# Boozy Cream **Chef:** Karishma **Cookbook:** Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat **Potluck Date:** November 18, 2023 --- ## Recipe cream pies (like galaktoboureko and bougatsa); fruit preserves and compotes were also particularly popular at the time. Still, the principal ingredients remained the same: olive oil, wine, grains, nuts and seeds, fruit and honey. Byzantine culture was greatly affected by the new religion of Christianity. A lot of Greek and Roman practices – including some eating habits – were considered pagan and were either eliminated (for instance the use of blood in food like sausages) or incorporated gradually until ‘Christianized’ and approved. The new religion encouraged people to be humble and follow a simple lifestyle and diet. Animal-derived foods were eaten less as more Lent periods were inserted into the calendar; thus vegetarianism was enforced. This was the beginning of what became known as the ‘Greek Monastery Cuisine’ – a highly plant-based diet that occasionally included fish and seafood. The complex history of Greece and its geographic location, that was for years unstable, have proven invaluable to the formation of a national cuisine: constant occupations and cultural interactions have resulted in an astonishing regional culinary diversity, despite the country’s small size. During the rule of the Franks and the Venetians after the Fourth Crusade (1204), a number of mostly French, Venetian and Genoise states were established in regions of the fallen Byzantine Empire, leaving their most evident marks particularly on the islands, as well as in parts of the Peloponnese. With the arrival of the Ottomans, an Eastern, Asiatic flair was added to certain dishes. While adopting culinary traditions of the different cultures they occupied, the Ottomans incorporated those of great civilizations such as the Persians and the Arabs; the rich Byzantine culinary traditions lived on and became further enriched by these Eastern elements. Coffee and sugar gradually made their entry, butter was used more, desserts became more luscious, and the use of spices was further ingrained. With the fall of the Ottoman Empire, these legendary cuisines were gradually introduced via the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey at different times in history, particularly between 1922 and 1957. Other influences came from parts of Anatolia and from the Pontos region of the Black Sea. The deportation of Greeks and persecuted Armenians, who had been settled in Asia Minor for thousands of years, and their resulting arrival in Greece had enormous culinary influence and enriched the cuisine in astonishing ways. When the modern Greek state was established after the Greek War of Independence in 1821, Athens was in a poor condition in terms of both infrastructure and identity. Due to its glorious past, a significant number of people, including politicians, archaeologists, historians, architects, scholars, businessmen, from both within and outside Greece, all worked together to re- establish the city, its cultural heritage, and historic significance in the foundations of Western Civilization. The cuisine of Athens gradually became a mix of the different regional cuisines of the people who started moving into the city. During the early 1930s, Nikolaos Tselementes, a Greek chef from the island of Sifnos who grew up in Athens and had spent time in Europe and the US, published a famous cookbook that for the first time redefined and modernized Greek cuisine. He fused mostly French-inspired elements (which were fashionable at the time) into more rustic Greek classics, and he artfully balanced Eastern and Western features in popular recipes. Bechamel sauce made its entry into the Greek kitchen in staple dishes such as moussaka and pastitsio, French pastry-making techniques were incorporated, and mayonnaise became a common ingredient in this more modern and sophisticated style of cooking, which was officially named ‘Urban Greek Cuisine’. It was further developed and enriched after World War II, and particularly during the 1950s and 60s, mostly in the larger cities such as Athens and Thessaloniki. In 1948, the Rockefeller Foundation conducted a study on the suffering post- war population of Crete. To their astonishment, the studies showed that the locals, despite facing financial and other difficulties, were surprisingly healthy. Allbaugh et al. describe the diet of the Cretans at the time as rich in ‘olives, cereal grains, pulses, wild greens and herbs, and fruits’ with ‘limited quantities of goat meat and milk, game, and fish’ and ‘swimming in olive oil’. 4 The first published mention of the term ‘Mediterranean diet’ appeared in 1953 and a further study on the health benefits of the specific diet was followed with the research known as the Seven Countries Study, conceived and led by Ancel Keys. In 2010, UNESCO affirmed that the diet of the countries overlooking the Mediterranean Basin represented ‘a cultural heritage of humanity’. In terms of ‘fast food’, the global shift in the 1980s gradually reached Greece as well, particularly during the 1990s, when I was a teenager. International fast-food chains started opening up in the big cities and ready-made frozen or processed food became a trend, mostly in order to ease the lives of working women, whose numbers were constantly increasing and thriving. Thankfully the trend proved temporary in Greece, with few of the large fast-food chains remaining open. Home-cooked food is rooted in the heart of every Greek and our national street food souvlaki (in its different forms) has remained people’s number one choice for ages, as have the pies like spanakopita. Over the last twenty years or so, there has been a big turn towards tradition, regional cooking and local, artisanal products. The simplicity of the traditional cuisine, preserved over the years, has been reevaluated and further appreciated for its health benefits, simplicity and respect for the ingredients that define it. Greek chefs are doing a great job, making their mark on the global culinary scene, winning awards for their creativity, and being motivated and inspired by the high-quality ingredients produced around the country. From high-end restaurants to simple tavernas, Greek cuisine is thriving, and seeing this fills me with so much pride. This book is my offering to the history and heritage of Greek cuisine and culture, and I hope it represents one more step into the widening circle of culinary secrets, so that even more people can learn, share and enjoy the wonderment of what passionate home cooks and chefs in Greece have been privy to and revelling in for generations. Notes on the Recipes All citrus should be unwaxed, especially if using the zest or peel. All eggs should be free-range or organic. In Greece, tomatoes are traditionally grated when used in home-style cooked dishes. After washing, grate the tomatoes whole until only the skin is left in your hand. Alternatively, you can blanch them for a couple of minutes to remove the skin, then chop or pulse them in a blender. If fresh ripe tomatoes are not available, I recommend using good-quality canned instead, along with some warm water. While inviting you to share in my passion for Greek cuisine, I would love to show you around the farmers’ markets on the mainland and islands where I buy the best seasonal produce; sadly I cannot do that. However, suitable ingredients are available online for those who don’t have ready suppliers in their locality. 1 The work survives in Deipnosophistae, an early 3 rd -century CE work written by Athenaeus. 2 Which includes the Minoan Civilization on Crete c. 2000–1450 BCE, the Mycenaean Civilization on mainland Greece c. 1700–1100 BCE and the Cycladic Civilization on the islands of the Cyclades c. 3200– 1050 BCE. 3 A special grilling device; the most ancient one exhibited at the museum of Akrotiri on the island of Santorini dates 1600 BCE. 4 Allbaugh, L.G. ‘Crete: A Case Study of an Underdeveloped Area’. Princeton, New Jersey; Princeto --- *Downloaded from BCBCBath Cookbook Club* *https://bcbcbath.com*