Home Front(135)

KH: Tell me what it feels like to fly a Black Hawk in peacetime…and in wartime.

TB: In peacetime you are training, practicing, and honing your skills. In war you get to apply those skills. If you hone your flying skills and knowledge in peacetime it becomes second nature in war.

Of course flying in the Pacific Northwest is great. It is beautiful and we have many different environments to train in: mountains, desert, beaches, and cities. The flowering plum trees are beautiful from the air.

TB: How do you feel when people call you a hero?

KH: Uncomfortable. I am not a hero. The guys on the ground are. I am there to make their job easier.





Greek Culinary Traditions and Recipes




Greek Culinary Tradition:



A few interesting facts…



The first cookbook was written by the Greek food gourmet, Archestratos, in 330 B.C., which suggests that cooking has always been of importance and significance in Greek society.

Modern chefs owe the tradition of their tall, white chef’s hat to the Greeks. In the Middle Ages, monastic brothers who prepared food in the Greek Orthodox monasteries wore tall, white hats to distinguish them in their work from the regular monks, who wore large black hats.

To a large degree, vegetarian cuisine can be traced to recipes that originated in Greece.

Many ingredients used in modern Greek cooking were unknown in the country until the Middle Ages. These include the potato, tomato, spinach, bananas, and others, which came to Greece after the discovery of the Americas—their origin.]



Greek Recipes:



To the Zarkades family matriarch, Mila, food is love. And this is a story about love, and all of the ways we show it. Discovering, tasting, and experiencing Greek food is truly a joy for me to share with my readers.

Spanakorizo



Serves 6–8





This Greek spinach and rice pilaf is bright and full of promise yet hearty enough for cool evenings. It’s often likened to a Greek risotto, creamy and starchy but without the constant stirring required by its Italian counterpart. It’s sentimental Greek comfort food, and healthy to boot!



? cup olive oil

? onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

? cup freshly chopped dill weed

1 cup of cooked rice

10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 lemon, juiced

2 Tablespoons of tomato paste

Salt



Heat ? cup of olive oil in the bottom of a large pot.

Add onion and garlic, and sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add dill weed and cooked rice.

Add package of chopped spinach. Be sure to thaw it first.

Add the lemon juice and salt to taste.

Slowly add ? cup of olive oil and stir.

Add tomato paste (about a tablespoon at a time) and stir.

Keep stirring until it looks and tastes delicious!





Finikia



Yields about 5-dozen cookies





This cookie is made of almonds, coated in a honey syrup, and sprinkled with crushed almonds. They’re particularly delicious if combined with a mug of steaming tea, a big comfy chair, and a good book.

For cookies:



? cup butter, softened

? cup superfine sugar

Grated zest of one orange

? cup corn oil

2 ? cups all-purpose flour

1 ? cups semolina

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

? cup orange juice



For syrup:



1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

? cup honey

1 cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons lemon juice



? cup finely chopped walnuts



Cookies



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, superfine sugar, and orange zest.

Gradually mix in the oil and beat until light and fluffy.

Combine the flour, semolina, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves; beat into the fluffy mixture alternately with the orange juice.

As the mixture thickens, turn out onto a floured board and knead into a firm dough.

Pinch off tablespoonfuls of dough and form them into balls or ovals. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden. Cool on baking sheets until room temperature.





Syrup



In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, white sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, and lemon juice.

Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.

Remove the cinnamon stick. While the mixture is boiling hot, dip the cookies in one at a time, making sure to cover them completely.

Place them on a wire rack to dry and sprinkle with walnuts. Place paper under the rack to catch the drips.

Keep finished cookies in a sealed container at room temperature.





Keftedes



Yields about 25 meatballs





This fried meatball—with its unique flavor provided by the herbs—is a versatile dish that can be served in many ways: on a platter of mezedes---small plates of food served in Greece with ouzo that are often compared to tapas---with pasta, or as a main meal with salad, tzatziki, and chips. Keftedes are especially good when served with a little bit of mizithra, a traditional Greek cheese, grated on top. That’s the Greek way!