Mo’* Who In The Kitchen !
When Cooking Bill Katsanos Goes With His Eyes And “Feel Of His Hands”
By Audrey C. Lodato
Post Staff Writer
What is an Australian-born Greek
doing in Charlotte? The answer is, a
little bit of everything.
Bill Katsanos, one of the owners of
, Fish Fare, a seafood restaurant
located on Nations Ford Rd., also
works with an automobile brok
erage firm. Automotive Invest
ments, and has been involved in the
travel industry, as well. “I like to get
my fingers mixed up in all sorts of
things,” the young Greek explained.
"I'm looking forward to getting into
broadcasting, but there’s no time
for it yet.” .
ine young Katsanos, his father,
James, and a brother-in-law took
over ownership of Fish Fare two
years ago. The restaurant serves
Greek-style as well as American
dishes.
Bill came to his present profes
sion with a lot of experience behind
him. “I’ve been cooking since I was
12,^ and I’m 24 now,” he remarked.
‘Td go visit my. uncle at Tanner’s
Snack Bar uptown. I’d go in and flip
hamburgers, work for nothing just
to learn.” He also worked in other
restaurants to find out "why this guy
does it this way and someone else
another way."
With all this experience, Katsanos
learned to measure by eye. “When
I’m cooking, I go with my eye and
the feel in my hand - unless I’m
making a dressing of some sort,’; he .
explained. He uses garlic in a lot of
hit cooking. “It adds a little some
thing to it," he noted.
Katsanas and his family (father
James, mother Katherine, and
sisters Maria and Tina) immigrated
to Charlotte from Australia 15 years
ago. They chose Charlotte because
other relatives had settled here.
According to Katsanos, his father
and mother, along with many other
Greeks, left their homeland in the
'50’s because of political turmoil
there. Many settled in Australia. It
was there that his parents first met.
Bill has visited Greece, where his
grandfather and a few other rela
tives still live,' three times. “It’s
beautiful,” he recalled, “but I still
wouldn’t want to live there. There’s
too much conflict."
And besides, the young Greek is
stuck on Charlotte. “To be honest, I
wouldn’t exchange Charlotte for any
place in the world, and I’ve seen a
lot of cities,” he asserted. “Char
lotte’s got it all.”
Nevertheless, Katsanos is im
mensely proud of his heritage. “So
much of modern culture is based on
ancient Greece,” he declared.
“Even mathematical calculations
use Greek methods. One thing we’re
very proud of is democracy,” he
added.
The Greek community in Char
lotte Is “fairly close-knit,” said
Katsanos. “We take pride in our
Greek Orthodox faith and our way of
CAJUN CATFISH
Self-rising flour (approx. 3 cups)
~ V Vic. cayenne pepper
' Sprinkle of thyme
Vi c. Jamaican spices (can be purchased at
most food stores)
Dash of white pepper for extra zing
Catfish or other seafood
Combine dry ingredients. Dip fish into
mixture. Preheat oil in skillet to medium
temperature. Cook til brown on both sides.
CRABMEAT-BROCCOLI BAKE ■
20 oz. package of frozen broccoli spears
m oz. can crabmeat
1 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp. granulated garlic
Vfe ts*. Accent
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Sharp cheddar
Cook broccoli til tender. Place in casse
role. Sprinkle with crabmeat. Combine
Other ingredients, except cheddar, an^
pour over top. Shred cheddar and sajnkle on
top. Bake in oven til cheese meltir
'FISH ’N CHIPS
2 lbs. fish fillets, cut in serving pieces
lVfe c . Wesson Oil
2 c. self-rising flour mixed with a touch of
water and beer to make it pasty
Potatoes, sliced thin
• .
Heat oil in frying pan. Dip fillets into
batter. Brown on both sides. Meanwhile, fry
potato slices in another pan. Remove when
crispy.
BAKED SEA TROUT *
(Or Red Snapper)
Place whole fish in large pan* marina^
overnight in fresh lemon Juice aria olive oil,
sprinkled with salt, pepper, garlic, and
oregano. Add peeled and sliced potatoes and
fresh leaf spinach. Cover with aluminum
foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1V4 hours.
r £L r y
Tips On Making Jellies, Jams
High quality in jellied fruit
products depends on many factors.
( sing recipes from a reliable source
and following them carefully helps
produce good results. Some possible
reasons for unsatisfactory results
are given below.
Q. What Makes Jelly Cloudy?
. .A. One or more at the following
-may cause cloudy Jelly: Pouring
jelly mixture into glasses too slowly.
Allowing Jelly mixture to stand
before it is poured. Juice was not
properly strained and contained
pulp. Jelly set too fast -usuaUy the
result of using too green fruit.
A. Why do crystals form in Jelly?
. .A. Crystals throughout the Jelly
may be caused by too much sugar In
the Jelly mixture, or cooking the
mixture too little, too slowly, or too
long. Crystals that form at the top of
Jelly that has been opened and
allowed to stand are caused by
evaporation of liquid. Crystals in
grape Jelly may be tartrate crystals.
q. What makes Jelly syrupy? w _
. .A. Too little pectin, acid, or sugar.
A great excess of sugar can also
cause syrupy Jelly.
q. What causes weeping Jelly?
A. Too much acid. Layer of
paraffin too thick. Storage place was
too warm or storage temperature
fluctuated.
' ' V. ' V,. • - , ' . «. a
TO PROCESS JAM8, MARMALADES, AND
PRESERVES
Processing of jams, preserves, marmalades, and con
serves is recommended in warm or humid climates.
Inexpensive enamel ware canners may be purchased at
r most hardware or variety stores. However, any large
metal container may be used if it is deep enough to allow
for l or 2 inches of water above the tops of the jars, plus a
i Uttle extra space for boiling; has a close-fitting cover; and
, has a wire or wood rack with partitions to keep jars from
, touching each other or the bottom or sides of the container,
i Put filled home canning jars into water bath canner or a
i container filled with hot water. Add hot water if needed to
, bring water an inch or two over tops of jars. Bring water to
a rolling boil and boil gently for S minutes,
i Remove jars from canner after processing. Cool away
from drafts before storing.
life,” he went on. “That’s what the
festival was all about, showing our
way of life and our traditions." The
annual Greek Festival, held earlier
this month, draws the full, partici
pation of the Greek community.
"Every citizen of the community
gives 100 percent," he commented.
The 1978 graduate of Myers Park
High School, who lives at home with
his parents, teaches seventh grade
Sunday School at Holy Trinity
Greek Orthodox Cathedral on East
Blvd. “Something I adore is chil
dren,” he revealed. “I love them.”
Then he added with a laugh, “My
mom’s trying to find me a girl.”
Despite cooking everyday at the
restaurant, Katsanos enjoys cooking
at home. He’ll often serve a roast leg
~ of lamb fur company. “Sprinkle
mushrooms on top, put in a few
- onions, some salt, pepper, garlic,
and oregano, add a little water, and
cook in the oven." Roasting time is
in the neighborhood of two hours. “If
you cook lamb too much, it becomes
dry," he remarked. “I like mine a
little pink, but everyone has a
different taste."
If you have a taste for seafood,
here are several of Katsanos’
favorites:
BID Kateanos takes a peek at Cajun Catfish fryin’ in the pan.
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