Author Archives: Roger Harmston

The character of Zorba the Greek in the book is richer than the movie even though Anthony Quinn is a remarkable Zorba!

 Zorba can be charming, but also pretty damn irritating; sometimes chivalrous. His contagious spirit will catch you off guard.

Zorba is not just a Greek, he is a man of the world, because it’s a true look at the human spirit. Life lessons from a man and his demons.

If you want to be “Boss” go to mainland Greece, if you want to be like “Zorba”, go to Kriti.

It’s not a book to read just once.  If you read this and it doesn’t change your life you should read it again and pay more attention.

Reset your mind, widen your perspective. it’s as relevant today as when it was written in 1946.

There are two excellent translations. I prefer the earliest by Carl Wildman (1953) for it’s capture of the ‘sentiment’. The second, in 2014 is also excellent by Peter Bien. It is a very faithful rendition of the ‘language’

Quotes:

Every man has his folly, but the greatest folly of all, in my view, is not to have one.

“When you’ve made up your mind, no use lagging behind, go ahead and no relenting,

Let your youth have free reign, it won’t come again, so be bold and no repenting. 

I realized that meals, too, are a spiritual service and that meat, bread, and wine are the raw materials from which spirit is formed.

 An ardent desire to go took possession of me once more. Not because I wanted to leave – I was quite all right on this Cretan coast, and felt happy and free there and I needed nothing – but because I have always been consumed with one desire; to touch and see as much as possible of the earth and the sea before I die.

Leave your books alone. Aren’t you ashamed? Man is a wild beast, and wild beasts don’t read.

Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kanzantzakis, 1946,

What’s in the larder, or pantry or storage cupboard, that you consider extras for the essentials in your kitchen?

Coffee.  If there’s no coffee, I’ll have to resort to wodka or tee-keel-ya for attitude adjustment.

Flour – Top Quality – European

Raisins – in all colours.  

Olive Oil – especially from Crete – to go with the Avocado Oil.

Lemon and Lime Juices, from the Middle East,  for the times that I don’t have fresh. So much more flavour than the ones bottled here.

“Roger’s” Tea – red bag, Best Tea Blends, from the Quality Tea Company.

Honey – Prefer No 1 Blend from Greek/Turkey northern border.

Egg Pasta – Colourful .. for fun

Bam Dates that go with string figs. Great for stuffing chicken breasts or thighs

Crunchy Granola – make your own or stock up on the best locally made.

Phyllo in the freezer.  You never know when you want to make spinach or cheese pies, or strudels.

Ouzo from Mytilene (the capitol of Lesbos Greece).  But a much better alternative is Raki.

The Condiment Queen always wants Jellies, Chutneys and Jams (often from Symphony Vineyard)

Pomegranate Molasses – works so well with so many things.  Grilled Chicken. On Frozen Yogurt for dessert.

Cheeses .. always have a spot reserved in your fridge.  To pair with charcuterie and/or wine.

Feta – top a salad, made cheese pies

Pistachios.  So good for you.  Right up there with Pine Nuts for flavour and nutrition.

Viennese Wafers – perfect little snack for any time of the day after any meal.

This is the companion book to the British produced documentary series – a 10 week hour long series.

The title comes from the philosophical idea that the universe essentially only exists as one perceives it through what one knows; therefore, if one changes one’s perception of the universe with new knowledge, one has essentially changed the universe itself.

To illustrate this concept, James Burke tells the various stories of important scientific discoveries and technological advances and how they fundamentally altered how western civilization perceives the world. The series runs in roughly chronological order, from around the beginning of the Middle Ages to the present.

The Day the Universe Changed, James Burke, 0-316-11704-4