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voula_slat

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I know that this isn't a traditionally Greek dish, just Greek inspired, but we have fun with it in my family.

You take a regular cheesecake recipe (the kind you have to bake), prepare it, and set it aside while prepping the baklava part.

Brush the cheesecake pan with better. Line it with a few sheets of phyllo - I eyeball it - and then brush it with butter. You want Mayne 3-4 layers of phyllo but make sure the pan is covered.

Prepare the nut filling of 2 cups ground nuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and about a teaspoon or more of cinnamon (I eyeball it) in a bowl. Sprinkle over the phyllo. Pour the cheesecake filling over it, and bake the cheesecake as directed in the recipe.

When about to serve, prepare a simple syrup with honey, water, sugar, orange zest, and honey. You'll need about a cup of syrup.

baklava-cheesecake.jpg
 
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I know that this isn't a traditionally Greek dish, just Greek inspired, but we have fun with it in my family.

You take a regular cheesecake recipe (the kind you have to bake), prepare it, and set it aside while prepping the baklava part.

Brush the cheesecake pan with better. Line it with a few sheets of phyllo - I eyeball it - and then brush it with butter. You want Mayne 3-4 layers of phyllo but make sure the pan is covered.

Prepare the nut filling of 2 cups ground nuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and about a teaspoon or more of cinnamon (I eyeball it) in a bowl. Sprinkle over the phyllo. Pour the cheesecake filling over it, and bake the cheesecake as directed in the recipe.

When about to serve, prepare a simple syrup with honey, water, sugar, orange zest, and honey. You'll need about a cup of syrup.

View attachment 1245
That looks delicious!
 
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That looks delicious!
It really does! I had this once at a restaurant but haven't thought to make it myself. The restaurant had made a regular cheesecake. Then, they had taken homemade baklava and chopped it, then crumbled it over the cake. They finished it off with a honey syrup that was lightly flavored with orange and cinnamon. I presume it was orange peel and a cinnamon stick they had removed in the process because I didn't see any flecks of ground cinnamon.
 
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Thank you voula_slat for sharing your recipe. It’s sooooo yummmmy and a crowd pleaser for sure.
When we were recipe testing for our book “Baking Baklava”, cheesecake Baklava was one of the recipes that when everyone tried it said they loved it and definitely needed to be in the book. We knew right there that it would be the most popular recipe in our book.
 
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Thank you voula_slat for sharing your recipe. It’s sooooo yummmmy and a crowd pleaser for sure.
When we were recipe testing for our book “Baking Baklava”, cheesecake Baklava was one of the recipes that when everyone tried it said they loved it and definitely needed to be in the book. We knew right there that it would be the most popular recipe in our book.
It sounds like an incredible flavor combination!
 
It really does! I had this once at a restaurant but haven't thought to make it myself. The restaurant had made a regular cheesecake. Then, they had taken homemade baklava and chopped it, then crumbled it over the cake. They finished it off with a honey syrup that was lightly flavored with orange and cinnamon. I presume it was orange peel and a cinnamon stick they had removed in the process because I didn't see any flecks of ground cinnamon.
A great way to end a meal! I definitely have to make something like this for my blog!
 

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.

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?

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!

What is the secret to making really good Greek lemon potatoes?

I've been making Greek lemon potatoes for years, and it's one of those dishes I make completely by feel. I don't measure anything, and I never really thought about how I make them because it's all second nature to me.

Recently, I tried teaching someone how to make them. Everything seemed straightforward while we were cooking together, but when they went home and tried making them on their own, all kinds of things went wrong! The potatoes weren't cooking evenly, the texture wasn't quite right, and the lemon flavor didn't come through the way it should.

It made me realize how much I rely on instinct when cooking traditional Greek food. I rarely write down recipes, so explaining every little detail is harder than I expected!

For those who make Greek lemon potatoes regularly, what tips would you give someone who's just learning?
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