Greek Flavors for Home Cooking

A few ideas 🇬🇷

Sabrina, 

You are the Bean Queen – why have I not been putting beans in pasta salad? I love your description of the feeling of being tired but still wanting to feed people, and this is such a good recipe idea for that mood. 

My food update this week is that I am in Greece. I’ve been eating spanakopita, greek salads, and baklavas, and even had some shrimp saganaki that made me think of one that you used to make for us. I always think of you when I eat Greek food thanks to the days of our Greek food tours in Astoria. I still crave those lemon potatoes we used to get from Elias’ Corner for Fish. 

Shrimp saganaki with tomato, feta, and ouzo.

I’ve had some flavor combinations that are common here that are simple and practical, and extremely tasty. I couldn’t stop thinking of ways to incorporate these into some of the everyday foods I cook. So, here’s my list:

Capers in salads

I didn’t realize capers were a key Greek salad ingredient. I am not sure how I missed this. There have been capers in every Greek salad I have had here. Olive bites are (in my opinion) the best bites of a Greek salad, so adding capers gives almost every bite a similar briney satisfaction. I am going to add capers to every Greek salad I make from now on, and probably into many of my other salads too.

Lots of capers on a Greek salad.

Spinach with dill

I usually eat sauteed spinach seasoned with garlic, soy sauce, and black vinegar. But I had a very dill-y spanakopita which got me thinking that a garlic, dill, and lemon sauteed spinach would be delicious. I think this would be great as a breakfast side with eggs, or on a ricotta toast.

Cheese with honey and sesame

I’ve eaten (too) many blocks of feta wrapped in phyllo, and then glazed in honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Honey and cheese is a sweet and salty combo that I always forget about, so this is mostly a reminder to myself that they are delicious together. The sesame seeds add a nutty crunch that makes it even better. I was thinking that a sesame-crusted grilled cheese drizzled with honey would be a great snack. 

Feta wrapped in phyllo with honey and sesame, and a nice addition of a sprinkle of cinnamon (and a side of giant beans).

Honey and crushed nuts on yogurt

This doesn’t sound revelatory because I usually put honey and nuts on my yogurt. But all the yogurt I have had here comes with ground nuts mixed into honey, almost like the filling of baklava. This makes the whole thing feel more deluxe, and seems like an easy way to make a standard breakfast more special. 

Yogurt with crushed nuts and honey, which makes it feel like more of a treat.

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A running letter between long distance friends who love to eat

Do you miss your best friend? Are really hungry you right now? If the answer to either of these is yes, you know what to do.