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nadellii

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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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Saganaki me meli kai sousami (Saganaki with honey and sesame).

Kalamaria is probably a close second.
Is saganaki with honey and sesame popular all over Greece? I haven't seen it in every restaurant as I do plain saganaki
 
Is saganaki with honey and sesame popular all over Greece? I haven't seen it in every restaurant as I do plain saganaki
Yes, it can be found all over. Most restaurants will have it on the menu.
 
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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?
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?
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.
Spanakopeta, fava, loukaniko, ...all are good and delicious.
 
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?
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!
 

Do You Make Avgolemono Thick or Brothy?

I usually prefer avgolemono somewhere in the middle. I don’t like it so thick that it feels almost like a cream soup, but I also don’t want it completely thin and brothy. For me, the best version has enough egg and lemon to give the broth some body while still keeping it light.

A lot probably depends on what kind of avgolemono you’re making, too. In chicken soup, I like it a little more brothy because I want the rice or orzo and chicken to still stand out. With something like lahanodolmades, I don’t mind the avgolemono sauce being thicker because it is coating the food rather than serving as the soup itself.

The lemon level matters just as much as the thickness. I like enough lemon to make it bright and noticeable, but not so much that it overwhelms everything else. I think balance is really the key.

What is your favorite Greek potato dish?

Potatoes show up in so many Greek meals, and I think they are often at their best when they soak up plenty of olive oil, lemon, herbs, and cooking juices.

Greek lemon potatoes are probably the first thing that comes to mind for me. I love when they are roasted until they are soft inside, a little crisp around the edges, and full of lemon and oregano. Potatoes cooked alongside chicken or lamb are also hard to beat because they absorb so much flavor from the pan.

I also enjoy simple boiled potatoes dressed with olive oil, lemon, parsley, and salt, especially with fish or grilled meat.

What Greek potato dish do you make most often? Do you prefer lemon potatoes, potatoes roasted with meat, fried potatoes, or something else? And is there a particular seasoning or family method that makes your version especially good?

Do You Put Cinnamon in Your Keftedes?

I’m curious how everyone here makes keftedes, especially when it comes to cinnamon. I know some Greek families add a little cinnamon to the meat mixture, while others would never think of putting it in.

In my experience, even a small amount can change the flavor quite a bit. It gives the keftedes a warmer, slightly sweeter spice in the background, but I can also see how it might not be for everyone. I’ve had versions that lean more heavily on oregano, mint, parsley, garlic, and onion instead.

Do you put cinnamon in your keftedes? If you do, how much do you usually use, and was that something your family always did? I’d also be curious to know if it varies depending on what part of Greece your family comes from.

Would love to hear how everyone seasons theirs and what you consider essential for really good keftedes.

Do you make Greek lentil soup with vinegar

I’ve always made fakes with a splash of vinegar, either stirred into the pot near the end or added individually at the table. To me, that little bit of acidity is part of what makes the soup taste right, especially with the earthy lentils, olive oil, onion, garlic, and bay leaf.

But I have a Greek friend who makes hers very differently. She doesn’t use vinegar at all and instead adds quite a lot of tomato product, so her version is much redder and more tomato-forward than mine.

Now I’m curious about what is considered more traditional in Greek cooking. Is vinegar usually a standard part of fakes, or is it more of a regional or family preference? Are tomato-heavy versions just as traditional?

How do you make yours, and what did your family serve growing up?

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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