JOIN THE ASTIR TENNIS CLUB Special membership offers until April 20
Weekly supplement by Insider Publications • insider-publications.com • facebook.com/insiderpublications • No 57 • Friday, April 10, 2015 Photography Atopos Unlocked: Ren Hang
Film Installation Peter Fischli & David Weiss
Ren Hang’s intention is to capture men and women in their most natural and authentic form, in the nude. Peruse his photographs and limited edition works which spark a conversation between the naked human body and the natural environment surrounding it. 22 April until 17 June at ATOPOS CV, Salaminos Metaxourgeio 72, 210.524.2004. atopos.gr
Sculpture Margarita Bofiliou
Small Questions, Big Questions features three films by the artists including Der Lauf der Dinge, one of the most celebrated films of our time, and In Der Geringste Widerstand, which reflects on issues around life, nature, art, money, trust, good and the beautiful. Until 10 May at The Benaki Museum, Pireos St. Annexe, Pireos 138, 210.345.3111, benaki.gr
Everything is wrong, Xerxes is an exhibition by the up-and-coming artist Bofiliou featuring contemporary thoughtprovoking paintings and vibrantly coloured sculptures from 15 May until 10 July at State of Concept, Tousa Botsari 19, 213.031.8576, stateofconcept.org
Become a Member of the Astir Tennis Club and enjoy state-of-the-art sports facilities and exceptional services at the resort’s private sandy beaches & sea water swimming pools. For more info, visit astir-palace.com, 210. 8902000 Astir Palace Resort, 40 Apollonos St, Vouliagmeni
TV THIS WEEK
TRADITIONS
TRAVEL
KITCHEN NIGHTMARES 5
Gordon Ramsay visits struggling restaurants across America and spends one week trying to help them become successful. Premieres Friday 10 April at 20:10 on FOX Life.
Easter in Leonidio
UNIQUE EASTER EXPERIENCES
Easter in Patmos
Insider Weekly rounds up five destinations in Greece to experience an Easter like no other – rich in local custom and ceremony that capture the essence and magic of Greek Easter.
2. The sparks really fly in Chios A virtual fireworks battle breaks out between rival parishes on the Greek island of Chios who engage in a most unusual and dangerous Easter tradition that traces back to the Ottoman era. Perched on opposite hillsides, the churches recreate an annual missile war – the visual imagery and of course, the decibel levels are quite something! 3. Lighting up the skies in Leonidio The skies fill out with the breath-taking sight of floating lanterns made of colourful reed paper, as Leonidio’s five parishes hand out paper balloons to the devout when the first ‘Christ is risen’ is uttered. Easter in Corfu It is widely believed that the custom was adopted by local sailors in the late 19th century who were inspired by the Loi Kra1. Flying pottery in Corfu Wearing a helmet might be a good idea thong festivities in Thailand! as pots come flying off balconies on Holy Saturday in the verdant island of Corfu! Dating back to Venetian customs from the 16th century when useless objects and pots were jettisoned out of windows, the Corfiot tradition of breaking clay delivers a loud message that death has been beaten by the Resurrection of Christ. Cheerful, red banners of life replace morose, purple ones and a street party breaks out on Liston square. Easter in Chios
4. Effigy-burning in Monemvasia The solemnly beautiful Good Friday procession of the Epitaph around the cobbled lanes of the medieval fortress town (kastro) of Monemvasia and the mystical chanting of Easter hymns weave its own kind of magic – add to it the sight of the devout carrying candles along a 2km stretch from the fortress into the city – simply enchanting! Take in the ancient ritual of burning Judas’s effigy on Easter Sunday evening – explosives and all! 5. Solemn Traditions in Patmos In the lead up to Easter, churches on Patmos (the island of St. John the Baptist), are decked out with flowers and the sound of liturgies ring the air. One of the unique Easter customs on Patmos is the ‘Washing of the Feet’ with the reverend priest taking the place of Jesus and washing the feet of the 12 apostles at the Last Supper. On Easter Sunday, a Resurrection rite takes place at the Monastery of Patmos during which the Evangelio or the Gospel is read out in Italian, French, Russian, English, German and Serbian and, also, in Homeric Greek.
Cosmas Xenakis Xenakis, one of the pioneers of post-war art expresses himself through painting, sculpture, architecture, theatre, dance and urban planning. A retrospective collection until 10 May at Benaki Museum. Pireos 138, 210.345.3111, benaki.gr
Exhibition It’s all, oh so souvenir to me! Μore than 50 Greek designers exhibit objects inspired by their personal ‘mythology’ and change the meaning of the Greek souvenir as a highly aesthetic object, Until 10 May. Benaki Museum Shop,Pireos 138, 210.345.3111, benaki.gr
GREEK EASTER RECIPES
Rita Wilson famously described Greek Easter with the words, “We don’t do bunnies. We don’t do chocolate. We don’t do pastels. We do lamb, sweet cookies, and deep red.” The lamb is roasted and is not chocolate, the sweet cookies are called Koulorakia and are twisted like a braid, and our Easter eggs are dyed one colour only: blood red. Insider Weekly lets you in on the secrets of a perfect tsoureki and demystifies the whole egg-dyeing ritual in simple, you-can-do-it-too steps. • 1 tbsp white vinegar per cup of strained dye liquid • Olive oil for glazing 8 easy steps to follow: 1. Wash and use 12 medium-sized eggs. 2. To make the dye with onion skins: Use a stainless saucepan, place skins of 15 yellow onions and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar in 4 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes on low heat. 3. Strain dye into a glass bowl, and let cool to room temperature. 4. In a stainless saucepan, add the
A luxury boutique hotel with attitude, the Anemi Group’s new venture, AthensWas promises to be a welcome addition to Athens’ cityscape and to the Greek hospitality industry. Housed in a completely refurbished neoclassical building on Dionysiou Areopagitou, AthensWas has 21 well-appointed rooms and opened its doors on April 2. Just a few footsteps away from the city’s top attractions including the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, the Plaka and Syntagma, AthenWas is an ideal base to explore the city’s layered past. And its ap7. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and cool on racks. 8. When they can be handled, coat lightly with olive (or other edible) oil and polish with paper toweling. Refrigerate until time to use. Insider Tips: 1. Eggs can be coloured in advance and are supposed to last for over a month! 2. Save onion skins in the refrigerator until ready to use. 3. Don’t be misled into believing that red onion skins might colour better - yellow onions work just fine! For other shades, add 1 cup of shredded beets per cup of water to make pink on white eggs or maroon on brown eggs
DIY Greek Easter Basics
RED-DYED EGGS Perhaps the most vivid symbol of Easter, red eggs represent the blood of Christ, rebirth and fertility. An age-old tradition with families engaging in the ritual of dying eggs, here is a quick way to colour eggs using onion skins instead of the chemical dyes available at supermarket. Not only is it organic but the eggs in fact have a deeper, richer shade of crimson. Here’s what you need: • 12 medium-sized eggs • 15 yellow onions
Easter in Greece is simply different from anywhere else in the world. The colouring of eggs, mainly in red, the making of tsoureki (see recipes below), the decoration and procession of Epitafios and the rich midnight dinner enjoyed after the Resurrection ceremony are just some of the rituals that define Easter in Greece. On Easter Sunday, every household feasts on skewed lamb and other meats with lunches stretching into six-hour long affairs and of course, there is drinking, dancing and much merrymaking to conclude the all-day festivities. Here’s a quick snapshot of a few customs you need to acquaint yourself with. Fancy waxies If you’re a godparent, the ‘lambada’ selection is a big deal… it usually coincides with the god-child’s favourite football team or Disney character! Most museum shops stock an attractive range of candles with Greek motifs. Wax-drip cupcake holders They look like plastic cupcake holders and in case you’re wondering what pur-
pose they serve, it is to prevent hot wax from dripping on to your fancy clothes and shoes on your way back from mass. Ask for your blue suede shoes Shoes were traditionally the most popular of Easter presents, presumably because it was considered as the one big buy that godparents indulged in. Today, shoes have been substituted with the adopted custom of giant chocolate eggs! Eggs, bottoms and noses Na Tsoungrisoume? or ‘Shall we crack them?’ is something you are likely to be asked on the way back from church on Saturday night. In Greece, instead of egg hunts, it is a game of cracking your red egg against someone else’s egg. The strongest, uncracked egg wins! Players get to choose whether they use the pointier side of the egg - the miti (nose) or the wider bottomed side - the popo (bottom). Easter lingo Be the first to wish ‘Christos Anesti’ (Christ Is Risen in Greek). If you’re wished first, you reply ‘Alithos Anesti,’ (Indeed, He has Risen).
AthensWas, a new luxury addition
Visual Arts Festival Hello, Future! Get inspired by artists who will be shaping tomorrow’s visual environment. Leaf through the sketchbooks that curate groundbreaking trends in design, photography and the visual arts. Until 31 May at the OCC, 107-109 Syngrou Ave., 4th floor, 213.017.8000, sgt.gr
EASTER TRIVIA A comedy that follows three Chicago EMTs who despite their narcissistic and self-destructive personalities are uniquely qualified to save lives. Premieres Saturday 18 April at 23:20 on FOX. Watch FOX on OTE TV
CINEMA THIS WEEK
The Gunman
A sniper on a mercenary assassination team kills the minister of mines of the Congo. Terrier’s successful kill shot forces him into hiding. Returning to the Congo years later, he becomes the target of a hit squad himself.
HOSPITALITY
UPCOMING EVENTS
Exhibition
SIRENS
cooled strained dye and eggs at room temperature. Bring to a boil over medium heat. When boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer. 5. Dyeing time will be affected by the colour of the eggs. Start checking for colour at 12-15 minutes. Do not simmer longer than 20 minutes. 6. If eggs are not a red enough colour after 20 minutes, leave in the pot and remove from heat. When the pot as cooled enough, place in refrigerator and let sit until desired color is reached.
TSOUREKI The sweet wafts of tsoureki being baked in Greek households in the run-up to Easter Sunday is a quintessential aspect of the festivities. Soft, fluffy, stringy, with a glazed crust and with a sprinkling of almond shavings or coated with sesame seeds, the brioche-like tsoureki, rich in flavour, is an intrinsic part of the Easter table. With hardboiled red-dyed eggs nestled in the braids of the loaf, the three-strand braid symbolizes the Holy Trinity, while the eggs symbolize the blood of Christ. For a more authentic flavour, tsoureki is traditionally seasoned with mahlepi – (ground cherry seed that tastes similar to bitter almonds and tonka beans and commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine) and mastic, the sap of the mastic tree, which is dried into a resin, then ground and used as a spice.
Run All Night
proach to hospitality is as rich as the history that runs beneath your feet too! With clean lines and natural raw materials, the hotel creates a warm and welcoming space that embodies discreet luxury. Its rooms equipped with state-of-the-art facilities all feature verandas to take in a truly authentic Athenian experience – that of sipping one’s frappe or sundowner while reveling in breathtaking views of the majestic Acropolis and the charming Plaka district. AthensWas, Anemi Hotels, Dionysiou Areopagitou 5, 210.725.4871, athenswas.gr Here’s what you need: • 1 cup milk • 4 1⁄2-5 1⁄2 cups flour • 3⁄4 cup sugar • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons yeast • 3 eggs • 1 egg yolk • 1 teaspoon salt • 1⁄2 cup butter, softened • 2 tablespoons orange juice • 2 teaspoons orange zest • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 8 easy steps to follow: 1. Heat milk and whisk in 1½ cups of flour, sugar, and yeast. 2. Cover with plastic and let stand for around 30 minutes. 3. Add eggs one at a time. 4. Add another cup flour, orange zest, and salt. Then add butter, vanilla, and orange juice. Gradually add remaining flour, and knead until smooth. 5. Coat a bowl with oil and roll dough in it to coat. Cover with plastic and let rise for 1½ hour. Preheat oven to 400. 6. Make braids with the dough (2 loaves). 7. Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water. Brush loaves with mixture. 8. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Insider Tips: 1. Don’t buy pre-ground mahlepi or mastica. The taste and smell can’t be compared to freshly ground. 2. Don’t braid the dough too tightly as it needs room to rise. 3. Make sure that the dough is not wet but is smooth and pliable. Sprinkle a bit of flour on your work-space if the dough is too sticky.
Mobster and hit man Jimmy Conlon has one night to figure out where his loyalties lie: with his estranged son, Mike, whose life is in danger, or his longtime best friend, mob boss Shawn Maguire, who wants Mike to pay for the death of his own son.
MAD Greek Dictionary
Insider’s Guide to Greekisms by John Carr. Illustrations by Iason Iliades
A rib-ticklingly funny guide to learning Greek through its quirky idioms and colourful phrases. Greek is especially rich in idiolectic expressions and in the Greek vernacular, the risqué and the divine often intermingle, sometimes with startling results! Being an eggshell (Ειναι τσοφλι) (Einai tsofli)
Meaning: being an idiot This is a youth usage of the early 21st century, highly evocative of an empty head and overly fragile one at that, something easily crush-able. Becoming
leaf
and
feather
(Γίνεται φύλλο και φτερό) (Ginetai fyllo kai ftero) Meaning: disintegrating, being torn to pieces The expression is often used as a cliché to describe a home or shop that has been burgled and vandalized. It suggests an origin in a bloody encounter in nature, with the leaf a metonym for broken foliage and the feather standing for the remains of a bird. Eating soup
(Τρωω σουπα) (Troo soupa) Meaning: falling off the bike Enough Greek youths come to grief hurtling around on their motorbikes for the experience to become an idiolect. The “soup” may refer to blood on the face or to the remedy for missing teeth.
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