If you have seen Nia Vardalos' My Big Fat Greek Wedding
, you are bound to know that food plays an important part in Greek culture. There is no religious feast that is not linked to a particular kind of food.
In a way, food marks the calendar year: Christmas equals melomakarona and kourambiedes. Easter is filled with the smell of baking koulourakia and roasting lamb. In the mind of the Greek housewife, the Annunciation and Palm Sunday mean fish and skordalia (a thick puree of garlic, potatoes, olive oil and vinegar). And so on and so forth.
Every housewife has her own secret recipe that she guards and treasures, and every housewife does anything in her power to learn the secret ingredient that will make her melomakarona more moist and her kourambiedes crunchier. An unending quest for the holy grail of culinary satisfaction that would make her the envy of fellow women cooks, such as girl friends and sisters in law.
Consequently, every Greek mother's task consists of teaching her girls how to cook and bake the traditional dishes that are going to be the core of her household tasks.
Food brings the family together, empowers the woman socially and through it she manipulates her husband and children. Love passes from the stomach is her mantra. I know. It sounds awful, but it is true.
Since moving to Greece, I realise that all that was the case for the Greeks in diaspora, was not true of the Greeks living in Greece. I have never seen in my life more people eating outside. There is a food parlor in every corner, every square, every step, and people eating, eating, eating ready made food. Sometimes I find it simply bad taste, seeing people munching in the streets. Others I look at it as a sign of the disintegrating social structure, where kids no longer go home for lunch. Or dinner. We'd never think of doing that. Full stop. However, the year is still centered around food and the main Christian holidays are still marked by traditional dishes.
My first cooking adventure took place when I was at University. In my microwave sized oven, I cooked a moussaka that would have lasted me an entire week! Fortunately some curious English, Spanish and Colombian friends shared in the feast!
My own family was a little different anyway. My mother wasn't too keen on getting me involved in household tasks. Because her parents had not let her go on past high school, she was eager for me to go to College, get a degree and pursue an academic career. And so I did.
However, there were some occasions when, doing just that,wasn't enough for her. She would then comment that I was not going to be any use to my family, if I ever got around to having one, because I couldn't cook. That wasn't entirely true, of course, but being successful in my studies and very simple in my tastes (I could be satisfied with a simple salad, and I still can) I couldn't get it: what was I doing wrong?
One summer, after my mum had settled in Greece and I was visiting for the summer holidays, she got on and on about my household skills again, or lack of them. Finally, she closed the door and left asking me, -but it did sound like an order-, to fix lunch before she got home.
There I was then, alone in the kitchen. Well, if I could get straight As in my A Levels, I could certainly fix lunch!
Despising the originals, I turned to the new and exciting. My best friend, C, had offered me a Tante Marie book of recipes. I opened it in one of the most traditional and loved recipes:
stuffed tomatoes. Greek food via France. Why not, I thought, and got on with it. One of the good things about Greece is that there is a great supply of vegetables. Off i went to the market and fixed the gemista.
I also made moussaka and a raisin bread (stafidipsomo) which I knew my mum would love. When she got back, I had everything ready. It was tasty and good looking. I didn't get any bravos, but there has been no discussion of my cooking skills since.
The best part of my cooking life began when I got married. I had quit work and I was staying at home. After several years of full time work, I needed to do something to keep myself busy. Moreover, C's mum was a very good cook, cooking complicated and spicy dishes. I wanted to keep my new husband happy. So, I launched myself into becoming an accomplished cook.
I would cook a three course lunch every day. Hors d' oeuvres, main (meat) course, salad and a sweet. No wonder I put on 17 kilos in a year!
But, I am pretty pleased with myself. I obviously have had my good and my not so good moments. But from a cooking illiterate, I slowly carved out a cooking style of my own. I got closer to all living beings, by becoming largely a vegetarian and occasionally raw foodist. I got C and the children to eat veggies, which C never did before, resulting in lowering his cholesterol levels. And I can say that both my husband and children appreciate my efforts.
Thank God!
Annie of My Life as Annie is our host for Time Travel Tuesday. Lovely idea, Annie. Thanks alot!
, you are bound to know that food plays an important part in Greek culture. There is no religious feast that is not linked to a particular kind of food.In a way, food marks the calendar year: Christmas equals melomakarona and kourambiedes. Easter is filled with the smell of baking koulourakia and roasting lamb. In the mind of the Greek housewife, the Annunciation and Palm Sunday mean fish and skordalia (a thick puree of garlic, potatoes, olive oil and vinegar). And so on and so forth.
Every housewife has her own secret recipe that she guards and treasures, and every housewife does anything in her power to learn the secret ingredient that will make her melomakarona more moist and her kourambiedes crunchier. An unending quest for the holy grail of culinary satisfaction that would make her the envy of fellow women cooks, such as girl friends and sisters in law.
Consequently, every Greek mother's task consists of teaching her girls how to cook and bake the traditional dishes that are going to be the core of her household tasks.
Food brings the family together, empowers the woman socially and through it she manipulates her husband and children. Love passes from the stomach is her mantra. I know. It sounds awful, but it is true.
Since moving to Greece, I realise that all that was the case for the Greeks in diaspora, was not true of the Greeks living in Greece. I have never seen in my life more people eating outside. There is a food parlor in every corner, every square, every step, and people eating, eating, eating ready made food. Sometimes I find it simply bad taste, seeing people munching in the streets. Others I look at it as a sign of the disintegrating social structure, where kids no longer go home for lunch. Or dinner. We'd never think of doing that. Full stop. However, the year is still centered around food and the main Christian holidays are still marked by traditional dishes.
My first cooking adventure took place when I was at University. In my microwave sized oven, I cooked a moussaka that would have lasted me an entire week! Fortunately some curious English, Spanish and Colombian friends shared in the feast!
My own family was a little different anyway. My mother wasn't too keen on getting me involved in household tasks. Because her parents had not let her go on past high school, she was eager for me to go to College, get a degree and pursue an academic career. And so I did.
However, there were some occasions when, doing just that,wasn't enough for her. She would then comment that I was not going to be any use to my family, if I ever got around to having one, because I couldn't cook. That wasn't entirely true, of course, but being successful in my studies and very simple in my tastes (I could be satisfied with a simple salad, and I still can) I couldn't get it: what was I doing wrong?
One summer, after my mum had settled in Greece and I was visiting for the summer holidays, she got on and on about my household skills again, or lack of them. Finally, she closed the door and left asking me, -but it did sound like an order-, to fix lunch before she got home.
There I was then, alone in the kitchen. Well, if I could get straight As in my A Levels, I could certainly fix lunch!
Despising the originals, I turned to the new and exciting. My best friend, C, had offered me a Tante Marie book of recipes. I opened it in one of the most traditional and loved recipes:
stuffed tomatoes. Greek food via France. Why not, I thought, and got on with it. One of the good things about Greece is that there is a great supply of vegetables. Off i went to the market and fixed the gemista.
I also made moussaka and a raisin bread (stafidipsomo) which I knew my mum would love. When she got back, I had everything ready. It was tasty and good looking. I didn't get any bravos, but there has been no discussion of my cooking skills since.
The best part of my cooking life began when I got married. I had quit work and I was staying at home. After several years of full time work, I needed to do something to keep myself busy. Moreover, C's mum was a very good cook, cooking complicated and spicy dishes. I wanted to keep my new husband happy. So, I launched myself into becoming an accomplished cook.
I would cook a three course lunch every day. Hors d' oeuvres, main (meat) course, salad and a sweet. No wonder I put on 17 kilos in a year!
But, I am pretty pleased with myself. I obviously have had my good and my not so good moments. But from a cooking illiterate, I slowly carved out a cooking style of my own. I got closer to all living beings, by becoming largely a vegetarian and occasionally raw foodist. I got C and the children to eat veggies, which C never did before, resulting in lowering his cholesterol levels. And I can say that both my husband and children appreciate my efforts.
Thank God!
Annie of My Life as Annie is our host for Time Travel Tuesday. Lovely idea, Annie. Thanks alot!
7 comments:
Several thoughts...
I loved that movie.
Every time I read your posts I want to go to Greece so bad!!!
I told Matt the other day we should move to Greece and he looked at me like I had grown another ear right in the middle of my eyes...
It just sounds so beautiful there.
♥♥♥♥
annie
My Life as Annie!
I so enjoyed this! I have never had Greek food. I need to see that movie.
It's neat you found your own style!
Barbara H. @ Stray Thoughts
LOL Microwave cooking!
I liked that movie, too. After you became a vegetarian, did you lose the weight you had gained? I'd love to sample some of your Greek dishes. Never had any Greek food that I'm aware of.
Just the names of Greek food sound wonderful. Oh I am hungry now.
I loved that movie! The family next door where I grew up was from Greece and I spent loads of time with them as a kid. (They were so gracious...I am sure I was a pest!) I remember sitting at their table as a small child learning to speak Greek (which I've sadly forgotten!) watching them cook, cook, cook! What wonderful meals! I absolutely love Greek food and wish I had paid more attention. Thanks for the memories!
Food is very much an important part of Austrian family life too. I grew up in a large family, in the countryside, and meals were always the kind one imagines an Italian family celebrates.
I never learned to cook while at home, only started opening my Ada Boni's "Talismano della Felicita'" once I moved to the USA, out of necessity. I missed the good healthy Italian cuisine so much! With the help of Julia Child, I became a decent cook over the years. Most important, as far as my developing cooking skills were concerned, was the fact that I had learned to eat good food at my parent's home, and in my Italian environment. Memories of taste are really special, as Proust so well expressed with his tea and Madelines, and they helped me a lot finding the right way to cook.
Here in Vienna, since the end of February, the Viennese tend to eat outside wherever possible. I must confess, I enjoy this way of life, even in the winter they find a way to savour a hot drink and some food to go along with, in the streets. On Sundays whole families, sometimes two and three generations, enjoy lunch together in some sunny or shady restaurant garden. It's a way of life, and i particularly like the fact, that old and young enjoy so much time together. Wherever you go, the generations are mixed, old and young, and very young and very old, too.
Post a Comment