Greeks and Turkey in the Kitchen

Having just celebrated the American feast of Thanksgiving, it is almost difficult to write about food and flavors... almost, but not quite! Just as I put the oregano aside for one meal and picked up the cranberries and pumpkin, I was excited to see that the CBS Early Show chose to highlight a Greek twist to Thanksgiving this year.

(This is amusing as I spent Thanksgiving morning discussing with friends the Greek-American tradition of adding lamb, lemon potatoes and pites of all sorts to the holiday's traditional table.)

With that, CBS Early Show host Harry Smith was joined by executive chef and restaurant-owner, Jim Botsakos, to showcase "our" approach to Thanksgiving and preview the dishes being served at Botsakos' Manhattan restaurant, Molyvos. As most of you may have expected, this included free-flowing olive oil, lemon, oregano and other tasty herbs that we rely on in the Greek kitchen to add a fresh, savory kick.
For the Greek foodies, here are few other hints chef Botsakos shared:

- Replacing sugar with mavrodaphne in glyko tou koutaliou as an alternative to cranberry sauce

- Using mavrodaphne with traditional glaze preparations for sweet potatoes

- Arranging phyllo sheets in ramekin dishes for individual xortopitakia (this would also be a great idea for kleftiko)

- Replacing sour cream with whipped Greek yogurt as garnish for thicker soups, chili or mashed potatoes

Specific recipes, along with the videos of all three segments (side dishes, entree and dessert) are still available on the show's website.

P.S. Stay tuned for more news about chef Jim Botsakos.