In the hustle and bustle of Downtown Somerville is a hidden gem, where your culinary pallet can take a trip through ancient Greece. The food at Kyma Greek Cuisine is as striking as its decor. The white-walls, alongside the natural stone cement floor, wooden tables, and bird-stick wall brings to life a Hellenic style. Modern Greek favorites are available along with more adventuresome and historical fares.
The owner, Chris Stamataros, comes from a lineage that has prevailed in the culinary industry for years.
Chris shares, “I grew up on a farm. I would go outside to get fresh ingredients. My grandfather was the butcher. We had all different kinds of fruits and vegetables and lived off the land. We even produced our own wine and olive oils. Any fruits we didn't eat we used to make reserves or spoon sweets.”
Chris utilizes the same traditional style of fresh, Greek cooking at Kyma. They import olive oil, sea salt, and honey from Greece. This allows them to support small businesses back home.
Even though years have passed since Chris has opened up Kyma, some things have remained the same. “I am blessed with a good staff of people. It’s hard to find. From day one it's been the same crew. That's been crucial to our success."
As for future changes to come to Kyma, Chris says, “I want to focus on changing the menu and keeping it interesting.” He adds, “I want to keep traveling to different parts of Greece and the world and get new ideas. when I travel it’s not about going on a vacation. I make friends with chefs, learn about the food, and find different techniques to incorporate into my cooking.”
You can order delivery from Kyma through DoorDash. Wine from Old York Winery is available for delivery with your meal as well.
Want to give Greek cooking at home a whirl instead? We asked Chris to share one of his favorite recipes. Here's an inside look at how to make Kyma's famous Greek Ekmek Kataifi.
Base ingredients:
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250g kataifi dough (9 oz.)
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50g butter, melted (2 oz.)
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80–100g pistachios, chopped (3.5 oz.)
For the syrup:
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200g sugar (7 oz.)
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200g water (4/5 of a cup)
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lemon peel from half a lemon
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1 cinnamon stick
For the custard:
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750g whole milk, cold (3 cups)
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150g sugar (5.5 0z.)
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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75g corn starch (2.6 oz.)
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4–5 egg yolks (depending on the size of the eggs)
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75g butter (2.6 oz.)
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Pinch of powdered mastic (optional)
For the whipped cream:
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500g cold heavy whipping cream (2 cups)
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60g icing sugar (2 oz.)
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Start by making the base. Preheat the oven to 350°F and unroll the kataifi dough from the plastic sleeve. Work the kataifi dough with your hands, tearing apart the shreds and spreading the strands out a bit if they clump together, in order to get fluffy. Butter the bottom of a square baking dish and spread the kataifi dough to form the base of the ekmek kataifi. Pour over the melted butter and bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, until crispy and nicely colored.
2. Next, prepare the custard. Add in a large bowl the egg yolks with half the sugar and whisk until fluffy. Add 3-4 tablespoons of the milk and the corn starch and whisk again until the corn starch has dissolved. Set aside.
3. Pour the rest of the milk in a large non-stick pan and add the sugar and vanilla extract. Place the pan over high heat. As soon as the milk comes to a boil, remove from the heat and gradually ladle 1/3 of the milk into the egg mixture, while whisking. Place the pan (with the remaining milk) again on the stove and turn the heat down to medium. Add the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining warm milk. Whisk continuously, until the mixture has thickened and is smooth and creamy. Remove the pan from the stove, add the butter and stir.
4. Pour the custard in a large tray, cover with plastic wrap (the wrap should be touching the custard, so that it doesn’t form a crust) and let cool.
5. Take the kataifi out of the oven and let it cool down completely.
6. Add all the ingredients for the syrup into a small pot and bring to a boil. Simmer the syrup for three minutes (without stirring), until slightly thickened and remove from the stove. Leave the syrup aside to cool down until lukewarm. Ladle the lukewarm syrup slowly over the cold baked pastry, enabling each ladle to be absorbed. Set aside to cool down.
7. Prepare the whipped cream and assemble the ekmek kataifi. Top the kataifi base with the custard and even out using a spatula. Put the cold heavy cream into a mixing bowl, add the icing sugar and whisk on high speed until medium peaks form, about 1 minute. Top the ekmek kataifi with the whipped cream and even out. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and a pinch of cinnamon.
8. Store the Greek Ekmek Kataifi in the fridge and serve cold. Enjoy!