Flavor of Greek islands explored Mediterranean tastes a nice change of pace

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THE FOODS OF THE GREEK ISLANDS, by Aglaia Kremezi, Houghton Mifflin Co, Boston and new York, 2000, 298 pages, $35.

As far as I’m concerned, it is sad that Greek food is not one of the big bruisers of Mediterranean cooking. While it’s tough to turn around without tripping over some little pasta joint serving its approximation of Italian, it’s tougher still to find any kind of Hellenic-leaning place to eat.

And when we do run across Greek food, it seldom is burdened by too many claims to authenticity. You may find a slightly dusty bottle of grape leaves in the ethnic aisle of your supermarket. Your local sandwich store may even sell gyros – pita bread stuffed with a sliced lamb product – a further bastardization of the doner kebob that is so loved by post-pub punters in Britain.

But let’s face facts: pickled leaves and grease are not likely to make us long for the cuisine of Greece next time we’re a little peckish. “Cooking of the Greek Islands,” however, will.

Aeschylus himself would have a tough time scribing the tragedy that has befallen many of Greece’s Aegean, Ionian and Mediterranean islands in the last few decades. After millennia of being fought over by powers of legend, places such as Kos, Rhodes and Crete finally fell; not to superior tactics nor overwhelming numbers, but to the cash carried in package tourists’ pink palms.

Fish and chips often is more likely to be found in local restaurants than the succulent dishes Kremezi offers in this volume.

Nevertheless, while Kremezi does dolefully acknowledge the sad changes that have befallen some of the islands of her ancestors, her purpose is not to reflect the current state of Greek island cookery, but to revel in the inventiveness of its past, and occasionally add a little contemporary twist.

This clearly is a labor of love for her; a way for her to honor her heritage, and, in many cases, to preserve recipes that until now, often have only existed in the memories of folk still clinging to more traditional ways of life. The book is a huge success.

Painted in washes of sapphirine hue, streaked with greens, the very appearance of the book is evocative. Its sparing and intelligent use of photography, much of it focused as strongly on people and places as food, lends the book the air of a travelogue. The prose within supports this.

From its winding opening narrative, giving us glimpses of half-remembered havens, through the picturesque introductions to the content of each chapter, the book undertakes a seduction of the reader.

And once snared by the book’s appeals, the reader is not disappointed by the recipes within.

Just a passing glance at the foods offered are enough to convince that the cooking of the Greek islands is unique.

Set at a crossroads of great civilizations and great cuisines, the food frequently is simple, but never dull, almost unfailingly singing only the best notes of Arabic, Turkish and other Mediterranean recipes.

Soutzoukakia Lemonata (Meatballs with Rice and Herbs in a Lemon Broth) comes to the table screaming with freshness – mint and lemon harmonizing with cilantro.

Tart, tasty, terrific.

Then there’s Ktapodi Me Kofto Makaroni (Squid or Octopus Stew with Macaroni), which relies almost as much on texture as taste. The dish cleverly combines the similar characters of squid and al dente pasta, and simply flavors them with salt, pepper or oregano.

The result is a cheerful and filling marvel, ready to be mopped up with a little bread.

Of course, while one of the wonders of this book is its use of supermarket staples to launch the chef into wonderfully unfamiliar taste territory, there still are many recipes containing ingredients of which few will have heard before.

Pagoto Mastica (Mastic ice cream), for example, uses the crystallized sap of the wild pistachio shrub as its base flavor; an unusual ingredient, by American standards. Nevertheless, as with so many other recipes in this book, even when odd ingredients are called for, the priorities of the final dish remain the same. The emphasis is on flavor, not fuss; crisp, clean and focused gustatory lines that let the starring tastes shine in their roles.

That Kremezi has won awards for her books – a collection focused on the foods of the Greek mainland earned her a Julia Child Award – is not surprising in the least. This book probably deserves one also. It easily is one of the most enticing collections I have come across in a while, and almost makes me want to start searching for cheap flights out of our snowbound state.

And even if I’m not to dip my toes in the Ionian Sea soon, I can console myself with sipping ouzo by a stove, leafing through “The Foods of the Greek Islands,” anticipating the next meal when Greece, not grease, is the word.

Soutzoukakia Lemonata

(Meatballs with Rice and Herbs in a Lemon Broth)

Serves 4

1 pound lean ground beef, veal, lamb, pork, or a combination

1/2 cup medium grain rice such as Arborio

3-4 scallions (white and most of the green part), finely chopped

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

? cup fresh mint, chopped

1 large egg, lightly beaten

? cup olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup dry white wine

21/2-31/2 cups chicken stock or beef stock

3-4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, dill, mint and/or cilantro

In a large bowl, combine the meat, rice, scallions, parsley, dill, cilantro, mint, egg, 2 tablespoons of the oil, salt and pepper to taste. Knead well, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Shape 2 tablespoon-sized portions of the meat mixture into balls. Place on a plate, cover and refrigerate.

In a large, deep skillet with a lid, or a Dutch oven, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and saute the onion over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add the wine and simmer for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the stock and salt to taste. Add the meatballs to the skillet; they should be completely covered. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock and 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and cook for 10 minutes more, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the liquid is reduced to 1 cup. If the meatballs are not cooked, add more stock and cook briefly. Taste and adjust the seasonings with lemon juice, salt and/or pepper. Serve in soup bowls garnished with herb sprigs.

Ktapodi Me Kofto Makaroni

(Squid or Octopus Stew with Macaroni)

Serves 4

1/2 cup olive oil

2 onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced into half- moons

3 garlic cloves, sliced

11/2 pounds squid or fresh or frozen octopus (about 2 octopuses), cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup dry rose or red wine

2 cups ripe tomatoes, grated

Pinch of Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes

11/2 quarts of fish stock or bottled clam juice, heated

1 pound elbow macaroni

Salt

1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled

3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, plus 1-2 sprigs for optional garnish

In a large deep skillet with a lid, or a Dutch oven, heat the oil and saute the onions over high heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Add the squid or octopus and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the wine and simmer for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and Aleppo pepper or pepper flakes, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the squid or octopus is soft when tested with a fork.

Add the stock or clam juice and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until al dente. Add the salt, dried oregano and black pepper to taste. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Transfer the stew to a serving bowl, sprinkle with the chopped oregano, garnish with the oregano sprigs if desired, and serve at once.

Pagoto Masticha

(Mastic Ice Cream)

Makes 1 quart

2 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

11/4 cups plus 1 teaspoon sugar

21/2 teaspoons mastic

15 large egg yolks

In a large saucepan, bring the milk, cream and 11/4 cups of sugar to a boil over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Grind the mastic together with the remaining teaspoon of sugar in a spice grinder.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mastic mixture and the egg yolks.

Gradually pour 1 cup of the hot milk mixture over the yolks, whisking constantly until well mixed. Return the remaining milk mixture to medium heat, pour the yolk mixture into the pan, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes; do not let it boil. To test it, dip the back of the spoon into the mixture and run your finger across the spoon; the line should hold.

Pass the cream through a fine-mesh sieve and transfer to an ice cream machine.

Chill and then freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.