Culinary Globe Trotting at Le Soleil

 G R E E C E

THE DANCE OF DRUNKARDS
(…or how to throw a party Greek-style)

It was a veritable invasion and the Le Soleil staff are still reeling. The Greeks came and went and launched Le Soleil’s International Food Festival with gusto, verve and style. Master of Ceremonies  Nick Lostrom didn’t pull any punches when he challenged festival guests who were unlucky enough not to be born in Greece to “Beat this!”

Bedecked in blue and white flags Le Soleil was bursting at the seams; despite a new verandah extension and the hiring of a huge marquee there was just not enough room for the 230 odd guest and tables were hastily placed on the lawns (To avoid disappointment for the future festivals please book!) Waiters were run off their feet taking laundry list length orders and wondering why they were all being called “Ella!” by the Greeks…I mean isn’t that a girl’s name?

Traditional Greek food in a range of receptacles arrived by means fair and foul flooding the Le Soleil kitchens. The house chefs,  already bemused at being sidelined were further confounded by a barrage of orders being issued by ‘don’t give me shit’ type women who also insisted on calling all the kitchen staff “Ella”. But despite chaos in the kitchen the buffet tables were soon garnished with all the dishes that Greeks are famous for;  Moussaka – a dish stolen from the Turks (there seem to be issues between the Turks and Greeks – I know a good psychiatrist) and made with mince, eggplant and beshamel – a thick white cheese sauce. Fasolada – a bean soup, Tzatziki (sounds like a fast dance) with cucumber, thick yoghurt and lots of garlic – a summer favourite in the Med. Dolmades; vine leaf wrapped mince and rice, Klefitiko – I may not have this 100% right but a dish named after mountain brigands and used by soldiers of old who used to cook this lamb dish in an earth oven, go off and kill the enemy, come back and eat the Kleftiko…depending on how one likes their meat enemies were dispatched  quickly (for those who liked their meat rare) or at a more leisurely pace for those who liked theirs medium to well. Then there’s Stifado – rabbit cooked in onions and red wine…the lamb-on-a-spit  spectacle was somewhat abbreviated by  a faster turnaround option and pre sliced but still delicious. No complaints there. Desserts included the crumbly and more-ish  pastried  Baklava. Compliments to chefs  Olga, Eleni, Mandy, Fifi, Anguelos, Kathryn, Marie and Sophia

But for the Greeks its ‘dance before dinner’ and Zambian Greek kids choreographed by dynamo Eleni Nicolandos performed a range of costumed traditional dances from the ancient Kalamantiano and Tsamikos a pre battle (and pre kleftiko) dance to the Pentozali which celebrates  Crete’s many attempts at independence and the Zeimbekiko – the Dance of the Drunkards – ably led by Paul Georgitsis who alternately staggered, fell and danced a procession around the pool.

And alcohol flowed, plates got smashed, the disco took over and dinner was danced off as more alcohol flowed. Still shell-shocked the Le Soleil staff are now girding themselves for the next onslaught – the South Africans…there goes my cholesterol and here comes Klippies and Coke. Bye Bye Brains.

A very big thank you to Olga Georgitsis and Eleni Nicolandos for making it all happen as well as it did.

WORDS AND PICTURES BY ‘ELLA’

Enquiries: Marek Patzer or  John Sweatman 097 781 222 or 097/095 802 533 or 01 291801.