Going Greek at Home

As you walk around Athens in Greece, you can’t help but be struck by the survival of the ancient Greek ruins amidst the expanding modern city. How did these archaeological wonders not get swept aside centuries ago under the guise of progress? One can’t help but marvel at our ability to interact physically with the past and appreciate the advanced society that once built magnificent temples, still standing after millennia.

I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but Greece happened to be a meeting point for me and my family while I was living in Spain. We spent most of our time in Athens, but I insisted on taking the short flight to Santorini to spend a few days on the island I had dreamed of visiting. At times Athens could be overwhelming, the sprawl of the city, the pollution, but Santorini was a breath of fresh air just before the close of tourist season. Most things on the island simply shut down for the winter, hibernating until the next round of tourists arrive to fill the island’s streets.

It’s always a pleasure to eat in Greece, with so many classic dishes now known and appreciated all over he world. Here’s what I put together for my own Greek night at home.

What to Drink

When one thinks of Greek drinks, it’s hard not to think of Ouzo. the popular anise-flavoured spirit. Since I like black licorice and anise, I don’t mind Ouzo, but I didn’t really want to have it around for the next five years, which is probably how long it would take me to drink an entire bottle. I tried to think back to some of the things we drank in Greece… Aperol Spritz is popular, but not Greek of course.

Finally, I remembered a tiny vegan restaurant near the Temple of Zeus in Athens, called Veganaki, where I ordered something that had been translated as cinnamon water. Sounds a bit bland, but it was actually incredibly flavourful and perfectly refreshing on a hot day. For the rest of the trip I didn’t see it on any other menus, but I remember it very clearly.

I googled Greek cinnamon water and found a drink called Canelada that is found in the Aegean islands. It’s quite easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Recipe for Canelada

1 litre water

1 1/4 cup sugar

6 cinnamon sticks

To make a cinnamon concentrate, you heat the water and sugar with the cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and stir occasionally. There isn’t enough sugar for the mixture to make a proper syrup, but it will thicken slightly and take on a dark brown colour. This takes about 20-30 minutes.

When the mixture has cooled you can store it in a mason jar.

To make the canelada use about 3-5 tablespoons of the cinnamon concentrate in a large glass. Add ice and then fill with water and stir. Start with less concentrate and then you won’t have it too sweet for your taste.

What to Eat

I can’t pretend I’ve been particularly clever or inventive when it comes to my choice of Greek dish, but that’s because I love tzatziki so much. I won’t lie, I ate it a lot in Greece. There’s something about the warm pita bread served with this cool dip that just keeps me coming back for more. I can never get enough tzatziki, and it’s really easy to make. Here’s a link to the recipe I used. There are quite a few good tips included.

Of course I have a few of my own tips. In order not to have the cucumber sitting overnight to drain, I squeeze out the excess moisture with my hands and then wrap it in paper towels to absorb the rest of the liquid. This seems to be enough and the tzatziki isn’t too runny.

I found the vinegar a bit strong in this recipe, as well. If you are like me and vinegar is not your favourite, try cutting back a bit, or an alternative is to use lemon juice, which I much prefer. It gives the tzatziki a tang without the vinegar flavour.

You can certainly buy tzatziki at the store, but it is made with a lot of additives that aren’t necessary. It’s simple to make and this way you are getting something fresh and healthy!

To Go with the Tzatziki

I made a faux Greek salad to go with the tzatziki. It wasn’t very authentic because of my lack of ingredients. No kalamata olives, nor feta cheese. In this case I just had to use what was available and that happened to be California olives.

I bought the pita bread from Costco, but unfortunately it was dry and tough, and just plain not very nice. I’ve found this is really common with pita bread purchased in Canada. Usually I just avoid it and buy Indian naan bread. Naan is a flatbread and works perfectly with the tzatziki.

With the naan, I spread olive oil on one side, sprinkle with Greek spices (a pre-mixed option from the store), and bake in the oven until it is warm and soft. About 5-7 minutes at 350 F. You want to be careful that the spices are spread out and coated a bit with the olive oil so they don’t burn.

Note that for the pita bread pictured, I didn’t have any Greek spices. I just used olive oil and put the pita in the oven to warm it. Unfortunately, it didn’t improve the quality much.

What I Wore for Greek Night at Home

Although there were many beautiful boutique shops in Athens and on Santorini, I didn’t buy many things on my trip to Greece. My increasingly nomadic lifestyle forced me to start thinking in more minimalistic terms about my belongings. I did end up with a few items, though, that I still have.

I purchased a peshtemal, a Turkish towel or hammam towel, at a shop in Athens called Pestemal Concept Store. This tiny shop had a colourful assortment of peshtemals. Though designed as a towel, the peshtemal is lightweight and versatile. It works well as a wrap for shoulders, around the waist, or as a scarf. I have used my peshtemal a lot, but I regret my fabric choice. I opted for bamboo rather than cotton which means it is a bit more prone to snags and not machine-washable. Next time I’ll get a cotton one!

I also bought some bracelets in Athens from Protasis. This shop specializes in jewelry made of ceramic beads in a range of hues. This was a spur of the moment purchase, as I was momentarily dazzled by the array of colours.