Tom Iliadis brushes butter on the sheet of phyllo dough before scooping custard and folding the dessert.
Around a long table, a group of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church volunteers celebrate their heritage and prepare a popular dessert for the annual fall food festival — which starts today.
“We do what we can to keep the church alive,” said Iliadis, president of the church council – and “chief cook” as his volunteers call him. “It's exposure for us, and it's a little bit of promotion too… People come and ask questions about the homeland and all that.”
Galaktoboureko is a traditional Greek dessert, and the volunteers planned to make 700 that morning. A custard made from eggs, sugar and farina, commonly known as Cream of Wheat, is wrapped in phyllo dough. A syrup with flavors of lemon, orange and cinnamon is poured on the dessert after it’s baked. Some people make galaktoboureko in a pan and cut it into pieces, or like the church, make it into individual pieces, which sell for $4 each.
Iliadis refilled the bowls of melted butter and passed out more sheets of phyllo. The church froze the desserts so they could be baked right before the festival. With the menu including gyros, roasted chicken, stuffed grape leaves and other desserts, some options must be made in advance.
At the long table in the church’s lower level, the volunteers catch up on each other’s families and reminisce about making the desserts with their own families.
“It's one thing to see them in church on Sunday, you know, when everybody's dressed up nicely and all that," Iliadis said. “It’s very different when you're at the food festival.”
Theresa Karambelas learned about Greek food from her in-laws.
“I'm Italian. I married a Greek, so ask me about lasagna or ravioli.” she said, laughing.
Her late husband, Clayton, loved pastitsio, a baked pasta dish with a bechamel sauce. His favorite dessert was galaktoboureko.
As Cathie Julius folded the phyllo, she thought about her parents, who came from Greece. Her mom made galaktoboureko, too.
“It's all good. This is about the same, I have to say. It's very good,” she said.
This is the 17th year for the festival, which serves as the main fundraiser for the church. The church also hosts a food festival in the spring. The festival starts today and runs through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Pick up is at 32 E. Ross St., Wilkes-Barre.
Iliadis also volunteers at the food festival at Scranton's Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. That festival will be held Oct. 16-18.
Galaktoboureko
Filling
6 cups milk
3⁄4 cup farina
6 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla
1⁄2 tsp. almond extract
Syrup
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
3⁄4 cup water
Peel of 1⁄4 lemon
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 orange slices
Small stick of cinnamon
Assembly
1 1⁄4 lbs of phyllo #7
3 sticks butter
Directions
Syrup
Combine all ingredients except lemon juice in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add lemon juice and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Let it cool.
Filling
In a medium bowl, beat eggs and sugar well.
In a large sauce pan, warm milk slowly, being careful not to burn it (use a double boiler if you have one).
When the milk is almost boiling, add the farina slowly, constantly stirring until it begins to thicken.
Pour the egg mixture into the milk and keep stirring till it thickens to a consistency of thick oatmeal.
Add 1 stick of butter, vanilla and almond extract. Stir until butter is melted and remove from heat.
Let the filling cool for about 2 hours (can also put in the refrigerator overnight).
Assembly
Melt 3 sticks of butter.
Open the phyllo.
Take one sheet of phyllo, butter it and then fold it in half (see below).
Add 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling near the edge of the phyllo and fold it like a burrito brushing it with butter
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Pour cool syrup over the hot galaktoboureko and serve.
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