Cooking from Scratch
We know that traditional moussaka is made with lamb (we’ve had plenty made that way), but this one isn’t. That’s why the title isn’t “Traditional Moussaka.” Instead, what we have here is a lighter version of traditional moussaka that tastes just as good, but is nowhere near as oily (a failing of many, many, moussakas, in our opinion) and fatty. Don’t believe us? Read on, and try it out.
In general, we don’t like making cookies. Especially as treats for others. After all, everyone makes cookies. And why is that? Well, they’re really, really good, but, they’re also really easy, and we like a challenge. Plus, if we’re bringing a treat, we want it to be a treat, something a little different. So, when we read about these Greek cookies, we knew we had to try them ourselves.
Continue reading “Koulourakia”
We knew we wanted potatoes, but were unsure of how we’d prepare them. We did a quick check through a couple of cookbooks, but nothing stood out. Then we thought to scan our food links for something involving potatoes. We look through a lot of cookbooks from the library, and, when we see a recipe we might like to try, we check to see if there’s something similar on the Internet. If so, we bookmark it for later. So, we looked and this recipe stood out.
Continue reading “Greek-Style Potatoes”
After making these beggars’ purses, we remarked that we hadn’t made them in a long time. And that’s actually quite surprising, since we often have a hard time figuring out what to do with eggplant. Sometimes the eggplants sit in the refrigerator for nearly a week while we try to think of a recipe that will use them up and taste good. When, all the while, we’ve had this recipe that we think is the best way ever to eat eggplant. We think that you might just agree.
Continue reading “Eggplant and Feta Beggars’ Purses”
Okay, who’s up for an attempt at some serious scratchin’? You’ve seen phyllo dough, those thinner than a piece of paper sheets used in Greek dishes. Could you ever imagine that you’d be able to make up a batch right in your own kitchen? Us either. But, we’re willing to give it a try. Now, we doubt that these sheets will be anywhere as thin as the commercial version of phyllo, but we’re willing to bet that the taste and flavor of fresh phyllo will be as good, if not better, than the frozen in a box kind. So, if you’re up for making a batch of phyllo, let’s get scratchin’.
Continue reading “Phyllo Dough”
At least once a week, we simmer the vegetable trimmings that we’ve collected over the past few days. Onion peels or wilted tops from green onions, carrot peelings, the tops and bottoms of squash that we’ve trimmed off, the germ from garlic, even corn cobs. Those trimmings, while they’re edible and have a lot of flavor, might not look perfect in a finished dish. So, we save them to make stock. It’s a nice way to use up all the vegetables that people have worked very hard to produce for us.
Continue reading “Avgolemono (Egg Lemon Soup)”
Today’s the first day of summer, so we’re celebrating with one of the best summer salads on the planet: Greek Salad. This is the typical salad that Susan had during her visits in Greece, perhaps to the surprise of those of us who are expecting some variety of leafy green lettuces, olives, and so on. Instead, like many authentic dishes, it is made with a select few ingredients, picked fresh when they’re bursting with flavor and served within minutes so you can taste every nuance.
Continue reading “Authentic Greek Salad”