En hyllest til Ouzo

[Gro]

http://wwk.kathimerini.gr/kath/entheta/extra/AthensPlus/13-06-2008.pdf

Summer musings
over a glass of ouzo

BY MEROPI PAPADOPOULOU
Ice tinkling in a glass of ouzo is the      
quintessence of summer in
Greece, to be enjoyed while sitting
at a table by the sea after a swim,
beneath a shady pine tree against
a background hum of cicadas, or
by a pool at sunset.
A drink for all hours and all
places whenever an aperitif is in
order, always before the main
meal, a fact that is
sometimes forgotten.
It is no substitute
for wine or
beer and is not to
be drunk at the
lunch or dinner table. It is supposed
to whet the appetite, awaken
the senses and prepare you for
the main meal. One exception to
the rule is when the "meal" consists
of small dishes of mezedhes,
in which case ouzo can be the
piece de resistance.
In the most unorthodox places.
At the beach, from a cooler
containing ice, cold water, glasses,
a lemon and a knife to dig shellfish
out of the rocks, for a minimalist
hors d\'oeuvre.
On the kitchen bench-top as
cooking time draws to a close, as
a break before setting the table.
On a garden wall, on the roof,
anywhere with a view.At a little
table on the balcony, by the pool,
on an inflatable boat anchored
somewhere at sunset.
At small cafes in harbors or in
squares hidden away in the
middle of towns and villages.
Ideal for unexpected guests.
As you prefer. With ice,
with water, straight,
straight cold, it goes with
anything. Keep a bottle
in the refrigerator. Ice
cubes should be very hard
so as not to melt too quickly
and kept in an insulated
ice-bucket. Water
should also be well cooled
and served in a glass
carafe, not a plastic bottle.
Ouzo is an aromatic drink;
its aroma is half the pleasure,
so avoid small glasses
that don\'t allow it to
breathe. Our suggestion is
to serve it in tall glasses,
like champagne glasses.
Choose the simplest glass
with a wide mouth and a
stem so the hand does not
warm the ouzo. It should
be drunk in small sips, slowly.
One glass should last a while,
to allow time for conversation,
jokes and flirting.
As a particularly aromatic drink
with a high alcohol content and
an aggressive taste, it calls for
mezedhes of similar mettle.
Archetypal: A tomato cut in
quarters and a small crisp cucumber,
sprinkled with salt, two
olives, a piece of tangy kaseri
cheese and a slice of bread.
Seafood: Plump shellfish and
octopus grilled over charcoal.
Fish: Salted sardines, anchovies
and any kind of salted or smoked
fish. Fresh anchovies marinated in
vinegar and fresh sardines salted
for 12 hours as is common on Mytilene.
Sardines grilled over charcoal,
sprinkled with coarse salt.
Vegetables: Fried courgettes
and aubergines with tzatziki.
Roasted capsicum with garlic
and vinegar and all pickled vegetables,
such as capers and okra.
Salads: Home-made taramosalata,
melitzanosalata with a
smoky flavor - like grandmother
used to make, without mayonnaise!
Cheeses: Sharp cheeses such as
kopanisti from the islands, traditional
kaseri or a home-made tyrokafteri
made by beating together
sharp feta, hot green peppers,
a little oil and vinegar.
Double-baked wholemeal bread
rusks and (preferably home-made)
fresh bread.
Olives, olives, olives!
For a more in-depth study of the
subject, delve into the (Greek language)
book "Deipnosofistis"
(Ikaros Publications) and see page
21 for the best thing ever written
about ouzo, titled "The Discipline
of Debauchery."

[Niaas]

Ååå, den beste ouzo\'en!
Jeg lengter!!