I thought it would be fun to offer readers a few Greek recipes that are mentioned in The Lady of Tarpon Springs. Be sure to let me know if you try them and what you think! I had the pleasure of eating some of these wonderful Greek foods while in Tarpon Springs and highly recommend you try some.

Yayá’s Ekmek Kataifi

(Pastry topped with custard and whipped cream)

When Zanna arrives home for supper, she decides she must tell her father something that has happened and she’s sure the news will displease him. After finally gathering her courage to speak,  Yayá pushes from the table and holds a finger to her lips. “No talk until later. All day I worked to make ekmek kataifi for dessert. I will not have it ruined with unhappy news.”

Perhaps you’d enjoy trying Yayá’s recipe for ekmek kataifi. Although a bit labor intensive, the results are worth the effort.

Crust:

1 lb frozen kataifi (this is a shredded wheat pastry and should be in better grocery stores near the phyllo dough—if you can’t find it, you can use phyllo, but you’ll need to shred before using.)

6 oz melted butter

Syrup:

1 ½ cups water

2 cups sugar

1 cinnamon stick

Custard

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¹⁄₂ cup sugar

4 cups milk (3 hot and 1 cold)

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

12 oz. whipped cream

Slivered almonds and pistachios

To Prepare:

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees; pull apart the ‘threads’ of the kadaifi into a 13×9-inch glass baking dish, packing down lightly with fingertips; drizzle with butter and bake 40 minutes or until golden brown; remove from oven and cool.

Syrup: In small pot, combine syrup ingredients; bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes; remove cinnamon stick and remove; spoon syrup over kadaifi and cool.

Custard: Combine flour, cornstarch, and sugar in small bowl; add cold milk and whisk to remove any lumps; whisk in egg yolks; strain mixture through sieve into hot milk.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens; add vanilla and place plastic wrap directly on surface to prevent skin from forming; cool for 1 1/2 hours.

Spread custard evenly over kadaifi crust; refrigerate 1 1/2 to 2 hours minimum.

Whipped Topping:

Beat whipping cream until stiff and spread over custard layer. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and pistachios.

Chill well before serving.

Yayá’s Moussaka

As you’ll see in the passage below, Zanna’s lack of appetite doesn’t sit well with Yayá and she doesn’t hesitate to let it be known since she takes great pride in her cooking skills.

Zanna forked a bite of the eggplant and lamb mixture and swallowed. “The moussaka is delicious, Yayá, but I’m not very hungry. I’ve had an exciting day. My stomach feels like it’s tied in knots. If I eat too much, I don’t think it will settle well.”

“What are you saying? You think Yayá is a bad cook?”

“No, of course not. You’re a wonderful cook.” Zanna touched her hand to her stomach. “I have butterflies. Understand?”

“Instead of my moussaka, you want butterflies?” Her grandmother tapped a finger to her temple. “You are going mad?”

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, end slices discarded

Salt

Olive oil

1 lb ground lamb (or beef)

1 large yellow onion finely chopped

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp hot paprika

1/2 cup red wine

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup hot beef broth

2 large russet potatoes, peeled, very thinly sliced lengthwise

5 tbsp dried bread crumbs

Cheese Topping

3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten

3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

3 oz crumbled feta

To Prepare:

Spread the eggplant slices in single layer and sprinkle with salt. Let set for 30 minutes. (Don’t skip this step).

Pat the eggplant slices dry and assemble in one layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Place the baking sheet on the top oven rack and broil, turning over so that both sides of the eggplant are softened and golden brown. Be careful they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Cook onions on medium heat until slightly golden, stirring regularly (about 5 minutes). Now add the ground lamb. Cook the lamb until fully browned, tossing regularly. Drain the lamb and return to the skillet. Add the dried oregano, ground cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, and hot paprika. Stir to coat the meat with the spices. Add the wine and boil for 1 minute to reduce. Stir in the canned tomatoes, sugar and broth. Simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, boil the sliced potatoes in plenty of water until they are completely soft and easily breakable (about 5-7 minutes). Drain water and set the potatoes aside.

To prepare the cheese topping, whisk the Greek yogurt with the eggs and flour. Add the ricotta and feta cheese and whisk again to combine.

Lightly oil a 9 1/2″ x 13″ baking dish. Layer the eggplant slices on the bottom. Add the meat sauce and spread to cover the eggplant. Layer the potato slices to cover the meat sauce and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Lastly, spread the cheese topping to thinly cover the potatoes.

Bake in the 350 F degree-heated oven for 45 minutes. If needed, you can broil until the cheese topping turns golden brown. Watch carefully. Remove from the heat and let sit 5-7 minutes before cutting through into squares to serve.

Tropical Grilled Salmon

Nico’s attempts to pledge his love to Zanna had been interrupted, but her feelings for him had already begun to deepen. She hoped their dinner at the Tropical Hotel would provide time for more intimate conversation after they enjoyed their dinner of tropical grilled salmon.

“With her hand nestled in the crook of Nico’s arm, Zanna’s heart warmed. Their dinner at The Tropical Hotel’s restaurant had been filled with an exchange of information and pleasant conversation, but now, as Nico walked her home in the late evening, she felt an even deeper intimacy arise between them.” (Photo pcmarkets.com)

Ingredients:

6 six oz salmon filets

1/2 cup canned Pineapple Juice

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

In small saucepan combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, honey, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and reserve 1/3 cup glaze to serve as a sauce with the grilled fish.

Heat grill to medium heat and oil it with cooking spray. Place salmon on the grill and brush with glaze. Grill salmon until opaque and flaky, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve reserved glaze with salmon.

Fish Stew

When the divers arrive in Tarpon Springs, they’re eager for a place to lay their heads and some hearty food, but first Zanna and Nico must purchase cookware and basic provisions. When Nico insists upon purchasing a huge pot to make fish stew, Zanna tells him it’s much to large. His response continued to ring in her ears as she hurried home:

“A Greek woman who cannot cook should not give me instructions about what size cooking vessel I will need.”

Instead of halibut and mussels, Nico and his men would have used whatever fish they could easily catch in the waters of the Anclote River that flows westward towards the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo credit dieticians-online.blogspot.com)

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 medium leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

2 large garlic cloves, minced

5 large celery ribs, thinly sliced, plus 1/4 cup leaves

2 parsley sprigs

2 thyme sprigs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 small lemon, scrubbed and quartered

½ pound Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and sliced thin

2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

3 cups dry white wine (or use all chicken stock/broth if you don’t use wine)

One 1 1/2-pound halibut steak on the bone (or your fish of choice)

2 pounds mussels, scrubbed

To Prepare:

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1/4 cup of the oil. Add the onion, leek, garlic, celery ribs and leaves, parsley and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, 8 minutes. Add the lemon and wine and simmer over moderately high heat until the wine is reduced by half, 4 minutes. Add the stock and potatoes; simmer over moderate heat until reduced by one-third and potatoes are tender.

Season the halibut with salt and pepper and add it to the casserole. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Turn the halibut and add the mussels. Cover and cook over moderate heat until the mussels open, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer the stew to a deep dish and serve.

Enjoy!!

Judy