How to throw a party Greek-style in Zambia April 14, 2007
Posted by grhomeboy in HMN>HellenicLightAfrica.trackback
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 guests and tables were hastily placed on the lawns. Waiters were run off their feet taking list length orders and wondering why they were all being called “Ela!” by the Greeks. “Ela!” in Greek means “Come Here”, which in this case, is how you can call a waiter to come and take an order.
Traditional Greek food in a range of receptacles arrived by means fair and foul flooding the Le Soleil kitchens. But despite chaos in the kitchen the buffet tables were soon garnished with all the dishes that Greeks are famous for; Moussaka, made with mince, eggplant and béchamel, a thick white cheese sauce. Fasolada, a bean soup, Tzatziki, with cucumber, thick yoghurt and lots of garlic, a summer favourite in the Med; Dolmades, vine leaf wrapped mince and rice, Kleftiko, lamb dish cooked in an earth oven, Stifado, rabbit cooked in onions and red wine, Ovelias, a delicious lamb-on-a-spit. Desserts included the crumbly and more-ish pastried Baklava. Compliments to chefs Olga, Eleni, Mandy, Fifi, Angelos, 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 Kalamatianos and Tsamikos to the Pentozali and the Zeimbekiko, 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.
A very big thank you to Olga Georgitsis and Eleni Nicolandos for making it all happen as well as it did.
