Grecian Fest Debuts Cooking Demonstrations
The word may no longer appear in the middle of the event’s title, but food is undeniably still at the center of the Grecian Festival at St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church in Wheeling.
Specialties such as baklava, souvlaki, moussaka, gyros and spanokopita bring people from all nationalities to the church at 2215 Chapline St. Of course, there is a lot more to the festival: dancing, vendors, music, art and church tours, to name a few.
New this year on the food front, festival-goers not only will have the opportunity to savor Greek specialty foods, but they also will have the chance to learn the secrets of making them. The Grecian Festival will host two cooking demonstrations from 1:30-2 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Maria Kayafas and Patty Dunlevy will lead the demos, which are free and open to the public at the church, 2215 Chapline St. No registration is required. The item to be prepared is tiropita, a simple, savory cheese and filo dough dish.
“Patty and I have been to plenty of other festivals, and they have these classes. I have always felt we should include it in ours,” Kayafas said, who said she and Dunlevy are excited about the demos.
She said people sometimes shy away from using filo — those paper-thin sheets of pastry dough that often stick to fingers and rip easily.
“It’s not difficult. There are ways to use it so it’s less likely to tear,” Kayafas said, and the two women will share those secrets.
In addition to tiropita, they will make Easy Bougatsa, or Greek custard pie, Dunlevy said.
They also will hand out copies of the recipes and samples of the finished dishes.
“It should be fun and educational,” Kayafas said. She added they plan to continue the classes every year and progress to more difficult recipes.
The tiropita recipe they will be using appears here for anyone who wants to try his hand at it.
The Grecian Festival is set for Wednesday through Saturday. Chapline Street in front of the church will be shut down to make room for dancing and vendors.
For a complete schedule of events, including a menu, visit www.grecianfest.com.
——–
YiaYia Eleni’s Tiropita
Recipe by Helene Patitsas
4 eggs
8 ounces cream cheese
16 ounces feta cheese
6 ounces cottage cheese
1 pound filo dough
1 pound butter to brush
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (or more to taste)
Beat eggs, cream cheese, feta, cottage cheese and parsley. Melt butter. Place filo in 12- by 18-inch pan, one layer at a time, brushing butter on each layer evenly. Place 10 layers down. Add entire mixture over filo. Cover with remaining filo, brushing each layer with butter. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
COMMENTS