Fish and meat are eaten less frequently, and in smaller portions, but are cooked with the same attention to herbs, oil, and simple cooking techniques. Olives, wines, spirits, and cheeses need no cooking at all. However, the foods that so closely identify Greece to non-Greeks are quite different.

Greek food expert and cookbook author, Aglaia Kremezi, writes in Some Thoughts on the Past, Present, and Future of Greek Food,
"Mousaka, pastichio, creamy avgolemono (thickened egg-and-lemon sauce), and Greek salad are the dishes that most non-Greeks consider to be the epitome of traditional Greek cooking. Yet, most of these dishes have very little to do with traditional foods. They were developed, or drastically revised, by professional cooks and restaurateurs."

The most influential of those professional cooks was Nicholas Tselementes, a Greek chef from the island of Sifnos who trained in Europe and worked in some of the world's finest hotel kitchens.

It's not clear whether Tselementes believed that French cooking originated in Greece (which it did not), or that French was somehow "better" than the simple Greek fare of the day, but the result was that he developed recipes and cooking styles based on sauces and French methods of preparation to "cleanse" Greek food of Turkish, Roman, and other influences that had been incorporated over centuries, influences Tselementes saw as barbaric. He preferred butter to olive oil, elaborate sauces to bare dishes. French was in, Greek was out. It was most probably Tselementes who created the moussaka and pastitsio we know today - with an inch of cream sauce, cheeses, and 700 calories per serving - from the original dishes which were simple combinations of ground meat and vegetables or pasta.

His theories and first cookbook, written in 1910, became the darlings of early 20th century "upwardly mobile" Greeks who saw a new sophistication in his recipes. Greek chefs and restaurateurs sought to imitate his techniques and style, hoping to attract an international and worldly clientèle with mild tastes and elaborate presentations.

To read more, please visit greekfood.about.com

Ingredients

2 medium, very firm, ripe zucchini
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or Mastiha-scented olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh strained lemon juice, or more to taste
2 drops Mastiha essential oil
1 Tbsp. fresh marjoram or oregano leaves, whole or chopped
Grated zest of 1 lime, optional
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6-ounces (180 gr.) sharp Greek Cretan kefalograviera or graviera cheese, shaved

Instructions

1. Wash the zucchini well and trim off the ends. Scrub the outside of the zucchini under cold running water and trim off the ends. Using a mandolin or food processor, cut the zucchini lengthwise into paper-thin slices.
2. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Mastiha essential oil (if using; see Note), marjoram or oregano, lime zest, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
3. Arrange the zucchini in overlapping slices on a large platter. Drizzle with the dressing. Let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour to marinate.
4. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the kefalograviera or graviera into thin strips and place them decoratively over the zucchini. Serve immediately.

Greek Food - Greek Cooking - Greek Recipes by Diane Kochilas

http://www.dianekochilas.com/

• 2 pounds fish suitable for poaching (such as cod, mackerel, carp, trout, haddock, salmon
• Lemon juice
• 2 liters water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Herbs: 2 bay leaves, 8 peppercorns, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 3 sprigs fresh parsley, tied in a cheesecloth
• 10 small onions, peeled but left whole
• 10 small potatoes, peeled but left whole
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1. Wash eggplants well and remove stems and ends.

2. Using a sharp knife, make 4 deep lengthwise slits in each eggplant, make sure each slit runs almost up to but not through each end as we don’t want the eggplant separating into quadrants.

3. Sprinkle salt inside each incision in each eggplant then place the eggplants in a saltwater bath for one hour to drain away their bitterness; then remove and wash eggplants and leave to drain for 5 minutes.

4. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and add the eggplants. Be sure to turn the eggplants a quarter turn or so every couple minutes to ensure even cooking and fry them until the skin becomes soft and they begin to wilt.

5. Remove the eggplants from the oil and set side by side in a baking dish, always with one incision facing straight upwards.

6. In the same oil the eggplants were fried in, add the chopped onion and sauté until golden then add the tomato pulp and bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg and simmer for another 5 minutes then remove pan from heat and allow mixture to cool slightly.

7. Preheat oven to 350° F. (180° C.).

8. Using a teaspoon carefully spread open and fill the topside incision on each eggplant with generous portions of the onion mixture, but be careful not to split the eggplants through as they will be very soft. Once the eggplants have been filled, if there is any leftover onion mixture simply place it in the pan among or between the eggplants and pour any remaining oil from the frying pan over everything.

9. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs overtop of each stuffed eggplant and then place pan in oven and bake for one hour.

Note: As with all oil-rich foods (‘lathera’ in Greek), this dish is best served cool to allow the flavours to coalesce so let cool to room temperature before serving. If you leave it out overnight, it will be even more flavourful on the morrow.

Kali Orexi!

To read more, please visit greekgourmand.blogspot.gr