Serious signs

When I start cooking Greek food, I know things are becoming serious.

Today the 6th of April is day 14 of the general lockdown in England; five weeks since I went out for coffee with a friend, an ordinary enough pursuit that feels almost unbelievable now. Even more unbelievable is that I am experimenting with Greek cookery! Greek cuisine is healthy and tasty, but I find it too time-consuming. Take last Saturday’s accomplishment, the Greek national dish of bean soup (“fasolada”) and courgette patties (“keftedes me prasina kolokithia” – itself a mouthful!) Once the beans had soaked overnight and finely chopped onions had been fried to a crisp, the bean soup was not too much of a trouble, and it would simmer on a low fire until it achieved the right consistency.

The patties took much longer: I grated the courgettes by hand and sprinkled salt in a strainer to let it draw out the excess water. Then I mixed grated cheddar, eggs, self-raising flour, salt and pepper, and fried individually in shallow oil. By the time the two dishes were ready I had been in the kitchen for over two hours.

These are signs of serious boredom. If the lockdown is extended beyond this week (and it looks increasingly likely it will be), I can see myself making mousaka!

© Sofia A Koutlaki 2020