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Greek food fit
for the gods
elevates El Greco
I have the ultimate food-lover’s dream job.
I get paid to think about food, research
culinary history, create recipes, write,
teach, cook and eat for a living. I’m often
asked to act as a judge
for cooking competitions,
and I do a cooking show
on public television called
“The Kitchen Diva.” Don’t
hate me because I’m wellfed.
Even though I love my
career, from time to time
I experience sensory
overload.
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Fortunately,
Jake Konstantinidis, the
chef and owner of El
Greco Restaurant at 31st
and Guadalupe streets,
always has a delicious
and authentic Greek
menu filled with everything
from appetizers
to desserts to entice my
weary palate.
I met Chef Jake when
he came to visit the set of
my show, and he prepared
some of the best dips I’ve
ever tasted. I’m particularly fond of his Feta
Cheese Spread and the tarama, a Greek
caviar dip. His Feta Cheese Spread has a
uniquely piquant flavor and is great as a
dip or as a spread on sandwiches or wraps.
The tarama dip is one of my
favorite party appetizers, as
the caviar adds an elegant,
salty back note and a cold
creaminess that’s especially
delicious when served on
crisp, buttery crackers.
Like many Americans,
gyros from the food court in
a mall were my first introduction
to anything resembling
Greek food. Chef Jake
doesn’t use the compressed
lamb-and-beef product on a
spinning skewer that most
Americans think is the basis
of an authentic gyro. He
prepares his gyros using a
family recipe that features
a delectable combination
of spices with a flash-roasting
technique to ensure the
tenderness of the meat.
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Chef Jake |
I’ve eaten most of the
items on El Greco’s menu,
but the dish that causes me
to take leave of my senses
is his moussaka. Moussaka
is a traditional Greek dish
that showcases the delicate
flavor of properly prepared
eggplant in a way that
few dishes are able to do.
Traditional Greek versions
usually consist of layers of
ground lamb or beef, sliced
eggplant and potatoes, and
spices topped with a creamy
béchamel sauce. I’ve had
moussaka in other Greek
restaurants, but I think the
distinctive difference in Chef
Jake’s recipe is his passion
for Greek food and his strict
adherence to the ancestral
recipes passed down to him
by his mother, Athina, and
his Aunt Kiki. Dessert is the
perfect finish for any meal,
and everything from the
intricately coil-shaped baklava
filled with walnuts and
honey syrup to the ravani,
a Greek cake, are prepared
with loving care by Athina.
El Greco has become my
favorite place to eat, and it
is a testament to the importance
of preserving one’s
cultural heritage and family
recipes. I enjoy sharing El
Greco with friends, and Chef
Jake loves catering groups,
from dinner parties of six to
gatherings of 400. As a person
who attends numerous
banquets, dinners and luncheons
where barbecue and
beans are mainstays on the
menu, I highly recommend
Chef Jake’s catering skills
and his traditional Greek
dishes. They’re crowd-pleasers.
I’m convinced that the
only cure for my moussaka
madness is more moussaka.
I knew that my fondness
for this dish had become an
addiction when I requested
Chef Jake’s moussaka instead
of roses for Valentine’s
Day. Please, don’t e-mail
me with suggestions for an
antidote. I don’t want to be
cured.
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