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nm1999

Active member
I thought it would be fun to share my favorite Greek foods! I would love to hear about yours, as well.


Fasolakia - Particularly made with Green beans

Avgolemono - my favorite comfort food soup!

Traditional gyros - Made just like they are in Greece

Horiatiki - only the freshest produce (especially tomatoes) and best feta goes in mine

Koulourakia - such a great simple thing to have on hadn't to serve guests and eat with coffee

Moussaka - an absolute pain for me to make, I have a restaurant nearby that makes THE BEST

Stuffed grape leaves - also time consuming, but I love making them with fresh grape leaves

Fakes - I love lentil soup

Greek bread! - I figured out how to make it like it is in Greece.



Of course, those are just my top choices. I love most Greek foods, to be honest.
 
This is such a great list! It’s funny how many of these overlap with what I grew up eating as a Greek-American.

Fasolakia is one of those dishes that I think people outside Greek families don’t fully appreciate. When it’s made right with olive oil, tomatoes, and potatoes, it’s incredible. I also completely agree about avgolemono — that soup is basically the definition of comfort food for me. My family always made it whenever someone was sick.

I smiled when I saw fakes on your list, too. It’s such a simple dish but somehow always hits the spot, especially with a big piece of bread and feta on the side.

And I’m with you on moussaka and dolmades — I love them, but I rarely make them because they’re so much work!

One thing I’d add to my favorites list is briam. When it’s made with really good olive oil and summer vegetables, it’s one of my absolute favorite Greek dishes.

Now I’m curious what everyone else would add!
 

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?

Do You Make Avgolemono Thick or Brothy?

I usually prefer avgolemono somewhere in the middle. I don’t like it so thick that it feels almost like a cream soup, but I also don’t want it completely thin and brothy. For me, the best version has enough egg and lemon to give the broth some body while still keeping it light.

A lot probably depends on what kind of avgolemono you’re making, too. In chicken soup, I like it a little more brothy because I want the rice or orzo and chicken to still stand out. With something like lahanodolmades, I don’t mind the avgolemono sauce being thicker because it is coating the food rather than serving as the soup itself.

The lemon level matters just as much as the thickness. I like enough lemon to make it bright and noticeable, but not so much that it overwhelms everything else. I think balance is really the key.

How Much Garlic in a Batch of Tzatziki?

How much garlic do you usually put in a batch of tzatziki? I think I may be using a little too much. I usually make mine with about 2 cups of Greek yogurt and 4 cloves of garlic, along with cucumber, olive oil, and the other usual ingredients.

It tastes great when I first make it, but we usually take about three days to finish the batch. By the second or third day, the garlic flavor and smell become really strong. Some people in my household love that and don’t mind it at all, but others think it becomes a bit overpowering. I’m starting to agree that four cloves might be too much, especially since the garlic seems to get stronger as it sits.

What do you all do? How many cloves would you use for about 2 cups of Greek yogurt?

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?

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?
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