MARIA LOI: Yassou!
I want to take you with me to Naxos-- the largest island of the Cyclades.
According to legend, Naxos is where the god Apollo, left his son Aristaios to teach the people of Naxos the art of making cheese.
And he did a great job, because the cheese is amazing.
(chuckling): Thank you, Aristaios.
Cheese is not the only thing I love about Naxos.
I love the small, beautiful villages, the artisanal crafts, and most of all, the people.
When I go to Naxos, I visit one family in particular.
That family is like my family.
So, come with me.
It's all happening now, on The Life of Loi.
♪ ♪ I am Maria Loi, executive chef of Loi Estiatorio in Manhattan.
When I was growing up in Thermo, a small village in Greece, food was a way of life.
Good for your body, good for your soul.
The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest in the world, and I have seen how it can truly change people's lives, like it changed mine.
And since then, my life has been all about the Mediterranean diet.
Today, we are going to share some of the delicious secrets that you can make part of your own lives at home.
So come with me right now on The Life of Loi.
♪ ♪ Funding for this program is provided by the Behrakis Family, the Greek National Tourism Organization, Enterprise Greece.
Additional funding is provided by: LOI: Today, we are going to Naxos.
I am going to be cooking with Iouliani, her daughter and granddaughter; three generations.
Together, we are making tyropsomo.
Páme!
♪ ♪ When I come to Naxos, I have to visit Iouliani.
But this time, three generations: Iouliani, Iouliani and Maria.
(speaking Greek): LOI: I love you.
I love you.
(chuckles) You're amazing.
(speaking Greek): LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: Oh, my gosh.
She's crying.
(Maria laughs) I can't believe that.
(speaking Greek): (all conversing in Greek) LOI: Okay.
(laughs) Let's start because we're all going to cry.
We're not going to cook.
Iouliani?
Nai.
LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: Tyropsomo.
It's bread with cheese, but we make it in a different way.
You will see how.
(speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): Water, which is not hot, not cold.
Medium temperature.
LOI: Because if we add hot water, the yeast will die.
Exactly.
(speaking Greek): The food of the yeast.
♪ ♪ And now?
(speaking Greek) LOI: The yeast.
(laughs) We do it like that.
LOI: I like that you use your hands, you know.
Here in Greece, we use the hands, traditional.
LOI: More traditional than this, cannot be.
We will add the olive oil, our own olive oil from the olive grove below.
(speaking Greek): Okay, so we don't add it all.
(Loi laughs) LOI: The grandma says, "No, not all, not all."
(all laughing) Half of it, half of it.
Ligo ligo.
(speaking Greek) Okay.
You let me know.
Yeah.
(speaking Greek): (Maria speaking Greek) LOI: Okay, let's see.
Opa.
Okay.
(speaking in Greek): (Iouliani murmuring approval) LOI: We're asking now, right?
Yeah, I have to be sure.
LOI (chuckling): I love you.
Why we put the vinegar?
It gives crispiness, right?
Yes, to the filo.
♪ ♪ We don't add the salt.
First, we are going to add the... LOI: Flour.
...the flour.
And we are going to add the salt in the end because the salt will kill the yeast.
(speaking Greek): LOI: Giagia Iouliani says, "Add the salt now."
(both laugh) (speaking Greek) That's enough.
Okay.
(speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: (laughs) The little Iouliani says, "You've put a lot of salt."
(laughs) Both of them, are criticizing us.
♪ ♪ (speaking Greek): LOI: Just a touch.
Okay.
♪ ♪ LOI: We have already the dough, because Giagia Iouliani prepared already.
So, the little Iouliani is going to make the filo.
(speaking Greek): (Loi chuckles) (speaking Greek) LOI: Any way you want.
Don't worry.
Bravo.
(speaking Greek) ♪ ♪ LOI: Bravo.
Bravo, Iouliani.
♪ ♪ LOI: Mizithra from Naxos.
I don't put feta in here.
We're in Naxos.
We have to do like the Naxians do.
(speaking Greek) (singing in Greek): (all laughing) Olive oil makes life taste better and healthier.
(speaking Greek): I think she does it better than we do.
She's creative.
LOI: Yeah, very creative.
(speaking Greek): Okay.
(speaking Greek): Okay.
(speaking Greek): Okay.
So, I will show the little Iouliani how to make it more crispier.
(speaking Greek) Nai.
LOI: Bravo.
(speaking Greek) We have leftover cheese.
(speaking Greek): This is Naxian graviera, right?
(speaking Greek): (conversing in Greek) LOI (speaking Greek): ♪ ♪ Bravo.
♪ ♪ (speaking Greek) Bravo.
(speaking Greek): (speaking Greek) ♪ ♪ LOI: Okay.
They're going to be like... (chuckles) ...brothers and sisters in there, all together.
(laughter) Okay.
(speaking Greek): ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Look at this.
Look at this.
It's so good, eh?
(speaking Greek): (all conversing in Greek) LOI (speaking Greek) Yamas.
LOI: Yamas.
Yamas.
Yamas.
Yamas.
(speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: Yassou.
(Loi chuckles) Yassou.
Yassou.
Yassou.
Yassou.
Yassou.
♪ ♪ Who doesn't love cheese and bread?
They go together, (chuckling): like me and olive oil.
Another thing that goes together is my friend, Andriana and me.
And we're going to be making tyropsomakia, Greek cheese buns.
So flour.
Okay.
We have lukewarm water.
Did you clean your hands?
Of course.
Absolutely.
LOI: You can touch this to see if it's like, not cold, not too hot.
It's perfect temperature.
LOI: Okay, good.
Because you need this temperature for the yeast.
If you have hot water, you will kill the yeast.
Then, I will put some olive oil.
Of course.
Chef Loi and the olive oil... ...are a pair.
LOI: So this is yogurt, full fat.
Okay?
So, let me mix it.
Now that it has the yogurt in there, we don't need the sugar to add the magia.
I just do the magia like this.
It's going to be like pita bread, but thicker.
Oh, okay.
LOI: So this one, that it comes together.
Mm-hmm.
LOI: Can you pour some olive oil?
Of course.
Leave it to Maria Loi to wash her hands with olive oil.
LOI (laughs): That's okay.
Did I pour too much olive oil?
LOI: This time, yes.
And maybe this is the only time that I said it was too much olive oil.
But maybe it's not too much.
See?
See?
It's there.
Let me mix some onion now.
♪ ♪ ♪ Ta, ta, ta ♪ Ta, ta, ta ♪ LOI: And now we're going to add... ...some greens.
Let me get my scissor.
And... Parsley?
You're using parsley?
LOI: Yes.
♪ ♪ And now, we'll give it to Felipe to put it on the side to rest.
Felipe?
Yes, chef.
LOI: Could I give you this, please?
Okay.
LOI: Do you have the other one ready?
Yes, chef.
LOI: Oh, look at that.
Look at that.
LOI: Look how good it is.
See?
Yes.
And it all came out.
LOI: Yeah.
Maria, that's quite a handling of the dough.
LOI: Now you see the dough?
You can do whatever you want.
And then, you can add cheese.
Felipe?
Yes, chef.
LOI: Could I have some feta cheese and haloumi, whatever, if you have.
Yes, chef.
Can I make one?
LOI: You can make anything you want.
Thank you.
Let me see if I can do this the way you did it.
See?
LOI: And... Let me say, let me do something for you.
There you are.
LOI: Here.
May I?
Sure.
LOI: I can put this in here and you can go like this.
Aw.
LOI: Yeah?
Tasty.
Oh, wow.
LOI: Oh, that's good.
Now you put the feta cheese, right?
And then, I will show different ways.
This one you can make small, like balakia.
That's what we promised to make, tyropsomakia.
And here, you put the cheese in here... ...like this.
Can I have some more flour?
Okay.
♪ ♪ It's very easy.
It's like the pita bread.
It's going to be a bit thicker when you cook it, and here it is.
Felipe?
Yes, chef.
LOI: Can you bring me those somakia, tyropsomakia?
I can't wait to taste them.
All right.
LOI: Thank you.
See?
The pita that I was telling you before.
It smells good.
Very good.
♪ ♪ LOI: This is what you do when you mean "breaking bread."
(softly): Wow.
This is so tasty.
I love it.
LOI: And I love this kiddo, Iouliani, so much that I wanted to cook together, just the two of us, and show her how to make one of her favorite foods, healthier.
Lamb, with vegetables.
Páme!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Before cooking with little Iouliani, her mother Maria, who wanted to show me some landmark locations.
♪ ♪ Thank you very much for bringing me here.
My pleasure.
Welcome to our very old olive press in Kaloxylos.
This olive press started in 1880 as a manual olive press.
But in 1928, the younger owner of that olive press brought a diesel power generator from Belgium and converted into a diesel olive press.
And it was also an engine that could provide with electricity these villages of Kaloxylos and Halki, a village very close to Kaloxylos.
Officially, the history of this building started in 1880.
Vallindras was the owner, a very well-known family.
LOI: He has done so many businesses.
Where you go, it's Vallindras, Vallindras, Vallindras, okay.
Yes, he was the same guy also that established the Kitron Distillery in Halki, in the other village.
LOI: We have to go there.
Okay?
Definitely.
♪ ♪ LOI: It's so beautiful in here.
I love Naxos, and I love Kitron.
(chuckles) Welcome to our distillery.
Vallindras Distillery is the oldest distillery on Naxos.
And here, we continue the tradition.
Now we are the fifth generation and the last two generations, run by women.
LOI: Bravo, women power.
(laughs) We use the fruit to make a (speaking Greek) dessert, but we use the leaves to make the liqueur at Kitron.
LOI: Huh.
The leaves have more aroma and more essential oils, that's why we use it.
♪ ♪ LOI: Yamas.
(toasting) LOI: And, yassou.
♪ ♪ What I love to do, it's to show to the kids how to eat healthier.
For example, we're going to use lamb today.
I don't eat a lot of meat.
That's why we're going to have eggplant... (speaking Greek) (speaking Greek) LOI: In English?
Pepper.
LOI: Bravo.
(speaking Greek) Tomato.
LOI: Bravo.
(speaking Greek) Lamb.
LOI: Bravo.
(speaking Greek) Onion.
LOI: Bravo.
And this?
Potato.
LOI: She's learning English.
That's good.
You like souvlaki, right?
Yes, I like.
LOI (laughs): Okay.
(speaking Greek): The same taste of souvlaki, just easy way.
(speaking Greek): I will make it so easy for you that you can make it in 15 minutes.
Onion.
Kremmydi.
(speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: Okay.
And it's very good for you.
Smells very good.
Eh?
Yes.
LOI (speaking Greek) (sniffs deeply) Yes.
(speaking Greek) (Loi chuckles) LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: (speaking Greek) You know, of course, they have the best potatoes in Naxos.
♪ ♪ (speaking Greek): ♪ ♪ (speaking Greek): Okay.
LOI (speaking Greek) Yes.
LOI (speaking Greek): Melitzána.
(speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI (laughs): "In general, I don't put it in."
(laughing) (speaking Greek): And this eggplant is very good because it doesn't have seeds.
It's full of meat.
Not lamb, eggplant meat.
(laughs) (speaking Greek) Pepper.
LOI: Oh, bravo.
Now you remember.
(speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: Okay.
♪ ♪ (speaking Greek): Nai.
LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: Sáltsa.
Bravo.
(speaking Greek): "It's going to be a sauce."
It's going to be sauce.
LOI: Bravo.
(speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI (speaking Greek): So beautiful, uh?
Yes.
LOI: You can even eat it like this, if you put it in the oven, or you can cook it in a pan, whatever you want.
(speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI (laughs): Okay.
(speaking Greek): Mm-hmm.
LOI: We don't need a lot because the vegetables have the own water.
So now, we have the meat.
(speaking Greek): (repeating in Greek) LOI (speaking Greek) We're not going to add a lot.
The vegetables take whatever the fat from the meat that we need.
♪ ♪ It's so easy.
Yes.
LOI: It is the same thing like the souvlaki.
We'll take it to the oven and we'll be back when it's ready.
Okay?
Okay.
LOI: 45 minutes, it's done.
(speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: She said, "It's better than souvlaki."
I love you.
(speaking Greek): Okay?
(speaking Greek): Okay.
LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): It smells amazing.
And it's so easy.
(speaking Greek): (cat meows) It's so tasty.
(speaking Greek): Yes.
LOI: Filí.
(kisses) LOI (speaking Greek): (kisses) (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): (Loi chuckles) Okay.
I promise you.
(speaking Greek) And, yassou.
(kisses) ♪ ♪ That lamb dish was very tasty, but what I loved the most was the vegetables.
I'll show you another way how to make it and it will be tasty and healthy for you.
I have a piece of lamb here.
(Loi chuckles) All Greeks love a good piece of lamb.
LOI: So, I will put some olive oil.
Of course.
LOI: Lemon juice.
What an excellent combination, lemon, olive oil, and I think I know what you're going to put next.
LOI: What?
Oregano.
Rígani.
LOI: Yes.
Give me some oregano from here.
That's it.
Could I have some salt and pepper, please?
Okay, salt.
Okay.
Here's your pepper.
LOI: And pepper.
All organic.
LOI: Always.
So, Felipe?
Yes, chef?
LOI: Can you put it in the oven?
Yes.
LOI: Over a rack.
All right, chef.
LOI: Okay.
375 for you.
Preheated oven.
It's going to take an hour or something.
So, let's do the souvlakia apo lahanica.
Souvlaki with vegetables.
LOI: Yes.
So, can I have a souvlaki.
May I just ask why you put the wooden souvlaki sticks in water, lemon, and of course, olive oil?
(Loi laughs) LOI: We put skewers to soak because we don't want them to be dry and to break.
This way the, the flavor of wood doesn't go into our vegetables.
It's all in the details.
LOI: Can I have a skewer?
Here you are.
LOI: Okay.
Cauliflower, you eat it because it's for anti-age.
Oh... LOI: Okay?
Then, we'll put eggplant.
The eggplant, I cut it like this, but also, I remove the skin because the skin is hard.
And then, tomato.
The onion is so easy.
Vlepeis.
Then, zucchini.
And carrots.
There you go.
It makes a beautiful collection of colors.
LOI: Felipe?
Yes, chef?
LOI: Please bring me the tray.
All right.
LOI: Thank you.
You see here?
This is a rack.
What else?
Water.
Oh, you're going to put water on the bottom.
LOI: This way the vegetables will stay fresh... ...cooked, but not dry.
And if you put some olive oil also... ♪ ♪ ...and if you put some oregano.
Felipe?
Yes, chef?
LOI: Can you please put it in the oven?
All right.
LOI: And it needs only 15 minutes.
Preheated oven for you, 375.
Don't cook it too much.
But now, it's time for the lamb.
Felipe?
Yes, chef.
LOI: Could I have the lamb, please?
All right.
LOI: Bravo, Felipe.
Thank you.
Over here.
So let me cut this lamb, against the grain.
I love lamb.
(Loi chuckles) (laughs) I'm a true Greek.
LOI: She is.
And now... ...we'll cut this small.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you.
Oh, see how they are?
Beautifully cooked.
LOI: Yeah.
I'll leave it like this.
I like it.
What else is needed here?
A little olive oil, of course.
♪ ♪ LOI: So you want to put some oregano?
More oregano?
Of course.
LOI: Since you like it.
Mm-hmm.
LOI: Not too much, eh?
Because it becomes bitter if you add a lot of oregano.
(inhales) Mmm.
Oh.
LOI: Good?
Ooh.
LOI: This now, will be a different dish.
Before it was a vegan dish, now it's not.
I love always coming here and reminding me of my... ...my childhood in my village.
Fresh meats and these fresh vegetables, the lemon, the olive oil.
Beautiful.
♪ ♪ LOI: Yassou.
Yassou.
Mmm.
Simple and not dry.
Very moist, tender... ...and light.
LOI: And let's do something else.
♪ ♪ Éla.
Éla.
♪ ♪ LOI: Yassou.
Yassou.
LOI: And, yassou.
Remember, metron ariston.
Everything in moderation except love, olive oil, and good deeds.
Yassou.
♪ ♪ Closed captioning provided by Genetic Networks.
Funding for this program is provided by the Behrakis Family, the Greek National Tourism Organization, Enterprise Greece.
Additional funding is provided by: ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
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