Greek Moussaka: Tradition meets taste!

By: Tina Webb | Greek Classics, Meals |Mediterranean Cooking|

It doesn’t get more Greek than a plate of Moussaka though Turks may beg to differ. In Arabic countries the dish is served cold whereas the Balkan Moussaka is served hot. What differentiates the Greek version are the layers that are separately cooked before being combined in the final baking process. The modern Greek version was probably formulated by chef Tselementes in the Twenties…

Serves: 1 full dish Preparation time: 20m Cooks in: 2 hours Ready in: 2 hours and 20 minutes

Ingredients 

6 large eggplants
Frying oil
For the minced meat sauce:
700 grams of minced beef
1 large onion, grated
1 glass of white wine
1 coffee cup of oil
2 table spoons of tomato paste
5 grains of spices
6 table spoons of finely chopped parsley
salt, pepper
For the bechamel sauce:
6 tablespoons of butter
8 tablespoons of flour
800 ml milk
3 eggs
nutmeg
salt, pepper

Method

Step 1
Cut the eggplants into slices of 1 cm each. Salt these and place them on a sieve for half an hour. Rinse these with water and squeeze out the juices.

Step 2
Dry out the slices and fry these in ample frying oil until they are golden brown on both sides. Place these on kitchen paper to absorb the juice. Another option would be to brush them with olive oil and grill these.

Step 3
Prepare the minced meat. Heat the oil and saute the finely chopped onion. Add the minced meat and keep stirring. Add white sauce. Dissolve the tomato paste in some water and add it to the minced meat. Add spice, parsley, salt and peper and keep stirring until all the juices have dried up. Put the minced meat to the side so that it cools down.

Step 4
Prepare the bechamel sauce. Heat the butter in a pot, add the flour and sauté until the mixture darkens. Add warm milk while constantly stirring the mixture. Pull away from the heat, as soon as the bechamel sauce thickens. Add the spice, salt and pepper. Add cheese and keep stirring while folding the eggs into the mixture. Stir fast until the mixture sets.

Step 5
Heat the oven to 170 degrees. Place half the fried eggplants at the bottom of the dish. Place the minced meat on top and level with a spoon so that it is evenly spread. Add a second layer of eggplants. Pour the bechamel sauce on top and spread it out evenly. Place the dish in the oven for one hour until a golden crust forms on top of the sauce. Let it cool down for half an hour before serving.

Calls for Minoan Civilization, Spinalonga to be Named UNESCO World Heritage Sites

On occasion of an UNESCO Committee Convention held in Heraklion, Crete, last weekend, Crete Region Prefect Stavros Arnaoutakis and Heraklion Mayor Vassilis Labrinos called for the inclusion of Minoan Civilization and Spinalonga island on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

Delegates from 18 countries gathered on Crete last weekend to discuss the inclusion of Minoan Civilization and the islet of Spinalonga – once a leper colony – on UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list.

Experts from Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America convened at Heraklion’s St Mark Basilica chaired by Culture Ministry Secretary General Maria Vlazaki to discuss the protection of cultural property from antiquities smuggling activities, while committee members had the chance earlier that day to visit the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion and learn more about the Minoan Palaces including Knossos, Phaistos, Zakros, Malia and Cydonia via a video presentation.

“We are confident that the UNESCO Committee will contribute to the common effort for the protection of the world’s archaeological treasures and the Region of Crete is present in this action,” said Arnaoutakis.
(source:gtp)

Time for Greece to Capitalize on Safety, Its Strong Point

By Maria Paravantes in Berlin

It’s time for Greece to capitalize on its leading strong point – security, Michalis Vamiedakis, Crete Tourism Commissioner told the Greek Travel Pages (GTP) during the ITB Berlin on Thursday.

“The good news is that we are seeing increased bookings and more reservations for the off season period like April and May, the bad news that many of these bookings have been made very early when hoteliers made extremely low offers which is bound to take a bite out of revenue,” Vamiedakis told the GTP, adding that the resultant increase in tourism due to the situation in Turkey must be taken advantage of.

“It is vital that we capitalize on the current demand for Greece, offer the finest services at competitive prices and promote the added advantage of Greece right now, namely that it is a safe and secure destination,” Vamiedakis said, echoing the sentiments of many of his colleagues at the ITB.

But he was quick to point out that stakeholders must also “remain wise, keep their prices down and spread the word that Greece is value for money due to the safety it offers”. 

“We must also aim parallel to the sea and sun concept to promote new tourism segments like agro-tourism, health, conference and other forms of the product offering diversity and at the same time focusing on what brings in travelers.” 

(source: GTP)

Crete: The Apokriés, or Carnival season in Rethymno, Brings Thousands of Tourists...

Since 1914 beautiful Renaissance Rethymnon has been celebrating the carnival with its many humoristic events. A carnival of another era leaving behind its nostalgic aroma of romantic balls and the Rethymnians through laughter and their comical antics paying their tribute to "His Excellence, The King of the Carnival."

The Treasure Hunt, an old custom dating back to when the Carnival of Rethymno began about a century ago, was the reason for the creation of 'teams' in 1990, which would give birth once again to this age-old tradition.

In 1993, the Municipality of Rethymnon decided to help fund this popular event and requested the teams to take on the challenging task of creating and organising the Carnival of Rethymnon, which has become the most popular and famous Carnival of Crete!

The whole town becomes one big party: for almost a whole month, the city plays host to a succession of fun-filled celebrations, bringing together locals and visitors who participate in this carnival because they love to enjoy every moment of their lives.

You will see groups of people sitting together in traditional cafés (kafeneia) drinking “tsikoudiá” (raki), tasting Cretan titbits and thinking up “mantinádes” (folk couplet songs) on the spot.

Carnival in Rethymno, an institution with a great history, has withstood the test of time and returns each year full of vigour. 

It is a superb way to raise your spirits, meet new people and experience an event that is pure magic.

Photo of the day

Sunny day walking, by the plakias beach..
Rethymno,Crete.. 
Plakiassuites

Have a great February

Enjoy the little things...

Positive Signs for Greek Tourism as Pre-bookings Grow

Tourists from Germany, Russia and the UK have already made plans to visit Greece this summer pushing the number of pre-bookings into positive territory and offering sector professionals a glimpse of what’s in store for 2017.

Arrivals from Germany are expected to grow by 40 percent, from the UK by 15 percent and from Russia by 25 percent compared to 2016.
At the same time, interest from other markets, including France, Switzerland and Canada, has also begun to warm up. Travelers this year are keen on visiting Crete, Rhodes and Kos — islands which are expected to draw in the crowds thanks to a number of newly launched direct flights.

Vacationers from the US are also expected to rise this year, following a double-digit increase in 2015-2016, Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura said while in the US for the New York Times Travel Show.

Meanwhile, TUI reports a 41 percent rise in the number of bookings for Greece, while Thomas Cook is describing Greece as this year’s “ultimate destination”.
Spain remains Greece’s main competitor as the leading choice for holidays together with rivals Italy and Portugal. Egypt, meanwhile is regaining ground due to affordable holiday deals.
(source:gtp)