Greek kitchen, recipe traditions celebrated at NWI fest
In the 17 years I’ve written this weekly recipe column and through three published cookbooks, recipes with Greek origin seem to rarely pass my desk or be shared by readers.
Aside from previous published recipes I’ve printed for roasted lamb, Greek chicken, and lemon and rice soup, the Greek section in my pantry recipe file is woefully low.
Last week, I was pleased to welcome Dimitra Adams and Paul Turpa, members of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Merrillville to my Tuesday morning radio show at WJOB-1230 AM studios in Hammond to talk about the feast of recipes featured at this month’s annual Greek Fest sponsored by their church. My summer intern, Jack Gardner, 20, has been helping co-host my radio show during his summer break from Purdue University in West Lafayette and he also shares both the same Greek heritage and a church connection to Dimitra and Paul.
This is an extra special year for the annual Greek Fest at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 8000 Madison Ave. in Merrillville, which launched the fundraising event in 1969. The 2019 weekend of festivities marks the 50th edition of the festival, which will be held 5-11 p.m. on July 12 and noon-11 p.m. on July 13 and 14. Admission and parking are free and as well as plenty of entertainment and tours of the Cathedral.
Of course, most of all, I was eager to hear about the menu feast, which will include roasted seasoned lamb as well as barbecue lamb, gyros, Greek lasagna, baked cod, spinach and cheese pies, Greek fries, saganaki cheese, shish kabobs and Greek chicken, with all dinners served with a side salad, feta cheese, Greek olives, rice and bread.
Paul and Dimitra brought a large tray of some of the sweet and tempting delicious baked goods showcased for sale at this month’s festival and along with help from Jack, they provided me a lesson in the names and descriptions:
Koulouria — a traditional butter cookie usually served with strong Greek coffee
Baklava — a light and flaky phyllo dough layered dessert of walnuts and honey drenched in a simple syrup
Copenhi — an almond pastry baked in a flaky phyllo dough
Tassies — a pecan nut cup
Amigdalota — almond cookies
Kourambiedes — butter cookies heavily dusted in powdered sugar
Melomakarouna — lightly spiced cookies brushed with a light honey syrup and rolled in walnuts
One of the most notorious Greek appetites to make headlines was millionaire shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis, whose dinner parties were legendary, as were the demands he made of his private chefs and his eye for beautiful and famous dining companions. He was romantically linked to everyone from Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and Greta Garbo to socialite sisters Lee Radziwill and former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Often times, his party companion was famed opera star Maria Callas. But it was Jackie Kennedy whom he wed in 1968, creating headlines that even surprised the media as well the world.
Worth an amassed fortune of more than $200 million, after he died in 1975 at age 69, his final private chef Jean-Christian Souil was interviewed and shared “Ari’s favorite recipe for lamb,” which he said he would serve along with “a steamed head of cauliflower drenched in hollandaise sauce.”