It was a veritable
invasion and the Le Soleil staff are still reeling. The Greeks came
and went and launched Le Soleil’s International Food Festival with
gusto, verve and style. Master of Ceremonies Nick Lostrom didn’t
pull any punches when he challenged festival guests who were unlucky
enough not to be born in Greece to “Beat this!”
Bedecked in blue and
white flags Le Soleil was bursting at the seams; despite a new
verandah extension and the hiring of a huge marquee there was just
not enough room for the 230 odd guests and tables were hastily
placed on the lawns (To avoid disappointment for the future
festivals please book!) Waiters were run off their feet taking
laundry list length orders and wondering why they were all being
called “Ella!” by the Greeks…I mean isn’t that a girl’s name?
Traditional
Greek food in a range of receptacles arrived by means fair and foul
flooding the Le Soleil kitchens. The house chefs, already bemused
at being sidelined, were further confounded by a barrage of orders
being issued by ‘don’t give me any nonsense’ type women who also
insisted on calling all the kitchen staff “Ella”. But despite chaos
in the kitchen the buffet tables were soon garnished with all the
dishes that Greeks are famous for; Moussaka, a dish stolen from the
Turks (there seem to be issues between the Turks and Greeks - I know
a good psychiatrist) and made with mince, eggplant and béchamel, a
thick white cheese sauce. Fasolada, a bean soup, Tzatziki (sounds
like a fast dance) with cucumber, thick yoghurt and lots of garlic,
a summer favourite in the Med; Dolmades; vine leaf wrapped mince and
rice, Klefitiko (I may not have this 100% right but a dish named
after mountain brigands and used by soldiers of old who used to cook
this lamb dish in an earth oven, go off and kill the enemy, come
back and eat the Kleftiko…depending on how one likes their meat
enemies were dispatched quickly (for those who liked their meat
rare) or at a more leisurely pace for those who liked theirs medium
to well.) Then there’s Stifado, rabbit cooked in onions and red wine
… the lamb-on-a-spit spectacle was somewhat abbreviated by a faster
turnaround option and pre sliced but still delicious. No complaints
there. Desserts included the crumbly and more-ish pastried
Baklava. Compliments to chefs Olga, Eleni, Mandy, Fifi, Anguelos,
Kathryn, Marie and Sophia
But for the Greeks
its ‘dance before dinner’ and Zambian Greek kids choreographed by
dynamo Eleni Nicolandos performed a range of costumed traditional
dances from the ancient Kalamantiano and Tsamikos a pre battle (and
pre kleftiko) dance to the Pentozali which celebrates Crete’s many
attempts at independence and the Zeimbekiko, the Dance of the
Drunkards, ably led by Paul Georgitsis who alternately staggered,
fell and danced a procession around the pool.
And
alcohol flowed, plates got smashed, the disco took over and dinner
was danced off as more alcohol flowed. Still shell-shocked the Le
Soleil staff are now girding themselves for the next onslaught : the
South Africans … there goes my cholesterol and here comes Klippies
and Coke. Bye Bye Brains.
A very big thank you
to Olga Georgitsis and Eleni Nicolandos for making it all happen as
well as it did.
March
2007
Traditional
Greek food in a range of receptacles arrived by means fair and foul
flooding the Le Soleil kitchens. The house chefs, already bemused
at being sidelined, were further confounded by a barrage of orders
being issued by ‘don’t give me any nonsense’ type women who also
insisted on calling all the kitchen staff “Ella”. But despite chaos
in the kitchen the buffet tables were soon garnished with all the
dishes that Greeks are famous for; Moussaka, a dish stolen from the
Turks (there seem to be issues between the Turks and Greeks - I know
a good psychiatrist) and made with mince, eggplant and béchamel, a
thick white cheese sauce. Fasolada, a bean soup, Tzatziki (sounds
like a fast dance) with cucumber, thick yoghurt and lots of garlic,
a summer favourite in the Med; Dolmades; vine leaf wrapped mince and
rice, Klefitiko (I may not have this 100% right but a dish named
after mountain brigands and used by soldiers of old who used to cook
this lamb dish in an earth oven, go off and kill the enemy, come
back and eat the Kleftiko…depending on how one likes their meat
enemies were dispatched quickly (for those who liked their meat
rare) or at a more leisurely pace for those who liked theirs medium
to well.) Then there’s Stifado, rabbit cooked in onions and red wine
… the lamb-on-a-spit spectacle was somewhat abbreviated by a faster
turnaround option and pre sliced but still delicious. No complaints
there. Desserts included the crumbly and more-ish pastried
Baklava. Compliments to chefs Olga, Eleni, Mandy, Fifi, Anguelos,
Kathryn, Marie and Sophia
And
alcohol flowed, plates got smashed, the disco took over and dinner
was danced off as more alcohol flowed. Still shell-shocked the Le
Soleil staff are now girding themselves for the next onslaught : the
South Africans … there goes my cholesterol and here comes Klippies
and Coke. Bye Bye Brains.