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Ancient Greek food
#31
Has anyone ever visited Archaion Geusis? It's a chain of restaurant in Greece (I also think there is one somewhere in Germany) serving ancient Greek food, or at least as close to it as they could manage.

This is their site but unfortunately at the time being is shut down for renovation.

http://www.arxaion.gr/

And this recipe is my contribution. I’ve tried it in the past, and I simply love it.

Όπτανα Αρνίου μετά Μέλητος και Βότανων

(Lamb kebab with honey and herbs)

4 garlic cloves
1/2 soup spoonful salt
1/2 teaspoon of grounded colander
1/2 teaspoon of grounded cardamom
2 kl lamb (preferably thigh), ask your butcher to cut the meat in cubes about 10cm x 10 cm
3 soup spoonfuls olive oil
2 mediocre white onions cut square (3-4 from.)
1 small tea cup of honey
1 soup spoonful grounded mustard dissolved in 1 soup spoonful water

Mix the salt, the colander, the cardamom and some paprika in a bowl. Add the meat and the oil and leave it for a couple of hours, drink some coffee, relax and peak your favourite white dry wine from your local liqueur shop.

When you came back, pass alternately the meat and the onions in skewers? Kebab sticks? I don’t remember the name but you get the idea. Ofcourse, the best thing to do is to find some freshly cut vine sticks about 30cm long, try to pick the thin ones, scrap of the bark and wash them carefully.

Meanwhile, in a small pot melt the honey (medium fire) until caramelized, roughly 4 min. Add the vinegar and boil for 1 min still, while stirring. Add the dissolved mustard and leave the mixture to boil until only ¾ of a cup is left.

Roast the kebabs over strong fire turning them repeatedly for about 2min. Remove the kebabs from the fire and spread the honey-vinegar mixture over them. Put them back over the fire for some 8min, turning them, once or twice. Serve the kebabs in a platter while still hot with the rest of the honey sauce.
Spyros Kaltikopoulos


Honor to those who in the life they lead
define and guard a Thermopylae.
Never betraying what is right,
consistent and just in all they do
but showing pity also, and compassion
Kavafis the Alexandrian
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#32
What do you guys mean by sesame? Just the seeds? Or do you have to do something special with them? And after you've made bars out of the paste do you just let it drie or do you have to bake them in an oven or something? Please excuse my ignorance :oops:
Jef Pinceel
a.k.a.
Marcvs Mvmmivs Falco

LEG XI CPF vzw
>Q SER FEST
www.LEGIOXI.be
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#33
Quote:What do you guys mean by sesame? Just the seeds? Or do you have to do something special with them? And after you've made bars out of the paste do you just let it drie or do you have to bake them in an oven or something? Please excuse my ignorance :oops:

This is a good question, and not one I've found a satisfactory answer to. Sesame seeds are small enough to go into bars or sweets without any processing, but they can also be roasted to improve the flavour and preserve them, or ground up into a paste.

When i tried my hand at making 'Delians' that was the unanswered question. You could use unroasted seeds and boiled honey to make something like the Persian 'sesame tablets' or roast them to make a brittle more akin to East Asian sweets. Or you cpould grind them into a paste roughly comparable to marzipan in consistency. Andrew Dalby assumes whole seeds, but from the derscription givem I'm not so sure. It would jive well with a paste.

Try what you like best?
Der Kessel ist voll Bärks!

Volker Bach
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#34
I plan to make some of these ration bars next week. I'm still not sure wether to bake them (how long) or just let them dry in the sun or something. What do you guys think?

Best regards,
Jef Pinceel
a.k.a.
Marcvs Mvmmivs Falco

LEG XI CPF vzw
>Q SER FEST
www.LEGIOXI.be
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#35
Aye curamba....

I knew I was forgetting to do something! Andy, let me know how yours turn out. I ended up getting all the stuff, and now my onions have gone bad. I've been spending way too much time writing papers and being on the road lately...

I WILL get to this eventually...

Cheers,
Adam C.
Gaius Opius Fugi (Adam Cripps)
Moderator, Roman Army Talkv2
Forum Rules: http://www.ancient-warfare.org/index.php...view=rules
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#36
The "pasteli" sesami bars we have in Greece comes in both baked and unbaked variation. I will bring some bars at Watford Ancient Greek festival.
Kind regards
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#37
Khaire,
a rather suitable place for Texan Hoplites to eat....[url:1ryo05hf]http://www.alexanderthegreatgreek.com/index.html[/url]

TZATZIKI - Legend has it this special Greek yogurt and cucumber dip topped with fresh dill was brought to Greece by soldiers from the far East region of Alexander the Great's empire. Served with homemade bread.

regards
Arthes
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
-
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#38
Well, those who attended the Greek festival at Watford had the chance to tast the various types of sesame bars I had brought with me.
As for tzatziki there is a chance it might be in Greece earlier than Alexander.
If you eat goat or lamp meat (rich in cholesterol!). Yogourt with garlic is acoud way to counter that and also adds digestion. (a lot!)

kind regards
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#39
Lets cook some more, shall we? How about Kykeon.

Kykeon was a drink made from barley flour, a liquid and various other ingredients his name it emanates from that it should constantly be steered ("κυκᾶν ") in order that the solid components would not settle in the bottom of the container.

One can read about Kykeon many times in the Odyssey, and in the Iliad (XI, verse 624 )

It is described in detail in the Odyssey: Where as in the mug of Nestor, Ekamydy mixed wine, honey, crumbled goat cheese and white barely flour. Kykeon was mixed with a mint shoot that it would also add flavouring.

Kykeon was believed to be a stimulant, also, his various variants were supposed to have therapeutic attributes. Kykeon played also some role in the religious ceremonies.
For example after initiated into the mysteries of Eleusis the newly initiated would Kykeon which, supposedly, held some magical attributes.

One can found a recipe in this site.
http://www.greek-recipe.com/modules.php ... article279
Spyros Kaltikopoulos


Honor to those who in the life they lead
define and guard a Thermopylae.
Never betraying what is right,
consistent and just in all they do
but showing pity also, and compassion
Kavafis the Alexandrian
Reply
#40
Quote:Lets cook some more, shall we? How about Kykeon.

Kykeon was a drink made from barley flour, a liquid and various other ingredients his name it emanates from that it should constantly be steered ("κυκᾶν ") in order that the solid components would not settle in the bottom of the container.

One can read about Kykeon many times in the Odyssey, and in the Iliad (XI, verse 624 )

It is described in detail in the Odyssey: Where as in the mug of Nestor, Ekamydy mixed wine, honey, crumbled goat cheese and white barely flour. Kykeon was mixed with a mint shoot that it would also add flavouring.

Kykeon was believed to be a stimulant, also, his various variants were supposed to have therapeutic attributes. Kykeon played also some role in the religious ceremonies.
For example after initiated into the mysteries of Eleusis the newly initiated would Kykeon which, supposedly, held some magical attributes.

One can found a recipe in this site.
http://www.greek-recipe.com/modules.php ... article279
Now I am feeling hungry again after looking at some of those recipes...I could fancy some fried cheese right now......!!!
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
-
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#41
ancient fruit salad
Although I was not aware that ancient Greeks had refridgerators.....
:lol:
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
-
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