Greek Food

I would never have expected we would have so many cultural experiences here in Old-West-Miningville, Nevada, but last week we had a Greek dinner with a couple from Greece. Ioanna (yo-ana) was born and raised in Greece, and Tony was raised mostly American, but comes from a Greek family. Ioanna has an aura of what must be Greek sophistication. The accent probably helps. She is the kind of girl that I never was - one who can be cool by simply running her fingers through her hair. Tony has lots of great stories, like one about nearly dying from food poisoning in Cyprus. He is the kind of person that presses the tips of his fingers together (only the tips) and might ask you your opinion on the affect of the Euro on the economy of India. We met their little dog, who Tony 'found begging for food on the streets of Cyprus'. I'm telling you, this couple has cool down. Who has a cute little dog from Cyprus that can do tricks?

For dinner we had beets, corn on the cob, and salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, feta, olives, oil and seasonings). We had stuffed cabbage - little rolls stuffed with onions, meat, and rice. According to Tony, he 'botched' them, so he said "Babe, make some of that yellow sauce," and Ioanna quickly whipped up some delicious sauce that was nothing like the typical American sauce made of salty dairy products. We also had pasta, again with another sauce that was quickly pureed up and ladled on top. The main dish was stuffed chicken, which I thought was the best. Chicken with basil and cheese inside, topped with a large onion petal. We had fruit for dessert - some organic apples and plums, and some pears they 'found walking along Fifth Street'. It was a nice evening of dinner and conversation.