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dimi_pat

Active member
I'm all about cooking meals ahead and storing them in the freezer because I am super busy with work and can't be bothered to cook a fresh meal every day. I like to buy cheap Tupperware in bulk to store all of my meals to make it more cost efficient. I usually only keep meals in the freezer up to one month, otherwise they start to develop freezer burn. Some of the best Greek meals to cook ahead of time are moussaka, pastitsio, fava, lentils, kokkinisto, keftedes, and soutzoukakia!
 
I agree! The Greek food we always freeze is dolmades:

dolmades-720x481.jpeg
 
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I will assemble spanakopita and tiro pita and instead of cooking, I cover the top with waxed paper or parchment paper, and then wrap it in plastic wrap. When I went fresh pita, I take it out and bake it - it takes a bit longer than normal to cook, but you can take it out of the freezer, unwrap it, and pop it in the oven directly. So I have the fresh taste of pita without the immediate need to assemble it when I want it. So, I make a few at a time.
 

Tzatziki - making it thicker?

I've been experimenting with making homemade tzatziki, and while the flavor came out great, the texture was much thinner than I expected.

I used Greek yogurt and grated cucumber, and I did squeeze the cucumber before mixing everything together. The problem is that after it sat for a while, it became fairly watery. It still tasted good, but it didn't have that thick, creamy texture you get at many tavernas and Greek restaurants.

For those of you who make tzatziki regularly, what do you do to keep it thick? Do you squeeze the cucumber multiple times? Let it drain longer? Use a particular brand of yogurt? I've also heard some people strain the yogurt itself.

I'm curious about traditional methods as well as any family tips you've picked up over the years. What has worked best for you?

Traditional Greek foods that remind you of summer?

I was thinking about this because every summer I seem to crave the same Greek foods, and I’m not sure if it’s because they’re actually traditional summer foods or just because I associate them with festivals, cookouts, and family gatherings.

For me, it’s always things like horiatiki, watermelon with feta, souvlaki, tzatziki, grilled seafood, and anything with tomatoes, olive oil, lemon, and oregano. Even a cold frappé feels like summer to me.

But then I started wondering if this depends on where your family is from in Greece, or whether people mostly think of the same foods when summer comes around.

What traditional Greek foods immediately remind you of summer?

Favorite Food You've Eaten in Greece?

I've been fortunate enough to travel around Greece a few times, and whenever people ask me what my favorite food was, I never seem to have a simple answer.

Some of the most memorable meals I've had weren't at famous restaurants at all. They were at small, family-run tavernas in villages where the menu was short, the ingredients were local, and everything tasted homemade. In many cases, I couldn't even tell you exactly what made the meal so special—it was just fresh, authentic, and unforgettable.

One evening in a mountain village, I had a simple plate of lamb, potatoes, and a village salad that I still think about years later. Sometimes the simplest meals end up being the best.

I'm curious about everyone else's experiences. What is the best food you've eaten in Greece? Was it a specific dish, a restaurant, a family recipe, or a meal connected to a special memory?

Homemade Greek Soups in Summer?

Do many people still make homemade Greek soups during the summer?

I was thinking about this earlier because I usually associate soups more with colder weather, but growing up, soup still showed up at the table sometimes even in warmer months. Things like avgolemono, fasolada, or lighter vegetable soups never completely disappeared once summer arrived.

I’m curious what soups people actually make during Greek summers, especially in Greece itself. Do people switch to lighter recipes, or are traditional soups still common no matter the season? I could also see certain island or village recipes being more seasonal depending on what vegetables and herbs are available.

I’d love to hear what people grew up eating or what they still make now during the summer months. Any family favorites or regional soups worth trying would be interesting to hear about too.

What's better - Lamb on the spit or oven-roasted lamb?

Alright, I need to ask this because this debate comes up every Easter and every big family gathering in my circle. What’s actually better, lamb on the spit or oven-roasted lamb?

Part of me feels like nothing beats lamb slowly turning over charcoal for hours. The smell alone feels like a Greek holiday to me, and when the outside gets crispy while the inside stays juicy, it’s hard to top. Plus there’s the whole atmosphere around it.

But honestly, I’ve had some incredible oven-roasted lamb too, especially when it’s cooked low and slow with lemon, garlic, oregano, potatoes, and all the juices soaking into everything. If you had to choose only one version for the rest of your life, which are you picking and why?
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