When Greek Meets Greek

Harvardmanship is not wholly a matter of confusing friends and section men about one's academic and social ability. It is essential that the candidate for an of at least one superficial field. Many have found the ability to order an exotic meal quite satisfactory.

An easy practice course is the Athens-Olympia, one of many Greek-American-Turkish restaurants in Boston. With a bit more atmosphere than many others, the Athens features lamb in off-beat preparations. All these eating places serve similar dishes under slightly different names. Mastery of one means competence in all.

The wise diner begins with one of several appetizers. Taramosalata is the best lead-off dish. Composed of red caviar mixed with lemon, olive oil, and bread soaked in water, its taste combines saltiness with a tart savor. Also, shrimp with a special sauce of lemon, olive oil, dry mustard, and the much used Greek herb, rigone, will start the meal well.

The more aesthetically inclined will find Yialantzi Dolma (called Dolma by its friends) the order of the night. Cultivating a taste for the dish is advised, since its essence is the subtle mingling of rice, olive oil, and the flavor of its grape leaf wrapping. Naturally, the renewned Greek salad can serve as a first course. Its foundation is assorted lettuce, chickory, and escerole, but the taste is in the dressing. To a French base, the Athens adds olives oil, vinegar, and rigone, sprinkles with imported Greek Feta cheese, and tops with a garnishing of tomatoes, anchovies, and Greek black Oliver. The Feta cheese, when served in blocks, tastes like a mild Camambert and is fine as dessert. But crumbled to the consistency of cottage cheese, it becomes a staple ingredient for Greek cooking.

Having impressed your date with a command of Middle Eastern appetizers, allow her admiration no rest. Launch into the entree. The basic meat in these restaurants is lamb, especially when broiled on a skewer with layers of onion, tomato, and green papers. Called Souvlakia at the Athens, Shashlik in Russian restaurants, and Shish-Kabab most everywhere else, the chunks of lamb are sauteed in olive oil and rigone. Before serving, onions are added for pungency. The meat is succulent with natural juice and the combined effect of onions and a pronounced tang of rigone.

Another variation is Lamb Taskempap, much like Souvalakia, but with a wine sauce. Its slight tartness makes it blend well with Spinakopeta, or spinach pie, made with Feta cheese and topped with layers of pastry.

The wine for the meat course is Hymettus, a Greek red wine whose dry smoothness goes especially well with spiced meat. But the Valiant Burgundy is quite adequate for those preferring a domestic brew.

For a sweet dessert, there is really but one choice: Baklava. Combining chopped almonds, light pastry, butter, and honey, this is often called a Turkish Delight, and is superb. However, those who wish a less rich finale, should choose between Yaourti (a mild Yogurt) and Feta cheese. Then, either with dessert or after, comes thick coffee. There are some simple rules for drinking: Add neither cream nor sugar, and do not stir, since the coffee rests in the bottom of the cup.