Greek Food, Cooking and Recipe Community

Phyllo tip: use butter for sweet and olive oil for savory

1 - 7 of 7 Posts
seleanor

seleanor

Active member
When baking with phyllo, use olive oil (not extra virgin) for savory treats like spanakopita and butter for sweets like baklava. :)
 
Thanks for the phyllo tip, never heard of this and we will try it next time we make spanakopita and/or baklava! ??
 
Might just be me, but I have NEVER had success using olive oil and filo pastry.
 
  • Like
Reactions: greek_ggirl
Patisqua said:
Might just be me, but I have NEVER had success using olive oil and filo pastry.
Click to expand...
Do you use butter? I find that butter is good for sweet pastries but I like to use olive oil for savoury. The phyllo is always more flaky with butter though
 
Butter makes the pastry flakier. When olive oil is used, it gives it a different texture. It maybe feels a little denser, and can make even store bought phyllo feel homemade. For me, it all depends on the situation. Sometimes I even do a half butter, half olive oil blend.
 
Definitely butter for sweets. Recipes for homemade filo are made with lots of butter. Had a cooking lesson on the weekend. My cousin was teaching me to make Kastellorizian sweet - Katoumathia. Katoumathia is fried flaky pastry garnished with sugar, water and cloves - flour, water kneaded and rolled out. cut into pieces. Each piece rolled out again and lots and lots (and lots more) melted butter spread over, rolled into strands, squished and rolled out again and fried in butter. Unfortunately this cannot be made with filo. BUT, I have made similar with frozen roti and lots and lots of butter garnished with sugar, water and cloves.
 

Attachments

  • Patricia + Katoumaria.jpg
    Patricia + Katoumaria.jpg
    1.6 MB · Views: 2
  • Like
Reactions: dubai_suzie and Worldwide Greeks Editor
Ive never heard of this pastry, looks so yummy, thanks for sharing :) :) :) :) :)
 
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION AND READ OTHER GREEK INFO:

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?

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?

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 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?

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?
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