My Changing Perceptions of Greek Cuisine - Santorini Reflections
July 8th 2008 18:35
As I developed an interest in cooking, I began to seek out information on Greek cuisine and the food I thought I knew. The books were thick. It wasn't long until I realized that my family's recipes were a 1% representation of what Greek food really is.
When I visited Santorini for the second time and spent more than a few hours there, I really started to get to know the culture of the island. They are known for their tomatoes and their wines. Even now that the trip has long past, when I put together a Greek meal, I'll go out of my way to find a Santorini white - a wine that holds second place only to my favorite - the Riesling.
I dined on "Tomato Meatballs" or Domatakeftedes - which don't actually have any meat. It is a mixture of tomato and other savory and binding ingredients, formed into balls, and then deep fried. I think about how delicious they were even now, several years later. I don't dare make them - I'm afraid that unless I pick a tomato in a garden in Santorini, mine will be lacking.
I learned then that it isn't really about the recipe - it's about the environment and how the land shapes the food you eat. We can hack and plant and work the earth all we want - but unless we stop to appreciate what fresh produce really does for our cooking, the food will not be at its best.
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Comment by Michele L.
*smiles*
Michele
Comment by Katherine Huether
Mangia Mediterranean
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