The following is information from the 2008 Greek Food Festival
Please check back in mid-2009 for updated information

Keftedes (Greek Meatballs)
By Joanne Canellos

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground meat (use 80/20 mixture)
• 1 C Bread Crumbs (Progresso Italian Style)
• 2 eggs
• 1 medium onion
• 2 tsps salt*
• ¼ C mint*
• 1 tsp pepper*
• ¼ C parsley*
• 1 tsp garlic powder*
• Canola Oil for frying
• Small amount of flour

Place meat in large mixing bowl; add bread crumbs. Place onion (cut in small pieces), eggs, mint, parsley, salt, pepper and garlic powder in blender and liquefy. Add this to meat mixture and mix together until all ingredients are well blended. Using a medium size scoop, form meat into balls; flour each meatball lightly. In a large frying pan (I prefer an electric frying pan), place oil up to ½ inch deep. Heat to 400 degrees and then lower to 350. As you place each meatball in pan, flatten them slightly. Allow to brown and then turn over. Keep heat of oil between 325 to 350 so that the meatballs will cook through and not burn. I use a fork to turn them over and a slotted utensil to lift them out of the oil. Let drain as you lift them out and place them on paper towels. These may be eaten warm or cold. They are a great appetizer.

If you have leftovers, you can make (or buy) a pasta sauce and have a second meal of spaghetti and meatballs!!!

*When doubling this recipe, do not double spices; increase salt and pepper by 1/3. If you more than double, than you will have to adjust spices, but no more than 1/3 for each time you increase.

Yiayia Canellos' Makaronada (Greek Style Macaroni)
By Joanne Canellos

Ingredients:

• l large can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce, plus two cans water
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 2 sticks butter
• 3 sticks Cinnamon
• Dash garlic powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound cooked macaroni

Place in a sauce pan the tomato sauce, tomato paste, 1 stick butter, garlic powder, cinnamon sticks, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until sauce thickens, approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours. (I usually make sauce ahead of time and reheat). Place cooked macaroni in a large pasta bowl. Pour sauce evenly over the macaroni. Sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese and pour one stick of melted butter over the pasta. Serve immediately.

Stuffed Peppers And Tomatoes
By Donna Ralli Lalangas

Ingredients:

• 6 large tomatoes for stuffing
• 6 green peppers for stuffing
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 14 Tablespoons rice (not quick cook)
• 1 ½ to 2 lb ground beef (depending on size of peppers and tomatoes)

Prepare vegetables for stuffing:
Slice off the caps of peppers (save for use) and clean out membranes and seeds, rinse well inside and out, drain and place in large pyrex dish to hold them and 6 tomatoes (prepared below)

Slice off the caps from the tomatoes (save for use) and carefully scoop out the tomato pulp with a spoon, saving the pulp for later use. Drain the hollow tomatoes upside down on paper towels and place in pyrex dish with peppers

Prepare the stuffing:
Sauté the chopped onion and chopped pepper in 1 cup olive oil for 5 minutes, add garlic cloves, continue to sauté until soft and onion is clear. Add ground beef, break up in pan and sauté over medium heat, adding the saved pulp of 6 tomatoes plus the can of stewed tomatoes, sauté until liquid is almost gone and beef is brown, adding salt and pepper to taste (may want to add garlic powder if cloves aren't fragrant enough). Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon to the stuffing. Take off the heat and add the rice to the mixture, covering for 5 minutes to allow the rice to begin to cook. Add the chopped parsley to the mix.

Stuff the peppers and tomatoes with the mixture, not all the way to the tops of each, because you must leave room for the rice to expand inside the vegetable. Cover with their caps and arrange carefully in a pyrex dish (can be snug). Add enough water to come up ½ inch around the vegetables. Drizzle oil in the water.

Cover w/ aluminum foil and bake in preheated 350 oven for one hour. Carefully remove foil and bake uncovered until peppers are cooked and soft (probably another hour).

Romantic Greek Dinner for Two
By Donna and Tasso Lalangas

Appetizer: Kapnista me Ladi (Roasted Green Peppers and Eggplant Slices in Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar)

Ingredients:

• Two green bell peppers
• One eggplant
• Olive oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Two large Garlic Cloves

Wash peppers and eggplant. Arrange on cookie sheet lined w/ foil and drizzle lightly w/ olive oil. Place in preheated 400° oven for one hour to roast. After first half hour, take out eggplant (don't want it to collapse, just be infused w/ the roasted flavor). Depending on how large and thick-skinned they are, for second half hour, turn over peppers so they're roasted on both sides at the end of the hour. Let eggplant cool, slice for serving (may need to sauté lightly in olive oil on the stove if still too firm). When peppers are done, place in paper bag to steam and cool, outside skin should be easy to peel off. Peel off outside skin of peppers, leave stems on if possible.

Slice lengthwise, arrange on serving platter, sprinkle with crushed garlic cloves, drizzle generously w/ olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Best if marinated overnight.

Main Course: Garides Saganaki (Shrimp Baked in Feta) with Couscous

Shrimp Baked in Feta:

Ingredients:

• One pound large shelled shrimp
• One can stewed tomatoes (crushed)
• One half cup white wine
• One tablespoon tomato paste
• 8 ounces feta (crumbled)
• Olive oil
• Garlic powder, oregano, black pepper to taste
• Two dried bay leaves

Cook shrimp for arranging in baking dish, either by sautéing in butter or quickly oiling in hot water. Drain and arrange in your serving dish. Combine crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and white wine and pour over shrimp. Add two bay leaves in serving dish. Combine feta w/ oregano, pepper and garlic powder to taste, sprinkle over shrimp and tomatoes. Drizzle w/ olive oil. Bake in 350° oven until feta has melted. Serve over couscous.

Couscous:

Ingredients:

• One cup couscous
• 2 ½ cups water
• One Tablespoon butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Lightly brown butter in cooking pot, add water and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and add couscous. Simmer uncovered 15-17 minutes. Toss w/ fork before serving.

Salad: Himoniatiki Salata (Winter Salad)

Ingredients:

• One cabbage head, shredded
• Four large carrots, shredded or diced
• Half head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
• Four green onions, chopped
• Olive oil, juice of one lemon, salt and pepper to taste

Combine the first 4 ingredients. Toss w/ olive oil, lemon juice (may need a second one, depending on the juice derived from the first), salt and pepper.

Dessert: Fraoules me Metaxa (Strawberries drenched in Greek Brandy)

Ingredients:

• One pint strawberries, washed and hulled
• Four tablespoons Metaxa brandy
• Two teaspoons sugar

Gently mix berries w/ brandy and sugar. Marinate for 4 hours. Serve in parfait glasses. May top w/ a dollop of whipping cream if desired.

Chicken Kapama
By Katherine Naftis

Ingredients:

• 1 Whole Fryer (approximately 3 lbs.)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 onions chopped medium fine
• 6 Cloves
• 2 Large cans tomato sauce
• 1 cup red wine
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes
• Kosher salt
• Ground Black pepper

1. Cut chicken into eight pieces and remove skin and discard.
2. Cover chicken pieces with lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. In a large pot, melt 1 tablespoon butter in ½ cup olive oil.
4. In batches, slightly brown chicken pieces on both sides and reserve.
5. Add chopped onions to pot, and cook until translucent.
6. Add tomato sauce, wine, chili flakes, cloves and cinnamon sticks to pot and stir well.
7. Add chicken pieces back into pot and simmer covered on low for 90 minutes.
8. Discard cinnamon sticks when ready to serve.
9. Serve over rice pilaf or spaghetti.

Serves 4-5

Karidopita (Walnut Cake)
By Antonia Karounos

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. sweet butter
• 1 dozen eggs
• 5 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups chopped and grinded walnuts
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cloves (powder)

Mix egg yolks with sugar and (melted) butter in mixer. Add baking powder, walnuts, cinnamon and cloves. Beat egg whites and add to mixer, then add the flour. Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Cake has to be hot and cut when syrup is poured over it.

Syrup:

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon lemon

Boil ingredients for 10 minutes. Let cool.