Summer Journal 2012, September 2

Yesterday was not the easiest for Stell because of his meeting in town, but as he is known to say, "it had to be done."  Fortunately, he could take his mind off of this quite immediately because Costis, Athena, and Angelos (who is truly an angel child) came from Thessaloniki.  They were in grand spirits and just as you can see in the photos they seem to come with permanent smiles:

Mostly Costis wanted to know about Nic and Apisata and he is so hopeful they will make the trip next summer.

Stell took Angelos swimming before we had lunch.  He wanted meatballs and "chips".  Keep in mind his Greek mother is from South Africa, so his perfect English is British-sounding.  He moves back and forth from Greek to English and English to Greek without a moment's hesitation.  I think he talks to his father in Greek and his mother in English.  He's as charming a little boy as they come, but this year he was slightly more shy.

Main Message:  Tell Nic We Want Him to Come to Greece with Apisata

 

Also we saw Stella with her two little boys, Thanassis and Christos.  Her husband, Akis, is a wonderful father too, and we've seen them several times out with the boys this summer.

 

 

Thanassis, Stella, Christos

 



Not anything special planned for today.  Tomorrow night Petra and Kyros will arrive at their place from Frankfurt, and we've agreed to meet for dinner and Tuesday for the lunch we will go to Takis and he will barbecue.  Other than this we are shutting the house down and packing.  Paniyotis has finished the engraving of the marble for the Parents' Temple, so we will probably pick that up tomorrow, and on Tuesday we will shut off the internet in the afternoon.  Georgios will pick us up about 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday morning.  Those are the plans to wrap up our 2012 summer in Ierissos.

A recipe I want from the book Secret Ingredients in an article by Janet Malcolm titled "As the French Do":

Cock in Wine No. 2

Buy four pieces of chicken and as small a slab of pork fat or bacon as you can find.  Fill a cup to the ¼ mark with pork fat you have diced into small pieces.  Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy enameled or stainless casserole, and sauté the pork pieces until brown.  Remove to a side dish.  Add another table spoon of butter to the pot (if needed) and sauté 12 small white onions, 8 large quartered shallots, and 4 sliced carrots until lightly browned.  Remove and add to the side dish with two cloves of crushed garlic.  Rub chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and brown over medium-high flame in the fat left in pot; then remove.  Pour 3 tablespoons brandy into pot and light.  When flames subside, add ¼ tablespoon of flour and stir with a wooden spoon for about a minute over very low heat.  Add one and half to two cups dry white wine, then return chicken and vegetables and pork pieces to the pot.  Cook covered over low heat for half an hour or until the chicken is properly done.  While the chicken is cooking, sauté 4 or 5 sliced mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter over high heat.  Add them to the pot in the last five minutes of cooking.  Taste the sauce—it will probably need salt.  Serve with boiled new potatoes.