Languishing over food preparation is an integral part of Greek culture, and it’s just as important as sitting and enjoying the meal together as a family. It’s almost like a ritual, as the mother prepares the food, does the baking and chops salads and vegetables; while the rest of the family sets the table in readiness to sit down and eat. It is a time for the family to share their daily activities with each other, and is still quite a sacred time of the day, even in the 21st century.
Typical meals prepared for dinner will consist of chicken, lamb, pork, beef and veal. Usually they will be served with potatoes and cheese bake in the oven, string beans into tomato source, artichokes and aubergines, cheese and spinach pies, and Greek salad.
Other dishes may include potato salad, eggplant salad, tzatziki, mousaka (one of my favorites), pork souvlaki, vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers stuffed with the rice and minced beef, dolmades ( vine or cabbage leaves stuffed with rice), and a myriad of pulses such as lentils which make a perfect soup.
These fabulous, tasty, wholesome dishes are invariably followed by lavish Greek homemade desserts. There is usually an assortment of cakes, for example Baklava, which is one of the more well known desserts. Each area or region of Greece has a unique recipe; often each family within a region will have their favourite recipe. The most important ingredient which is always included in the recipes is the syrup.
Another huge favorite is galaktoboureko (milk pie) which consists of a layered Philo pastry covered with a semolina, egg and sugar mix and topped with more layers of Philo pastry, and once cooked, is drizzled with a sugar, lemon and vanilla syrup.
Upon arrival as a visitor to a Greek home, you will traditionally be offered a sweet welcome, with a small spoonful of preserves (homemade) which are normally offered in a small crystal dish. Often it will be served with a glass of chilled, iced water.
Greek recipes (like most other cultural recipes) will frequently contain a number of secret ingredients, usually passed down by our ancestors, in order to prepare the most delicate, unique delicious Greek dishes. They are an extremely essential part of our culture and heritage, which collectively, constitute one of the most nutritious diets found in the Mediterranean as acknowledged by some of the best dieticians in the world.
Some say that Greek cuisine is also one of the healthiest and I wouldn’t disagree with that. I grew up in the beautiful island of Kalymnos in the Dodecanese group of islands in the Aegean Sea, and we ate nothing more than fresh meat, lots of fish caught daily, fruits and vegetables harvested on the island, and mom would use only pure extra virgin olive oil. No exclusive restaurants, no dishes created by celebrity TV chefs, and definitely no ‘fast food’; although I am sad to say that I saw a McDonalds restaurant the last time I visited my cousin in Skiathos (heaven forbid).
Just fresh products simply cooked, wine and good company; this is the way we eat in Greece and this is what I want to share with you in this page! The Greek salad recipe you’ll find here are your everyday home style dishes of a typical Greek family.
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