Charlotte L. Blackmer wrote:

> In article >,
> Puester > wrote:
> >Dimitri wrote:
> >>
> >> You'll find a lot of "Greek" recipes on the net.
> >
> >Comb through used bookstores and look at cookbooks printed as Greek
> >Orthodox church fundraisers.
> >
> >My favorite is "The Art of Greek Cookery" from the Women of St. Paul's
> >Greek Orthodox Church, Hempstead, Long Island NY. Copyright 1961. I
> >think I got it as an alternate selection when I belonged to the Cookbook
> >of the Month Club.
> >
> >Many ethnic cookbooks are awful; some are gems. You take your chances.
>
> From what I hear, the babas and the yayas (don't know what the Greek term
> is for the grandmotherly-type church ladies) at most Orthodox parishes -
> Russian, Greek, Ukrainian, or mixed - are an inspiration to most of us
> Church Kitchen Ladies. On a religious web-forum I'm on, we joke about the
> Orthodox luring converts with baklava .


I've had occasion to visit several Greek Orthodox Church "festivals" on
visits to St. Louis (I live in Chicago), the food was tasty and certainly
pleasantly different from the rural Illinois Methodist church basement feeds
I grew up on...


> I wish we had more lower-end Greek restaurants around here - most are very
> expensive (good but $$$). We can, however, get some good Greek food at
> several pan-Med joints nearby and some delis, and true aficinados don't
> miss the annual Greek festival.


Don't Greeks own just about every corner diner where you live? They'll
sometimes have Greek food of varying quality on the menu...


> I had some excellent Greek food on my recent quickie trip to Seattle:
> Georgia's on 85th Ave NW in Greenwood, just west of the center with the
> Greenwood Market and Freddy's.


In my neighborhood here in Chicago (Lakeview) I've noticed that there are
very few gyros joints anymore, the ones on my stretch closed up long ago.
Lotsa Thai - Pan Asian joints have moved in, lots of taquerias, but the
old - fashioned gyros joint is fairly dead in my nabe...

We are lucky to have a splendid Greek Town in Chicago, plenty to choose from
and very good value. But after all these years I still tend to get the
"combo plate" when I go to the Greek Islands or wherever...

My local stupormarket, Treasue Island, is Greek - owned, they feature Greek
stuff in the deli, grocery, etc...

--
Best
Greg