In the Greek culture, families generously share and celebrate food.
And there's no such thing as too much food, said Greg Metevelis, general chairman of Tulsa's Greek Festival.
Especially, when you visit the home of your yia yia - which is the Greek word for grandma, Metevelis explained.
"In our culture, food is a big part of family. We have a saying that your yia yia will try to fill you up when you are already full," Metevelis said.
And following tradition, the coordinators of the Greek Festival always try to ensure that their guests leave the event satiated. They work for months ahead of time planning and preparing the Greek savory specialties and pastries by the thousands.
"After this festival, we will start the planning for next year," said Marios Parperis, who heads up the kitchen operations for the annual festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 1206 S. Guthrie Ave.
The a la carte menu features nine Greek specialties, including lamb, char-grilled shish kabob, gyros sandwich, Greek salad, calamari and a Greek appetizer plate with cheese pie, feta cheese, olives and spanakopita - which is a spinach pie.
The traditional Greek foods come alive with flavors of oregano, lemon and garlic, Parperis said.
Guests can also sample EPSA - an imported, naturally carbonated, nonalcoholic drink - or Greek beer or wine. For a sweet finish, pastries such as baklava, loukoumades and finikia are available to eat there or take home.
Organizers always stock up on plenty of food to feed the guests. For example, they will prepare about 1,000 pounds of green beans, 2,500 pounds of rice and 1,000 pounds of lamb this year, Parperis said.
The food at the festival will vary from what was served to guests during the Greek Festival VIP Night on Sunday (read more about the event at
tulsaworld.com/GreekVIPnight). Because the volume of food for the three-day event is so much larger, it means some Greek specialties won't be on the festival menu.
But Metevelis shared some tips on making saganaki - a flaming cheese appetizer that drew crowds to the center of the tent at the VIP event. It would be easy to make the dish at home; just be careful because it involves a liquor that is set on fire.
Metevelis learned to make saganaki from a longtime member of the church who moved to America from Greece.
As Metevelis prepared each piece of cheese, doused it with brandy and set it ablaze, flames shot high in the air Sunday night. The appetizer is as dramatic as it is tasty.
The cheese that they used was kasseri, a traditional cheese used in Greece for making the dish, he explained. Kasseri is a nutty-flavored sheep's milk cheese that holds up well to high heat.
The cheese used for saganaki should be firm, and other types that can be used include halloumi, kefalotyri or pecorino romano if the Greek cheeses are unavailable.
"You can make it with cheddar, if you want," Metevelis said, suggesting an Americanized version of the Greek dish.
To make saganaki, the cheese should be sliced in blocks that are about 1/2 inch thick. They must be thick enough that the cheese does not melt too quickly in the pan, yet thin enough that the center becomes warm but still holds its shape.
The cheese is then dredged in milk and then a light coating of flour, Metevelis said.
"That is what gives it the crispy coating," he said.
A pan is prepared by melting enough butter to cover the bottom. The prepared cheese is then placed in the pan and cooked until it develops a light brown crust.
The cheese is then flipped over and, once the other side sears, Metevelis said cooks should pour about 1/2 ounce brandy or ouzo liqueur over the cheese and set it on fire. It will flame up, so make sure it is not too close to anything flammable.
Lemon halves are ready nearby to squeeze over the flame and extinguish it, Metevelis said.
The saganaki is served with extra lemon, and tasters said that it's good served with olives and flatbread.
For more information on the festival, call Holy Trinity Church at 918-583-2082 or go to
tulsaworld.com/greekfestival
Here is a recipe for orzo that was served at the Greek Festival VIP Night on Sunday, followed by recipes for finikia cookies and spanakopita.
YIOUVETSI
(Greek orzo; pronounced you-ve-tsee)
1/2 pounds minced lamb
1 pound orzo
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup tomato sauce
3 tablespoons dry red wine
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup kasseri cheese (or any other hard cheese)
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Salt and pepper the lamb. Brown the lamb in butter and olive oil.
2. Stir in the tomato sauce, the wine and cinnamon and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside, keep warm.
3. Bring 6 cups of water to boil. Put the orzo in the water, bring it back to boil and let it cook it for 10 minutes.
4. Take the orzo out, drain the water and rinse it in cold water. Place the orzo in an oven-safe pan and add the lamb mix with the juices. Stir well.
5. Sprinkle some kasseri cheese (or any other hard cheese) on top. Put in a 350-degree oven, and cook covered for 15 minutes. Take out, serve with some Parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!
SPANAKOPITA
(Greek spinach pie)
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 pound fresh spinach
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 whole egg, beaten
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 whole onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 package phyllo dough, thawed (8 ounces)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil
1. Wilt your spinach with 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil (you'll most likely need to work in batches). Allow the spinach to cool and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Roughly chop and put into a medium-sized bowl.
2. Saute chopped onion and parsley in olive oil until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add to spinach, along with egg, lemon juice, feta and nutmeg. Mix until all ingredients are well-combined.
3. Lay out 1 piece of phyllo dough, brush with butter, overlap with 1 more piece of phyllo, brushing again with butter. Using a sharp knife (or a pizza cutter), cut your phyllo into 3 strips.
4. Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of spinach mixture at the end of each strip of phyllo. Roll into triangles, like you would the American flag.
5. Continue until you've used all of your spinach mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until they're nice and golden. Sprinkle with a little salt while they're still hot.
Tip: Keep your phyllo under plastic wrap and a damp towel while you're working with it. You can make these ahead (about 3-4 days), freeze before cooking, then when you need them, pop them in the oven without thawing.
FINIKIA
(honey-dipped Greek cookies)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup superfine sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup corn oil
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semolina
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheet or sheets that you will use.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, superfine sugar and orange zest. Gradually mix in the oil and beat until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, semolina, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves; beat into the fluffy mixture alternately with the orange juice. As the mixture thickens, turn out onto a floured board and knead into a firm dough. Pinch off tablespoonfuls of dough and form them into balls or ovals. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Cool on baking sheets until room temperature.
4. To make the syrup: In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the water, white sugar, honey, cinnamon stick and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick. While the mixture is boiling hot, dip the cookies in one at a time, making sure to cover them completely. Place them on a wire rack to dry and sprinkle with walnuts. Place paper under the rack to catch the drips. Keep finished cookies in a sealed container at room temperature.
- adapted from allrecipes.com
53RD ANNUAL TULSA GREEK FESTIVAL
When: Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday
and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 1206 S. Guthrie Ave. (three blocks west of 11th Street and Denver Avenue, south of the Inner Dispersal Loop; take the Houston Avenue exit from the Broken Arrow Expressway)
Cost: After 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and all day Saturday, admission is $3 for adults. Free admission tickets are available at
tulsaworld.com/greekfestival Children, when accompanied by parents, are always admitted free.
In addition to the Greek foods, guests can shop at the marketplace for imported Greek food and gifts - such as clothes, jewelry, olive oil, Kalamata olives - as well as a new official Tulsa Greek Festival T-shirt.
There will be dancers in authentic ethnic costumes performing ancient dances that tell stories of harvest, wars, love and passion for Greece. To learn about the Greek Orthodox religion and traditions, tours of newly renovated Holy Trinity Church will be conducted throughout Tulsa Greek Festival by Father William Christ.
Win free tickets
Want to go to Tulsa Greek Festival for free? Tell us why you want free Tulsa Greek Festival tickets, like any of the Tulsa World Facebook pages: Tulsa World, Tulsa World Scene, Tulsa World Food, Tulsa World Sports Extra or Tulsa World Business and share this post. We will give away two pairs from each page.
Nicole Marshall Middleton 918-581-8459
nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Filling up on heritage
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