July 13, 2007 Meals and Meal Times

Yesterday I needed fresh milk for my cereal so I walked to the local mini-mart, called a "periptera" here in Greece, and bought two liters of milk. My friends have become accustomed to my strange habit of eating breakfast, and they have accommodated me by purchasing a half case of individual packages of cold "fitness" cereal. It is actually very good cereal and I have it with fruit every morning.
In spite of what the guide books say about when and what the Greeks eat, very little holds true for the K. family. It is true that they have only coffee and dry breads in the morning, but they do not have pastry at 11 or dessert at 4 and then eat their supper at 11, as I was anticipating. Here, as in most families in the U.S., everyone eats pick-up meals because everyone is on a different schedule. It is rare that everyone sits to eat at the same time. That being the case I have been told to fix whatever I want to eat, whenever I want to eat it. With caveats.
For my supper last night, I cut up some boiled potatoes, onions, carrots and cucumber for a version of potato salad. They do not have mayonnaise. They use oil on all their vegetables. I have learned that too much oil upsets my stomach so I tossed the salad lightly with olive oil, herb seasonings and salt. Violet, Theodosia's mother, who considers the kitchen her turf, watched me covertly but said nothing. I think she is still miffed because I would not eat the cauliflower she cooked two days ago. It was cooked so long it was mush. I inquired and they do have a steamer, but I have to rescue the vegetables before Violet cooks them if I want some to steam.
Sometimes I eat supper with Christos when he comes home from work between five and six. If Theodosia gets a break between students about 1:30, I sit and visit or eat with her while she eats lunch. Their son, Aris, a college student on summer vacation, may get food from the kitchen and eat in his room; usually he orders out. Theodosia's day does not end until 9:30 or 10 p.m. and I have difficulty discouraging her from fixing food or ordering food for me at that hour. She is the one most likely to eat at 11.
The household usually quiets down between 1 and 2 a.m. though I can hear the TV on in some rooms when I go to the bathroom. At 4 a.m. this morning someone outside was playing a radio so loudly it could be heard several streets away. It was lovely Greek music, but I would have appreciated it more in the daytime!
Dhen pirazi! (No matter!)