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by Marian Rein
Near the top of my list of favorite experiences is that of dining. I’m not referring to simply consuming a plate of something in 10 minutes or so. I’m referring to a long, leisurely event that includes wonderful food, wine, one or more friends, conversation and laughter. A recent and wonderful trip to Greektown in Chicago left me with a desire to share some of my own recipes for a fine dining experience. And for me, nothing adds to the experience better than Greek!
Having grandparents who immigrated here from Albania, as a child our Sunday family dinners consisted of Greek and Albanian food (only slight differences between them), including all the traditional dishes — Dolmathes (stuffed grape vine leaves), Pastichio (a macaroni dish with ground beef and an egg topping) Spanakopeta (spinach pie) and lamb stew, though our family used the Albanian names for these dishes. I suppose these early experiences helped to develop my love of Greek food — or perhaps it’s just so good that everyone with an even slightly developed palate for ethnic food holds Greek at the top of their list.
Here are two of my own Greek/Albanian recipes that I’ve used for many years. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or send me an email at info@javajournalonline.com.
Dolmathes
(Stuffed Grape Leaves)
appetizer size
11/2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 cup rice (uncooked)
1 large onion, chopped
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
diluted in 11/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 tsp. mint (optional)
2 whole lemons
1 jar grape leaves
In a pot, boil eight cups of water. Remove from heat and add grape leaves (do not separate the leaves); leave in water for three minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside. (Do not discard torn leaves.)
Put all ingredients except lemons and half of the tomato paste solution in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Using scissors, cut a V into the end of each leaf, before filling, to remove the hard stem. Place 1 tsp. of filling in the center of the dull side of a large leaf and roll, folding the sides in as you go (if leaves are small, use two). Continue until all of the filling is used.
Line the bottom of a heavy stock pot with remaining grape leaves or leaves that are torn. Place stuffed leaves in slightly tight-fighting rows, filling the pot. Pour the remaining tomato paste solution over stuffed grape leaves. Add enough water to the pot to completely cover the layers. Squeeze whole lemons into water, then slice the lemons and place slices on top. Press a heavy dish on top to hold the stuffed leaves in place as they cook (I top the dish with a stone for added weight). Cover and cook over medium heat for one hour. Most of the water will have been absorbed. The leaves at the bottom of the pot may scorch, but it keeps the stuffed leaves from burning. Gently transfer to a platter to cool.
While I don’t use sauce over this recipe, following is a recipe for a traditional Greek lemon sauce.
Avgolemono Sauce:
3 egg yolks
Juice of 2 lemons
Place yolks in a saucepan over very low heat and whisk for two minutes. Gradually add lemon juice while continuing to whisk. Whisk in the hot liquid used to boil the stuffed grape leaves. Do not boil the sauce. Pour over grape leaves.
Albanian Stew
When I was a child, my family called this recipe Albanian Stew, though it’s similar to stew prepared by my Greek friends. Since Albanian and Greek cooking are very similar, I have never made much distinction between the two. In Greek cooking, a small amount of cinnamon might be added to this recipe. Call it Greek, call it Albanian. Either way, it’s delightful. I prepare this dish at least once every couple of weeks — definitely a family favorite.
11/2 lbs. lamb or beef (chuck or sirloin) cut into 11/2-inch cubes
2-3 Tbsp. butter (the real stuff)
1 large onion, chopped
3 oz. tomato paste
1 can stewed tomatoes (use scissors to cut into very small bits)
1 cup water
2 chicken bullion cubes (not beef, and do not omit)
1/4 of a green pepper (chopped very small)
3-4 carrots, peeled and cut
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut
1 cup fresh green beans
Pepper to taste
Brown meat in 1 Tbsp. of butter in a frying pan. Brown onion in 1 Tbsp. of butter in a stock pot. To onions add browned meat, tomato paste, stewed tomatoes, water, chicken bullion and green pepper. Cook on a very low boil for 11/2 hours or until meat is tender. Add potatoes, carrots and green beans. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender. Serve with crusty bread.
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