Greek Cooking Party

 

Dianne Nelson and Sharon Hinckley assemble the Pastitio, or Greek Pasta.
Dianne Nelson and Sharon Hinckley assemble the Pastitio, or Greek Pasta.









On Sunday afternoon I had a chance to learn more about Greek cooking at a friend’s house in Clearfield.

I’m lucky to play tennis with a group of women who have been friends for well over 25 years. I appreciate that they have welcomed me into the group even though I’m a “newcomer,” having played in the group for only about five years.  They inspire me because they’ve all had physical ailments  — back surgery, neck surgery, feet neuromas, vein problems, knee issues, shoulder surgery, stomach problems, and more. Often, once someone is forced to stop doing a sport because of an injury, they never get back into it. But these ladies come back to playing tennis as soon as they can drag themselves back on the court.

Besides tennis, they are all very knowledgeable about food. It’s fun to sit down to a post-tennis potluck and try the amazing dishes that everyone brings to share.

This past week, Sharon Hinckley of Clearfield hosted a Greek cooking party while her sister, Mary Apostol, is staying with her.

Mary Apostol learned Greek cooking from her mother-in-law, a "mail order bride" who came from Greece around the turn of the 20th century.
Mary Apostol learned Greek cooking from her mother-in-law, a “mail order bride” who came from Greece in the early 1900s.  She married a Greek immigrant who was working on the railroad in Helper, Utah.

Mary shared with us the recipes from her mother-in-law Efrocine Florence Apostol. Efrocine was a true “mail order bride,” coming from Greece in the early 1900s. She married a man she had never met before,  Emmanouil Apostolopoulos, who had earlier immigrated from Greece and found work in Helper, Utah. (His last name was later shortened to Apostol.)  Emmanouil wrote to a Efrocine’s older brother back in Greece, asking for the hand of one of the daughters in the family. Which of the daughters didn’t really matter, as he hadn’t met any of them. He just knew it was a good, respectable family with several daughters. So Efrocine’s older brother helped arrange the marriage. Efrocine made the steamship voyage from Greece to America with another young woman, who was also a “mail order bride.”  Efrocine continued the cuisine and traditions of her homeland.  When Mary married into the family, she taught her daughter-in-law to make some of the traditional recipes.

Spanikopita, made with the tennis group's Greek cooking party.
Spanikopita, made with the tennis group’s Greek cooking party.

As part of the “class,” the group made Spanikopita and Pastisto (Greek Spaghetti).

Pastitio, or "Greek Pasta." We decided it was very similar to lasagna, because it was layered with meat sauce and bechamel sauce, and could be assembled ahead of time and baked later.
Pastitio, or “Greek Pasta.” We decided it was very similar to lasagna, because it was layered with meat sauce and bechamel sauce, and could be assembled ahead of time and baked later.

Other members of the group made Dolmathes and a Greek salad. Another friend brought baklava. So it was almost like being at the Greek Festival, but a lot less crowded.

Dolmathes, made by Susan Stacey.
Dolmathes, made by Susan Stacey.

I have to confess, I was late leaving my church meetings and thus didn’t get there in time to do much of the actual cooking. But I did bring a dessert, so I wasn’t a total slacker!

Here are photos of some of the cooking process and the fun we had.

Spanikopita.
Mary Apostol’s hand-written recipe for Spanakopita. She was taught by her mother-in-law, Florence Efrocine Apostol, who immigrated from Greece to Helper, Utah, in the early 1900s.

 

IMG_6734
Yvonne Riemersma, Kathy Steindorf and Sylvia Savage making the meat sauce and bechamel sauce for the Pastitio.

 

 

Everyone's waiting for the food to bake.
Everyone’s waiting for the food to bake.

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