In the past month, there has been a lot of activity in the Athens kitchen – much of it not generated by me specifically, but I did have a (small) hand in the preparation. It was for various receptions and events hosted here at the house. Masses of finger food made and consumed…
Keftedes (meatballs) with a BBQ dipping sauce
Mini spanakopita and tyropita (spinach and cheese pies) with a variety of tartlets
Chicken Souvlakakia (little chicken skewers)
An amuse-bouche of little fava (yellow split pea purée) cups with caramelised onion (or ‘onion marmalade’ – see my post Lipig)
Hosting dinners for events….The mini onions for the chicken and apricot dish were peeled before the shopping bags were emptied.
Huge pots on the stove simmering…
Producing a fabulous dish of herbed chicken with onions and apricots – a Greek stifado/tagine hybrid.
Mini pavlovas baked in the monster oven for dessert.
The cooks, of course, had to taste test the scrumptious meringue, chocolate, cream and cinnamon scented sour cherry confection.
A few left over pavlova bases…no doubt they will be put to good use in (the near) future. Might introduce the concept of Eton Mess.
Dinner table set, food consumed, lively conversation, good wine…
Before
After
Not least, scheduling teas for meetings…
All in all, a lot of cooking, making hors-d’oeuvres and planning menus. Consequently, not a lot of writing WordPress blog posts!
An Evolving Life 
Looks like a great feast 🙂
LikeLike
It was many, many feasts! We have events several times a week. Exhausting in one sense, but rewarding when you see every one appreciating the food (and the lectures, too, that preceded the receptions!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful 🙂
LikeLike
Maybe not much blogging but some pretty neat hands on foodie experiences going on all the same.
LikeLike
Really great foodie experiences … It draws on those creative juices trying to find many ways of introducing interesting food on a limited budget. Thank goodness I don’t have to to it all!
LikeLiked by 1 person
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LikeLike
Exactly!
LikeLike
My kind of food! The split pea puree looks very interesting. Cheers, Maree.
LikeLike
The fava (split pea purée) is wonderful. It is simply a cooked and then finely puréed mash of yellow split peas (Pisum sativum), then seasoned with salt and pepper. It can be poured when hot into the little cups, but firms up slightly when it cools. Very easy to do – and delicious. Greek fava is not the dried broad bean, which is called koukiá or sometimes (to confuse matters) Cretan fava.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, on my list!
LikeLike
That looks a bit like hard work Debi. Are you entertaining expats or locals?
LikeLike
Hard work that generally falls onto S in the kitchen, but I do lend a hand and have been teaching her new things (like short crust pastry). We entertain a general academic community – both expats and locals. In fact, many members of the 20+ foreign institutes can be found in the audiences in addition to members of the Greek archaeological service, Museum staff, and Greek university professors and students. It is a great way of bringing people together.
LikeLike
So much entertaining in your kitchen- I’m glad you have help with this. The food looks lovely indeed.
LikeLike
I, too, am glad that I have help. In fact, S does most of the work, but I do help with prep work and we also get out my many cookbooks and talk about new things to try. It is great fun (and a lot of work!).
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are busy! What wonderful entertaining and delicious looking food. Is this part of your new position in Greece?
LikeLike
I guess you could say it is part of my new role here, but I am technically the spouse of the person in charge. I enjoy the challenge in the kitchen, but am hoping at some point to get back to doing a bit of research. With so many libraries at my doorstep, it would be a shame not to.
LikeLike
What a busy (and delicious) kitchen.
LikeLike
Very busy, but as you say, also very delicious
LikeLike
Love the after shot. I have seen many a table like that:)
LikeLike
Luckily I had my camera to hand at the end of the meal (somewhere around midnight!). It is great when you see the table like that as it shows people enjoyed themselves.
LikeLike
Debi, looks like a great party was had!
LikeLike
A great number of parties! They were actually receptions after lectures. We have at least one a week.
LikeLike
Wow what a feast! It all looks scrumptious.
LikeLike
Thanks Gretchen. We have many receptions and a few formal dinners during the academic season here – usually following lectures. It is hard work, but we have a great crew of people helping out.
LikeLike
What a food fest! I think that post meal dinner table looks remarkably restrained. Good to see that no matter where you go in the world, meatballs are always on the finger food menu ; )
LikeLiked by 1 person
The dinner guests were lively, but dignified academics! We are enjoying making all these little foods and testing out new things as we go. Amazing how bite-size quesadillas went down. Will be making them again.
LikeLike
Wow. Such delicious looking bites. Lucky folks who put their feet under your table.
Womenlivinglifeafter50.com
LikeLike
Thanks Sue. We cater for many events (i.e. academic lectures) with finger food and an occasional dinner. Much of the cooking is done by our caterer, but in-house so the huge kitchen here always sees something on the go.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Debi, I agree — food brings folks together — and I bet many of them would love to come back time and again for food like that! Besides vicariously eating your photos :), I’m loving the “names” of the dishes. They sound good enough to eat, too! What a wonderful, memorable experience for you. So glad you shared!
LikeLike
Hi Kim – we do events with nibble food about once a week, so the kitchen sometimes resembles a factory. Shortcrust pastry is an oddity here, but something that is catching on, so I have been teaching our cook/caterer how to make light flaky pastry. It has been fun, but getting the “light hand is required for really flaky pastry” is a message that is difficult to get across. I expect she has the same thoughts about me mangling traditional Greek dishes! I tend to make them spicier or add more herbs than she does. Oh, and add more garlic…it sends shivers down her spine.
LikeLike