Greek Food, Cooking and Recipe Community

Greek "Dips" for a Barbecue

1 - 8 of 8 Posts
K

knicks_fan87

Active member
I am serving a lot of Greek foods at a barbecue I will be hosting next month. I am starting to plan the menu now. There will be on the grill- lamb chops, chicken souvlaki, and loukaniko. There will also be Greek salad, fasolakia, and other miscellaneous dishes (I am not sure what yet). I like to have some dips and spreads laid out, both to accompany the grill foods, and to serve with bread.

Any advice? Definitely tzatziki, but was thinking of having something else, like kopanisti- but the issue with that is I am not sure I want to leave that outside.
 
Yes, I can see your dilemma, but wouldn’t the same apply for the tzatziki as well. I say make them both throw in there a melitzanosalata or a tarama dip and place the bowls on top of ice therefore no spoilage will take place.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rízes Hellenic Genealogy
knicks_fan87 said:
I am serving a lot of Greek foods at a barbecue I will be hosting next month. I am starting to plan the menu now. There will be on the grill- lamb chops, chicken souvlaki, and loukaniko. There will also be Greek salad, fasolakia, and other miscellaneous dishes (I am not sure what yet). I like to have some dips and spreads laid out, both to accompany the grill foods, and to serve with bread.

Any advice? Definitely tzatziki, but was thinking of having something else, like kopanisti- but the issue with that is I am not sure I want to leave that outside.
Click to expand...
tirokafteri tzatziki taramosalata melitzanosalata htipiti and some kind of hummus
 
knicks_fan87 said:
I am serving a lot of Greek foods at a barbecue I will be hosting next month. I am starting to plan the menu now. There will be on the grill- lamb chops, chicken souvlaki, and loukaniko. There will also be Greek salad, fasolakia, and other miscellaneous dishes (I am not sure what yet). I like to have some dips and spreads laid out, both to accompany the grill foods, and to serve with bread.

Any advice? Definitely tzatziki, but was thinking of having something else, like kopanisti- but the issue with that is I am not sure I want to leave that outside.
Click to expand...
Skordalia is always a hit and easy to prepare
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rízes Hellenic Genealogy
I would suggest Melitzanosalata but not the one velvet spread but the more rustic version called "Agioritiki". The eggplants are grilled the red peppers also. You chop everything with a knife, add parsley, olive oil, vinegar, and of course garlic.
 
Not sure if you already had that BBQ but I would save the following:

- Melizanosalata
- Tzatziki
- Spicy Feta Dip (don't know the greek name)
- Fava Dip
 
k_tsoukalas said:
Not sure if you already had that BBQ but I would save the following:

- Melizanosalata
- Tzatziki
- Spicy Feta Dip (don't know the greek name)
- Fava Dip
Click to expand...
I like this idea! Thank you
 
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION AND READ OTHER GREEK INFO:

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 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.

What Is the Best Way to Serve Taramosalata?

I absolutely love taramosalata and have it pretty regularly at home, but I’m having some people over soon and was wondering about the best way to serve it when entertaining.

Normally I just eat it with some bread or pita, so I don’t really put much thought into presentation. For guests, though, I’d like to make it part of a nice Greek-style spread with a few other things on the table. I was thinking warm pita triangles, crusty bread, maybe some cucumber and other vegetables for dipping, but I’m curious what everyone else usually serves with it.

Do you drizzle a little olive oil over the top or add any kind of garnish? And are there particular meze that you think pair especially well with taramosalata?

I’d love some ideas for making it look a little more special while still keeping everything traditional and simple.

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?

Is lamb or beef more traditional for giouvetsi?

I've been looking into traditional Greek giouvetsi recipes lately, and I'm curious about which meat is considered the most traditional. I've seen recipes that use lamb, others that call for beef, and even some that use chicken.

I love the idea of slowly cooking the meat in a rich tomato sauce with orzo until everything becomes tender and flavorful. However, I'm wondering whether lamb or beef would be the more authentic choice.

Is one traditionally preferred in certain regions of Greece? I've read that lamb is often associated with older Greek recipes, but beef seems to be very common in modern versions of giouvetsi.

I'm also curious whether the choice of meat changes the way the dish is prepared. Does lamb require different seasonings or cooking times than beef?

For those familiar with traditional Greek cooking, which version do you prefer, and which would you recommend trying first?
Sign up for a free account and share your thoughts, photos, questions about Greek food, travel and culture!

WorldwideGreeks.com is a free online forum community where people can discuss Greek food, travel, traditions, history and mythology.
Join Worldwide Greeks here!

JOIN COMMUNITY FOR FREE

LOGIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT
Back
Top