The nation once led by a junta of colonels or the one that gave up its military sixty-six years ago?
Before I moved to Jackson Heights, I lived in the largely Greek community of Astoria. One of my favorite appetizers was saganaki – and here’s a variation on it:
1 pound medium shrimp, with shells
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup white wine
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (8 ounce) package feta cheese, cubed
salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Directions
Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the shrimp, the water should just cover them. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain, reserving the liquid, and set aside.
Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan. Add the onions; cook and stir until the onions are soft. Mix in the parsley, wine, tomatoes, garlic powder, and remaining olive oil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.
While the sauce is simmering, the shrimps should have become cool enough to handle. First remove the legs by pinching them, and then pull off the shells, leaving the head and tail on.
When the sauce is thickened, stir in the shrimp stock and shrimp. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the feta cheese and remove from the heat. Let stand until the cheese starts to melt. Serve warm.
Time for dessert from Costa Rica: Tres Leches Cake:
Ingredients
Cake:
7 eggs whites
7 tablespoon sugar
7 tablespoon flour
2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
Vanilla extract to taste
Milk blend:
1 3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whipped cream
1 cup eggnog
Icing:
1 cup sugar
3 egg whites
Juice from one half of a lime
Directions
Beat 7 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Continue beating and pour in 7 egg yolks one by one, 7 tablespoon sugar, flour, baking powder and vanilla extract. Keep beating the mix until dough forms.
Preheat the oven to 482° F (250° C.) Place the mix in a square, medium glass baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes: 12 minutes in the lower part of the oven, and 8 minutes on the upper part of the oven.
Blend the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whipped cream, and eggnog.
Take baked cake out of the oven; punch with a fork so that the blended milks can penetrate; pour the milk blend and let soak for 20 minutes and then spread icing on the top.
Beat three egg whites until stiff peaks form. Continue beating and add 1 cup sugar and lime juice.
Spread icing on the top of the baked mix with the blend milk. Keep refrigerated. It will be good for three days.
raven
Let’s get it on. . .
Randinho
Sorry folks. For some reason this missed the schedule.
PsiFighter37
OT, but loved Katrina van den Heuvel telling Billy Kristol to go sign up for the Iraqi army if he wants to go back to war in Iraq so badly.
burnspbesq
For a long time, it was really easy to hate the Ticos. They were the biggest thugs in CONCACAF, and their fans’ behavior was borderline criminal.
That’s all changed. Now they play football that is very easy on the eye, and it’s Honduras who never miss a chance at a cheap shot..
Valdivia
Excellent choice with the Tres Leches :)
Just for the record the military had been losing finding in favor of education since 1898.
scav
Tempting us with that dessert is sooo unfair. Honestly, this is a game I’d have trouble deciding for based on foodstuffs. Luckily, more research is called for.
burnspbesq
I dunno, Samaras looked onside to me.
? Martin
Nothing against Costa Rica (I understand it’s an absolutely wonderful country) but I lived in a walk-up just off 21st street in Astoria as a kid in the 70s, and we have a teensy-tiny greek community right around me here, so I have to go with Greece here, even though I expect them to get sent home here.
Onkel Fritze
@scav: Tres Leches is also very popular here in Colombia. Still have some in the fridge.
? Martin
@Valdivia:
We should be so fortunate.
Valdivia
@? Martin: Valdivia the Terrible will try to forgive you.
Randy Paul aka Randinho
@Valdivia: But IIRC, the military was officially abolished in 1948. In any event, it’s one of the things I greatly admire about your country – and Oscar Arias Sanchez’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech is a thing of beauty.
mali muso
Vamos los Ticos!!! Pura vida!
I would like a piece of Tres Leches right about now. Instead, just threw together a marinade for some beef to put on the grill later.
? Martin
@Valdivia: I’ll admit its a pretty thin loyalty, but I’m going to run into far more people of Greek birth tomorrow at work, than I will of Costa Rican. That’s hardly representative of SoCal overall, but it’s true in my little corner of it.
scav
@Onkel Fritze: I’d imagine that one to be either a unifying foodstuff around that part of the world or a cause for international incidents. Along with (for me at least) papas rellenos, although the Peruvians got in first for me with those. Again, research is needed.
Valdivia
@Randy Paul aka Randinho: oh yes. After the 48 Civil War the Figueres Government abolished the army, a truly wise choice. It could have gone the other way, but the CR elites had for a long time favored other kind of spending against the military.
Violet
Just before the match they showed a live feed of some square in Greece–Athens, I guess–and it was quite empty. Unlike the one in San Jose, Costa Rica that was packed. I know it’s late in Greece but it seemed like even given that, the locals were less enthusiastic than I had expected.
Supporting Costa Rica, but hope Greece does well too.
burnspbesq
Jose Cholevas is Greece’s Jermaine Jones. Born in Germany to Greek and Uruguayan parents. Was playing at 1860 Munich when their coach was hired away by Olympiakos, and went along for the ride. Greek federation sez “Oh, you’re half Greek? Cool. Wanna play left back?”
SRW1
Excellent geometrical sense for the rectangular thing called the ‘box’ by Karagounis. Not an inch to spare to avoid a penalty.
burnspbesq
Valdivia the Terrible vs. eemom the Vengeful. Tough call.
Randy Paul aka Randinho
@scav: Or Chileans and Peruvians regarding pisco.
Alex S.
I want Greece to win. I want them to bore me to death. I want them to slow down the game, park the bus, dive and complain and cheat and score a goal in the last minute of overtime.
burnspbesq
Really poor decision kills a 4-on-3 break.
Valdivia
@Violet: thank you Violet!
@mali muso: gracias!
mali muso
@Alex S.: I see what you did there!
Onkel Fritze
@Alex S.: So you want Greece to be Greek.
? Martin
@Violet: If I was languishing under a 25% unemployment rate and Germany was one of the favorites to win, I probably wouldn’t be too energized to show up in the town square.
Onkel Fritze
@? Martin: Come on, 25% and no cash. What else you gonna do with your time?
burnspbesq
Greece is playing with fire in the middle of the park. One missed tackle on Campbell and all hell is gonna break loose.
SRW1
A note of caution to Costa Rica: This is pretty much the style Greece played in 2004. And suddenly they were European champions.
Valdivia
Must say my guys are not really playing up the way they were playing up the level they were playing in the other games.
burnspbesq
And there’s the missed tackle. Booking well deserved.
? Martin
I love how apologies in futbol are to shove the other guys face into your sweaty armpit.
burnspbesq
Navas gon’ Ochoa on Salpigidis. World-class save.
Alex S.
Oh Costa Rica, so fresh and young and hopeful. They will get crushed by the immovable force, the bottomless pit, the trap without escape that is the greek team.
Valdivia
Agh. Bad repetitive typing.
raven
Ah, 20 minute nap an missed nothing!
Violet
@Onkel Fritze: Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. Why not show up? It’s not like you’re getting up to go to work in the morning.
? Martin
@Onkel Fritze: The Greek hairstyles are uninspired. I think they would lose the hair fashion shootout. I trust they’re playing for a win as a result.
burnspbesq
Shot goes out for a throw-in. Yeah, that was slightly off the mark.
SRW1
@Violet:
Check out the pic in The Guardian about live viewing in Athens. Looks like the Greek are quite pumped.
burnspbesq
This is very much up for grabs.
? Martin
@SRW1: Ah, that’s where they all went. Quite a sight.
burnspbesq
Gamboa and Cholevas are having a splendid little war on CRC’s offensive right side.
Amir Khalid
Halftime, and not that much has happened. This match will need to be wee-weed up a bit in the second half.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)
@? Martin: So how are the Dutch successful given their near lack of hair?
SRW1
@Amir Khalid:
I don’t want to jinx it, but the German language knows the term Schlafwagenfussball.
scav
But is anyone really surprised by the lack of pep in the first half after what we saw earlier in the day and from Greece in general?
ETA Granted, people have been expecting things to slow down since the beginning.
SRW1
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN):
Makes them faster in the water. Not sure how that relates to football.
raven
I just asked a facebook friend who is in Greece if they are watching the game where she is:
Violet
@SRW1: Don’t see the pic. Do you have a direct link?
? Martin
@Amir Khalid: Greece might want to try keeping their guys onside in the 2nd half. That’s keeping the midfielders from advancing the ball.
With some better support Campbell would be dangerous.
SRW1
@Violet:
You may have to scroll down. It’s the minute-by-minute thread.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/29/costa-rica-v-greece-live
scav
@Violet: Looks like they may have deleted it from the thread to me, I saw it earlier.
Violet
When did the football shirts start having collars and buttons like golf shirts? I noticed the US had that for one match and Greece does now. Looks kind of like they just walked out of the office to kick the ball around on the grass. Strange looking, to me at least.
raven
@Violet: Maybe they are copying Rugby jerseys You can tell a real Rugby by the rubber buttons.
SRW1
@Violet: @scav:
Yes, looks like it has been deleted. It appeared at 9:43.
burnspbesq
A bit of the old Costa Rica pops up. That’s a really bad tackle by Tejeda.
? Martin
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): Well, lack of hair can still be a style. See Tim Howard. But the challenge with the hair shootout is separating the inspired hair from the terrible hair. Beckerman vs Pogba.
SRW1
@Violet:
Historically, football shirts did have collars.
Onkel Fritze
@SRW1: @? Martin: Think they change the pics around. Isn’t there anymore.
raven
@? Martin: I was going with the shaved head and full beard look and my wife got back from camp yesterday and said, “no way”! Now it’s back to the goat.
burnspbesq
@Violet:
That’s old-skool. Before about 1985, the vast majority of football shirts had collars.
Amir Khalid
@Violet:
I suppose some genius at adidas or Nike decided the shirts needed classing up so they wouldn’t just be glorified T-shirts. Another thing I don’t understand is why football shorts need to cycle about every generation or so from short and tight to baggy bermudas and back again.
Randy Paul aka Randinho
Ticos!
mali muso
holy crap, what happened to the goalie? Did he think there was an off-side call? That looked wayyy too slow and easy.
Anyways, yay Ticos!
burnspbesq
Greek defense gets caught in the Slow-Motion Ocean.
SRW1
Costa Rica has cracked the wooden horse parked in front of the Greek goal.
Violet
Wow. Was the Greek goalkeeper asleep?
SRW1
That should have been a penalty for handball.
burnspbesq
Somebody hit the nitrous-injection switch on the Ticos’s attack.
Amir Khalid
And CRC score against the run of play. This was what, their very first shot on target all day?
Valdivia
Si!!!!!
raven
Second bench yellow today.
Violet
@SRW1: I did scroll down. I must be blind. Can you tell me where in the thread? Is it an actual picture in the thread or a link?
Onkel Fritze
@Amir Khalid: What play have you been watching? This game didn’t have any ‘run’ to speak of anyway, until now.
SRW1
@Amir Khalid:
You think fashion is only for the female variety?
Violet
@SRW1: Thanks. Maybe it’ll show up again later.
burnspbesq
@SRW1:
Impossible to call. From the angles they had, no way the ref or the AR can see it.
mali muso
@Violet: I think it is at 9:45pm BST in the liveblog.
raven
@Violet: I don’t think it amounts to much. If my friend is on a Greek island right now and talking about how they are going nuts what would some still shot from who-knows-when-and-where mean?
scav
Ok, now we’ll see? move those feet, they named the whole game after them.
Amir Khalid
@Onkel Fritze:
Not much between them in the play, true; but I was counting shots on target, in which Greece led Costa Rica 2-0 in the first half.
SRW1
@Violet:
You are not blind. It’s no longer there. No idea why, maybe because the Guardian guys were fooled by some Twiter prank. It showed the Panathinaikos stadium in Athens full of people waving greek flags.
Violet
@Amir Khalid: I think they change shirts to sell things. Right now it’s all the tight shirts made of the sweat-wicking material. I’m sure some sports clothing genius will “discover” at some point that baggy shirts are cooler or something and we’ll be back to that.
raven
@SRW1: Oh, so it wasn’t the one that Violet mentioned earlier.
SRW1
@raven:
Nope.
burnspbesq
@SRW1:
I saw the picture. It looked like that weird stadium in Athens where the Olympic marathon finished. Far too narrow for football.
Violet
@raven: No, sounds like it was a stadium and the one I mentioned was a square in Athens. Even the commentators were kind of laughing at how empty it seemed. Just a few people milling about.
raven
@Violet: Got it.
burnspbesq
Here’s an interesting development.
mali muso
whaaaaa? How was that a red card?
raven
Pendejo.
Violet
Oh, that’s not good for Costa Rica.
Randy Paul aka Randinho
@Amir Khalid: But I thought shots on target was a meaningless stat? /snark>
raven
@mali muso: 2nd yellow
SRW1
Isn’t Mitroglou the third Fulham or ex-Fulham player in the game now?
That red card looked harsh.
burnspbesq
@mali muso:
Second yellow.
Amir Khalid
@Violet:
I remember a Guardian story from a few years ago; it was about Nike’s Dri-Fit ™ fabric. Barca, I think it was, weighed the shirts: they were 200g each before players changed into them, and 500g (yes, half a kilo) at halftime. So much for moisture-wicking.
mali muso
@raven: That was what I thought. So the two yellows equal one red, so it’s not a straight red, yes? Still….bad news for the Ticos. Hopefully they can keep their cool and defend their lead for the next 30 odd minutes.
Are CR really that egregious at fouling or does the ref have it out for them? jeez.
Onkel Fritze
@Randy Paul aka Randinho: It is. QED.
scav
They do seem to be intent on gathering all the yellow and red properties — are they wise to try to build hotels? Isn’t that a different game?
? Martin
@burnspbesq: It was the Panathinaiko where the first modern Olympics and the end of the marathon as noted above. Not where Panathinaiko FC plays.
Amir Khalid
@Randy Paul aka Randinho:
Forsooth, the only meaningful stat is the scoreline.
raven
@mali muso: Yea there is some weird shit. I guess yellow cards carry over to the next game but if you get one in the second game you can’t play in the third. Damn commies.
scav
@raven: Didn’t I read that there was an erase of all previously earned yellows at some part of the series? Maybe between first and second round?
Randy Paul aka Randinho
@scav: Quarterfinals IIRC.
burnspbesq
@scav:
Cards get erased after the quarters, so that a yellow in the semis can’t result in a player missing the final.
Amir Khalid
@raven:
It’s a one-match suspension per World Cup rules if you accumulate two yellow cards during the tournament.
Onkel Fritze
The Greeks have brought on Gekas, thereby announcing their intention not to score anymore.
SRW1
@raven:
Actually, it’s even more complicated.
Two yellow in the same game ara an automatic red, sanction one game ineligible.
Second yellow card cummulated from whichever games means ineligibility for the next game. Any further yellow card carries an automatic ineligibility for the next game. However, before the semifinals all yellow cards are canceled in order to avoid the situation that a player gets his 2nd yellow in a semifinal and is ineligible for the final.
raven
@scav: There are a bunch of people here who actually KNOW something about soccer and I expect they will chime in. I thought sometime today they said a player would be out the next game if he got a yellar.
eta SEE!
mali muso
@Onkel Fritze: Wouldn’t they have had to have scored once to use the word “anymore”?
scav
@burnspbesq: OK, thanks. As should be clear, the basic mechanics of sports is not something I paid much attention to until now and the core is a little overfull of new techy stuff.
raven
@SRW1: OK, so didn’t another CR player just get the boot? So you can only go down to 10?
burnspbesq
A sub that looks a lot like a bus.
Onkel Fritze
@mali muso: I know it doesn’t make sense. But they’re the team who is playing Gekas now, so you would have to ask them why.
scav
@scav: sorry. scav out.
mali muso
Ok, maybe I’m dense, but the ref seems to be screwing up the rhythm of play now. Are all tackles automatically fouls? Or is everyone super testy and getting violent?
SRW1
@raven:
No, you can go to less than ten. I think there actually is a minimum number of players per the rule book, but my recollection on that is foggy. It has to be less than nine because two red cards for one team does happen every now and then.
ETA: Only one CRC player has been sent off. At least so far.
raven
@SRW1: So they must have just shown a replay of the red.
burnspbesq
Randall, Joel, Bryan, Michael, Johnny … Ticos sound like an AYSO team from Dana Point.
Onkel Fritze
@mali muso: A tackle isn’t usually a foul when the player hits the ball first. And yes, there is a bit of a testy atmosphere to this game. The ref isn’t exactly brilliant.
burnspbesq
That was close.
mali muso
Yellow cards for everyone!
SRW1
Uuuuh.
? Martin
No fucking way
Onkel Fritze
@mali muso: That’s what weaker refs sometimes resort to.
raven
@mali muso: And Betty just put up a yellow watermelon post!
Onkel Fritze
That was fucked.
mali muso
noooooo.
SRW1
@raven:
Presumably means that a game will not be terminated when the number of players for a team is less than seven, as the rule only says that fewer than seven prevents a game from being started.
burnspbesq
Rut-roh.
raven
@SRW1: Stop in zee name of zee leuuu. . .
Mike E
Papatothopoulos! Scrabble word winnah!!
HumboldtBlue
Another CONCACAF heartbreaker
burnspbesq
That’s an absolute nightmare scenario: keeper hurt when you’re down a man and out of subs.
mali muso
Highly disliking the way this match is going. Extra time with the Ticos down one man and lots of stupid yellow cards littering up the way. Dislike.
Amir Khalid
Last-minute goals are a wonderful thing. Greece seems to specialise in them.
Randy Paul aka Randinho
@SRW1: But that’s precisely what happened to Michael Ballack in 2002. He got a yellow card against South Korea and missed the final against Brazil.
Onkel Fritze
OK, so here’s some music befitting this game.
EDT: link fixed.
SRW1
I may be wrong, but the fact that this game is going into extra time and the eventual winner will next play Holland, the prize to be had out of this game may well be to be the exhausted sacrifical lamb in the next round.
Amir Khalid
@SRW1:
My understanding is that a team is down to six players for whatever reason (such as some combination of red cards and injury) the team cannot continue and the match must be abandoned.
Onkel Fritze
@SRW1: If Greece takes this one, I hope the Dutch whipe the floor with them.
SRW1
@Randy Paul aka Randinho:
Yep, and that was one of the reasons for the rule change stating that for the semifinal previously received yellow cards will be neutralized.
mali muso
@Onkel Fritze: My feelings exactly. A blowout score would suit me just fine.
Valdivia
@Onkel Fritze: my feelings exactly. This referee is the pits with his cards.
Onkel Fritze
Gekas in all his form. There’s hope for Costa Rica yet.
HumboldtBlue
Is it just me or is the Greek coach just a character from a Cop show, the veteran detective who has just seen too much and is just too old for this shit?
SRW1
@Amir Khalid:
I thought there was such a rule, but my quick search for ‘FIFA rule minimum player number’ only brought up the rule I cited.
Randy Paul aka Randinho
@SRW1: So it’s recent. Certainly makes sense.
Onkel Fritze
@HumboldtBlue: Supposedly a chain-smoker, too. Can’t smoke in the stadium, though. Another reason to look so unhappy, besides coaching Greece.
mali muso
So let me get this straight…Greece eked out a lucky win from a better Cote d’Ivoire side (yes, I’m biased towards W. Africa, sue me) in stoppage time, tied 0-0 with Japan, and got spanked by Colombia 3-0. How did they deserve to even be here in the first place?
burnspbesq
@HumboldtBlue:
Capt. McNeil, Kojak’s boss.
SRW1
@mali muso:
CIV and Japan were worse, though my sentiment at the time was that this group deserved only one team to progress to the knock-out round.
Thoroughly Pizzled
@mali muso: Greece is nothing if not persistent.
Baud
A warning shot across Greek bowels??
mali muso
Navas has been a hero. Hope he can hold out till the end. Especially if it comes down to penalties.
Onkel Fritze
@Baud: Resulting in a bowel movement?
burnspbesq
Gonzalez has been really good today, but that was a bit ambitious.
mali muso
@SRW1: I could get behind that idea. Colombia has been playing fantastically. The rest of that group, not so much.
Amir Khalid
Should this go to penalties? We had that only yesterday …
HumboldtBlue
Kasey Keller sounds eerily like Pat Haden doing the color
Cacti
In the least surprising complaint of the day, Miguel Herrera blames the refs for Mexico’s loss…
Rather than say, taking accountability for his decision to take Mexico’s foot off the gas at 62 minutes with a 1-0 lead.
Onkel Fritze
@Cacti: Yeah, if they had only seen that clear penalty on Robben in the first half, Mexico surely would have won….
Amir Khalid
With adequate finishing, Greece could have wrapped this match up long ago.
mali muso
A few CR breaks that look promising, but Campbell is too tired.
SRW1
Huuh! CRC held out for the penalty shoot-out! And now things are back to level (assuming Navas didn’t suffer anything more than bruises).
Amir Khalid
Penalties it is.
mali muso
@Amir Khalid: Apparently you soccer gods have spoken. To penalties we go.
Onkel Fritze
Got a bad feeling about this. Just like yesterday.
SRW1
And the Greek coach gets to watch further proceedings from the stands.
Origuy
I’ve always had saganaki covered in ouzo and flamed. There used to be a restaurant in Chicago’s Greektown called Dianna’s where the waiters would shout “OPA” when they flamed it.
guachi
Hope this second round doesn’t turn into a CONCACAF nightmare of oh-so-close almost-victories.
Southern Beale
I thought Saganaki was fried cheese.
Onkel Fritze
They sure shoot better penalties than yesterday.
Onkel Fritze
My powers of prediction are awesome!
Baud
Uh oh.
? Martin
Wow
mali muso
omg!!!!! Costa Rica!!!!!
guachi
Go Ticos!
HumboldtBlue
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
lol chikinburd
Whew.
David
@Southern Beale: Other dishes cooked in a saganaki pan include shrimp saganaki
SRW1
A Greek tragedy.
Valdivia
Yessss
Randy Paul aka Randinho
@Valdivia: As they would say in Brazil, Valdivia: Parabéns!
@Southern Beale: Usually. This was a variation I found.
Valdivia
@Randy Paul aka Randinho: thank you! That was crazy. My heart almost didn’t take it. :)
mali muso
Now I almost feel bad about ragging on the ref. Turns out he is a school teacher from Australia who gave up six months of pay to follow his dream of being the first Aussie ref in charge of a second-round match at the Cup.
Svensker
My Greek family calls the shrimp and feta…shrimp with feta. They call fried cheese saganaki, which is only had at restaurants.
Montarvillois
Isn’t boiling shrimp for 5 minutes overdoing it?