KALES APOKRIES

From my family to you all: KALES APOKRIES

(which means HAPPY HALLOWEEN).

Today is the first BIG celebration day in Greek carnaval, although Apokries has already started a while ago.We call this day TSIKNOPEMPTI which means SMOKY THURSDAY, and we make differrent kinds of rotisserie or barbecue meats. Souvlakia, kebabs, chicken and pork are the most commons.

This year we choose for little D to be Charlie Chaplin as Sarlo and he seems to enjoy it a lot!!!

SERGIOS ORESTIS KOLOKOTRONIS

Every Tuesday i'm trying to write for a Greek schientist. In my mind world would be totally different if these greek people have never been born. They are so many that is very hard to choose for which of them to write. And of course they are huge the scientific fields they work on. When i'm searching in the web and reading for their achievements i couldn't be more proud.

This week let's read about Sergio Oresti Kolokotroni, as he writes for his self, in koloko.net:

After studying biology in Montpellier and Paris, and a PhD in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Columbia University, I embarked on a postdoc at the American Museum of Natural History's Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, in NYC, running the AMNH DNA Barcoding Initiative for Conservationand working on plant phylogenomics and molecular evolution of pathogens. African forest elephants drew my attention in early graduate life. Since then, I have become interested in larger molecular evolutionary issues, conservation genetics, the applications of molecular ecology in endangered species and taxa involved in trade, comparative genomics of microbial wildlife and human pathogens, ancient DNA, and frameworks of evolutionary inference using biomolecular data using next-generation sequencing technologies in organisms, such as viruses, bacteria, basal metazoans, extinct mammals and museum historical specimens.

I taught graduate courses at Columbia University and at the AMNH Richard Gilder Graduate School. In 2011-2012 I was a Term Assistant Professor of Biology atBarnard College, Columbia University, and since 2012 I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Fordham University.

I continue collaborating with AMNH scientists Rob DeSalle, George Amato and Rick Baker as a Research Affiliate at the AMNH Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics. In parallel, I work with colleagues from New York University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the New York Botanical Garden, and the AMNH under the umbrella of the New York Plant Genomics Consortium to investigate the evolution of the seed plants using phylogenomic and molecular genetic approaches.

As a supporter of Open Access publishing I contribute as an Academic Editor forPLoS ONE. I am also the Managing Editor of Mitochondrial DNA.

Well done patrioti! (This is my comment don't get comfused!).

DREAM HOMES

It's been a while since i wrote but spring cleaning began earlier for me. Today i found the most inspiring images from apartments in Athens and thought that i should share...

http://www.onekindesign.com/2013/01/21/striking-transformation-of-a-postwar-house-in-athens/

http://www.onekindesign.com/2012/12/24/warehouse-loft-in-athens-with-japanese-aesthetics/

Go take a look, there are many more photos of each apartment. Photographer at both places was

 Ioanna Roufopoulouf

IT IS A MAN'S WORLD

Hello friends! You are all so wellcomed to my little corner. Please feel free to leave your comments. It'll mean so much to me!!!

For today a photo i had taken a while ago, which reminds of James Brown legendary IT IS A MAN'S WORLD. Just a little kid... and so manish details...

And for you to enjoy:

RESPECT!

TIRAMISU

Many italians will curse me if they read this recipe. I know... the real thing needs mascarpone and eggs and marsala wine. But in Greece we use cream cheese and whipped cream most of the times. You will find this very fluffy and of course it doesn't contain raw eggs, which is always good if you don't trust them (you better!).

These are everything you need:

• 400 gr cream cheese
• 400 gr full cream
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• two capsules vanilla powder (if you are fancy go for the sticks, we are in the middle of an economic crise, so cheap stuff has to work)
• 400 gr savoiardi biscuits
• 1 big cup strong italian espresso
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

First make the whipped cream. Put it in the food processor with the sugar and vanilla. When it is thick like yogurt, add cream cheese and mix them together gently, using a spatula or a big spoon. Let it in the fridge.

Be sure your coffee is cold. Place in it the biscuits one at a time for two seconds. They are very soft and absorb the liquid very soon, so you can't put more in the coffee. You will ruin them.

Make a layer in a bowl or a deep platter... Whatever you like. Put the half of your cream. Toss some cocoa on it. Make one more layer with biscuits and add the remaining cream. Toss some more cocoa or chocolate powder if you find it bitter.

You may notice that there isn't any alcohol in the recipe i gave you. Of course Italians use marsala and many greeks add whisky or brandy, but little D is going crazy for this and coffee is enough. 

ENJOY!

George Papanikolaou

These days were busy. So many things to do, so little time... 

Today i want only to remind you...

He is George Papanikolaou.

I'm copying from wikipedia:

Papanikolaou studied at the University of Athens, where he received his medical degree in 1904. Six years later he received his Ph.D. from the University of Munich, Germany, after he had also spent time at the universities of Jena andFreiburg.^[1] In 1910, Papanikolaou returned to Athens and got married to Andromahi Mavrogeni and then departed for Monaco where he worked for the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, participating in the Oceanographic Exploration Team of the Prince of Monaco (1911).^[2]

In 1913 he emigrated to the U.S. in order to work in the department of Pathology of New York Hospital and the Department of Anatomy at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

He first reported that uterine cancer could be diagnosed by means of a vaginal smear in 1928, but the importance of his work was not recognized until the publication, together with Herbert Traut, of Diagnosis of Uterine Cancer by the Vaginal Smear in 1943. The book discusses the preparation of vaginal and cervical smears, physiologic cytologic changes during the menstrual cycle, the effects of various pathological conditions, and the changes seen in the presence of cancer of thecervix and of the endometrium of the uterus. He thus became known for his invention of the Papanicolaou test, commonly known as the Pap smear or Pap test, which is used worldwide for the detection and prevention of cervical cancer and other cytologic diseases of the female reproductive system.

In 1961 he moved to Miami, Florida, to develop the Papanicolaou Cancer Research Institute at the University of Miami, but died in 1962 prior to its opening.

Dr. Papanicolaou was the recipient of the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research in 1950.^[3]

Papanikolaou's portrait appeared on the obverse of the Greek 10,000-drachma banknote of 1995-2001,^[4] prior to its replacement by the Euro.

In 1978 his work was honored by the U.S. Postal Service with a 13-cent stamp for early cancer detection.

We aren't able to count how many women owe him their lives. 

Find the time in your busy life and make an appointment with your doctor.

You owe that to your self.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

My best wishes to all of you! Even if you aren't in love, enjoy the day, and who knows?

Little D should wear something suitable for the day. Something red? We had this skinny jeans from La redoute previous summer collection (bought in sales for something like eight euros!). To keep it from being too girly (all this hair doesn't help!), i add a zara t-shirt with black and grey stripes, and a total black Zara coat, gift for his baptism at October. His shoes are black and red Nikes and his grey and black skulls scarf was also from Zara. I love it so much that once i borrowed it!

Tonight we are staying in to enjoy meat fondue and some chocolate! What are your plans for the day? I'll be happy to hear!