Monthly Archives: August 2014

The spicy sausages make the dish.

A traditional dish from the region of Pillion.

Note: This easy to make dish with a strange name is considered to be traditional in Makrinitsa and other villages of the very beautiful Pillion.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons of olive oil
3/4 cup of sweet green peppers cut in strips
1 kilo of fresh peeled tomatoes cut in cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 kilo of fresh spicy sausages

Method:

1. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan
2. Sauté the peppers stirring for about 5 minutes on a medium heat and add the tomatoes
3. Add the salt, pepper and sugar and cook on slow heat for about 10 minutes
4. While this is cooking in a frypan add the remaining oil and fry the sausages on a high to medium heat till they are cooked well and they have colour on all sides
5. Remove sausages from frypan and cut into large pieces
6. Put sausages into sauce, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
7. Serve hot

source: Neos Kosmos

This dish is thought to have come to Thessaly with the refugees from Asia Minor early in the 20th century.

A classic dish from Volos

*Note: This is a classic dish of Volos and it is thought that it came here with the refugees from Asia Minor early in the 20th century. Other versions can be found in other northern areas of Greece.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of olive oil
2 large onions, grated
250 grams of ground beef
1 cup of ripe, peeled tomatoes that have been diced (you can use the tinned version)
4-5 allspice berries
1 stick of cinnamon
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggplants (about 1 kilo), cut lengthways into slices
1 cup of plain flour
1 cup of grated kefalotiri or any other hard yellow cheese (avoid using Italian cheese as it changes the taste of the dish)
1/2 cup of full cream milk
some wooden toothpicks (optional)

Method:

1. In a large, preferably heavy frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onions for a few minutes till translucent. Make sure they don’t brown, as the dish will then become very heavy.
2. Add the mince and sauté all together.
3. Add the tomatoes, all the spices, salt and pepper, cover and allow to cook for about 20 minutes on slow heat, adding 1 1/2 cups of water.
4. Remove the spices and allow mixture to cool.
5. In another frying pan, preferably non-stick, add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, roll the eggplant slices in the flour and fry on a medium heat on each side for about 1-2 minutes.
6. Heat oven to 175°C. You will need a wide, large oven.
7. On each eggplant slice place a teaspoonful of the mince mixture and roll the eggplant.
8. Continue to do this, lining up the eggplant rolls with the seam down and next to one another like soldiers.
9. You might need a toothpick to hold together the roll but that is optional.
10. Mix the milk with the grated cheese and pour on top of each eggplant roll with a spoon.
11. Bake for about 25 minutes until the cheese melts and the rolls are golden brown.

source: Neos Kosmos

Aris coach Bill Lambropoulos still can’t contain himself over the unexpected win in the FFA Cup. Now he’ll be facing unbelievable competition. Can they keep the fairytale alive for just a little bit longer?

No one would have banked on a self-confessed pub club making it into the top 16 of the country.

South Spingvale (Aris) have done it. Top two of the state thanks to the Dockerty Cup, and now the first to qualify for the top 16 of the country. Taking out the A-League clubs, they are possibly in the top six of the country, an unbelievable achievement.

Their FFA Cup win, decided on penalties, had coach Bill Lambropoulos breathless as his blood pressure skyrocketed.

Now, after a couple of days to calm down and let the win sink in, he’s finally coming to terms with what he’s achieved over the last three years.

“It’s like we’ve won the World Cup,” he told Neos Kosmos after beating NSW NPL club South Cardiff.

“It’s been an absolutely unbelievable ride, we never believed firstly how serious this tournament was and that we would be there centre stage.”

The third tier club didn’t have a senior team three years ago and its pitch struggled to get enough light for night games.

Now, the fable of Aris and its coach is Australian folklore, with the players becoming household names.

The saviour of the match, goalie Rani Dowisha cut his overseas holiday to make it back to play in the match, and by god that was a good decision.

With his team cramping and physically exhausted from 120 minutes of match time, the result was in his hands.

“I was trying to get in his head a bit, I was telling him that if he missed, it was game over and he was going to send them home,” Dowisha said of the last penalty shot taken by Jarryd Johnson for their opponents.

The news hasn’t just stayed in Australia; Lambropoulos says his phone has been ringing off the hook for days.

“I’ve had phone calls from players in Malaysia, it’s been unbelievable,” he says.

The team hasn’t heard the end of it, which is probably why Lambropoulos organised a close get-together at the club on Thursday night.

“We’re going to get together, we’re definitely going to nurse some soreness, because we played 130 minutes of football, we’ve organised a BBQ at the club, for a bit of a comradely happening with the boys; they’re still pinching themselves,” he said.

The club isn’t done yet – they have a league match to prepare for.

Despite the hectic fixture, Aris has managed to stay on top of things and hasn’t lost a league match since May.

They are back on the pitch today, taking on eighth placed Diamond Valley. Lambropoulos concedes that some players will have to be rested, but he’ll be using the match to get a closer picture on what team he’ll be playing in the state final and the FFA Cup match.

“We’re playing out at Diamond Valley, so obviously we’re going to have to rest some boys, and I think, not that I’m going to make it a point to make the league a side issue, but we’re definitely going to have to nurture some players as to be available for this Dockerty Cup final and A-league opponents,” Bill Lambropoulos says.

The prospect of coming up against an A-League club is something the team wouldn’t ever have dreamed of.

If all ten teams make it into the top 16, the reality is they will most likely be up against A-League heavyweights.

As much as the players want to test themselves with Australia’s best, Lambropoulos is secretly banking on an easier opponent, to see if they can keep the fairytale alive for just a little bit longer.

“I think it’s 99 per cent that it will be an A-League team,” he concedes.

“I would like it if it wasn’t, to have another go, to make the story, this fable, even better.

“But we’re more than happy to approach it any way it comes, just to play an A-League team, they’re going to have to travel to us to get the crowd, it’s going to be a massive month for the boys.”

Whoever gets Aris in the draw, they will be travelling into yellow and gold territory. With the Greek community by its side and the underdog status firmly intact, Aris will have the backing of thousands.

Best of luck, boys!

source: Neos Kosmos

The Justice for Cyprus march, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, was held in Sydney last Sunday.

Greek Australians voiced their opposition to the continuous occupation of Cyprus for the past 40 years.

Despite the lapse of 40 years, the Greek Australian community of Sydney and Wollongong demonstrated for another year in the heart of Sydney last Sunday, demanding justice for Cyprus, making the point that they do not forget the tragedy of Cyprus and stating that the national issue can only be resolved with the withdrawal of the Turkish occupying army.

The Hellenic community of NSW which took part in the events stressed that it is unacceptable for a European country to remain under occupation for 40 years.
Federal Liberal member for Barton Nickolas Varvaris conveyed the message of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who made special reference to the efforts made and the important role played towards achieving a resolution to the Cyprus issue by former Foreign Minister of Australia and Special United Nations envoy to the island, Alexander Downer.

Federal Labor MP Anthony Albanese, who was representing the Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten, stated that Australia can do more for Cyprus, especially now that it is a non-permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations. Regarding the role in the Cyprus question by Mr Downer, Mr Albanese mentioned that “during my visit to Cyprus last year, I found out that several Cypriots were dissatisfied with Mr Downer’s mediation”.

In his remarks, Liberal Senator Arthur Sinodinos said that “if mistakes were committed by representatives in the past, we should not dwell on them but treat them as lessons for more constructive contribution in the future”.

The envoy of Cyprus’ government to this year’s commemorative events in Australia, Mr Theodosios Tsiolas, general secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers, informed the community about the current talks between the Cypriot government and the Turkish Cypriot side and went on to thank the diaspora for its continuous support on the national issue.

Present at the commemorative events in Sydney were the High Commissioner of Cyprus to Australia Ioanna Malliotis, Greek Consul General Dr Stavros Kyrimis, the leadership of the Greek and Cypriot organisations of NSW, representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church, state MPs and local councillors.

source: neos kosmos

Around 600 minor actions such as wage management are still yet to be completed.

Greece will not be able to complete some 600 pending actions in time for the troika review in September and will sit down with its lenders to discuss shortening this list when the two sides meet in Paris a few days before inspectors arrive in Athens, a government official told Kathimerini.

Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis and several other ministers are due to hold talks with officials from the International Monetary Fund, European Commission and European Central Bank in Paris between September 3 and 5 to prepare the ground for the fifth review of the Greek adjustment program. However, the Greek side has around 600 minor actions, many of which relate to areas of lesser importance, such as wage management, to complete.

“Due to our own inconsistency and the delays of previous years, the troika has ended up micromanaging,” said a Finance Ministry source that preferred to remain anonymous. “There are details about all kinds of government policy in the memorandum. There is no way all this can be ready on time.”

He said that discussions in Paris would focus on which of these actions could be completed by late September or early October, when both sides would like to complete the review. Greece has the added incentive that a successful assessment would pave the way for discussions on further debt relief from the eurozone.

Source: Ekathimerini

More than one third of the population lives on or below the poverty line.

Greece ranks first in the eurozone and fourth among the 28 members of the European Union for the percentage of its citizens living on or below the poverty line, according to a new report.

The study, conducted by the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE), found that just over a third (34.6 per cent) of Greeks – some 3,795,100 individuals – were living on less than 60 per cent of the national median income in 2013.

This percentage has risen steadily since 2010, when the country began implementing austerity measures, increasing from 27.6 per cent in 2010 to 27.7 per cent the following year, 31 per cent in 2012 and 34.6 per cent in 2013.

The publication of the study, which is based on Hellenic Statistical Authority (Elstat) data, coincided with the 40th anniversary of the effective ending of military rule in 1974.

Elstat’s data showed that the risk of poverty has increased significantly in Greece since 2010 and the percentage of relative poverty increased by 17.3 per cent, or 3.4 percentage points. In the same period, the poverty gap increased by 24.1 per cent and the risk of poverty and social exclusion by seven points, or 25.4 per cent.

In the European Union (EU), Bulgaria (49.3 per cent), Romania (41.7 per cent) and Latvia (36.2 per cent) have the highest percentages of people living in relative poverty.

Greece’s poverty rate also outstripped other EU countries that have entered austerity programs. In Ireland, the rate is 30 per cent, in Spain 28.2 per cent, in Cyprus 27.1 per cent and Portugal 25.3 per cent.

The five EU member-states with the lowest rates of poverty were the Netherlands (15 per cent), Czech Republic (15.4 per cent), Sweden (15.6 per cent), Finland (17.2 per cent) and Luxembourg (18.4 per cent).

The average poverty rate in the EU was 24.8 per cent and in the eurozone countries 23.3 per cent.

Source: enetenglish, ana-mpa

The nursing home provider will be able to hire 20 bilingual overseas workers a year.

Fronditha Care has entered into a direct labour agreement between the Australian government to sponsor bilingual Greek-speaking overseas workers with qualifications in aged care.

The agreement, launched yesterday, will give Fronditha the ability to hire 20 people a year under the 457 working visa to supplement their staff shortages.

Currently, Fronditha is seeking bilingual and qualified personal carers and nurses.

New concessions for the agreement will see that those sponsored by Fronditha will be able to stay in the country for four years instead of the two normally given with 457 visas.

Those who are successful will be able to bring their families with them, and apply for permanent residency after the four years.

Launching the program at Fronditha’s Thornbury facility, the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Michaelia Cash said the labour agreement program will form a small but important part of Australia’s overall skilled migration program.

“Fronditha is the only organisation providing a range of residential and support services to the Greek speaking elderly in Victoria, and on any given day the organisation is likely to provide care for more than 2000 elderly, employing more than 560 personnel,” she said.

“This agreement highlights the government’s consideration of the nice requirements in some areas of the health and community services sector and how skilled migration can support its contribution to caring for Australians now and into the future.”

The agreement will also help those here on student visas with the right qualifications get working positions, with their visa situation being transferred to 457 visa status if successful.

To be successful, people must have high English language levels, with only people passing a level 5 proficiency test deemed eligible.

The agreement will be in affect for three years, and will be extended by the government if it is deemed successful

Fronditha president, Mike Zafiropoulos says the staff that come to Fronditha from the agreement will be dispersed around all five facilities and in the home care system.

Hiring Greek speaking staff is at the heart of the agreement says Mr Zafiropoulos.

“The need to recruit Greek speaking staff is essentially to give linguistically and culturally appropriate care for our elders who can only communicate in the Greek language,” he said.

“After many years of hard work, our elderly deserve the best care even if they have limited or no English.”

Senator Cash visited Fronditha on June 4 to tour the facility.

source: Neos Kosmos

JOE Hockey has denied his May budget measures are tougher on the poor than well off households.

The Treasurer this morning said it was “wrong” that low income families were the biggest losers of the Abbott government’s first budget.

He was responding to a Fairfax report citing Treasury analysis, which showed when all factors are accounted for, spending cuts will leave an average low income family $844 per year worse off in disposable income (earnings after tax and government payments).

That’s compared to middle income families losing $492 and high income families $517.

But Mr Hockey labelled the reporting of the figures, obtained via a Freedom of Information request, as “deliberately misleading”.

“That story is wrong because it fails to take into account a range of things like the fact that higher income households pay half their income in tax, low income households pay virtually no tax,” he told Channel Nine’s Today Show.

“It does not represent the true state of affairs.”

The information was made available to the Coalition ahead of the May budget and according to the report does not take into account the proposed $7 GP co-payment.

Three months on and Mr Hockey and his colleagues are still trying to get support for the co-payment as well as other key measures.

Ahead of meetings with more new crossbench Senators, the Treasurer admitted there is “a lot of work to do”.

The government has had success in implementing a temporary deficit levy which will directly target high income earners that more than $180,000 a year.

Source: news.com.au

The Church of Greece is expected to proceed with the concession of the first of its property to go under the hammer – 83,000-square meter plot at Vouliagmeni near the Astir Palace Resort – in September.

The Church’s property utilization company (EAEAP) and consultants Cushman & Wakefield will start by choosing an administrator, taking things slow despite rumors that it is eager to get the process rolling, attributed by the Athens Archdiocese to avid interest from domestic and foreign groups.

The concession of this property will be the pilot project for EAEAP. It will be conducted through an international tender, allowing only for uses that are compatible with the operation and character of the Church. Market sources suggest that the royal family of Qatar, as well as the Martinos, Prokopiou and Konstantakopoulos groups are among the suitors.

If the Vouliagmeni concession project goes well, a huge property of 1.2 square kilometers will follow, at Faskomilia, between Vouliagmeni Lake and Varkiza, in southern Attica.

source: ekathimerini.gr