I just love it!…….then again, I am a self-confessed feta-holic.

On my recent ‘Adventures Of The Greek Cowgirl’ trip to Greece, my brain was on a daily spin over the gazillion different feta cheeses available at the produce markets of Thessaloniki.

My camera snapped more paparazzi pics of feta than of anything else…last count, 198 pics. (Whoopsey!)

So when I was approached to do a bit of press for Dodoni (coincidently, when I received the call, I was mid way through my 67th feta shoot at Kapani Market, Thessaloniki), I felt feta-tastic! ……….(a-hem, pardon the pun…couldn’t resist)

Hen’s party alternatives

Neos Kosmos looks the different ways you can get creative for your hen’s night.

A cooking class at The Sweet Greek in Oakleigh.

4 Aug 2011

PENNI PAPPAS

In a time when strippers are so passe and let’s face it, uncouth, bridesmaids all over the world are looking for alternatives to a night of drinking out of bowls and embarrassing their best friend on their last night as a single woman.

Neos Kosmos put together some ideas to keep you ladies away from hot pink veils and willy straws and to help you find a classier way to kiss your single days good-bye

A cooking class

It’s a bit of shame to spend your last day of singledom in the kitchen because let’s face it, once that ring’s on, you will spend 75 per cent of wedded bliss there. But a cooking class is a great way to have a laugh with your friends, bond over creating something together and reap the rewards of your culinary skills.

A day spa

A bit on the pricey side so may only be limited to a few friends, a day spa is a great way to get out of the hustle and bustle of city life and just chill out before the big day. Look at getting hot stone massages, facials, get the works – just sit back and relax and let your money do the talking.

Movie screening

So many venues these days have a private room you can hire to screen movies, so get a copy of the bride’s all-time favourite movie and get it on the big screen. Roller disco: Relive your youth by dressing up in your favourite 80′s clothes and literally get your skates on down at the roller skating rink. Prizes for the girl who dared to wear the hot pants, or the silver tights with neon yellow leg -warmers. Get the crimpers out!

Go karting

Go karting is predominately a bucks night thing but who says girls can’t have it all? Considering you’re there most of the day, the price is well worth it. Make sure you’re in jeans and your hair is up and don’t be precious about getting dirty people – get suited up and get racing!

Games night

A frugal hen’s party alternative, pick the bridesmaid who has the largest lounge room and get a stack of games set up. We are talking Connect 4, Guess Who?, Twister, Operation, Trouble – all the classics.

High tea

This is a great alternative if you have to invite the parents of the bride and groom along. No one wants to see your mum after she’s had one too many (neither do you) so this is a great way to have a civilized hen’s party without the drunken stigma attached. It’s also a great way to try something different and dress up like a lady. You will need a hat and gloves to do high tea so go all out.

Vicki Peppos in her Oakleigh kitchen and teaching space. Photo: Eddie Jim

How migrants from far-flung Greek regions have contributed to a distinct Melbourne flavour.

VICKI Peppos is feeding me cheese. Kefalograviera and kefalotiri, the Greek cheeses used for saganaki, the popular fried cheese starter, as well as kasseri, which is more of a table cheese, and dried mizithra, for grating over pasta. Then there are the countless fetas — the cheese we think of first, when we think Greek cheese.

Peppos, who runs the Sweet Greek Cooking School, desperately wants me to try manouri, a lemony cream cheese from northern Greece sometimes eaten as a sweet drizzled with honey, but sadly, Oakleigh Market’s Athena Deli has run out.

It is here — the Oakleigh Market and surrounding streets, with their Greek butchers, fishmongers, delis and food marts — that Peppos escorts her cooking class on Saturday mornings to source ingredients for the traditional dishes she and her students plan to cook.

More than simply introducing new generations of Melburnians to the delights of Greek cuisine, her school tries to open our eyes, and mouths, to its many regional contrasts and nuances.

Feta is a perfect example, Peppos indicates. The white, briny curd will vary according to which part of Greece it hails from and whether it is made from sheep or goat’s milk, or a mix of both (and occasionally from cow’s milk). “It’s comes down to personal taste,” she explains. “Some people love their feta more creamy, some like it more salty.”

The best feta comes from Greece’s dairy country in the north as well as the southern island of Crete and, says Peppos, should not be thought of as something simply tossed on to a Greek salad. “One of the quickest and nicest things [Greeks] do with feta is crumble it into a small earthenware dish, mix in some chilli, bake until it’s beautifully golden and eat it with bread,” she says.

Peppos set up her school in March, concerned the traditions of regional cooking were being lost and there had not been the same cultural inheritance here as there had with Italian food and cooking. “I had a few relatives pass away who influenced me in Greek food culture and it reminded me [the older generations] are going to leave us soon,” she says. “Where are we going to get the knowledge and technique from first-hand? I wanted to preserve that.”

Melbourne’s love affair with Greek food established its roots with the waves of post-war Greek migrants flowing into Australia during the 1940s and ’50s, often from poor rural areas. With them came heads and hearts full of family recipes, handed down from generation to generation.

John Rerarkis, who runs Philhellene restaurant in Moonee Ponds, confesses he is a stickler for tradition. When he started out 15 years ago at his previous restaurant in Fitzroy, Pireaus Blues, Rerarkis — whose family originated from Crete — was a bit of an anomaly because he insisted on cooking seasonal Cretan fare.

This meant using pulses and fresh vegies, staples used throughout Greece, but a particular feature of island cooking, Crete especially. Rerarkis rolls off zucchini flowers, fresh artichokes, okra and broad beans as just a few of the vegies he features in his cooking.

“For entree, we’d have vegetarian-styled dishes. Then we’d finish off with a bit of meat, like roast kid. That’s the way we’d eat at home,” he says.

It wasn’t, though, how many non-Greeks were introduced to Greek food in Melbourne. For many people, a Greek night out was — and still is — more of a bastardised taverna style of dining: a round of dips, a bit of charred octopus, followed by platters piled with grilled meat and seafood.

“Since when did we start mixing meat with seafood?” says Rerarkis.

He is not alone. The influence of home cooking and provincial specialties are increasingly finding prominence on many Hellenic restaurant and cafe menus, and are elevating the cuisine in the minds of Melbourne’s discerning dining public.

If Rerarkis dabbles in dips, for instance, he steers away from the time-honoured tzatziki and pink-stained taramasalata (which is sometimes white in Greece depending on the colour of the fish roe) for something less familiar — a broad bean dip or one combining pomegranate, walnut and red capsicum.

At Salona in Swan Street, Richmond, Stavros Konis is another restaurateur determined to serve up what he terms “hardcore” Greek food — dishes that present diners with a bit of history and heritage on a plate.

With a grandparent from every corner of Greece, he affords himself the luxury of choosing the best of what each region has to offer, even if — as Konis says — each of his grandparents think theirs is better.

His zucchini kefte, or patties, and goat rollo are Cretan. His baked lamb riganato incorporates wild oregano, which grows on his grandfather’s island of Kastelorizo in the Dodecanese. His lamb gyros have chilli and paprika, which is more northern (although pork is mainly used throughout Greece).

Konis also prepares regional degustation menus. His June “Constantinople” offering included Byzantine calamari, stuffed with risotto, and lamb rack baked in rosemary and Attiki honey. This month, he is offering a seven-course menu of Cretan delicacies.

For all its differences, though, regional cooking does not vary much throughout Greece, Konis says. “Each area adds their own touches with the style (of cooking) and the produce available to them.”

Northern dishes tend to be spicier with a heavier chilli accent. There is a Middle-Eastern influence, so close to Turkey, with spices such as cinnamon, clove and cumin commonly applied. Food from the warmer southern climes, such as the Peloponnese, adopts a simpler palate. Oranges will often be used as a flavour in, say, the loukaniko, the Greek sausage.

Islanders generally offer up more seafood. But they have their specialties, too. Hailing from the Ionian island of Cephalonia, Pireaus Blues head chef Gerasimos Stamoulis cooks with a lot of sauces (saltsa), which is peculiar to the island.

Even staples such as souvlaki and pita, found throughout the Hellenic republic, can widely differ. The spinach-filled spanakopita is probably the best-known filo pie — although there are many others, such as spanakotiropita (spinach and cheese) and kotopita (chicken) and a dozen different variations.

That idea of using whatever produce is at hand is the cornerstone of regional cooking, which explains why many differences arise.

As for Melbourne? “Greek restaurants in Melbourne have their own local inspirations,” Konis observes. “You can even call Melbourne another region.”

In part, this stems from the fact that many regional variations brought here by migrants became homogenised — what Peppos calls a “mishmashing” of culture — through community, work and marriage. “In Greece, you see dishes indicative of an area. Here, we’ve influenced each other’s cooking and shared recipes.”

On top of this, many Greeks making, in some cases, annual pilgrimages back to their home towns and villages return with new produce. On his most recent trip, Rerarkis discovered pickled bulbs, caper leaves and Cretan mountain teas.

Demitri’s Feast in Richmond also tweaks many of its traditional dishes. On his egg and bacon sandwich, chef Peter Juras uses souvlaki bread with ouzo-laced aioli and no garlic. His baklava French toast uses tsoureki (Greek Easter bread) instead of brioche with a rosewater and honey syrup reduction. To the makaronada (macaroni with tomato and braised beef), he adds paprika.

For Thessalonian Chris Talihmanidis, owner-chef of Chris’s Restaurant at Apollo Bay, it is his classical training that he lets influence traditional rustic dishes such as kakavia, the Greek bouillabaisse, which he gives a French bisque base.

With a classic dish such as duck with cherries, typically cooked with Pernod and aniseed, Talihmanidis will use ouzo and fennel as well as mastic (an aromatic resin from the island of Chios); and to creme brulee, he may add cardamom and orange.

For all the changes to traditional regional fare, though, Peppos says most Greeks still yearn for the simple pleasures of eating food in the company of family and friends.

“At their core, Greeks like to imagine being back in their village,” she says. “Food transports them there.”

A2, The Age – Sat 4 Sept, 2010

Zorba the meat

Vicki Peppos will share the art of cooking a Greek roast in her upcoming cooking classes.

15 Jun 2010 | Neos Kosmos English Edition

CATHERINE KLADAKIS

A slow-cooked lamb roast is the perfect antidote to a cold Winter’s Day, according to cooking school owner Vicki Peppos. Peppos should know as she is preparing to run a cooking class about the art of roasting meat.

“I knew that I had to add Greek lambs to it,” chuckles cooking teacher Vicki Peppos as she speaks of her upcoming cooking event, Zorba the Lamb.

Eager to share the Greek love affair of roasting, The Sweet Greek cooking kitchen founder will be running two roasting classes as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival’s The Roast Collection.

Peppos’ interactive cooking demonstrations will include three lamb roasts, a traditional Greek chicken roast and three wintry vegetable dishes: carrots with cumin and marjoram, roasted beetroot with feta cheese, and roasted leeks with apples, honey and aniseed.

“If you look historically, a lot of spices that we associate with Middle Eastern foods such as cumin were used in Ancient Greek recipes,” she points out.

Ethically conscious in her approach to food, Peppos has sourced her meat from Echuca based farm Lamb Direct, a company that not only takes care towards its livestock and the environment but delivers fresh, tender meat direct to her door.

“I am using a few cuts of lamb that people might not necessarily feel confident about roasting such as the neck of the lamb and the shoulder boned and de-boned,” she said.

Peppos will also focus in on region specific recipes such as Lamb Kleftiko from Santorini.

Otherwise known as Stolen Lamb, Peppos’ slightly tweaked Lamb Kleftiko recipe is a tummy warming roast of lamb neck, feta, hunks of bread, and fresh tomatoes.

In another dish, Peppos will stuff the top portion of a lamb leg with creamy and salty kefalograviera cheese, spinach, garlic, lemon zest, and wrap the leg in vine leaves.

“The vine leaves just give the dish a lemony tanginess and seals in the moisture while it cooks, and so in the end you’ve got this beautiful succulent lamb on the inside and this almost translucent vine leaf on the outside that’s crispy like a chip,” she says.

Whilst there is no right or wrong way of cooking a Greek inspired roast, Peppos acknowledges that roasting is an art that requires more than just throwing it in the oven, crossing your fingers, and looking at it 45 minutes later.

“Part of the challenge of roasting is trying to keep the meat moist and I find that a lot of Greeks overcook their lamb,” she says.

“You want to give the cut you’re using respect and overcooking and charring it to carbon is not doing that animal that died for your meal justice.

You’ve got to keep an eye on it, and cover it first so that it retains its juices, whether it’s with baking paper, or vine leaves.

“You have to know when to take off the parchment paper to its colour. Roasting time depends on the oven you’re using, whether it’s conventional or wood fire, which will take longer to cook.”

Peppos adds that a common mistake that people make when cooking a traditional kotopoulo and patates lemonades (Greek lemon roast chicken and potatoes) is placing it in the oven without any covering whatsoever.

“I believe it is important to cover it and then towards the end take off the cover to give it colour. Otherwise it might crisp and burn on the outside whilst the inside remains semi raw.”

She reveals that her must-have ingredient for a winning lamb roast is good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Peppos also highlights the importance of liberally salting the dish before cooking so that it penetrates through the meat, rather than sitting on the top.

The cut of meat is a personal choice, says Peppos.

“For me when the meat has been cooked on the bone it’s always a lot more enjoyable because you’ve got that bone element adding that flavour while you’re eating. However if you’re creating a stuffed meat dish, it’s easier to use de-boned meat as it will contain the stuffing more easily.”

Peppos will share more of her roasting secrets during the Zorba the Roast cooking classes on June 12 and 26. For more information visit www.thesweetgreek.com.au

19 May – 27 July 2010

Flavours of Greece will offer nine events over ten weeks.

The program themes will emphasise:
· Contemporary Greek food
· Regional Greek food traditions
· Iconic Greek beverages

Over the ten weeks of the Festival the program will feature:
5 x Restaurant dinners
1 x Premium Greek wine tasting
1 x Ouzo tasting event
1 x Greek food trivia night
1 x Food tour of Oakleigh

The five restaurant dinners will be the flagship events for the Festival and will take place on a fortnightly basis.

Two of the restaurant dinners will address contemporary Greek food and three will focus in on a particular regional food tradition (Crete, Messinia and Constantinople).

The restaurants we are working with for Flavours of Greece are:
Hellenic Republic – Contemporary Cypriot cuisine
Kouzina – contemporary Greek mezedes
Philhellene – Traditional Cretan cuisine
Stalactites – Traditional Messinian cuisine
Salona – Traditional cuisine of Constantinople

A ouzo tasting with matched mezedes will also be organised at Alpha Ouzeri.

Event dates

The event dates are as follows:

Wed. May 19: Cretan dinner @ Philhellene, Moonee Ponds
Tues June 1: Ouzo and mezedes @ Alpha Ouzeri, Fitzroy
Sat June 5: Wine tasting @ Europa Cellars, East Melbourne
Sat June 19: The Sweet Greek Hellenic Food Tour
Tues June 15: Mezedes @ Kouzina Doncaster
Tues June 22: Greek food trivia night @ Pan Laconian Hall, Brunswick (venue tbc)
Tues June 29: The food of Constantinople dinner @ Salona, Richmond
Tues July 13: Messinian dinner @ Stalactites, Melbourne
Tues July 27: Contemporary Cypriot dinner @ Hellenic Republic, East Brunswick

Click here to book for The Sweet Greek Hellenic food tour!

For more festival info, check out www.antipodesfestival.com.au/flavours_of_greece

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