Big fat Greek pastry fair with food to remind of grandma

LACONIA — No food is quite like grandmother’s food.

In the case of Ann Beane, grandma was born in Greece and was known to prepare filo dough by hand.

Filo, used in a variety of Greek pastries and savory dishes, is thin, unleavened dough requiring intensive rolling and stretching, which can be a time-consuming chore that also requires a bit of skill.

Nowadays, most people buy filo dough from a supermarket, but when Beane was a child on Cape Cod, this was not always the case.

Memories of food can lead to memories of cherished relatives, and that’s been true for Beane and others who have been staging spanakopita, baklava, galaktoboureko, finikia and kourabiedes to be sold at the “Taste of Greece Pastry Fair,” on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Taxiarchai Greek Orthodox Church, 811 N. Main St.

“My grandparents came over from Greece, so I’m second generation,” Beane said.

“Some people still speak Greek in my family. I can, but not as fluently as I would like. My generation, we do our best.”

Beane recalled that at one time, her grandmother also made noodles.

“She lived with us for several years,” she said. “She was a wonderful cook and there were such nice traditions.”

Beane, who lives in Sanbornton, is treasurer at Taxiarchai Greek Orthodox Church, which has a congregation of about 40 families.

This is the 33rd annual festival for the church. It is put on by the Philoptochos Society, the women’s charitable arm of the church. Philoptochos means “friends of the poor,” and the group provides donations to those in need.

There will also be a raffle. A total of 200 tickets will be sold at $100 each, and the top prize will be $5,000.

A favorite food for many is spanakopita, a kind of spinach pie.

“It’s primarily feta cheese in layers of buttered filo,” Beane said. “Buttering the filo is really important. That gets it just right, nice and crunchy around the filling. You don’t want it soggy.

“There are 10 layers of filo on top and 10 on the bottom and you have to butter every layer.”

The spanakopita is probably better than what is available for purchase elsewhere, Beane said. It sells out quickly.

“When some people make it, they put in cottage cheese or lesser ingredients, but we use 100 percent feta cheese, and real butter, not oil,” she said. “We are using fine ingredients that a family would cook with at home, and we don’t skimp, either. It’s not an industrial production.

“Last year we had seven pans, with 24 pieces on each pan. This year we’ll have 24 pans. One piece is all you need. It’s so rich and delicious.”

Another fan favorite is baklava, a dessert dish that’s also made with filo dough, and includes walnuts, cinnamon, sugar, water, lemon, topped by a sweet syrup.

The presiding priest of the church is Rev. Father John Routos. He and his wife, Presbytera Ann (Brisson) Routos, live in Manchester. He works at Cummings Printing Company in Hooksett.

Ann Routos said weddings are big events in the church.

“Weddings are unique in the way they are done,” she said. “It is a crowning of the bride and groom for the day, very special and sweet, a beautiful service.

“It has stayed very traditional in the service. Outdoor weddings are nice, but they can miss an important connection to God. In Greece, weddings take place in church and the whole village takes part.”

Taxiarchai Greek Orthodox Church began in 1936, when Archbishop Athenagoras visited Laconia and encouraged the Orthodox faithful to begin a community in rooms located above a building known as the Crystal Cafe, according to the church’s website. In 1959, parishioners purchased property and erected the church.

Items for sale on Saturday:

Spanakopita — savory spinach pie with feta cheese in filo dough.

Baklava — dessert pastry made of layers of filo and butter filled with chopped nuts, spices and sweetened with syrup or honey.

Galaktoboureko — Greek dessert of semolina custard in filo. It may be made in a pan, with filo layered on top and underneath and cut into square portions and served with a sweet syrup.

Finikia — cinnamon-flavored cookie dipped in syrup and topped with chopped walnuts.

Kourabiedes — similar to light and airy shortbread cookie topped with powdered sugar.

Koulourakia — a traditional Greek cookie, a butter-based pastry, traditionally hand-shaped, with egg glaze on top. They have a sweet delicate flavor with a hint of vanilla.

Meat pies — beef, pork, potato, onion and spices between pie filling, sold frozen to be baked at home. Not necessarily a Greek pie, but one made at the parish for many years.

Online:

Taxiarchai Greek Orthodox Church — http://www.taxiarchainh.org/