C ha p t e r 2
P i e s! P i e s ! P i e s ! The Greeks are pie mad. Toddlers take their first steps to reach out for a pastry; office workers stop to buy a pie for breakfast on their way to work. They are the companion to the labourer’s cigarette break, the simple lunch and the giant celebration dish, which lights up faces round the table … This is possible because the Greeks’ notion of ‘pie’ is extremely elastic: they can be little triangles of crackly filo; huge tray bakes, portioned out with a knife; or hand-held pastries that are sweet, savoury, or a winning combination of both. There are pitas that are special to each town, island, village and cook – many are family heirlooms. Classics like cheese or spinach pies are the subject of much discussion: everyone is highly pie-opinionated. But it is also an opportunity to take whatever ingredients are best, freshest and in season at home – and experiment.
The mill grinds all you throw into it. Paxiot saying
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