KALLOS

 

          “KALLOS” THE ULTIMATE BEAUTY EXHIBITION OPENS IN ATHENS

 

 

The president of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, celebrated the opening of the new exhibition of the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, “Kallos: The Ultimate Beauty”.

The exhibition features 300 works of ancient Greek art and Mrs. Sakellaropoulou noted that the pieces explore the depths of the ancient Greek concept of “Kallos”, a complex conception of beauty that tangles physical appearance and inner nature.

 

“It introduces us to ways in which beauty was invested in different ways in antiquity emphasizing the symbols (the archaic) the ethos it emits (the classical) OR THE PASSION (The Hellenistic).  And it offers us the panoramic view of the ideal that found its perfect representation in the art that was treated with awe and respect by the ancients in their daily lives.  Maybe because they believed that any insult to beauty, internal or external causes its loss.” Added Mrs. Saakellaropoulou.

 

She also explained that one of the crucial ways Kallos differs from the traditional notion of beauty is the myriad and unexpected ways it can manifest itself through various subject matters, as even demonic or divine scenes can be imbued with Kallos because of the aspects of the soul they illuminate. 

 

Those who have worked to prepare the show have also stressed the very premise of the show, which aims to do more than display the technical mastery of the antiquities.

“This is the first time that an exhibition is being held not for the notion of beauty but for the concept of Kallos,” said professor Nikolaos Stamboulidis, who organized the show before he was appointed director of the Acropolis Museum.

 

“Today, beauty only refers to the physical beauty of the face and body or both, while the aspects of “Kallos” mentioned in the Homeric epics are seen very rarely in the modern Greek language,”. He added.               

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EARTHQAKES

 

                                                      

 

I promised myself that I shall not write about current events on this blog, but as I am a survivor of the devastating earthquake, measuring 7.2 of the Richter scale that left Cephalonia and Zakynthos to smithereens with 800 dead and many injured in both islands, I decided to change my mind.

 

A strong earthquake measuring 5.8 of the Richter scale hit Crete 28 kilometres southeast of Heraklion leaving one man dead, several injured and heavy damages.  My sincere condolences to the family of the unfortunate man ands my hopes for a speedy recovery of the injured.

PLEASE DO BE VACCINATED AGAINST COVID 19 SO THAT YOUR BELOVED FAMILIES, FRIENDS, THE WORLD AND YOU WILL BE HEALTHY AND SAFE.

 

DOLMADAKIA WITH MINCED MEAT

 

My beloved grandson Christophoros’ friend, whose name I do not know, asked me on the 27^th of January of this year for a recipe for dolmadakia.  Sorry for the delay, but I just saw it!

 

                                      DOLMADAKIA WITH MINCED MEAT

 

One of my favourite dishes, best prepared in late spring when the vine leaves are tender.  I use soaked bread instead of rice because it helps the filling to become tender.

 

60 vine leaves, blanched and patted dry

Filling:

500 g (1 lb) minced meat

2 thick slices two-day bread, crusts discarded and soaked in water and squeezed dry

3 onions, peeled, grated, simmered in water and a little olive oil until tender and strained

2 tbsp olive oil

½ cup chopped parsley

1 ½ tbsp chopped dill

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

 

1 ½ tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

4 mint leaves

500 ml (2 cups) chicken tasty stock

 

Sauce:

2 tbsp butter

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp corn flour

750 ml (3 cups) tasty chicken stock

Freshly ground white pepper to taste

Lemon juice to taste

125 ml ( ½ cup) light cream

 

Mix the first seven ingredients for the filling well together, taste, and add more seasoning if necessary.  Line a large saucepan with the most disfigured vine leaves.  Then start filling the vine leaves in the following way:

 

Place each vine leaf on a plate, the shiny side touching the plate, and place a spoonful of filling in the middle of the base of the vine leaf and fold the sides evenly over.  Then roll up into a small packet.  Repeat the same process with all the vine leaves and arrange them side by side, cylindrically in a saucepan.  When the first layer is completed dot with half the butter and place 2 mint leaves over.

 

Continue placing the second layer of dolmadakia over the bottom layer and dot with the remaining butter and mint leaves.  Place a piece of baking parchment and a plate on top.  Pour the cooking stock over and bring to a boil.  Then lower the heat and simmer gently for 40-45 minutes making sure that they are well covered with stock during the cooking period.

 

You could cool the saucepan and place it in the fridge overnight.  The next day, transfer the dolmadakia to a flat saucepan, discard the mint leaves, strain a little cooking liquid over, and simmer to heat.

 

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce that tastes like avgolemono without eggs. Melt the butter add the bay leaf and sift the cornflour over, stirring for 3-4 minutes.  Pour in the hot stock in 3 portions, beating well after each addition until the sauce bubbles and thickens.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and add lemon juice to taste and the cream.  Taste once more and add more salt, pepper, and lemon if necessary.  Discard the bay leaf and pour the sauce over the hot dolmadakia and enjoy.   

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KASTELLORIZO

Kastellrizo is close to the Turkish coast just 2 km away, that you can taste the East the tiny islet is very pretty.

Sailing into the village of Kastellorizo the Castle built during the Middle Ages, the minaret and the pastel-coloured neoclassical houses huddled around the turquoise bay is soul enchanting. "Megisti" as Kastellorizo was once called (mianing "Great") is the largest of the islands in the area. 

 

         

 

 

INTERESTING DISHES

 

                                                    SCOTCH EGGS

1 tbsp vinegar

12 eggs

100 g (3.5 oz) stale bread

100 g (3.5 oz) blanched almonds

1 cup chopped parsley

 

250 g (8.8 oz) sausages

2 eggs

3 tbsp plain flour

Breadcrumbs

Sunflower oil for frying

 

5 tbsp homemade mayonnaise

1 tsp smoked paprika

 

Fill a large pan with water and a good-sized bowl with iced water.  Bring the water in the pan to a rolling boil add the vinegar and slowly lower the eggs with a spoon and let them cook for 3 minutes.  Then take the saucepan off the heat and allow the eggs to sit in the water for 6 minutes. Then scoop the eggs out with a slotted spoon and plunge into to iced water and let them cool for 10 minutes.

 

Place the stale bread, almonds, and parsley in a food processor and blitz until evenly chopped into fine pieces, then season and transfer to a shallow dish.  Remove the outer casing from the sausages and discard it.    Roughly chop the sausages and place them in a food processor with 1 egg and blitz until smooth. 

 

Divide the mixture into 12 portions and shape patties. Set up three bowls, one with flour, the second with the remaining beaten egg, and the third with bread crumbs.

 

Carefully peel the eggs taking care not to expose the yolks, which should be hard-boiled.    Place some of the stale bread mixture,  1 tbsp sausage mix on a piece of cling film, and flatten it as flat as you can. Then put the egg on top. Use the cling film to enclose it completely. Twist the cling film to form a ball.  Unwrap the Scotch eggs, dip them first in flour, then in beaten egg, and finally, in bread crumbs.  Heat the vegetable oil and fry 3-4 at a time for 5 minutes or until brown and crisp on the outside.  When cool enough to handle cut the Scotch eggs in half and place on a dish.  Serve with mayonnaise/smoked paprika dip and enjoy.

 

 

                                       SPANAKOPITTA SPRING ROLLS

 500 g (2 lb) spinach, washed and chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

6 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

62.5 g ( ½ cup) crumbled feta

1 egg and1 beaten to glaze

½ cup chopped dill

A generous grating of nutmeg

Zest of 1 lemon

Spring roll wrappers

Whipped egg

2 tbsp sesame seeds

 

Yogurt dip:

200 g (1 tub) Greek yogurt

¼ clove of garlic, minced

Lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

 

Heat oven to 180 C (350 F) Blanch the spinach and when cool enough to,handle, squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

 

Sauté the spring onions in olive oil for a few minutes, until softened and season to taste. Add the spinach, feta, eggs, dill, nutmeg, and lemon zest and mix very well together.

 

Lay a spring roll wrapper on a board. one of the corners facing you.  Put 4 tbsp of filling on the wrapper in a short thick line parallel to you. Fold the bottom corners, then the sides, and roll up to enclose the filling.  Place then on a baking tin, lined with oiled baking parchment, and brush with whipped egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F), for 20-25 minutes until crisp and golden.

 

Meanwhile, whip the yogurt with garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the hot spring rolls to dip.      

 

  

 

                                                PUMPKIN PANCAKES

1 cup plain flour

1 cup wholemeal flour

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

½ tsp salt

1 cup milk

½ cup pumpkin puree

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Whipped cream with icing sugar

Chocolate chip

 

In a large bowl, whisk plain flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

 

In a small bowl, whisk milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, and vegetable oil

 

Heat a lightly oiled frying pan and scoop spoonfuls of batter on the pan.  And cook for 2-3 minutes and flip over and cook until golden brown.  Finish all the batter in a similar way.  Serve with dollops of whipped cream and sprinkled with chocolate chips.

 

 

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THERE ARE MANY OPERAS BASED ON GREEK MYTHOLOGY

                                                         EARTHQUAKES

 

I promised myself that I shall not write about current events on this blog, but as I am a survivor of the devastating earthquake, measuring 7.2 of the Richter scale that left Cephalonia and Zakynthos to smithereens with 800 dead and many injured in both islands, I decided to change my mind.

 

A strong earthquake measuring 5.8 of the Richter scale hit Crete 28 kilometres southeast of Heraklion leaving one man dead, several injured and heavy damages.  My sincere condolences to the family of the unfortunate man ands my hopes for a speedy recovery of the injured.

 

There are many major operas that are based on themes and personalities from Greek mythology.  That means that all one needs to know about the universality of Greek mythology and history how much they have meant to the Western world and how much they mean to us all over the millennia.

 

The titanic themes of love, power, jealousy, greed, and fear, they are all there in Greek mythology and history, and of course, they are represented in opera as well.

 

As the world still reels from the cultural effects of the pandemic, which caused almost all cultural and entertainment venues to close, the opera troupes are just now beginning to stage operas once again.  Let’s take a look at the greatest of all operas based on themes of Greek mythology.

Opera as we know it today began in 1597 with Ottavio Renuccini’s  “Dafne” (Daphne) set to music by Jacopo  Peri.

 

The group of Florentine poets and musicians to which Renuccini belonged, known as “La Camerata”, sought to revive Greek drama as part of Renaissance of Greek classical culture that was taking part in Western Europe at the time.

Universally acknowledged as opera’s first masterpiece Claudio Monteverdi’s “L’Orphe” (Orpheus) was a gelling of ideas of great minds of the Camerata and other composers of the time.

 

“Les Troyens” (The Trojans)  is an opera based on the history of the Trojan War by Hector Berlioz and was written and composed 1851-1958 and is another opera based on Greek history. 

“Alessandro” by George Friedrich Handel was composed in 1726 and recounted the incredible story of Alexander the Great. 

 

“Medee” (Media)  by Cherubin, with a libretto by Francois Benoit Hoffmann.  This is a French-language opera-comique on Euripedes’ tragedy of Media which is set in ancient Corinth.  Greece’s opera queen Maria Callas performed this work to thunderstorm ovation in 1961 at “La Scala” at Milan. 

“Phryne” is a opera-comique by Camille Saint-Saens, based on the Greek courtesan Phryne.

“Themistocle” (Themistocles)  by Johan Christian Bach. The opera takes place in Persia.  Themistocles with his son Neocles have been expelled from Athens.  He arrives incognito at Susa, the capital of his arch enemy King Seise to find out that his daughter Aspasia with the Athenian ambassador Lisimacho has also made her way there. Eventually all is revealed and Seise magnanimously pardons everybody, unites the lovers and makes peace with Athens. 

“Thespis” or ”The Grown Old” is an operatic extravaganza by Gilbert and Sullivan.  Thespis premiered at in London at the Gaiety Theatre in December 1871 and was a great success.

“Idomeneus”, referring to the king of Crete Idomenus is an Italian opera  by Wolfgan Amadeus Mozart is considered to be  one of  greatest operas of the time. Idomeneus premiered in January 1781 at the

 Cuvillies theatre in Munich.

“Orpheus in the Underworld” by Jacques Offenbach with a French-language libretto by Hector Cremieux is a light-hearted, satirical treatment of the ancient myth of Orpheus. It premiered in October 1858 at the theatre of Bouffes Parisiens in Paris.

 

“Electra” by Richard Strauss in 1905 composer R. Strauss attended a performance of Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s Electra.  Soon after Strauss reached out the playwright having decided that the play would be ideal for becoming an opera.  The two men collaborated and made a great opera.  Both the play and the opera are adaptations of great playwright Sophocle’s Electra and so follows the legend closely.  According to Greek mythology, Electra wssthe daughter of the king and queen of Mycinae. She was devastated when her father, Agamemnon, was killed. Believing her mother to be responsible Electra and her brother seek revenge and murder their mother and her lover.  Strauss’ version of the tragedy unlike the myth Electra is killed at the end of the opera.

 

“Sappho” by Charles Gounod   Sapho is a female poet from the island of Lesbos famous for her lyric poetry. Most of her poetry is now tragically lost, only the “Ode to Aphrodite” is complete.

“Ariadne of Naxos” by Richard Strauss.  This1912 opera has a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal.  Ariadne of Naxos has two parts, prologue, and opera. At the home of a rich man in Vienna preparations for an evening of music are underway.  Two groups of musicians and singers have already arrived.  One is a burlesque group led by saucy comedienne Zerbinetta, the other is an opera company that will present the opera “Ariadne of Naxos, the work of the composer.  The second part of the opera shows Ariadne abandoned by her lover and the burlesque group tries to cheer her up and insist that the only way to retaliate is to get a new lover.  But she stays at Naxos with no company except the nymphs Naiad, Dryad, and Echo. But finally, she finds Harlequin a baritone and they sing love songs together.

 

Greek mythology has formed the theme for so many works created over the centuries by the most brilliant artists of modern times bringing ancient Greece to life one more.  

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32 YEARS SINCE THE MURDER OF PAVLOS BAKOYANNIS and GREEK GOURMET DISHES

     There are two posts on this date.        

                       32 YEARS SINCE THE MURDER OF PAVLOS BAKOYIANNIS

                  

Like yesterday in 1986, Pavlos Bakoyiannis the Greek politician and magazine publisher was gunned down and murdered outside his office building in Athens, by the terrorist organization 17th  November.

Bakoyiannis was born in 1935 in a small village in Evritania, central Greece.  His father was the village priest.  He studied in Athens and Munich and worked for Deutsche Welle as a newscaster of their Greek language radio program.  

          

 The same year he married Theodora (Dora) Mitsotakis, the daughter of politician  Konstantinos Mistotakis.

In 1982, he became the publisher of the magazine ENA.  A few months before his death, in June 1989, he entered politics as an elected member of Parliament representing Evritania. 

Dimitris Koufodinas, Irakles Kostaris and Alexander Yiotopoulos were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Athens court in December 2003.

Here is a photo of the Bakoyianni family:

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GREEK GOURMET DISHES

                                                 GREEK BEEF SOUP

 

! kg (2 lb) beef, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 tbsp olive oil

3 carrots, scraped and sliced

3 celery stalks, threaded and sliced

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

2 bay leaves

3 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped plus extra for serving

1 beef cube

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

 

 

Sauté the carrots, celery, and onions in olive oil until the onions turn translucent.  Add the meat and beef cube, taste and season with salt if necessary and pepper to taste.   Add the bay leaves and chopped thyme.  Pour in enough hot water to cover and simmer until the meat is almost tender.  Add the potatoes, lemon juice and zest and cook until the potatoes are tender. Discard the bay leaves.

 

Serve steaming hot, with a squeeze of lemon juice, a splash of olive oil sprinkled with extra chopped thyme and don’t forget to accompany it with crusty brown bread.

 

 

                           GREEK PEA AND POTATO STEW WITH TOMATOES

 

 

420 g (16 oz) peas, peeled

120 ml (4 fl oz) olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

2 carrots, scraped and sliced

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tbsp tomato paste

300 g (10 oz) ripe tomatoes, halved, seeded, grated skins discarded

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Sauté the onion and spring onions in half the olive oil until the onions become transparent.  Add the carrots, potatoes, and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more. 

 

Add the grated tomato tomatoes and enough hot water to just cover.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, without a lid, until the potatoes have softens a little. 

 

Add th peas, fresh dill, and the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste..  Mix well, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the peas are soft and the loiquid has evaporated, they should only be left with olive oil. 

 

Serve at room temperature with crumbled feta and crusty brown bread.

 

 

                                            VEAL WITH LEMON SAUCE

 1 – 1 ½ kg (2- 2¾ lb) stewing veal, cut into portions

2 onions, peeled and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

Juice of 3 lemons

½ cup of olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tbsp fresh thyme chopped

Sauté the onions in olive oil until transparent, add the meat and cook until brown.  Pour in the lemon juice and sprinkle with the minced garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover with hot water to just cover. Boil uncovered until the meat is tender and liquid has evaporated.  

 

Serve sprinkled with chopped fresh thyme and creamy mashed potatoes.  

 

 

                                                       SALMON DISH

 

For topping;

¼ cup olive oil

Juice of 2 lemons

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup cubed feta

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

½ cup stoned and sliced Kalamata olives

¼ cup peeled and chopped cucumbers

¼ cup peeled and chopped onion

2 tbsp chopped dill

 

For salmon:

 1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 onion, peeled and sliced

4 salmon fillets, boned and patted dry with kitchen paper

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  In a large bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes. Season to taste and add the feta and toss to coat, cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

Roast the fish,  Scatter the lemon and onion slices at the bottom of a large pyrex dish.  Add the salmon fillets, skin down, season with salt and pepper, and bake until opaque and flaky, 18-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping. In a bowl with the feta add the tomatoes, olives, cucumbers and chopped dill, and toss gently to combine. 

Serve the salmon with the lemon and onion slices and top with the feta mixture 

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CONTRACT BRIDGE

 

                                        

 

 

 

The history of contract bridge, one of the world’s most popular partnership games, can be dated from the early 16th century invention of trick-taking games such as whist.  Bridge left from whist with the creation of Biritch or Russian whist in the 19^th century and developed through the late 19^th and early 20^th century to the present game.

 

The oldest known credentials to the rules of the game dates back to 1886.  Whist showed several significant developments from what the dealer chose the trump suit or requested his partner to do so.  There was a bid of notrump, and the dealer’s partner’s hand became dummy. There were other similarities to bridge, and points were scored above and below the line.

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In 1925, the game that we know today from auction bridge and platform contract bridge was invented by the American Harold Vanderbilt.  Vanderbilt’s bridge incorporated a number of new features, most notably a sophisticated scoring table and various modes of vulnerability.

 

“Contract” was so named because it required a partnership to commit the contract of a certain amount of tricks.  Failure to fulfill a contract resulted in a scoring penalty, a success an award.

 

Contract bridge quickly gained popularity throughout the US, where it experienced its Golden Age in the 1930s and 1940s.  During this time, famous expert matches were conducted, including the 1930 Anglo-American match, and in 1931 and the Culbertson-Lenz match.

 

Duplicate (tournament) bridge also became popular during the middle of the 20^th century.  In duplicate bridge players at a table are dealt hands that are eventually passed on to another table and then another and so on.  Thus, a competing pair plays the same deals that any number of other pairs play, with the differences in results being the basis of each pair’s final score. Duplicate began to rise in the 1930s and continues to be popular worldwide.

 

Bridge world championships, which use a team similarity to duplicate bridge, began in 1950 and saw the USA team dominating until 1957. That same year, Italy began its incredible 10 consecutive victories.

 

Contract bridge is very popular around the world.  It combines the elements of mental boost, luck, and socializing that are hard to find in other card games.  Bridge is one of the few games played today by people of all ages, races, and nationalities.  

(I wish to thank Wikipedia and other search sights for the information for this post.)

 

 

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THE STORY OF OEDIPUS IS THE MOST TRAGIC OF ALL GREEK MYTHS

 

 

The story of Oedipus is the most tragic story of ancient Greece. He was the King of Thebes and lived under the shadow of a curse that he could not avoid at the end of his days.

 

Oedipus was the son of Laius and Iocasta, the King and Queen of Thebes.  The misfortunes of his line were the result of a curse inflicted by his father.  When his son was born, Laius consulted the Oracle of Delphi to find out his fate.  To his horror, the Oracle revealed that “he was condemned to die at the hands of his own son”.

 

The parents ordered a servant to kill their son, but he could not do so and gave him to a shepherd.  The shepherd called the boy Oedipus or “swollen feet” since Laius had tied his feet tightly.  

 

The child was taken to Corinth and was given to King Polubas, who had no children and who raised him as his own.

 

When he was an adult, he heard rumours that he was not the son of Polubas and his wife Merope.  Driven by doubt he went to the Oracle of Delphi and asked if the son of the Corinthian Monarchs, but instead of answering that he had a dark destiny: “Mating with his own mother and killing his own father.”

 

Desperate to avoid the Oracle’s profession, Oedipus who thought that Polubas and Merope were his parents, left for Thebes.

 

On the way to Thebes, Oedipus met Laius, the two argued over which chariot had the right of way.  The Theban King moved to strike the insolent young man, but Oedipus unaware that Laius was his father, killed him.

 

Thus, Laius was killed by his own son and half the prophecy was fulfilled.   Before reaching Thebes, Oedipus met the Sphinx, a legendary beast with the head and breasts of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle. 

 

The Sphinx would strangle any traveler on his way to Thebes except if they could solve a riddle and Oedipus managed to solve it.

 

A bonus for solving the riddle was to marry the dowager Queen Iocasta so the whole of the prophecy was fulfilled.    

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THE STORY OF THE AUSTRIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING'S GREEK CARACTER

 

 

 

One of the most beautiful and impressive Parliament buildings in Europe is in Vienna which has a distinctive Greek flavour.

 

Built during the 19^th century, the Austrian Parliament impresses tourists with it’s perfect resemblance to an ancient Greek temple.

Designed by architect Theophilos  Hansen and completed in 1883, the Austrian Parliament is one of the most characteristic examples of the classical Greek architectural renaissance of the 19^th century. 

 

Hansen decided to give the building its unmistakable Greek character because he wanted to revive the Greek architectural style.  During this period, called Neoclassicism there was an awakened admiration for ancient Greece’s achievements, leading architects across Europe and the Americas to design. buildings in the Greek classical style.

 

Designing holistically, Hansen was responsible both for the exterior and the interior of the Parliament building.  The result was a stunning recreation of classical Greece, with columns and pediments of white marble and frescoes along the walls of the entrance.

 

The Austrian authorities thought at the time, that classical Greek architecture was very appropriate for a parliament building because of its connection with ancient Greeks and their legacy for democracy.

 

Hansen, relying on the drafts he had drawn up for the Zappeion Hall in Athens was ready to implement his ideas and give Vienna a landmark that would capture the admiration of the world. 

The "Athena Fountain” in front of the parliament was erected several years after the parliament building’s construction.   Creating an urban complex that gives the impression of being in the ancient city of Athens.

 

Vienna is also home to the historical Greek community.   When we think of the key communities of the Greek  Diaspora Vienna often comes in mind.  However, when we consider historically significant communities for modern Hellenism, the Austrian capital should certainly be on a list with its own Greek enclave Little Greece.

 

The members of the Greek diaspora in Vienna came primarily from Macedonia, Epirus, and Thrace.

 

The Vienna Greek School is older than Greece itself, being founded in1804.  Aside from educational efforts that were going on since that time, Vienna is where the Greek language first appeared in print in the modern world.

 

The actual site of the first Greek printing press is gone.  Still, within the Greek Quarter, a stately baroque building houses the second Greek printing press, where Rigas Pheraos the protomartyr of Greek Independence edited the Greek newspaper “Ephimeris”.     

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ICE CREAMS

 

                                           

There can never be anything more inviting on a hot summer’s day than ice cream.

 

                                                 VANILLA ICE CREAM

For this ice cream you must first prepare a custard with

420 ml (14 fl oz) single cream

½ a vanilla bean

8 egg yolks

125 g (4oz + 1tsp) sugar

A good pinch of salt

250 ml (8 fl oz) double cream whipped to soft peaks

 

Bring the single cream with a little sugar and the vanilla bean almost to the boil.  

 

Meanwhile, whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until light and fluffy and doubled in bulk.

 

Discard the vanilla bean and pour the hot cream, slowly into the egg yolks, beating constantly.  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and simmer very gently, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

 

Remove the custard from the heat and strain it through a fine sieve and allow it to cool to room temperature.  Fold in the whipped cream until well combined.

 

Spoon the custard into a bowl with a cover and freeze for 2 hours at least.  Then remove from the freezer and whip vigorously and return it to the freezer.  Repeat the procedure twice more.  Transfer the ice cream into a container, cover and freeze.  Alternately one could use an ice cream machine following the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

One can use the same recipe (minus the vanilla bean) by adding:

2 tbsp ground pistachio nuts

7 drops of green food colouring

A few crushed pistachios for garnish.

 

 

                                          CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Do prepare this old-fashioned ice cream.  

500 ml (2 cups) milk

4 large egg yolks

8 tbsp of sugar

Pinch of salt

120 g (4 oz) chocolate, melted

1 vanilla

500 ml (2 cups) double cream whipped to soft peaks

 

Heat milk, whip eggs, and sugar to make a custard as described above, in the Vanilla Ice Cream recipe. Stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla and strain in a bowl to cool.  Gently fold in the whipped cream until well combined.  Freeze as described above.

 

 

                                               STRAWBERRY WATER ICE

Water ices are prepared with fresh fruit or fresh fruit juices.  Use the same recipe for apricots and peaches.

 

250 ml (1 cup) sieved strawberry pulp

500 ml (2 cups) water

200 g (1 cup) sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tsp lemon juice to accentuate the taste

 

Heat water, add sugar and salt, and stir until sugar melts.  Remove from the fire and set aside to cool.  Then add the lemon juice and the strawberry pulp and mix well together.

 

The easiest way to freeze a water ice, is in electric ice cream machine. Alternately, freeze it in a covered ice cream tray and when half frozen, whip well and return it quickly to the freezer.  Repeat the procedure twice more.

 

      

                                                 LEMON WATER ICE

Another very refreshing water ice.

 

750 ml (3 cups) water

375 g (1 ½ cup) sugar

1 small piece of lemon rind

125 ml ( ½ cup) lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon rind

A tiny pinch of salt

 

Heat water with lemon rind, add sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts. Remove from the heat, discard the lemon rind and set aside to cool.  Add the lemon juice and grated lemon rind and mix well.  Freeze according to the instructions given above.

Serve the granita in tall glasses garnished with mint leaves or finely grated lemon rind.

FORMER NEW DEMOCRACY POLITICIAN GIANNIS KEFALGIANNIS DIES AT 79

Former Greek minister, one of the oldest parliamentary politicians of Nea Democratia and former advisor of Greek prime minister Karamanlis, died at the age of 79.

Kefalogiannis was married Eleni Verdonogianni and had 3 daughters.

My most sincere condolences to his family, especially to his wife Eleni, who I often met at June and Themis Marinos house  

PLEASE DO BE VACCINATED AGAINST COVID - 19 SO THAT YOUR BELOVED FAMILIES, FRIENDS, THE WORLD, AND YOU WILL REMAIN HEALTHY AND SAFE.