1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (120 page)

With its sustaining flavors and a heady perfume that blends cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves, the dish that inspired him is perfect for a cold winter’s night. In Greece it is particularly popular in February, during the weeks preceding Lent, and especially on the Sunday of Apokreos, the last day on which the observant can eat meat. Because it’s large and luxurious-tasting without being expensive, it lends itself to any dinner for a crowd.

Where:
In New York
, Pylos, tel 212-473-0220,
pylosrestaurant.com
;
in Chicago
, Greek Islands Restaurant, tel 312-782-9855,
greekislands.net
;
in Houston
, Yia Yia Mary’s, tel 713-840-8665,
yiayiamarys.com
;
in Sherman Oaks, CA
, The Great Greek Restaurant, tel 818-905-5250,
greatgreek.com
.
Further information and recipes:
The Art of Good Cooking
by Paula Peck (1961);
Greek Islands Cooking
by Theonie Mark (1974);
The Foods of the Greek Islands
by Aglaia Kremezi (2000);
Remembrance of Repasts
by
David E. Sutton (2001);
cookstr.com
(search pastitsio for a party);
epicurious.com
(search pasta and lamb casserole pastitsio).
Tip:
Some Greek cooks suggest replacing the béchamel with phyllo dough to provide a buttery, crunchy topping.

Not all addictions need to be treated. The delicious dessert the Greeks call
rizogalo
(rice milk) is the epitome of comfort food, without the guilt. Cool and creamy, emanating sweet aromas of cinnamon and vanilla, it is based on nothing more alarming than rice and milk. Sure, quantities of sugar and butter are present as well, but why quibble? Inexpensive and easy to love, rizagalo is pure and simple, good for young and old, and not difficult to understand, pronounce, or chew. No wonder almost every Greek restaurant and diner serves it, in more or less elegant forms.

To achieve its transformation, the rice is simmered slowly, long enough to lose its starch and absorb plenty of milk, sugar, and butter, about 20 to 30 minutes. Some cooks prefer their rice pudding ever so slightly tart, and sprinkle on a little grated lemon zest, along with some extra cinnamon and sugar, at the last minute. Topping your rizogalo with whipped cream is optional but a great idea.

Where:
In New York
, Periyali, tel 212-463-7890,
periyali.com
;
in Chicago
, Athena Restaurant, tel 312-655-0000,
athenarestaurantchicago.com
;
in Sherman Oaks, CA
, The Great Greek Restaurant, tel 818-905-5250,
greatgreek.com
.
Further information and recipes:
The Foods of Greece
by Aglaia Kremezi (1999);
The Food and Wine of Greece
by Diane Kochilas (1993);
The Parthenon Cookbook
by Camille Stagg (2008);
nytimes.com
(search greek rizogalo);
greekfood.about.com
(search rice pudding rizogalo).

A flaming dish of fried cheese,
saganáki
is one of the most exciting pit stops in the array of Greek appetizers—an unctuously rich and seductive melted cheese extravaganza enlivened by a splash of ouzo, the anise-flavored traditional Greek spirit.

The term
saganáki
refers to the small frying pan in which the cheese is simply and quickly cooked. Rectangles of cheese (either the sheep’s milk cheeses kasseri or kefalotyri, or halloumi) are dipped quickly in water, rolled in
flour, and fried until the mandatory pale golden crust forms. Then the drama begins, when the goods are placed on a warm plate and a couple of tablespoons of ouzo are poured over the fried cheese. Out comes a match or a lighter and “Opa!” … the Greek expression for joy is shouted as soon as the flame rises, a special ritual at the Parthenon restaurant in Chicago.

After the cheer, the flame is doused with fresh lemon juice and the dish is served at once—hot, runny, and ready to be scooped up with triangles of soft pita bread, and with luck, a small glass of the milky, anise-flavored ouzo.

Where:
In New York
, Pylos, tel 212-473-0220,
pylosrestaurant.com
;
in Chicago
, The Parthenon, tel 312-726-2407,
theparthenon.com
;
in Indianapolis
, The Greek Islands Restaurant, tel 317-636-0700,
greekislandsrestaurant.com
;
in Houston
, Yia Yia Mary’s, tel 713-840-8665,
yiayiamarys.com
.
Further information and recipes:
The Parthenon Cookbook
by Camille Stagg (2008);
cookstr.com
(search saganaki);
bonappetit.com
(search saganaki);
foodnetwork.com
(search greek saganaki lagasse).

Enfolded in buttery layers of phyllo, spinach turns decadent.

Butter-gilded, flaky phyllo pastry enclosing a dreamy green layer of gently cooked spinach accented with sprightly overtones of lemon and feta cheese … This is spanakopita, the Greek spinach pie that makes a delectable snack, appetizer, or light main course. Originating from a farming tradition of handheld foods, spanakopita were meant for the field workers and shepherds who would carry the restorative fare in their pockets and munch while on the job. From such humble beginnings, the little pies rose to loftier gastronomic heights.

Despite practicality, they are anything but simple to prepare. The fragile phyllo sheets must be individually buttered before being layered. Thus prepped, the dough becomes a luscious envelope for a melting filling of salty feta cheese mixed into blanched, earthy spinach spiked with parsley and dill, lemon juice, and softly sautéed chopped onions. The pastry is then baked into large rounds or rectangles, to be cut into portions. For special parties, the phyllo can be formed into individual triangles to be passed as elegant hors d’oeuvres.

Virtually ubiquitous in Greek diners, downscale or upscale, and in tavernas and restaurants, the treat has traveled abroad to become a staple on catering menus and even in supermarket freezers. If spanakopita has become “as American as pizza,” as the Greek food writer Diane Kochilas once said, it’s none the worse for wear.

Where:
In New York
, Periyali, tel 212-463-7890,
periyali.com
; Molyvos, tel 212-582-7500,
molyvos.com
;
in Chicago
, Pan Hellenic Pastry
Shop, tel 312-454-1886,
panhellenicpastryshop.com
;
in Houston
, Niko Niko’s Greek & American Café at two locations,
nikonikos.com
;
in Sherman Oaks, CA
, The Great Greek Restaurant, tel 818-905-5250,
greatgreek.com
.
Further information and recipes:
The Food and Wine of Greece
by Diane Kochilas (1993);
The New Book of Middle Eastern Food
by Claudia Roden (2000);
epicurious.com
(search spanakopita);
foodnetwork.com
(search spanakopita).

An ephemeral delight, baklava doesn’t keep for long.

Ethereally light and crispy layerings of flaky phyllo dough brushed with melted butter and decked out with chopped nuts and oozing, honeyed syrup make baklava one of the world’s most seductive pastries. Baked in shallow rectangular or round metal pans, the still-warm treat is doused—and thus crisped—with ice-cold sugar syrup or honey. Cut into diamond-shaped portions, it is to be nibbled alongside Turkish tea or coffee, in this case preferably unsugared.

Already a popular dessert in the Topkapi Palace in the sixteenth-century days of the Ottoman sultans, baklava was reported to be one of the favorite treats in the harem known as the House of Felicity (a title perhaps due only in part to the presence of pastries). The dessert evolved over the years, baked in varying forms and with fillings of walnuts, almonds, or pistachios, though always fragrant with cinnamon, lemon rind, and orange blossom water.

One of the most popular riffs on the theme is
bourma
, known as shredded wheat, a dizzyingly sweet and chewy delight in which shredded phyllo is wrapped around nut fillings before it is baked and drowned in syrup.

Finding fresh baklava is no easy matter, but it’s crucial. Kept too long, the pastry becomes limp and tough and the nuts turn rancid. If not in a reliable restaurant, find good baklava in busy Greek, Turkish, or other Middle Eastern bakeries where turnover is high. Avoid any that is precut and wrapped, boxed, or canned.

Where:
In Gaziantep, Turkey
, Koçak Baklava, tel 90/342-321-0519,
kocakbaklava.com.tr
;
in Brooklyn
, Sahadi’s, tel 718-624-4550,
sahadis.com
;
in Watertown, MA
, Armenian Market & Bakery, tel 857-228-3014,
armenianmarketbakery.com
;
in Montreal
, Barbounya, tel 514-439-8858,
barbounya.com
.
Retail and mail order:
In Brooklyn
, Mansoura Pastries, tel 718-645-7977,
mansoura.com
(search baklava);
in New York
, Kalustyan’s, tel 800-352-3451,
kalustyans.com
(search baklava).
Further information and recipes:
The Foods of the Greek Islands
by Aglaia Kremezi (2000);
Secrets of Cooking: Armenian, Lebanese, Persian
by Linda Chirinian (1986);
Spice
by Ana Sortun (2006);
epicurious.com
(search turkish baklava; walnut and pistachio baklava).

Rice pilaf is undoubtedly a more familiar and celebrated Turkish specialty, but the fragrantly rustic bulgur pilaf has a nuttier, fuller flavor as well as a heartier and more interesting texture. It’s also better for you: Its crushed grains of whole wheat are higher in fiber than polished rice, and somewhat richer in B vitamins, to boot.

In order to become bulgur, the golden wheat kernels are boiled, dried, and cracked into fine, medium, or coarse textures. Parched in hot butter with finely diced onion and broken strands of vermicelli that turn golden brown, the grain is then simmered in lamb or chicken stock. As with rice pilaf, the bulgur is not stirred during cooking. Imbued with buttery, oniony flavors, it becomes a rich and delectable accompaniment to the many grilled and roasted meats of Turkey and Armenia, where the much-loved dish is known as
tzavari yeghintz
.

Where:
In Brooklyn
, Tanoreen, tel 718-748-5600,
tanoreen.com
.
Mail order:
For bulgur, Kalustyan’s, tel 800-352-3451,
kalustyans.com
; Sahadi’s, tel 718-624-4550,
sahadis.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Secrets of Cooking: Armenian, Lebanese, Persian
by Linda Chirinian (1986);
The Cuisine of Armenia
by Sonia Uvezian (2004);
turkishfood.about.com
(search bulgur and vegetable pilaf);
epicurious.com
(search bulgur pilaf).
Tip:
Bulgur can be purchased in Middle Eastern food stores and also in many supermarkets. If you get it packaged with pre-mixed seasonings for tabbouleh or pilaf, discard them and season it from scratch.
See also:
Biryani
.