The Marietta Greek Festival brings cuisine and culture from overseas

A performance from the Marietta Greek Festival Photo via mariettagreekfestival This weekend Georgia will spotlight Greek heritage at the Marietta Greek Festival For three days May - the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Marietta will showcase authentic Greek dishes hold performances featuring dances from different regions of Greece offer church tours and host over a dozen shopping vendors according to the festival website Joanna Tiller the head of marketing for the festival gave more insight on what the event entails for those who are or aren t familiar with Greek tradition There s plenty to do You can come for minutes and grab lunch or come for six hours and watch Greek dancing Tiller declared The late night dancing s really special We have a ring of fire Tickets are per person plus fees and can be purchased online Tiller mentioned there will be free parking and shuttles the entire weekend Tiller also touched upon the personal values of Greek beliefs and how those impact the festival particularly its food Related stories Atlanta food and dining events to attend in May The sweetest spot in Metro Atlanta The cake display at a diner Chamblee brewery Contrast Artisan Ales opening new Marietta location With traditional Greek dishes food means everything Tiller noted Usually you re having a delicious meal surrounded by family and friends Our food is made with love our recipes are passed down from the families of the church These recipes include lamb or grilled chicken rice bowls chicken-in-a-pita and smoked lamb sandwiches koulourakia which are traditional Greek butter cookies and so much more Like the food of so a large number of other cultures Greek cuisine has been praised not only for its ability to bring people together at the dinner table but also for its flavor Greek cookbook author and celebrity chef Diane Kochilas talked about the cuisine s importance in her book My Greek Table The beauty of Greek cuisine is that it combines innate nutrition with vibrant flavors Kochilas revealed It is a cuisine of indulgence not abstention Nutrition and indulgence are spread right across the Marietta Greek Festival s menu For Food Wine magazine in Stacey Leasca explained the savory background of spanakopita or spinach pie in an article called Essential Greek Dishes Everyone Necessities to Try Greeks have been making the dish for centuries layering phyllo dough with butter or olive oil and intermittently filling the layers with a mixture of spinach scallions feta cheese and eggs before browning it all in the oven Leasca commented Other Greek classics on the festival s menu include Greek fries hand-cut fries with Greek seasoning and keftedes Greek-style meatballs covered in tomato sauce This event will feature meals made with love according to Tiller Not only will the food give those Greek or not a taste of Greek tradition but those of Greek heritage especially students in Atlanta who miss their homeland can have a little taste of home All international students and non-international students would love to stop by Tiller noted I m sure they would love to stop by and get a piece of home The post The Marietta Greek Festival brings cuisine and beliefs from overseas appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta