Lifestyle

Greek Food Fair draws hundreds of hungry guests to St. Vasilios

Amanda McGregor
Staff writer
Published: June 29, 2009

PEABODY — Christine Morfis stood outside stirring loucomathes dough balls in a vat of hot oil, while Stavros Moutsoulas rotated skewers of marinated meat on the grill in the kitchen at St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church.

Morfis and Moutsoulas were among many parishioners who cooked traditional Greek food for the Greek Food Fair, held yesterday and Saturday at St. Vasilios.

"All of the ladies baked for more than two weeks," Lola Kalivas said as she served pieces of loukoumadis honeyed puff pastries. "We ran out of most of the pastry already.

"We have a wonderful staff who works together," added Kalivas, who has been a member of St. Vasilios for more than 50 years.

The Greek Food Fair and Attic Treasures sale took place Saturday and yesterday, and drew all generations to enjoy sweet pastries and savory Greek meats, including souvlaki skewers and gyro.

"It's a great way to bring the community together," said parish president Speros Venios, "and also to raise money for the church and help us get through the summer months."

By early yesterday afternoon, Venios estimated between 300 and 400 people had attended the fair, where Greek music and the aroma of food filled the air.

Venios and his father, Chris, prepared galaktoboureko, which is a Greek custard pie with a buttery, flaky crust.

"It's lots of egg, lots of sugar and lots of milk," said Speros Venios, "and then you put a syrup over it."

People ate from plates heaped with grilled meat, rice, Greek salad and pita bread. The men manned the grill in the church kitchen, while members of the church women's group, Philoptochos, served pastries.

"It seems we always make more baklava, and it's always the first thing we run out of," said Kirsten Nikola, chairwoman of the fair. "We've been preparing for (the fair) for a couple months, and it results in two days of a lot of fun and lots of eating."

As he stood over the hot grill, Moutsoulas said he marinates the meat in salt, pepper, oregano, oil, lemon — "and a few other secret ingredients," he said while grinning.

"I've been doing this many years," said Moutsoulas, who has been a member of St. Vasilios since he moved from Greece to Peabody in 1966.

Morfis, who grew up across the street from St. Vasilios, said the recipe for loucomathes (fried dough) has been passed down "from generation to generation."

"I've been out here all morning," Morfis said as she stirred the little balls of dough. Once they finished frying, they were carried inside where the women coated them in a honey syrup and sprinkled them with nuts. "Some of the older ladies of the church taught me how to do it, and I'll pass it down someday — maybe next year, because it's a lot of work," she said with a laugh.

"It's a great way for everybody to get together," said Nikola, a lifelong member of St. Vasilios, "and the food and pastry bring in people who don't belong to the church to see what's going on here.

"It's a great way to get together and kick off the summer," she said.