GREEK DINNER AROUND THE WORLD – 2016

On Friday, January 15^th 2016, I participated in an event that was taking place around the globe amongst chefs, bloggers and authors. Greek Dinners Around The World. The purpose was to share and promote Greek food, culture and tradition, and to widen a network of individuals who do so.

Through this event, I’ve met, via social media, many interesting people—authors like myself who are either Greek or have written a book where Greece or Greek culture is the focus. Chefs and food bloggers and magazine publishers from the US, Greece, the UK, Australia, Canada and dozens of other countries participated, sharing their menus and photos.

Three years ago, Keri Douglas of 9 Muses News came up with this concept, and what a brilliant idea it was. This was the first year I was involved, but I hope to do it again.

Coming out of the holidays, I hadn’t planned what I was going to do until five days before. I was still taking down Christmas decorations, trying to arrange some additional promotions for my book, Evanthia’s Gift, attempting to take some time to work on the second book in the saga, and I do actually have a day job. I wrote a very ambitious menu, and prepared almost everything I’d planned on. But in the end, I had more food than my guests could eat.

I wasn’t even sure of my guest list. Only several days before, I made some calls, and my two sisters and the few friends I phoned were more than happy to attend.

The menu

Meze

Greek cheese – kasseri, manouri, feta

Pastrourma (aged and spiced cured meat, sliced very thin)

Tiropita

Greek salad (the real Greek salad. No lettuce)

I wanted to make saganaki (my favorite) but time ran out. And I forgot to put the dolmathes on the table. No one noticed. Everyone was busy chatting and drinking wine and beer.

I bought two Greek table wines, and two dessert wines, along with Mythos beer. My non- alcoholic drink was visinatha (another favorite).

Dinner

Leg of lamb, stuffed with garlic and roasted potatoes

Chicken baked with lemon, garlic, olive oil and oregano

Youvarlakia in avgolemono

Youvarlakia in red sauce

Pastitsio

Green peas with onions and cinnamon

(I wanted to make spanakopita, but never got to it. In my defense, I cooked everything that day.)

Dessert

Revani

Kadaifi

(I never got to the galakteboureko)

 

Eleni, my daughter made delicious frappes for everyone, and by midnight, our evening was over.

If you would like to see what others did for Greek Dinners Around The World, go to 9musesnews.com.

Greek Dinners Around the World – A Social Media Event

Tonight, Friday January 15, 2016, I am participating in an exciting event. Chefs, bloggers and authors from around the globe will be sharing meals, books and culture, all revolving around Greek heritage and tradition.

The event is called Greek Dinners Around The World and the host for this event it Keri Douglas who runs the website 9 Muses News. This is Keri’s third year running this event and my first year joining in.

I will spend the day cooking and baking, and later, I will be hosting family and friends to join me in a Greek feast. Like the rest of the participants around the world, I will be posting pictures on all my social media sites and following up with a blog post on this site.

For more information on the event and the others participating, go to http://9musesnews.com/ or use the #GreekDinner on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Since you all can’t be with me, it might be a good time to try one of my recipes, crack open a bottle of Greek wine and we can virtually toast one another! Or you can simply crack open the bottle of wine, download my book, Evanthia’s Gift and pretend you are part of that big Greek family! Either way, enjoy your weekend.

Kali orexi! Good appetite!

Effie

HAPPY NEW YEAR! HEALTHY AVOCADO TOASTS

New Years—a time for renewal, clean slates and fresh starts. During the holidays, I bombarded you with decadent desserts, tempting your taste buds and torturing your mind with fear of climbing onto the scale.

But the truth is, every day can be a fresh start. There’s no need to wait for the beginning of a year or a certain month. Simply take your resolution of healthy eating day by day. I say healthy eating and not the dreaded word diet. Once that word is used, you are doomed to failure.

The notion is that once the diet is completed and the goal is reached, you can resume eating “normally.” “Normally” is what created the need for the diet in the first place. Too much food and the wrong foods have been accepted as the norm.

Aside from being the country with the biggest obesity problem, we also have the highest incidence of diabetes and high cholesterol. Why do you think this is? It’s simple, really. Our portions are way too large. The concept of supersizing meals or “all you can eat,” is foreign to people from other countries. Another factor is the processed foods that we eat. I’m telling you, they are not only making you gain weight, but also affecting your health. Our bodies are not hard-wired to understand how to digest the chemicals in the foods that come out of a box. Should I even mention how much cancer we are dealing with in this country?

I’ve said it many times—BUY INGREDIENTS NOT PRODUCTS!!!

One of the reasons I started this blog was to show people how quick and easy cooking can be. Sharing my Greek heritage through my food and stories is something that I love to do, but I also want to showcase other, easier recipes that readers can make in a pinch after a day at work.

So if you make any resolution to go on a diet, please change your mindset and think about permanently altering your eating habits just enough to be a little healthier and safer, and I promise you, the pounds will come off as a bonus.

This avocado toast recipe could not be any easier. I’ve watched my daughter make it in a matter of five minutes. Alexa is a graphic designer and when they are on photo shoots for the magazine she works for, they order food for the creative team. This is her favorite thing to have for breakfast, but I think it makes nice lunch as well. It’s entirely up to you.

*Did You Know?

–Avocado is a superfood and contains 20 different vitamins and minerals.

–Avocados do not contain cholesterol and are low in saturated fat.

–Avocados contain more potassium than bananas.

–Avocados are heart-healthy, loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids.

–Avocados are loaded with fiber.

Avocado Toasts

 1 avocado, mashed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice from ½ lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Brick oven or chiabatta bread, toasted

Mix all the ingredients together. Spread onto toasted bread and serve immediately.