CAIRO - As the government of Greece has chosen 2013 to celebrate the iconic Greek poet Constantine P. Cavafy (1863-1933) worldwide, the Greek Embassy of Greece in Cairo organised a special dinner, with all the dishes being those that were cooked many years ago by the mother of Greek iconic poet Constantine Cavafy. The event was held yesterday in the Greek Rowing Club in Doqqi, where three dishes were served to the guests. The first one was a caviar salad and the second cooked aubergines with beef in tomato sauce. They were followed by a dessert made of dates and yoghurt. "This dinner is one of the events organised to celebrate Cavafy, as the menu is dedicated to the Greek poet. There recipes for these dishes came from Cavafy's mother, found in his archives," said Dr Marilena Griva, the Cultural Counsellor at the Greek Embassy. "This event was my idea. Dimitris Koutsonileolas, a Greek who works as the Executive Chef in one of the famous hotels in Cairo, helped me prepare these dishes. “People normally only think about this man's [Cavafy] thoughts and poems, but not about the kind of things he would have eaten. And this is what we have tried to discover," Griva told The Gazette in an interview. Cavafy's mother married his father when she was 14 and he was 36. They were very wealthy and had their own servants, but they lost a lot of their money and then the husband died, leaving her with five children to bring up. She resorted to cooking for her children herself and, in order to remember the ingredients, she used to write down the recipes, explained Griva. Celebrating Cavafy in Egypt is something different, because the Greek poet represents a cultural link between Greece and Egypt, as he resided and worked in Alexandria, considered to have been his second home. "Cavafy has a special place in our heart. His poems are not poetry, but the philosophy of life," she stressed. This week also will witness another major annual event organised by the Embassy of Greece and the Greek Cultural Centre, namely Greek Cultural Week, which kicks off this evening. "Greek Cultural Week is held every year to celebrate the Greek culture, which we like to share with Egyptians. We often invite Greek artists to exhibit their works here in Egypt, in order to help get in touch with the local culture," said Ioannis Chatzantonakis, the Consul General of Greece. "Every year we organise new events. This year, we are inviting jewellery designer Elena Syraka and painter Andreas Georgiadis to hold exhibitions here. They are both influenced by Egyptian and Islamic culture. “There will also be two concerts on June 2 and 4 by Greek singer Alkinoos Ioannidis," he added. Every year, the Greek Cultural Centre in Cairo organises many events for introducing Greek culture to the Egyptians. "Egypt and Greece are similar in many ways, for example their culture and even food, as we have many recipes in common," said Constantina Gedeon, the Financial Manager of the Greek Cultural Centre in Cairo. "The Centre is mainly concerned with teaching Greek language to Egyptians, presenting Greek culture and teaching history. We also invite theatrical troupes, bands and artists to perform in the Cairo Opera House and other places," she added.
