Reflections of Greece-Part Two

February17

My favourite summer pastime is sitting on the beach and reading books set in warm places. Last year I read a book called “Summer of My Greek Taverna” by Tom Stone. I loved the memoir because the writer so captured the excitement and frustration of living his dream. The recipes that he included made my mouth water on the beach.

Greek Taverna

Here’s my version of his Chicken Retsina: Rinse 6 whole chicken breasts and pat dry. In a large bowl, combine 1/2 c Retsina wine , 1/2 c olive oil, 1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 T oregano, 1 t thyme, 1 t basil and salt & pepper to taste. Add chicken breasts, cover and marinate overnight. Cook on an outdoor grill, basting occasionally with remaining marinade. This can also be baked in a 350 F. oven for one hour, basting several times. Retsina is a white wine treated with pine resin, following an ancient Greek tradition. It kind of reminds me of the smell of Pine-sol and it is an acquired taste that frankly I’ve never acquired. Ouzo-now that’s another story.

Olympia

While goofing around in the town of Olympia, Greece, I decided to lie down on a flokati rug in front of a shop for a photo op. When I knelt down to get back up, a rusty nail appeared through the rug and punctured the flesh just below my knee. The shop owner was frantic-concerned that I would report the incident to the group that I was traveling with. The only doctor in town was at a wedding and so the shop owner tried to tend to me while the doctor was summoned. He sat me down and cleaned the wound and then poured the same antiseptic into my glass. You guessed it-my first taste of ouzo. Anyway, I had to have a tetanus shot but I didn’t seem to mind with that lovely nectar warming my insides. Later in the evening-I found myself dancing!

If you have a craving for Greek food and choose not to cook- The Greek Market on Corydon Ave. has many heat and eat meals. My favourite is their Chicken breast stuffed with spinach and feta and wrapped in filo pastry.