pepper together in a small bowl and rub the chicken
pieces on all sides with the mixture. Mince 3 of the
garlic cloves and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep,
nonaluminum skillet over high heat. A 12-inch
skillet with sides about 3 inches high will allow
you to brown all the chicken pieces at once. If you
don't have a skillet large enough, brown the chicken
in 2 batches, using I tablespoon of oil for each
batch. Don't crowd the pieces in the pan or the
chicken will steam rather than brown.
3. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown
for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, shifting the pieces
with a metal spatula so the chicken doesn't stick to
the skillet. When the pieces are nicely browned on
all sides, remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the onions
and minced garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes,
stirring constantly, until the onions have softened
and are a rich golden brown. Add the wine and scrape
the bottom of the pan with a spatula or spoon to
deglaze, loosening any browned bits.
5. When the wine has evaporated, add the water,
tomato paste, and remaining 2 whole garlic cloves.
Return the chicken to the pan. The liquid should
cover about three quarters of the chicken. Reduce the
heat to low, cover skillet with a lid, and simmer
for about I hour, or until the chicken is tender and
thoroughly cooked. (If the sauce becomes too thick,
thin it with a little more water.) Taste and adjust
the seasoning.
"I like to serve this with my family's homemade
buttered noodles but it's also great over rice,
orzo, or macaroni. Sprinkle the grated cheese over
the top of each serving." |
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Excerpts from:
"Cat
Cora's Kitchen", by Cat Cora
Are you missing some pieces and ingredients for your
recipe?
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Watch Your Manners In Greece |
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Communication |
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Continued from
October's Issue...
- Greeks use different kinds of gestures to those
used in the western world. For example, they use
their hands a lot when talking and their body
language is very intense. To a quiet, reserved
European, a Greek may seem extravagant and loud.
Someone who doesn't understand the language may be
under the impression that people in this country
hate each other and are constantly arguing. This is
not always the case - the `pugilists' are often just
expressing their point of view. Greeks love to
attract attention to themselves and sometimes act as
if they were in a competition of who can talk the
loudest! It is important to draw attention here to
some specifically Greek expressions and gestures, as
a helpful aid against any potential
misunderstandings.
- When nodding "Yes," a Greek will incline his head
downwards, closing his eyes. When the answer is
negative, he/she will move his head upwards, lifting
both his eyebrows. An absolute denial would be
expressed by biting the inside of the lip with the
teeth and opening the eyes very wide.
 - Greeks have formal and informal ways of speaking.
Towards elders and strangers they use the plural
form out of politeness (like the French vousvoyer).
For example, "Yia son" (hello) would be addressed
towards a friend, whereas "Yia sas" would be for an
older person or a stranger.
- Greeks are in general very affectionate. When men
meet in the street, they often hug each other and
say something along the lines of "How are you,
jerk?" (Ti kaneis re malaka), which, although when
translated sounds rude, can, in fact, be a very
friendly and affable way of greeting someone.
- People in Greece, including men, kiss each other
once on each cheek. Many also follow the tradition
of kissing a priest's hand when they meet one in the
street. They also kiss the saints' icons placed in a
church's entrance.
- When Greeks lift their hand and "give five," this
by no means implies that they are on a fine bet with
someone, or that they'll meet you at five o' clock.
Shoving an open palm (or two) into someone's face
means that you are sending that person to hell. In
Greek this is called "moudza."
- Many women (especially older ones) have the habit
of pinching a child's cheek and uttering
intelligible words at them. This is when they want
to say how pretty your child is and how much has it
grown. If they pretend to be spitting it, fear not,
it is to protect the child from the evil eye
(following the belief that, if someone compliments
and praises you, you will get the evil eye). In
extreme cases of joy they may also clamp the child's
chin and shake its head to the left or right.
Although this is very embarrassing and annoying for
children, it is done with the best intentions.
Excerpt from "Watch Your Manners In Greece" by
Christos K. Zampounis
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Special Feature: Olive Oil
 This
evergreen tree (Olea europaea) with its
lance-shaped leaves and their shimmering
silvery-white undersides is an oft-described
emblem of Greece. The foliage is replaced in
a two-year cycle. In June, small, creamy
white flowers open on its branches. If
successfully pollinated by the wind in the
last quarter of the year, or even in January
depending on the variety, it ripens to
produce blue-black fruits. This undemanding
tree thrives on poor, limy soils, can
survive with only 8 inches (200 millimeters)
of rain a year, and copes with temperatures
ranging from as low as 54 °F (12 °C) during
the flowering season up to 104 °F (40 °C) as
the fruit ripens. It produces its first crop
after about eight years, being most
productive after between 60 and 100 years.
It is calculated that during this period,
each tree produces an average of 132 pounds
(60 kilograms) every year, with years of
bountiful harvests alternating with those of
lower yields. Nowadays, this natural cycle
is controlled by specific pruning of the
branches to produce more even yields. The
best varieties of olives cultivated on Crete
are koroneiki (Olea europaea var. Mastoides),
throumbolia (Olea europaea var. Media
oblonga), and tsounati (Olea europaea var.
Mamilaris). Koroneiki is far and away more
resistant than the common olive tree, and
thrives at altitudes of over 1500 feet (500
meters). Its fruits are rather small, but
all the more aromatic for that. Throumbolia
has been cultivated for longer than the
koroneiki on Crete, but has now been
replaced by the latter in many regions.
It grows at altitudes of up to 2100 feet
(700 meters), and its olives produce a mild
oil, well-balanced in terms of flavor.
Tsounati can withstand greater fluctuations
in temperature, and its fruits also
guarantee production of a high-quality oil.
An olive tree can live for several hundred
years. With the passing of time, the wood
inside the trunk dies away, until finally
the trunk is hollow and takes on an oddly
perforated appearance.
People were obviously aware of the value of
the olive tree from very early on. According
to mythology, when both Athena and Poseidon
wanted to assume the patronage of Athens,
the Olympian gods were swayed by an olive
branch. When both candidates were asked to
present the city with a gift representing
something most useful, the divine jurors
found Athena's olive tree won hands down
over Poseidon's saltwater spring.
The great
significance of olive trees in antiquity is
borne out by the fact that adversaries in
armed conflict made a point of zealously
uprooting as many of their opponents' trees
as possible. Even though they do not produce
any actual food - in the strict sense, only
grains, pulses, and meat count as food -
such destruction deprived all classes of the
population for many years, not only of a
readily available, year-round, valuable food
supplement, but also of medications, various
body care preparations, and fuel.
Furthermore, olive trees lent their owners
increased status, and thus the purposeful,
systematic destruction of their property
also had a psychological effect.
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Ninety-five-thousand families
cultivate 30 million Cretan olive
trees. Cretan olive growing thus
accounts for 30 percent of total
Greek production, ahead of the
Peloponnese with 26 percent. Cretan
olive oil is the only one to have a
protected mark of origin, comparable
to the French Appellation d'Origine
Controlee. Since 1993, olive oil has
also been produced organically on
Crete, and is thus subject to strict
conditions with regard to the
planting distances and the use of
fertilizers and pesticides, among
other things. The oil from
organically and traditionally
cultivated olives is also subjected
to ongoing intensive quality control
procedures. The critical quality
criteria for olive oil include taste
and odor classifications. Similar to
wine, these depend on the variety,
cultivation area, and vintage, and
also on the care taken when
harvesting and processing the
olives. |
Fruits ripen on the tree have to be
harvested with care, because their
soft flesh is extremely sensitive to
pressure.
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Again, like
wine, these properties are subjected to a
sensory test. Whereas in the past it was
thought that the crop would produce the best
quality oil when fully ripe (from October to
January, depending on the variety and
cultivation area), it is now picked just
prior to that, when the oil content of the
fruits has already reached its peak. This
slightly pre-ripe stage gives the finished
oil the ability to keep for a long time,
provided it is correctly stored. The olives
should be harvested swiftly and reach the
nearest oil mill without any further loss of
time.
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The
following processes have essentially
remained almost unchanged for
thousands of years. Millstone wheels
grind the olive and their stones
into a pulp, which is then piled
onto filters in thin layers and
pressed with increasing pressure.
Finally the oil is separated from
the water. Visitors to the Cretan
Olive Museum at Kapsaliana can still
admire numerous historical devices
from the 19th century. Since then,
mechanical mills have dispensed with
the horses and donkeys; hydraulics
has replaced manpower at the screw
press, and is being superceded in
its turn by centrifugal force. |
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The
Olive Museum of Kapsaliana keeps
alive the hard daily life of the
olive tree farmerns. |
excerpts from:
"Culinaria
Greece"
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What's
New!!! |
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Greek
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Books & Software |
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Children's Books in Greek or in English |
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Torino 2006 |
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Featured Destination: Spetses |
|
 Geography:
Located at the entrance to the Argolic gulf, Spetses,
which is also the name of its main town, is 22 sq. km.
in area, has 29 km. of coast and has a population of
3,708. Some 52 nautical miles from Piraeus, the island
is extremely close to the Peloponnese, being only 2
nautical miles from Kosta, from where visitors are
conveyed in speed boats. There are also passenger
ferries and hydrofoils from Piraeus and connections with
the other Argosaronic islands, as well as with Hermioni
and Porto Cheli, again by boat and hydrofoil. During the
summer additional services link Spetses with Tolo,
Nauplion, Leonidion, Monemvasia and three times a week
with Neapolis and Kythera. Cars are prohibited on the
island and the only means of transport are the bus and
horse-drawn carriages. One may also travel by small
caiques or by "taxi", that is speedboats departing from
the harbour, Dapia, for picturesque beaches and bays.
The island is rich in natural beauty and is an ideal
place for both quiet and cosmopolitan holidays.
 History:
During antiquity Spetses was known as Pityoussa and, as
finds from excavations at Aghia Marina testify, was
inhabited in the Early Bronze Age (2500 - 2000 BC). The
ancient city was located at Kastelli, a short distance
from the present harbour. Little else is known of the
island's past history. In more recent times Spetses,
like Hydra, developed to a notable naval power and,
Psara, its fleet played a major role in the 1821
Revolution. Captain Laskarina Bouboulina is one of the
legendary figures of the Struggle for Independence and
her bones repose in the local museum. The interior of
her house is preserved just beyond the harbour. The
heart of Spetses is its quaint little harbour, Dapia,
with its six canons, momentoes of the Struggle for
Independence. Restaurants, cafes and patisseries line
the waterfront and throughout the day until late at
night there is an endless toing and froing of people. A
short distance from the quayside is the Chatzi-Yanni
Mexis mansion in which the museum is housed. Exhibits
include heirlooms of the Revolution, archival and
folklore material pertaining to the island's past. Other
sights worth visiting include the church of All Saints,
the church of St. Nicholas on the road to the old
harbour, the church of the Dormition of the Virgin. From
Dapia one may take a small boat to several of the
island's beautiful coves (Aghios Georgios, Aghia
Paraskevi, Vrellos) and enjoy the precipitous northwest
coast with the tiny islet of Petrokaravo or visit the
bay of Aghioi Anargyroi and the Bekiri cave, haven for
freedom-fighters during the War of Independence. Last
but not least are the scenic bays of Xylokeriza and
Aghia Marina. Directly opposite the southeast littoral
of Spetses is the dazzling island of Spetsopoula, owned
by the shipowner Niarchos. Excursions are organised from
Spetses to Kosta, Porto Cheli and Kranidi, as well as to
Nauplion and archaeological sites in the Argolid.
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Travel
Guides and Information for your trip in the area |
Going to Live and Work in Greece
2005 edition |
Let's Go Greece 2005 edition - 20% off |
Greece Road Map Set - 10 maps |
Greece - A Guide to the
Archaeological Sites - Travel Guide |
Cruise Greece DVD |
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Saints'
Namedays in
November |
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Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
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1
Ag. Anar/ron
Kosma & Damianou |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7
Asteriou |
8
Mixael & Gavriel |
9
Nektariou |
10 |
11
Mina/Victoros |
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13
Ioannou
Xrysostomou |
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14
Filippou
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15 |
16
Mathaiou |
17 |
18
Platonos |
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20 |
21
Eisodia tis Theotokou
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22
Filimonos |
23 |
24
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25
Merkouriou/
Aikaterinis |
26
Stulianou |
27
Nathanial |
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28 |
29 |
30
Andrea
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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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