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greek_ggirl

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Hey everyone, I'm a huge cocktail drinker (as you can see in this pic lol). While everyone is gonna be drinking beers this Easter, I want to enjoy a refreshing cocktail. Can anyone recommend a good cocktail pairing for meat and lamb?

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I know you like cocktails, but I am very traditional for Easter and would go with the Greek white wine Retsina!

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Ouzo lemonade is so good! Just squeeze fresh lemons, add a bit of simple syrup, and your favourite ouzo! We all know that ouzo goes super well with heavier meats :) cheers!
 
Ouzo lemonade is so good! Just squeeze fresh lemons, add a bit of simple syrup, and your favourite ouzo! We all know that ouzo goes super well with heavier meats :) cheers!
I would add a splash of Sprite or some kind of lemon lime soda
 
Try OUZO SPECIAL created in Cyprus and adapted by myself:
Per glass - crushed or whole ice cubes/ 2-4 cl ouzo/ 1 cl Cassis (or Grenadine)/ fill up with preferably with bitter lemon (or sprite) / decorate with a cocktail cherry and mint or basil leaf (optional: also an apple slice).
 
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Try OUZO SPECIAL created in Cyprus and adapted by myself:
Per glass - crushed or whole ice cubes/ 2-4 cl ouzo/ 1 cl Cassis (or Grenadine)/ fill up with preferably with bitter lemon (or sprite) / decorate with a cocktail cherry and mint or basil leaf (optional: also an apple slice).
Sign me up! Anything with grenadine is so good, thanks for posting this recipe!
 
I am all about Raki or Ouzo with lamb, but the cocktails mentioned above see delicious! I also like a refreshing ouzo spritzer: 1 shot of ouzo, juice of half a lemon, 5-6 fresh mint leaves, ice in the glass, top it off with soda water or lemon soda depending on the level of sweetness you want. The lemon and anise complement each other well, and the fizz and ice make it extra refreshing.
 

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!

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?

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?

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 Greek Foods Do You Start Craving in the Fall?

I've been thinking more about seasonal eating lately, especially from a Greek perspective. Summer Greek food feels so naturally tied to the season with tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, fresh herbs, grilled foods, and plenty of fruit. But once the weather starts cooling down, I find myself wondering what traditional Greek foods really feel like fall.

Are there certain dishes you start making as soon as September or October arrives? I'm thinking of foods like fasolada, giouvetsi, trahana soup, baked dishes, savory pies, and recipes using apples, grapes, walnuts, chestnuts, pumpkin, or other fall ingredients.

I'd especially love to hear about foods that were seasonal in your family rather than dishes you ate year-round. Were there certain meals your yiayia or parents always started making when the weather changed?

What Greek foods make you think, "Okay, fall is officially here"?
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