Who invented flaming saganaki

Talking by phone Thursday, she was mum on the reasons for closing. Those details are likely to emerge over time. But there is little doubt as to the Parthenon's legacy: this nightly parade of flaming cheese in restaurants from Tacoma to Tallahassee and beyond.

She laughs as she recalls a visit to the Greek island of Santorini. From the street, she saw a pan being set aflame in a restaurant. To be clear, saganaki in Greek cuisine refers to any number of foods—cheese, shrimp, mussels—cooked in a small pan called a sagani. Claims of never-before-seen-until-now dishes can be hard to verify.

Every recipe, it can be argued, is based on a previous one. So what Chris Liakouras took credit for from the beginning was not cheese saganaki but rather the theatrics around it. We were talking about different things we could do. Menus at Greek restaurants in both Chicago and suburbs are usually almost identical to one another.

Saganaki is now the anticipated prelude to many Greek dinners in Chicago as well as Oak Park. More by David Hammond. But did the concept of gyros originate in this country?

O'Shaughnessy When the usual pie lineup feels boring and uninspired for your dessert repertoire, you've got to make Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest tips, tricks, recipes and more, sent twice a week. By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. Newsletter Shop Help Center. A flaming cheese is definitely a spectacle to be admired.

Whichever shape you choose, be it the flaming cheese or the classic fried cheese, the secret of the perfect Saganaki lies in choosing the right cheese. Those looking for more classic options and flavors usually end up with traditional options. The main cheeses used in Greece to make the traditional Greek saganaki are Graviera Kefalograviera and Kefalotyri. All are yellow hard cheeses with a mild, nutty taste. Talagani and halloumi , although well-known grilled cheeses, are also used for saganaki.

The cheese should be semi-hard so that it can withstand the heat and not melt and dissolve in the pan. Its texture should be such that it does not dissolve in the pan. Melt only on the outside and soften on the inside.

For saganaki, white cheeses such as feta cheese and manouri can be used, which are soft and have more moisture, but require special preparation and, as a rule, are not selected.

Ideally, they are cut into thick slices and added one after the other through water, then flour and finally water again immediately. In this way we create a protective layer around the cheese that retains moisture and the cheese retains its shape and does not dissolve.