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paharo45

Active member
I am trying to plan my Christmas Day feast. I want Greek elements, but I also want to keep things on the simpler side, if that's at all possible.

I will have 10-15 people over that day. Here is what I was thinking. Please weigh in - I could use all the help I can get!

- Pork roast - was thinking of doing a pork roast with a Greek sort of spice rub - oregano, garlic, salt, pepper ....
- Lemon potatoes - this goes so well with pork!
- Greek salad - always a classic favorite
- Vegetables - haven't decided yet which vegetable dish to serve
- Chrisopsomo - of course, this is a given
- Melamakarona - also a given

What do you think? I am not opposed to cooking lamb either.
 
A nice salad that pairs well with pork and is more winters is a nice carrot cabbage salad, Laxano karoto, tzatziki pairs wonderfully with pork. A tiropita. You can make the tiropita in advance, freeze it and and bake it from frozen the day of the dinner. And what about a nice baklava to end the meal with your melomakarona!
 
A nice salad that pairs well with pork and is more winters is a nice carrot cabbage salad, Laxano karoto, tzatziki pairs wonderfully with pork. A tiropita. You can make the tiropita in advance, freeze it and and bake it from frozen the day of the dinner. And what about a nice baklava to end the meal with your melomakarona!
I love the idea of serving a carrot cabbage salad and tiro pita with the pork! I would think about putting a bit of freshly ground nutmeg (a tiny amount) in the filling for the tiropita.

If you have any, consider making something with apple for dessert - like a milopita. I love apples with pork meals. I would even be tempted to serve apple sauce, even though it isn't necessarily Greek. Or apple spoon sweets!
 
So, I ended up serving pork, cabbage salad, tiropita, lemon potatoes, melamakarona, pasta flora, and Christopsomo. It was perfect!
 

Favorite Greek Cheeses Beyond Feta

Feta gets most of the attention when people talk about Greek cheese, but there are so many other varieties worth trying. I’m curious which Greek cheeses everyone enjoys most beyond feta.

Graviera is one of my favorites because it works so well on a cheese plate, grated over dishes, or just eaten with bread. Kasseri is another one I really like, especially melted. I’ve also been interested in trying more regional cheeses like metsovone, manouri, kefalotyri, and formaela.

Some Greek cheeses seem to be much easier to find outside Greece than others, so I’d also love to know which ones people regularly buy and where they usually find them.

What Greek cheeses do you keep coming back to? Are there certain ones you associate with a particular region, dish, or family tradition? And if someone has mostly eaten feta, which Greek cheese would you recommend they try next?

Do you put potatoes in your briam?

I've noticed that there are quite a few variations of briam, especially when it comes to which vegetables people include. One ingredient I'm particularly curious about is potatoes. Do you always put potatoes in your briam, or do you prefer making it without them?

I usually think of briam as a combination of zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and plenty of olive oil. I love how the potatoes absorb all those wonderful flavors as everything slowly roasts together in the oven.

However, I've seen recipes that leave the potatoes out entirely and focus more on the summer vegetables. I imagine that makes the dish a little lighter.

I'm also curious whether there are regional differences in how briam is prepared throughout Greece. Does your family have a particular way of making it? And what vegetables do you consider absolutely essential?

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?

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?

What herbs do you use when making Greek stuffed zucchini?

I've been thinking about making Greek stuffed zucchini (kolokithakia gemista), and I'm curious about which herbs everyone uses in the filling. I've seen quite a few variations, and it seems like the combination of herbs can really influence the overall flavor of the dish.

Some recipes use plenty of fresh dill and parsley, while others include mint or even a little oregano. I've also noticed that some people add green onions for extra flavor. I'm wondering whether certain herbs are considered more traditional, especially when making stuffed zucchini with rice and ground meat.

Do you use a combination of herbs, or do you prefer to keep the seasoning fairly simple? Does your family have a particular recipe that has been passed down through generations?

I'm especially interested in how the herbs complement the avgolemono sauce. What combination do you think gives Greek stuffed zucchini the best flavor?
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