Famie loves zest of Grecian
isles
His new shows combine local
flavors with reality TV
Photos by Joe Vaughn These sugar-dusted amygdalota
-- cookies made of ground almonds -- are a specialty on the
island of Hydra, off the southern coast of Greece.
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About the show What: "Keith Famie's Adventures" features the Novi-based chef and "Survivor II" alum as he travels the world to sample local cuisine. Where: Famie and crew traveled to Greece and Crete in July to film episodes for the series' second season on the Food Network. When: The Crete episode is set to air at 10:30 p.m. Sept. 19, and again at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22 on the Food Network. The hourlong Greece special will air in early 2003. |
But Keith Famie, the Novi-based chef who placed third in "Survivor II: The Australian Outback" in 2001, may be the exception that proves the rule. His popular series, "Keith Famie's Adventures," has successfully completed a 32-show run on the Food Network, and he has recently hired Emmy Award-winning producer John Feist, an old "Survivor" colleague, to help out during the second season.
The two of them rolled up their sleeves and went to work in July, collaborating on episodes in Greece and Crete that are intended to stir a little reality TV spice into Famie's mainstream cooking/adventure format. Viewers can judge for themselves how successful they've been: The Crete episode is set to air Sept. 19, and the hour-long Greece special will air in early 2003.
One thing's for sure: Feist's "all's fair in love and television" ideology shows up early. While touring an outdoor Athens market, Famie accepted a huge swig from a stranger's water jug -- only to discover that the jug contained not water, but homemade rot-gut moonshine. Feist made sure that the camera rolled nonstop throughout Famie's gags and grimaces, and the show went on, albeit a bit less steadily for the now-snookered host.
In another instance, Famie's 10-year-old son Josh was filmed, unrehearsed, sampling various local foods in Crete. Unfortunately, Josh despises tomatoes -- a key ingredient in many of the dishes, and his reaction showed it. At one point Josh even requested hotdogs in place of the Moussaka. Famie might have been a tad embarrassed, but Feist loved the on-the-spot reality of Josh's reaction, and had cameraman Bob Berg capture each and every grimace.
Berg is used to slightly different direction from the show's usual field producer, WDIV alumnus Jeff Fish, who remained in Michigan during the Mediterranean romp to edit footage for future episodes. Berg confesses that working with Feist took a bit of getting used to: "Jeff Fish is a technical perfectionist; there's a lot of preproduction planning that goes into every shot. With John, it's more about story-telling, reacting to an environment. Actually, the two styles should combine to make Keith's series one of the most unique on television."
Still, the focus of "Keith Famie's Adventures" remains on cooking and eating, and Feist quickly adapted to a situation where, unlike "Survivor," the cast actually had some food. On the small, sun-roasted island of Hydra, he and Famie discovered the renowned local specialty, almond cookies, touted by a pair of rival bakers whose shops sat on opposite ends of the main village. These small, sugar-dusted treats are made from stone-ground almonds blended with rose water, producing a super-sweet and strikingly floral confection known as amygdalota.
While Famie toured the kitchens of the two shops, checking out the cookware, Feist tromped back and forth between the bakers, looking to stir up a little good, clean, reality TV antagonism. It's the same sort of drama he was after when he recorded the now-infamous "Survivor" sequence in which contestant Jerri called Keith on the very-public carpet for making a single batch of chewy rice, earning Famie an ill-deserved, but hard-to-live-down reputation as "the chef who couldn't cook."
Alas, this time Feist's efforts went awry as one baker, with a sheepish grin and a mustache of confectioner's sugar, confessed, "I'd like to say that mine are better, I really would, but frankly, we're brothers and we both use the same recipe."
And as Feist soon discovered, the story is frequently found within emotional attachments, not within rivalries.
As a first-time visitor to Greece, Famie was likewise moved by the warmth and conviviality of the people. He'd gone expecting to find that the long lifespans enjoyed by Greeks were directly related to their diet, which centers around olive oil, fresh vegetables, seafood and wine. He discovered something more.
Said Famie, "There's an overall exuberance among the people, especially in the countryside. Diet is vital to their health, no question about it, the typical meal is low in animal fats, high in complex carbohydrates, and as a result, cancer is rare and heart disease is even rarer.
"But equally important is the value that's placed on older folks throughout Greece and the Islands," says Famie. "They are vital to community life, and they remain active in all aspects of their family's dealings, up into their 90s and beyond. Self-worth keeps them going. That's what 'survival' is all about."
Perhaps the most heartwarming sequence yet captured for "Keith Famie's Adventures" occurred during the following week on Crete, when Famie and Feist accidentally stumbled upon an annual festival featuring a prized local food source, the snail. Arranged by a full-bearded, jovial parish priest called Papa Ionnis, the celebration was intended to draw nearby villagers together for an inexpensive evening of food, song and dance.
Said Ionnis, "There's not a lot of money here, and the event is a way to build fellowship and community, based around an activity we all love: eating." As such, the climax of the festivities was a snail cooking contest. Famie was invited to sit among the judges and taste a dozen unique, but traditional, dishes like Snails in Semolina Porridge, and Deep-Fried Snails in Olive Oil. With cameras whirring, the evening culminated in a massive, colorful, communal dance with Famie as a participant.
According to Famie, dance is as vital to the Grecian spirit as the cuisine, and many times during the journey, he found that the two intertwined. At a restaurant called Nykterida, for instance, owner Babis Mastorides offered up an impromptu sirtaki identical to the one that Anthony Quinn danced at the end of 1964's acclaimed film "Zorba The Greek."
To the unexpected delight of Famie and Feist, it turns out that Nykterida served as a backdrop for the movie, and that Mastorides' father, a choreographer, actually taught Quinn those famous steps.
But of course, the recurring theme throughout "Keith Famie's Adventures" is eating. Shortly after the dance, Nykterida's outdoor patio was suffused in aromas of newly-delivered anthotiro, a pungent farmer's cheese generally served as an appetizer, and the business of recording a traditional Greek feast began in earnest. The anthotiro was followed by platters of koulourakia (crisp, savory, cinnamon-dusted bread balls), and then by slabs of succulent roasted goat, slathers of wild mountain greens stewed with tomato and zucchini, and a Nykterida specialty, kalitsounia: spinach pie made with four kinds of cheese and perfumed with wild mint. Once the feast was lighted, arranged, and committed to film, Famie's production crew was encouraged to circle in and make short work of it.
Such lavish spreads, eagerly provided by restaurateurs, are part of the perks enjoyed by Famie and company wherever they go.
"When you tell them you're from Food Network, you find that a reputation precedes you," says sound technician Roger Smith. "Anywhere we end up, from Nobu (Robert DeNiro's posh Manhattan restaurant) to some roadside truck stop, they come out of the woodwork with platters of food.
"We eat 10 times a day, like Sumo wrestlers," adds Smith. "It's more than publicity grab; I think that Keith Famie has tapped into the global Italian mama syndrome. The solution to all life's problems? Eat!"
Famie will detail his travels in a cookbook (his third) set for release by Clarkson Potter in May, 2003.
Titled "You Haven't Been There Till You've Eaten The Food," the book chronicles this flow of generosity and the significance of the profusion of culinary specialties he has discovered and enjoyed throughout his adventures.
Though, of course, producer Feist might have preferred a food fight.
Rosemary Snails with Red Wine Vinegar
A native Grecian chef would use hand-caught snails from the garden, but canned snails work nearly as well, and are available year-round at Mediterranean food markets.
Dust snails in flour. In a medium saute pan with olive oil over medium heat, add onions and garlic.
Saute until translucent, approximately 4-5 minutes.
Add snails and rosemary and continue to saute for 2 minutes. Add vinegar.
Saute for an additional 2 minutes.
Season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread.
Yield: 4 servings.
Per serving: 463 calories; 41 g fat (6 g saturated fat; 80 percent calories from fat); 10 g carbohydrates; 39 mg cholesterol; 183 mg sodium; 15 g protein; 0.5 g fiber.
Tzatziki
Tzatziki is a simple and traditional Greek sauce that can be used as a dressing for salads, a condiment for sandwiches or a dip for fresh vegetables.
Line a fine mesh colander with a coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth.
Add the yogurt to the colander and let drain,refrigerated, for 24 hours. Discard the liquid.
Grate the cucumber and sprinkle with salt. Let stand to drain for 30 minutes.
Press the excess water out of the cucumber. In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, mint, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Makes 2 1/2 cups or 10 servings.
Per serving per 1/4 cup: 46 calories; 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat; 39 percent calories from fat); 4 g carbohydrates; 4 mg cholesterol; 50 mg sodium; 3 g protein; less than 1 g fiber.
Amygdalota
These delicate and floral almond cookies are famous on the island of Hydra.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, whisk egg whites with salt until stiff. Fold in the lemon juice, almonds, sugar, bread crumbs, and vanilla. Place large dollops (about 2 tablespoons) of batter onto a baking sheet covered with wax paper.
Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove amigdalota from the oven and brush with rose water. Sift powdered sugar over the warm cookies.
Yield: 8 servings.
Note: Rose water is available at Middle Eastern specialty markets.
Per serving: 443 calories; 29 g fat (2 g saturated fat; 59 percent calories from fat); 34 g carbohydrates; 18 mg cholesterol; 57 mg sodium; 14 g protein; 5 g fiber.
Sauteed Octopus with Oregano
A great recipe for the Red Wings' off-season, when hockey fans can discover that there's another use for their favorite eight-armed ice missile: eating! Octopus is among the most popular dishes in the Mediterranean; the addition of fresh oregano and green olives make this preparation typical of Crete.
In a large stockpot, bring water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Add whole octopus, and simmer for one hour. Remove octopus from boiling water, and let cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Cut the tentacles from the head, and discard the head.
Chop the tentacles into small pieces.
In a large saute pan with olive oil over medium heat, add the octopus, green pepper, tomatoes, olives, oregano, and vinegar.
Saute for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings.
Per serving: 681 calories; 18 g fat (2 g saturated fat; 24 percent calories from fat); 22 g carbohydrates; 326 mg cholesterol; 2,048 mg sodium; 102 g protein; 1 g fiber.
 Keith Famie, left, and producer John Feist go over an upcoming shot during lunch at a taverna in Iraklio, Crete. The Crete episode is set to air at 10:30 p.m. Sept. 19 and 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22 on the Food Network. |
Chris Kassel is a local free-lance writer and author of Keith Famie's latest book, "You Haven't Been There Till You've Eaten The Food."