It’s Ann here today. Andy is over in OurLittleCorner sounding a Siren alert.
Have you seen Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey yet – or do you intend to pass on the 173-minute film? I’ve opted to just go back and read one of my favorite poems, the Greek poet C.P. Cavafy’s “Ithaca,” which is about our life’s journey being more important than getting to the final destination. Here’s part of what the poem has to say to Odysseus – and us – about meeting bad things in life:
When you start on your journey to Ithaca,
then pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
Do not fear the Lestrygonians
and the Cyclopes and the angry Poseidon.
You will never meet such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your body and your spirit.
You will never meet the Lestrygonians,
the Cyclopes and the fierce Poseidon,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not raise them up before you.
Even more interesting than my re-reading of “Ithaca” was my discovery of another of Cavafy’s poems which I want to share. It’s entitled “Waiting for the Barbarians” and was written in 1898, 13 years before he wrote “Ithaca.” To get you in the mood to read the whole poem, I suggest you start with this video. It’s Taylor Mac reading the poem’s last few stanzas – and it’s both creepy and wonderful. Mac, who uses the gender pronoun “judy,” is a theater artist who grew up in Stockton, CA, won a MacArthur “Genius Grant,” and was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Waiting for the Barbarians
What are we waiting for, assembled in the forum?
The barbarians are due here today.
Why isn’t anything going on in the senate?
Why are the senators sitting there without legislating?
Because the barbarians are coming today.
What’s the point of senators making laws now?
Once the barbarians are here, they’ll do the legislating.
Why did our emperor get up so early,
and why is he sitting enthroned at the city’s main gate,
in state, wearing the crown?
Because the barbarians are coming today
and the emperor’s waiting to receive their leader.
He’s even got a scroll to give him,
loaded with titles, with imposing names.
Why have our two consuls and praetors come out today
wearing their embroidered, their scarlet togas?
Why have they put on bracelets with so many amethysts,
rings sparkling with magnificent emeralds?
Why are they carrying elegant canes
beautifully worked in silver and gold?
Because the barbarians are coming today
and things like that dazzle the barbarians.
Why don’t our distinguished orators turn up as usual
to make their speeches, say what they have to say?
Because the barbarians are coming today
and they’re bored by rhetoric and public speaking.
Why this sudden bewilderment, this confusion?
(How serious people’s faces have become.)
Why are the streets and squares emptying so rapidly,
everyone going home lost in thought?
Because night has fallen and the barbarians haven’t come.
And some of our men just in from the border say
there are no barbarians any longer.
Now what’s going to happen to us without barbarians?
Those people were a kind of solution.
And now back to The Odyssey.
I think a creative cruise line should offer a foodie’s cruise, which would attempt to follow the path of Odysseus (guesstimated to be around 1178 BCE) as he struggled to get back to Ithaca from Troy and the Trojan War. Can you imagine the delicious food we’d all enjoy as we dined throughout that region in 2026 CE? Moreover – by following Cavafy’s “Ithaca”advice – we wouldn’t have to worry about the giant Lestrygonians eating us or Circe turning us into swine, or about getting too high with the Lotus-eaters. Plus, the wives wouldn’t have any concern that Calypso might seduce the hubbies and entice them to move in with her for the next 7 years!
If the idea of fixing a slightly-challenging Greek recipe (Spanakopita – or Spinach Pie) scares you, just be sure that your thoughts “remain lofty.” “Don’t fear phyllo,” you might say. But rest assured: if the fear of phyllo becomes overwhelming, just make Fasolakia Giaxni (fresh green beans and fresh tomatoes – stewed together) instead. Easy peasy. Both recipes follow.
Spanakopita - Greek Spinach Pie
For the Spinach and Feta Filling
- 16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
- 2 bunches flat-leaf parsley, stems trimmed, finely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 T olive oil
- 4 eggs
- 10.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tsp dried dill weed
- Freshly-ground black pepper
For the Crust
- 1 16 oz package phyllo dough, thawed
- about 1 c olive oil, more if needed
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Before you begin mixing the filling, be sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.
To make the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until all is well-combined.
Unroll the phyllo sheets and place them between two slightly damp kitchen cloths.
Prepare a 9 1/2″ X 13″ baking dish. Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with olive oil.
To assemble the spanakopita: Line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo, letting them cover the sides of the dish. Brush with olive oil. Add two more sheets in the same manner, and brush them with olive oil. Repeat until two-thirds of the phyllo is used up.
Now, evenly spread the spinach and feta filling over the phyllo crust. Top with two more sheets, and brush with olive oil.
Continue to layer the phyllo sheets, two-at-a-time, brushing with olive oil, until you have used up all the sheets. Brush the very top layer with olive oil, and sprinkle with just a few drops of water.
Fold the flaps or excess from the sides, you can crumble them a little. Brush the folded sides well with olive oil. Cut Spanakopita ONLY PART-WAY through into squares, or leave the cutting to later.
Bake in the 325 degrees F heated-oven for 1 hour, or until the phyllo crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Finish cutting into squares and serve.
Fasolakia Giaxni - Greek Stewed Green Beans
- 1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans
- 1/3 c olive oil
- 1 c of chopped onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 lbs of tomatoes, grated (I needed about 7 small tomatoes)
- 1/3 c chopped parsley
- pinch of sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 15 seconds or so. Then add the grated tomatoes and a pinch of sugar, the salt and pepper, and bring to the boil.
Turn the heat down and let the mixture simmer for a few minutes. Then add the green beans and mix, so that the green beans are coated with the olive oil and the tomatoes. Turn the heat down, cover with the lid and simmer for around 20-30 minutes, until the beans are very soft and most the juices have evaporated. During cooking, if the pan appears to be getting dry add a little bit of hot water. When the beans are very well cooked and very tender (you’re not looking for crisp-tender!) , stir in the parsley, add salt to taste.
Serve warm or at room temperature with feta cheese, warm crusty bread, and Kalamata olives on the side.