Gimme Greek (food, that is)

Hubby and I were looking for something to do this past weekend. Lo and behold, one of his coworkers goes to a Greek Orthodox church and they were having a huge Greek fair.... so we had to check it out... the food did not disappoint...

The Greek platter, above, featured, clockwise from top- Moussaka (eggplant casserole), Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), Meatballs, Spanakopita (spinach pie in phyllo pastry), and Pastitsio (a pasta casserole- I make a pretty good version here at home for special occasions). How do I know all about these Greek foods you might wonder? Little known fact about me: I worked as a waitress at a Greek restaurant one summer many many years ago. The boss was impossible and tyrannical, but the food... sublime.

The gyro, a delicious sandwich with a yogurt sauce called Tzaziki. Another fact about me- I hate yogurt, hate the smell, hate the way it looks. But I love the tzaziki- don't ask me why- I just do. It is my favorite thing about Greek cuisine. Except dessert. But we'll get to that later.

A little salad amongst the heavy casseroles is probably a good thing.... too bad I don't like olives. (I love olive oil- does that count??)
Now dessert. Baklava and a bunch of other things I can't pronounce or even begin to spell. Extraordinary. Unfortunately, no photos. Devoured before you could say "Cheese." Typical around here. Oh well.

Here is the only problem with Greek food. About 10 minutes after you eat it, you begin to feel like a sponge that has been left out in the Sahara Desert for a few months. Dehydration, then headache, lethargy, and disorientation set in, in that order. Drink lots and lots of water. After a gallon or 2, I managed to reconstitute myself and feel better.

And then I wished I'd gotten the shish kebabs and lamb chops to bring home for a snack. But that would have required 2 more gallons of water. So probably best that I just walked away when I did.

By the way, here is a good website if you are interested in Greek food.