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What is your favorite dish to order for mezze?

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nadellii

nadellii

Active member
Mezze is the ultimate Greek style of eating. If you didn’t know, mezze is similar to Spanish tapas. It’s when you order smaller plates for everyone at the table to share. Personally, my favorite mezze is fried calamari. You really can’t go wrong with it! What about you?
 
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fried calamari on its own does not make a mezze.you need at least 6 plates of different items.say cheese balls, meat balls, stuffed vine leaves, gigantes, fried fetta cheese & olives.
 
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The Greek ouzo meze is part of the drinking experience as it helps you drink ouzo or raki without getting intoxicated. More about the meze below. Yes, you need more that 5 items to make a meze. In the past, when I was young, I remember a tiny plate with cheese, meatball, sardine, tomato, cucumber, bread and olive (for my grandfather's ouzaki). https://www.thegreekvibe.com/the-greek-meze-its-story/
 
Saganaki me meli kai sousami (Saganaki with honey and sesame).

Kalamaria is probably a close second.
 
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ellinasgolfer0320 said:
Saganaki me meli kai sousami (Saganaki with honey and sesame).

Kalamaria is probably a close second.
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Is saganaki with honey and sesame popular all over Greece? I haven't seen it in every restaurant as I do plain saganaki
 
greggd12 said:
Is saganaki with honey and sesame popular all over Greece? I haven't seen it in every restaurant as I do plain saganaki
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Yes, it can be found all over. Most restaurants will have it on the menu.
 
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nadellii said:
Mezze is the ultimate Greek style of eating. If you didn’t know, mezze is similar to Spanish tapas. It’s when you order smaller plates for everyone at the table to share. Personally, my favorite mezze is fried calamari. You really can’t go wrong with it! What about you?
Click to expand...
nadellii said:
Mezze is the ultimate Greek style of eating. If you didn’t know, mezze is similar to Spanish tapas. It’s when you order smaller plates for everyone at the table to share. Personally, my favorite mezze is fried calamari. You really can’t go wrong with it! What about you?
Click to expand...
Spanakopeta, fava, loukaniko, ...all are good and delicious.
 
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Yesss loukaniko is the best!! Especially when it’s made fresh at the butcher.
Jawge said:
Spanakopeta, fava, loukaniko, ...all are good and delicious.
Click to expand...
 
nadellii said:
Mezze is the ultimate Greek style of eating. If you didn’t know, mezze is similar to Spanish tapas. It’s when you order smaller plates for everyone at the table to share. Personally, my favorite mezze is fried calamari. You really can’t go wrong with it! What about you?
Click to expand...
Anything that involves olives or octopus! Also, I sometimes enjoy loukoumades. Sometimes in bars/cafes in Greece they bring over loukoumades when you order a cocktail. Yummy!
 
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Do you make your pastitsio with a thick or thin layer of krema?

I've always preferred my pastitsio with a nice, thick layer of béchamel on top. To me, that's one of the best parts of the dish! I love when the krema is rich, creamy, and thick enough to hold its shape when you cut into the pastitsio.

The problem is that I've been having trouble getting my krema just right. Sometimes it comes out too thin, and other times the texture isn't quite as smooth as I'd like. I've tried adjusting the amount of flour and milk, but I still haven't found the perfect balance.

I'm curious how everyone else makes theirs. Do you prefer a thick layer of béchamel or just enough to cover the pasta? Does your family add eggs or cheese to the mixture?

I'd especially love to hear any tips for making a thick, smooth krema that sets beautifully when baked!

Is lamb or beef more traditional for giouvetsi?

I've been looking into traditional Greek giouvetsi recipes lately, and I'm curious about which meat is considered the most traditional. I've seen recipes that use lamb, others that call for beef, and even some that use chicken.

I love the idea of slowly cooking the meat in a rich tomato sauce with orzo until everything becomes tender and flavorful. However, I'm wondering whether lamb or beef would be the more authentic choice.

Is one traditionally preferred in certain regions of Greece? I've read that lamb is often associated with older Greek recipes, but beef seems to be very common in modern versions of giouvetsi.

I'm also curious whether the choice of meat changes the way the dish is prepared. Does lamb require different seasonings or cooking times than beef?

For those familiar with traditional Greek cooking, which version do you prefer, and which would you recommend trying first?

My Family’s Keftedes Recipe

Keftedes are one of those foods that always remind me of family gatherings. Everyone seems to make them a little differently, but this is the basic version my family has always used.

For about a pound of ground beef, we add one small grated onion, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, a little fresh mint, one egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, and a small splash of red wine vinegar. Sometimes we add a little grated garlic as well.

The important part is mixing everything well and then letting the mixture sit in the refrigerator for a little while before shaping the keftedes. We make them fairly small, roll them lightly in flour, and fry them in olive oil until browned on the outside and cooked through.

We usually serve them with lemon, potatoes, salad, or tzatziki.

How does your family make keftedes? I’m especially curious about which herbs and seasonings everyone uses. Thought I'd share!

How Much Garlic in a Batch of Tzatziki?

How much garlic do you usually put in a batch of tzatziki? I think I may be using a little too much. I usually make mine with about 2 cups of Greek yogurt and 4 cloves of garlic, along with cucumber, olive oil, and the other usual ingredients.

It tastes great when I first make it, but we usually take about three days to finish the batch. By the second or third day, the garlic flavor and smell become really strong. Some people in my household love that and don’t mind it at all, but others think it becomes a bit overpowering. I’m starting to agree that four cloves might be too much, especially since the garlic seems to get stronger as it sits.

What do you all do? How many cloves would you use for about 2 cups of Greek yogurt?

Greek cooking without a recipe?

I've been thinking about how much traditional Greek cooking relies on instinct rather than following exact recipes. Some of the Greek dishes I learned to make were taught to me by feel, with someone showing me what to do rather than measuring everything out.

I actually enjoy cooking this way, but I've noticed that it can make certain dishes difficult to recreate consistently! Sometimes everything comes together perfectly, and other times I wonder what I did differently.

I'm curious how others approach this. Did you learn Greek cooking by watching your yiayia, mother, or other relatives? Do you measure ingredients, or do you just know when something looks, smells, or tastes right?
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