Greek community passes passes along traditions through cooking
Monday, April 21, 2008
KETTERING — It's not only the dough for the koulouria that three generations of the Valassiades family are rolling out for Easter.
They are also rolling out their cherished Greek Orthodox heritage.
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The Kettering family will join 300 million Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide in their observance of Easter on April 27. The date of their celebration of the resurrection is governed by a computation based on the vernal equinox and the phase of the moon.
A recently published cookbook contains the Greek community's most enticing recipes, many that have been enjoyed for years at the annual Greek Festival.
"It's about sharing our families' favorite recipes, sharing meals with family and friends, sharing our efforts to continue the Hellenic heritage, sharing our time to generate funds and sharing proceeds with those in need," says Evan Valassiades, who says many of the dishes included are served on Easter, the most important holiday of the year.
Under the direction of Valassiades and with help from scores of volunteers, The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Detroit Ladies Philoptochos Society has published "Sharing Favorites of our Greek American Cuisine." The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Dayton is part of the Detroit diocese.
When the organization, which represents women in a seven-state region, was in search of creative fund raising ideas, Valassiades suggested a cookbook which would not only preserve precious recipes from the entire region, but would introduce the cuisine and traditions to non-Greek neighbors as well. The spiral-bound book is being sold throughout the country, especially timely with the current popularity of a healthy Mediterranean diet.
The 300-page cookbook is filled with vegetable, pasta and seafood dishes seasoned with traditional Greek spices: olive oil, lemon, onion, garlic, rosemary, oregano, honey and cinnamon.
Readers are coached about working with phyllo pastry used to create popular delicacies at Greek Festivals such as spanakopita (spinach pie) and baklava (classic Greek pastry).
The secret ingredient to making this is LOVE," wrote the cookbook contributor of the spinach pie. "If you don't include LOVE, it will never come out right."
As cookbook chairman, Valassiades and her Dayton volunteers spent an intense two years gathering recipes from 40 parishes, testing and re-testing, typing and proof reading.
"We wrote the cookbook with our daughters in mind," Valassiades says. "We wanted simple recipes, easy to follow with easy ingredients, but traditional."
Their upcoming Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday meal will include lamb with green onions (we've included the Valassiades family recipe) and dyed red eggs that represent the blood of Christ. Everyone at the table will have fun trying to crack one another's eggs and knowing that the person whose egg remains whole will be lucky in the year ahead.
Daughter Joannie Bonanno now lives in Columbus and has fond memories of making the popular twisted butter cookies — koulouria — as a girl.
"Often Mom, Maria and I would be sitting around the table and talking and laughing and rolling," she remembers.
Maria Kopan, who lives in Toledo, recalls making kataifi with her great-grandmother, her mother and now her own three children.
"In Greece, it was made with something like angel hair pasta, but in the States we used shredded wheat instead, soaking it in cream, and baking it with sugar and cinnamon."
Valassiades says because their family was so many generations removed from the immigrant experience, they didn't worry about teaching their children Greek.
"Our kids were busy with French and Spanish and math and sports," she explains. "But the home cooking and the foods created pleasant memories. And they learned the dances and danced at all the Greek festivals."
Not that the immigrants have been forgotten. The lovely hand-painted bowl on the cover of the new cookbook has been treasured by the Valassiades family for five generations — originally created by the first brother and sister who left Greece and came to this country.
The bowl, like the recipes, has been safeguarded and passed along through the years.
Says Valassiades: "It's really about knowing your roots and who you are."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2440 or mmoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.
• Several lessons can be learned from the Mediterranean lifestyle. One is to consumer reasonable portions and remember: "Everything in good measure." Another is to enjoy the taste good and good conversation in an unhurried manner. Making time for such occasions a few times a week can reap great benefits. Third is that Europeans walk a lot. We may not be able to walk to daily activities or have the delightful Greek custom of an evening promenade, however we can regularly take walks or exercise at a facility.
• Enjoy the creative process of cooking. Pastry making, like embroidery, is the showcase for a baker's skill, intelligence and creativity. Your family and guests will appreciate your efforts.
• Did you know that the chef's hat can be traced back to the 7th century A.D. when chefs were considered learned men? During occupations, these men took refuge in local monasteries donning the dress of monks. Not wanting to be confused with the monks or show disrespect, they started wearing white hats rather than the black worn by Orthodox priests. The chef's toque was born.
SOURCE: "Sharing Favorites of our Greek American Cuisine," available for $22 through the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church office at 224-0601. All proceeds from the project benefit charity.
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A Greek
Orthodox
Easter Sunday Recipe from Evan Valassiades
1 leg of lamb (6-7 pounds weighed with bone, have butcher debone and butterfly the meat, trim excess fat, re-weigh to calculate cooking time)
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons rosemary, crushed leaves
3 lemons, juice of
¼ cup olive oil
Course salt and freshly ground pepper
Mix garlic, oregano, rosemary, lemon juice and olive oil. Using your hands, rub the mixture all over the meat to evenly coat. Place in a 9 x 13 inch glass pan, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Let meat marinate at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
Heat grill; position rack about 6 inches from the flame. Season lamb with salt and pepper to taste, grill (both sides) about half an hour per pound. Test doneness by inserting a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat: 145 degrees for medium rare, 160 degrees for medium or 170 degrees for well-done. The thinner portions of the deboned roast might over cook if the thickest part reads well done.
This entree can also be baked in the oven at 325 degrees: 20 minutes per pound to 145 degrees, 25 minutes per pound to 160 degrees or 40 minutes per pound for 170 degrees. These are approximate times because ovens vary.
Transfer to a platter, loosely cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Our son, who manned the grill one year, came up with this inventive topping that guests declared wonderful:
8 ounces Kalamata olives chopped – discard seeds
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 lemon, juice and zest
Mix and pat onto roast evenly just before finished cooking for a tasty crust.
