A BIG, FAT GREEK FESTIVAL CHURCH, PARISHIONERS CELEBRATE EVENT'S 30TH ANNIVERSARY.Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer NORTHRIDGE - Few things are more welcoming than the rich smell of roasted meat, the sound of festive music and the sight of smiling faces. Which is exactly what the parishioners of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church stood across Liberty Street from the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, USA. It was completely destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks when the South Tower collapsed. had in mind Saturday when they opened their 30th annual Valley Greek Festival A Greek festival or Greek Fest is an annual celebration of Greek culture presented by many ethnic Greek-American communities and organization in the United States and Canada, particularly Greek Orthodox churches. . ``Greeks are known for their hospitality, and we love to have everyone come out, join us, dance, eat and have a good time,'' said Peter Zaferis, parish council president. Noting that the festival also features music for dancing, Greek dancing lessons and colorfully costumed dancers, he added, ``You can dance if you want, and if you don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how, we'll teach you.'' The three-day festival continues from 1 to 8 p.m. today and Monday at the church, 9501 Balboa Blvd. In honor of Memorial Day, a ceremony paying tribute to veterans will open Monday's event. The 30-year-old, admission-free festival annually draws about 50,000 people to sample such Greek delicacies as souvlaki Noun 1. souvlaki - made of lamb souvlakia kabob, kebab, shish kebab - cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables (shish kebabs); spanakopita spa·na·ko·pi·ta n. A Greek spinach pie made with layers of phyllo and a filling of seasoned spinach, onions and scallions, feta, and sometimes eggs. (spinach and cheese pie); tiropita (cheese pie); moussaka mous·sa·ka n. A Greek dish consisting of layers of ground lamb or beef and sliced eggplant topped with a cheese sauce and baked. [Serbo-Croatian, from Turkish mussakka (an eggplant casserole); pastitsio (meat and pasta with cream sauce cream sauce n. A white sauce made by cooking together a mixture of flour and butter with milk or cream. Noun 1. cream sauce - white sauce made with cream ); dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves Noun 1. stuffed grape leaves - well-seasoned rice (with nuts or currants or minced lamb) simmered or braised in stock dolmas dish - a particular item of prepared food; "she prepared a special dish for dinner" ); gyros This article is about the food dish. For other uses, see Gyro. Gyros or gyro (Greek: γύρος, "turning") (IPA: [ˈjɪːɹəʊ] (beef/lamb served in pita bread); loukanico (Greek sausage); and calamari. When asked which was the best food to try, Lacy Reilly, 11, her mouth full, pointed to the huge lamb gyros slathered with tzatziki tzatziki Noun a Greek dip made from yogurt, chopped cucumber, and mint [Modern Greek] , a yogurt-garlic-cucumber sauce she and a friend, Madison Savary, 10, were eating. ``If you want to have a good time and get to eat great food, come here,'' was Lacy's advice. Kimberly Paul, 34, and her husband, Steve Kirkpatrick, 60, Simi Valley, said they had read about the festival for years, but had never made it out before this year. Asked which food he was most interested in sampling, Steve Kirkpatrick said, ``All of it!'' ``Definitely the souvlaki and the pastries, especially the honey-nut pastries,'' he said. ``I like the spices and the range of food here.'' The women of the church worked for months to produce nearly 50,000 pastries in more than 14 different varieties, that look like elaborately shaped miniature works of art. One pastry, diples, a twirled sheet of pastry steeped in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon and walnuts, is traditionally made by the mothers of the bride and groom before a wedding, to wish them a long and happy life, said Eugenia Georgilas, 62, baking chairman. ``I just think back to Greece when I see diples,'' she sighed happily. In addition to baklava - layers of fine pastry sheets filled with walnuts, almonds and covered in syrup - the women also made galatoboureko, which consists of a sweet custard filling between layers of pastry and topped with a light syrup. John Halekakis, 74, North Hollywood, was making loukoumathes, a kind of Greek doughnut. These pastries, served fresh and hot at the festival, are made with yeast, under carefully controlled conditions, to ensure they are fluffy and light, he said. ``You don't want to throw one at someone and kill him,'' he said. ``You don't want it to sit in your stomach and give you a sour stomach. You want them to be fluffy! You want people to eat them and say, 'Oh! It tastes good!''' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Members of the Kleftopoula Dance Group hold hands as they wait to perform their program of folk dancing Saturday on the first day of the three-day Valley Greek Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Northridge. (2) Mary Vege, right, serves Greek pastry to Rachel Comroe at a booth at the Valley Greek Festival Saturday. Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer |
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