We sincerely hope you enjoy it!

If you have a suggestion, an idea or a request, you can ask me, John Krontiras, by simply replying to this email. Periodically we will have a drawing from the email addresses in our system and we will offer various gifts, i.e. free dinner, items from Nabeel's® Market, and from our new Café Capri.

Congratulations to leighhut@bellsouth.net

Note: In most cases we have not kept the actual name/address of an individual to mail the winning Gift Certificate and as a result we mail the winner, the Certificate to their e-mail address. When you receive the e-mail, it will have a subject: Nabeel's Gift Certificate You need to open the file and save it in Microsoft Word under "My Documents". Print the document, tear the Gift Certificate out, and bring to Nabeel's to redeem it. If you live outside of the Birmingham area, please forward this e-mail (gift certificate) to nabeels@nabeels.com and a gift will be mailed to you.

The spring is gone and summer is almost over, still a perfect time for vacation? Greece is one of the most beautiful places in the world to visit for your vacation. Cities, villages, history, mountains, sea, islands, a civilization of over 4000 years and everything that pleases even the most discriminating visitor. So, I will start this new column with tidbits about Greece, places to visit, some frequently and needed Greek words and phrases, and also list some of the best places to visit while vacationing in Greece. Are you planning a trip to Greece and you have questions about the food, or places to go, or things to do? You can email me (nabeels@nabeels.com) your questions and I will be more than happy to answer you, and to some extent help you with your trip.

Last month we featured the island of Santorini. This month we will feature VOLOS, a popular city to visit and also enjoy winter sports at the famous Pelion mountain.

The city of Volos,(pronounced Vo'los).

Volos is about 326 km. from Athens, and 215 km. from Thessaloniki, is the capital of the State and one of the most dynamic cities of Greece with a population of 160,000 people. Outside of Volos is Anchialos, where I served in the Greek Royal Air Force many years ago. It was beautiful then, so, I can imagine how beautiful it is today. Volos is one of the major commercial ports of Greece with national and international links and tourist connections to the islands like Sporades Islands, Skiathos, Skopelos, and Allonissos as well as Myconos, Rhodes and Crete. Volos is the land of the Argonauts. In ancient Greece Volos was called Iolkos and was an important part of historical events of the time and highly renowned for its gallantry which was considered to be the best in the Hellenistic world.

This is the place that Jason (Iason in Greek) initiated the Argonauts in the "Argonautic Expedition" and also this is the place that the mythological creature Centaur, was said to live. The Centaurs are mythological creatures which are represented having half human body (the upper torso) and half the body of a horse, (the lower torso).

Zigzagging up the mountain side, past a series of stunning ridges, the main roads climbs up to Hania 26 km. (alt. 1200m.) which has become a beautiful winter sport center. There is a refuge, ski lifts, a big slope for experienced skiers and a separate one for beginners along with all the comforts of a modern ski resort. At alt. 480m you will find Zagora village Pelion's largest village and its famous school of spiritual leaders of the Greek Revolution of 1821.

Want to impress your Greek friends? Here are some common Greek words and phrases that you will find very helpful when you visit Greece.

Greek is a language with long history. The language itself has developed over the centuries into the Modern Greek of today, spoken by approximately 11 million people. Greek is a phonetic language, which means that the sound of each letter does not change with its position. Although the characters may appear a little confusing at first, don't be put off by this. With a little practice most people can read Greek in just a few hours.

*** Note: The ( ' ) indicates where the accent should be ***

Lootra' - Bath (s) Amfeethe'atron - Amphitheater Ekleese'ea - Church To Moosee'o - Museum Eeko'na - Icon Ana'ktora -Palace

Nao's - Temple A'galma - Statue Kozmee'mata - Jewelry Pee'nakas - Painting Ghleepto' - Sculpture

Useful telephone numbers when in Athens or other Greek cities:

Fire Dept	199
Ambulance	166
City Police (emergency)	100
Doctors (2pm-7am)	105
SOS 24-hour medical service	3310310
Automobile and Touring Club(ELPA)	779-1615
ELPA road assistance	104
Int'l Students & Youth Services	322-1267
TOURIST POLICE	171

(Tourist Police offers 24-hours information service in Greek, English, German, French) In all of Greece these telephone numbers are the same. You do not need to remember different numbers for different cities, which makes it very useful and very convenient!

Broccoli
A single serving of broccoli gives us 97% our Daily Value (DV) of vitamin C. It offers heart protection through vitamin C. It is stuffed with compounds that may block cancer. Because it is high in beta-carotene helps guard against cataracts. The Harvard School of Public Health, advises us to put it in our weekly shopping list.

Garlic
One of garlic's proven benefits is its ability to cut cholesterol. It also acts like aspirin, keeping blood from clumping and sticking to the artery walls. It is suggested, for heart protective effects eat one clove daily. Cooked, raw or powered? Not proven yet which one is the best, but all garlic intakes are good for us.

Extra virgin Olive Oil
Spend the extra "buck" it could cut your risk of heart decease. In a recent study in Spain, subjects who ate meals drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil lowered their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, by 4 percent more and raised the HDL (good) cholesterol by 2 percent more than people who ate refined olive oil. Why? Because, all other oils have fewer antioxidants. Very impressive!

Apart from experience and the use of high quality ingredients, there are two factors that have to be taken into consideration in order for a recipe to turn out successfully: the accurate and correct measuring of ingredients and, the correct baking and cooking temperatures.

The there are 3 different systems that are used in the world and they are:

Imperial
Mainly used in England and Australia. Dry ingredients are measured in ounces (oz) and liquids in fluid ounces (fl. oz)

Metric
According to this system dry ingredients are measured in grams (gr.), and liquids in cubic centimeters (ml). Used In France , Greece, and most of the European countries.

American
According to this system all ingredients, whether liquid or dry, are measured in the standard measuring cup, which equals 240 ml. The weight of one cup of different types of ingredients varies.

For example:
1 cup flour weighs 125 grams
1 cup of sugar weighs 225 grams
1 cup of honey weighs 350 grams
1 cup of semolina weighs 170 grams

While we're on the subject of cooking and good food, why not take a look at our menu!

Ginger
Is there a way to keep ginger if you have not used the entire root? Peel it and place it in screw-top jar. Pour enough dry sherry, or even vodka, on top to completely cover the root, then seal the jar and refrigerate up to one year.

Ham Roasting
When shopping for ham, look for "fully cooked" on the label. This means it is ready to serve. To improve the flavor and texture, heat ham to an internal temperature of 130° to 140° F. If the label says "cook before eating", the meat must be cooked to 165° F. Try to use leftovers within 3 or 4 days to avoid the need of freezing them - freezing changes the flavor and texture of smoked ham.

Greeks consume more olive oil per person than anyone else on earth.

Greeks consume more olive oil per person than anyone else on earth. The Crete and Peloponnese are not only the largest oil producers but also produce the best olive oil in the world! That is where TSITALIA extra virgin olive oil comes from. From the olive tree groves of the island of Crete. Consumers, particularly those of us in the U.S.A, are in difficult position, in selecting the correct extra virgin olive oil.

What you want is an oil that gives you pleasure, that you can use with abandon, instead of an expensive luxury that you are afraid to dispense each drop. Olive oil is a commodity meant to be generously poured over salads, cooking meats, fish, poultry, etc. Therefore, you need an oil that is reasonably priced and that is excellent in taste and aroma. TSITALIA® Oil gives you all of that; the aroma, the taste and a price that you can't beat. It is a product you can trust because it is brought to you by George Sarris of the Fish Market Restaurant and is available at Nabeel's International Market.

George Sarris imports this oil directly from Greece and specifically from the island of Crete, where the first olive tree was planted some 4,500 years ago. George named the oil TSITALIA to honor his birthplace, a town in the eastern part of Peloponnese, called Tsitalia.

Click here to order now!

Only $3.59 per bottle!

You can savor the difference with Nabeel's® GLORIA Classic Greek Dressing.

GLORIA a household name for over 30 years was my father's business name in Patras, Greece. GLORIA™ Chocolatier. We use the GLORIA™ name, to honor my father, and also the person, my father, that gave this recipe to my wife, even before I got myself involved in the restaurant business and I was still in the corporate world. It came very handy we believe!

A Birmingham prominent artist, Suzan Oliver, designed the label which depicts freshness, simplicity, and taste. It is still made by hand, just like the first time, using only the finest and freshest ingredients. Just one taste and you will experience the difference. Excellent for salads and any type of grilling, whether it is meat, fish or chicken.

Try the recipe, which appears on the bottle, for the Peasant Greek Salad, dip the bread in the salad juices and enjoy a meal on its own that has been enjoyed for centuries in Greece, and is beautiful in its simplicity and wholesomeness! Gloria Classic Greek Dressing is available at Nabeel's® Market and also at Western Supermarkets, Piggly Wiggly, V. Richards Market, and The Fish Market Restaurant (downtown). Price $3.59 per bottle.

Click here to order now!

Visit the recipes section of our website for ideas!

If you'd prefer that we do the cooking, take a look at our menu.

Most of our recipes are recipes that we use at home, either from my family (Krontiras), or my wife's family (Mastropasqua) This one is from my wife's family, my mother-in-law's.

Ingredients:

• 1 1 lb eggplant, trimmed and cut into ½ inch rounds
• 1 lb tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons of extra-virgin (*) olive oil
• 4-5 springs of fresh basil
• 4 garlic cloves diced
• ½ cup Pecorino Romano (*)
• 10 oz. penne pasta (*)
• Salt and pepper to taste

[ * these items are available at Nabeel's® International Market ]

Preparation
Rub eggplant slices and tomatoes with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a barbecue grill, grill eggplant until brown and tomatoes until charred, about 10 minutes, and then cool. Cut eggplant into cubes, and tomatoes into about 1-½ -inch pieces. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, or "al dente". Drain pasta and return to same pot. Add eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil and ¼ cup of cheese to pasta and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on pasta.

Enjoy many other fine Nabeel's recipes here!