It’s All Greek to Me
by Erica Viola
W
hen a group of friends is hanging out on Saturday night,
tossing around ideas about where to go eat, there are some
inspired suggestions that seem almost inevitable, and this is one of
them: “Let’s go get Greek food!”
There’s a good reason for this – America is a melting pot of ethnic
foods, and fairly recently, Greek cuisine has suddenly made everyone’s
top five list. I have been dining at Greek restaurants for twenty
years, and though I’ve been – in this order – a shameless carnivore, a
vegetarian, a “poultry only, thanks” girl and finally a pescatarian, I’ve
never had to struggle to find something tasty and satisfying on any
Greek menu.
After lagging for many years behind such cultural fare as Chinese,
Mexican and Japanese, Greek food is enjoying a burst of popularity.
And there’s a good reason for this, too: despite the fact that, after
having sat down to a hearty plate of marithes and seasoned Greek
potatoes (and don’t forget the baklava), you feel as if you’ve gained
thirty pounds, Greek food is good for you. Traditional Greek staples
such as dark leafy vegetables, lentils, fish and olive oil have been said to
reduce your risk of ailments such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Greece has a four-thousand-year culinary tradition; some things
have changed, some have not, and some have simply evolved.
For example, in ancient Greece, beef-based dishes were almost
unheard of; the climate and landscape of Greece is more conducive
to raising goats and sheep. (Today, the lamb gyro is still the common
favorit