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How did you all learn how to cook Greek food?

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mastichas09

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For all of you who know a lot about Greek cuisine, how did you learn?

For me, I learned from a combination of my family, with recipes handed down, and from cookbooks to fill in the gaps.

My yiayia was straight from Greece and she taught me everything she knew. She didn't really teach me on purpose, I just cooked with her a lot.

When she passed, I realized that the recipes were all in my head, and if I neglected to learn something from her, the rest of the family somehow didn't know either. So I had to find some good cookbooks to help.

How about you guys?
 
mastichas09 said:
For all of you who know a lot about Greek cuisine, how did you learn?

For me, I learned from a combination of my family, with recipes handed down, and from cookbooks to fill in the gaps.

My yiayia was straight from Greece and she taught me everything she knew. She didn't really teach me on purpose, I just cooked with her a lot.

When she passed, I realized that the recipes were all in my head, and if I neglected to learn something from her, the rest of the family somehow didn't know either. So I had to find some good cookbooks to help.

How about you guys?
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Well, I learned from my mom my two sisters and my wife. Now get this my wife is an American. We were married in 1958 so things were different back then. She was always introduced at the Greek church as an American " but she cooks Greek". My mom bought her a Greek cook book in 1961 and it is still in use. To tell the truth my mom was not a very good cook,she was great at pastries,but my sisters were outstanding cooks including pastries. We use my sisters recipes for a lot of pastries and food.
 
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I learned from my yiayia! What a blessing. She lived across the street from me and when I was young, she watched my while my parents went to work. She had my learning by watching and helping. She trusted me with a sharp knife and chopping from a very young age. My mother caught her and yelled at her but I have a feeling she taught me the way she learned.

Now, all the recipes and methods and tricks are all in my head. When my yiayia was nearing end of life my mom tried to archive all her recipes, and it drove my mom nuts, and now I am the one driving the family nuts telling them - you don't need to measure that just eyeball it. ?
 
It is fascinating when you think how all these Greek grandmothers (γιαγιάδες) and the grandmothers before them, learned how to cook at a time where there were no cooking shows or cookbooks. There were no Aki or Argiro on tv or no worldwidegreeks on the internet. But all these women managed to learn not only on dish but multiple dishes without needing to peek at a written recipe. And it wasn’t only food. It was bread baking and baking sweets and pasta making, making cheese and curing olives and preserving fruits, and foraging and making soap. Yes k_tsoukalas what a blessing it was to learn from these amazing women. For those of you that still have a giagia in your life, spend time with her, write down her knowledge. Because their knowledge is better than any expensive chef’s cookbook you have.
 
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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?

Do you make your pastitsio with a thick or thin layer of krema?

I've always preferred my pastitsio with a nice, thick layer of béchamel on top. To me, that's one of the best parts of the dish! I love when the krema is rich, creamy, and thick enough to hold its shape when you cut into the pastitsio.

The problem is that I've been having trouble getting my krema just right. Sometimes it comes out too thin, and other times the texture isn't quite as smooth as I'd like. I've tried adjusting the amount of flour and milk, but I still haven't found the perfect balance.

I'm curious how everyone else makes theirs. Do you prefer a thick layer of béchamel or just enough to cover the pasta? Does your family add eggs or cheese to the mixture?

I'd especially love to hear any tips for making a thick, smooth krema that sets beautifully when baked!

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?

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?
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