Happy Tsiknopempti - Καλή Τσικνοπέμπτη - 2011!!!

Doing Tsiknopempti justice... 

Souvlakia, loukanika, pita bread, paidakia and some salad - straight from the grill!

Today is Tsiknopempti - literally, smokey Thursday - and as this week is traditionally the last meat-eating week before Lent, it has been named as the Thursday when everybody goes out on the town to eat traditionally grilled meat ...tsikna is the smell associated with meat being grilled!

Tavernas around Greece are generally jam packed on this day as most people go out and celebrate the carnival in style, whether they are in masquerade or not! Be sure to book wherever you may be going or you may be disappointed! 

Tsiknopempti, February 24, 2011

In Athens

We haven't been able to locate an official proramme for Tsiknopempti  for the City of Athens this year, probably because of the economic cutbacks, but there are plenty of tavernas you can go to to enjoy the day!

In London

A celebration of Greek Carnival with food, music and Greek dancing organised by Lykion ton Hellinidon - 7.30pm

Great Hall, Hellenic Centre, 

16-18 Paddington Street,

London W1U 5AS.

Further information and bookings on 020 8441 6332 or 020 820183332

To read more about Carnival Events in London, Click Here 

In Los Angeles

For a Tsiknopempti with a difference, join the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) team in welcoming visiting cast and crew members of the DOGTOOTH who will be in Los Angeles in support of Greece's Oscar® nomination for Best Foreign Language Film 



9pm at the 

MIRABELLE RESTAURANT

8768 West Sunset Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90069

(310) 659-6022  

For those who aren't going out, and this year there will be a few and not just for economic reasons! In Athens it's one of those stay-home-and-get-cosy nights. It's been raining since noon, the roads are wet and you can easily fall into a man-sized puddle, so get together with family and friends, throw some souvlakia, steaks, chops and sausages on the grill-psistaria - Bar BQ, pour everyone a glass of wine or tsipouro, and enjoy the night!!!

Kai tou hronou! :) 

Global Greece: Koulouma 2010 - Kali Kathari Deftera! Kali Sarakosti to all!

Xronia Polla everybody! Yesterday,  February 14, 2010, was a wonderful daywith most of the world celebrating something! 

Carnival Time, The last Apokria, tis Tyrinis, as well as Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year!

 

Valentine's Day around the world, and Greece was no exception (although the fact that it coincided with the last Apokria and Carnival Sunday meant it was unusually low key this year...)

Chinese New Year and this year, the Year of the Tiger, it was also celebrated in Athens for the first time! 

The Kathari Deftera long weekend is always a special one in Greece.



Yesterday was the last Apokria, and carnival celebrations were taking place all over Greece - Carnivals in Patra and Naoussa - and today is Kathari Deftera,  or Koulouma as it is often called, the official beginning  of the 40 day fasting period of Lent, Sarakosti. Traditionally everyone is out in the open flying kites!



We were no exception, we got up early and all (my husband is the cook in our family) got involved in preparing our lenten food (Sarakostiana) - this isn't a food blog, we have so many expert Greek Food bloggers that we won't even try to pretend we can cook like they do, but we do want to show you some of the traditional Koulouma fare eaten today!

....mussels

....squid, prawns

 ...beetroot

Along with taramosalata and Macedonian Halva, we are now ready for the Kathari Deftera feast. (The cooking is done, you can see the end result further down) and we are off to go fly our kite...

Despite the dire predictions for rain and cold, the weekend has been beautiful and today in Athens we woke up to a brilliant blue sky and a good strong wind - ideal weather for kite flying. 



There is an incredible sense of freedom in kite-flying, it is almost as if we are flying ourselves ,  reminding us of that wonderful song from Mary Poppins....

With tuppence for paper and strings

You can have your own set of wings

With your feet on the ground

You're a bird in a flight

With your fist holding tight

To the string of your kite

 

Let's go fly a kite

Up to the highest height!

Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring

Up through the atmosphere

Up where the air is clear

Let's go fly a kite!

When you send it flyin' up there

All at once you're lighter than air

You can dance on the breeze

Over houses and trees

With your first holding tight

To the string of your kite

It was great to see so many families with children enjoying the good weather out in the open - in Athens there were kites flying everywhere, from Kifissia to Piraeus, a wonderful sight indeed.The Public Power Corporation, DEH, wasn't very happy however, as quite a few kites got caught tangled up in the power lines, resulting in power outtages of several hours in some instances...

We managed to get our Pinochio hexagonal kite up and soaring - with a little help from our friends!

That's our kite  - the top dot!

We even helped to launch this one too!

By this stage we were pretty hungry so went back to enjoy the lunch we had prepared before we left!



Here are a few of the dishes in their completed state

Mydia (mussels) kapama, Octopus krasato with red peppers , Taramosalata

Beetroot, bulbs and leaves - make a delicious salad

Prawns with a delicate olive oil and lemon sauce

And,  of course, the Piece de Resistance, the star of the day...

...the famous Lagana! 

(someone couldn't resist taking a bite out of it on the way back from the bakery!)

Kali Kathari Deftera! 

Kali Sarakosti everyone!

Καλή Σαρακοστή!

For great Sarakostiana recipes visit 

Maria Verivaki's Organically Cooked, or Kalofagas' Greek Food and Beyond