Greece needs no chamber of commerce. Great poets have written all the advertisements the country needs. They’ve raved about the bleached Picasso-like villages rising from violet-blue seas, cliffs rising out of mini-Grand Canyons, and the lucky people who, in one writer’s words, “have best lived the dream of life.”
The appeal of Greek cuisine is a part of that dream. Consider: lobster, giant snapper, smoked trout, eel, sardines, caviar, crayfish, cod, mussels, baby and blimp-sized shrimp, octopus, calamari, langoustini, quince, kumquats, pomegranates, apricots, peaches, lemons, limes, oranges, olives, tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, tangerines, bananas, avocados, walnuts, beech nuts, oregano, basil, pistachios, grapes –– the indigenous foods that combine in this heavenly cuisine, and the ingredients of a spectacular trip.
Serious history students know you can trace much of history through food. In Greece, you can use this fact as a high-minded justification for sheer indulgence. Here “culinary trip” takes on new meaning. Imagine touring the country and savoring its sights, then pausing each day for a spectacular meal. It’s a feast for mind, body and spirit, to be sure.
There is an unmistakable interweaving of food with Greek culture, as well. Every meal is a celebration and there will be no holiday or celebration without food. Greeks love to discuss all things, and the ideas and thoughts of one’s guests are as important as the delicacies that are served to them. Mealtime is a time to savor both. You may wish to try the holiday treat below, Vasilopita (St. Basil’s Cake), for your guests.
Vasilopita (St. Basil’s Cake)
This is a delightful New Year’s custom. The Vasilopita contains a coin that is said to bring good luck for the year to the person who finds it in his piece. We serve the Vasilopita with champagne just after midnight at the dawn of the new year. The entire cake is cut into the number of pieces needed to serve each guest, and the cake is served in a particular order, from oldest to youngest.
1 cup butter Preheat oven to 350º
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
4 cups flour
6 tsp. baking powder
Grated rind of one orange
1 tsp. Vanilla
Powdered sugar to sprinkle on the top
Nickel wrapped in aluminum
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat for 2 minutes. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture alternately with the milk. Add the orange rind and mix in well. Add the vanilla.
Pour into well-buttered 9” spring-form cake pan. Push coin into the batter. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour (or until golden brown and completely set in the center). Cool. Remove sides of pan. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar. Serves 10-14.
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