Each summer when I travel to Greece to visit my in-laws, I enjoy my favorite traditional desserts that do not resemble anything from the American kitchen. Usually, I savor the sweet treats during the annual visit, convinced that I could not reproduce them at home.

This year is different. Our cousin Sophia spoiled us with all of our favorites and then took the time to handwrite her recipes for me. She promised that the sweet pies were very easy to make. My husband translated the precious code and for the past few weeks, I have tested the recipes, adjusting slightly for American ingredients or measurements.

The key to both Galaktoboureko and Bougatsa (recipe coming soon!) is the fine semolina in the custard. It may be hard to find for many of you. Luckily, we have a grocery store just blocks away that sells Greek food and ingredients needed for common dishes. The fine semolina (available online here)  is also called farina and reminded me of Cream of Wheat breakfast cereal I ate as a child.

Do NOT be afraid of working with phyllo. Often people complain that it is difficult and perhaps if you are making small pies and let it get dry, it will get finicky. But, if you are making large pies like this with full sheets, it is no trouble at all. Don’t skimp on the butter between the sheets. I use a large basting brush. Or, I should say, Mini Whipped uses the large pastry brush. (Brushing the butter between layers is a fun and easy job for kids.)

Though I usually find that traditional foods taste best in the location of their birth, our brood was quite pleased with our first, stateside Galaktoboureko. The enormous pan of sweet, caloric custard called to me hourly, like a Siren to the rocks. Sliver by sliver, I repeatedly convinced myself that I was just “evening out” the slices. So, I brought the rest of the pan to work and shared it with my office mates and clients. The reviews were positive.

Greek desserts, welcome to the Whipped kitchen!

Cousin Sophia’s Galaktoboureko

6  cups milk
1 cup fine semolina
¾ cup sugar
3 eggs
1  teaspoon vanilla
orange rind from 1 orange, finely grated
1 package phyllo (about 10-14 sheets)
2 sticks (1 cup) + 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Citrus Syrup:
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
orange juice from ½ an orange, about ¼ cup

Put milk, ½ cup sugar, vanilla, semolina and 1 Tablespoon butter in a sauce pan on medium heat. When it starts heating, keep stirring until it becomes thick like pudding. Take it off the fire and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Beat eggs with the rest (1/4 cup) of the sugar and stir it in to milk mixture. Stir the orange peel in.

To make the pie, the phyllo should be room temperature or slightly cooler. Open the package right before using it so the sheets do not get too dry. Melt two sticks of butter and start by brushing the butter on the bottom of your pan. In Greece, they use a large round pan about 16 inches in diameter. I used a lasagna dish, which works well (about 10 x 13 x 2). If you only have a traditional 9 x 13, you may not fit all the custard in the dish.

Lay down about 5-6 sheets phyllo or half of your package. Lightly press the sheets into the sides and corner and let the edges overlap on top. You will fold them over later. Do not skimp on the butter! You should use half on the bottom layers and half on the top.

Pour the slightly cooled custard on the bottom sheets and spread to the sides. Then layer another sheet on top. Mini Whipped has decided to name this process “putting the custard to bed.” We even told our custard a nice story, which I am quite sure added to its deliciousness in the end.

Continue brushing butter between layers until you have used all the phyllo, approximately 6 sheets on bottom and 6 on top. Then, brush butter on the overlapping sides and roll the edges down creating a “rim” around the edge of the pan. Liberally brush the top and the edge with the rest of your butter.

Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees or until the top is light brown all over.

While the pie is baking make the syrup by boiling the sugar, water and juice together for about 5 minutes. When you remove the pie from the oven, let it cool for about 15 minutes. Then, pour the syrup over the entire pie. Over time, it will seep in to the pie. Wait at least an hour before serving. Store the pie in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and continue to enjoy!

We are still a few months away from our annual excursion to visit my in-laws in Greece.  But, the excessive Chicago heat already has me in the mood.  Once I start dreaming of souvlaki, Greek salad, pasticcio, bougatsa and feta, it is impossible to push myself out of the taste bud trance.  Last week, I took an unplanned, quick turn into a local, ethnic grocer (Harvest Time) on the way back from the gym. Ten minutes later, I found myself walking out with a block of authentic Greek feta the size of my head.

Once you get started using feta, it is easy to see how Greek’s go through such enormous quantities of it.  It is a key ingredient in salads, phyllo pies and is almost always on the edge of the table for eating plain alongside any meal.  My favorite preparation is oven baked or grilled with a dousing of olive oil, a sprinkling of oregano and some diced tomatoes.

To grill feta, just drizzle some high quality olive oil over a 1-inch slice of feta cheese and sprinkle liberally with Greek oregano and a few fresh, diced tomatoes.  Fold the sides of the foil in and roll them down to create a closed packet.  Carefully place the packet on the corner of the grill for 15 minutes or until all contents are warm and cheese is soft.  I like to serve the cheese alongside grilled bread.  Brush olive oil on both sides on sliced bread and grill on each side until crunchy.  Spread heaping spoonfuls of the cheese mixture onto the grilled bread.  This is delicious alongside kabobs, grilled pork or chicken.

Spinach and cheese pies, zucchini fritters, meatballs, baked feta topped with oregano and tomatoes, fried peppers, peasant salad and a new one to Whipped… Melitzanosalata or Greek Eggplant Dip/Spread.  (find the other Greek recipes here.) I once found a similar recipe on another blog and he had titled his recipe Eggplant Crack.  Indeed, if you like eggplant and garlic, this stuff will have you hooked after just one touch to the tongue.

I had always wondered about the history of the name eggplant vs. aubergine so before writing this post, I did a little research.  It turns out, that is a door I should not have tried to open.  There was talk of deadly poison, flatulence and mad apples.  In an effort to keep your desire and appetite in tact to sample this recipe, I will leave the details out.  If your curiosity is piqued, you can read more here and here.

Consider this recipe a suggestion and adjust the proportions of garlic and lemon to your taste.  If you have the ability to grill the eggplants, that will add extra flavor.  And, be careful not to over food process the dip.  You can even chop everything by hand if you prefer a chunkier texture.

Melitzanosalata – Greek Eggplant Dip

2 large eggplants
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 medium-sized cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup quality olive oil
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Use a fork to prick the eggplants all over.  Put them on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes.  Remove and drain on a paper towel if needed.  Let cool until they can be handled.  Cut them in half and scoop all the insides out into a food processor.  Add minced garlic and lemon juice.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Continue to pulse while adding a steady stream of olive oil.  Stir in parsley, salt and pepper.

WATCH VIDEO HERE – Until I can figure out how to insert it into this post.

I have been wrestling for days to post the video of the lady making homemade phyllo pastries.  I finally got it on YouTube but then my audio was disabled.  Just a little copyright issue I guess.  For those who know the tune, maybe you can imagine it in your head. I had the version of Zorba the Greek from the movie Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Now the audio has been replaced by a YouTube royalty free folk tune.  hmmm.  Anyway, the movie is worth a peek to see the lady tossing the fresh phyllo.

The first time I was introduced to this bakery, we waited in line and finally reached the counter to buy our hot, flakey squares of custard filled dream.  Sharp movement caught the corner of my eye and I snuck to the back to see a woman circling massive, thin sheets of dough into the air.  She continued to flop it, wrap it, pat it and fold it until she had a small pie ready for the oven. The phyllo I have always known has zero elasticity while this homemade version is the exact opposite.

I drooled over these custard pastries last year and even gave you a recipe if you want to try making bougatsa at home.  You may use commercial, flat sheets of phyllo pastry.  If you feel brave enough to make homemade phyllo after watching this video, you can find a recipe here.  Good luck!  As for me, I will just keep counting down the days until next summer when I can once again gorge myself on these heavenly pastries.

With one final, massive zucchini in my crisper drawer, plentiful fresh herbs on my back porch and thoughts of my impending trip to Greece, I decided to try my hand at Kolokithokeftedes. These zucchini fritters have not usually been my favorite mezethes (small plates of tasty morsels)  but after this batch, I may find myself reaching for them more often.  Usually made with mint or dill, I used both.  I also thickened them up a touch with some flour and panko bread crumbs.  With a dollop of homemade garlicky cucumber yogurt sauce, or tzatziki, they were truly delectable.

Just looking at this photo, my mouth is watering remembering the pleasing contrasts.   The crispy warm fritter with a cool spread of yogurt sauce.  The fresh cucumber aroma in the tzatziki against the bite of plentiful garlic.  A healthy sprinkle of salt brought out the green flavors of the zucchini, dill, mint and green onion.  

I made this batch quite big and it was filling enough for our meal.  However, if you want to impress friends with a true Greek feast, I have a plan!  Invite a dozen people over and gather around a table, preferably outdoors.   Make a number of small plates including these fritters, some meatballs, easy fried peppers, and perhaps some skordalia or tarama for spreading on bread. You could stop there OR  follow with this Greek salad and pasticcio.  Of course, don’t forget the ouzo (which we sipped last night alongside these fritters) and perhaps some Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts for dessert.  Sounds like a lot of food but do it Greek style… sit for hours talking, eating, drinking and laughing late into the night.

Greek Zucchini Fritters – Kolokithokeftedes
2 medium to large zucchini coarsely grated
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
4 green onions including green parts, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
1 large egg
1/2 cup flour
4 Tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
salt
olive oil

Wash zucchini.  With skins on, grate them with the coarse side of a grater.  Put the grated zucchini in a colander and sprinkle liberally with salt.  Let sit and drain for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

Remove the zucchini by the handful, squeezing to remove as much liquid as you can.  Put it in a bowl with herbs, feta and green onions.  Mix with a fork.  Add the lightly beaten egg and stir.  Add flour and bread crumbs.  The mixture should be wet but not watery.  Mix in a healthy dose of salt, I prefer coarse sea salt.  

Heat olive oil in a pan about 1/8 inch deep covering the entire pan.  When hot, scoop out a spoonful of the zucchini mixture and put it in the pan.  Let it cook about 3-4 minutes or until brown and then flip them.  Cook another 3-4 minutes until browned. Remove fritters and place on a paper towel -lined plate to remove some excess oil. Serve hot with tzatiki sauce. 

Tzatziki (Cucumber Yogurt Dip)

Taramosalata is a common appetizer, served to spread on bread, often along with other appetizers like Skordalia, Tzatziki or Melitzanosalata. The main ingredient, that gives it the signature pink color, is cod fish roe. Oddly enough, it doesn’t taste all that fishy. There are a number of variations, some mixed with potato and others with bread.

Making Taramosalata in Corfu is particularly romantic. We have this enormous stone mortar and pestle that feels like it has been in the family for ages. Who knows all the conversations that mortar and pestle and have heard. If only inanimate objects could talk. When it comes time to add the fresh lemon, it is just a quick trip out to the side yard to pluck one from the tree. Those conveniences make the experience and the flavor extra special!

The tarama, or carp roe, is found easily at grocery stores in Greece. It is at the butcher’s counter and very fresh. To make it here, you will likely have to find it in a jar. If you can’t find it at an ethnic grocer you can buy it online here.

Kostas’ Taramosalata

4 Tablespoons Tarama
8 slices white bread, crusts removed (italian bread or baguette, 1 day old works best)
1/2 small onion, grated (about 2-3 Tablespoons)
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil

Remove crust from white bread and put it in a sieve. Soak it with water and let sit. Press out the water leaving fully soaked bread mush. Using a large mortar and pestle or food processor, mix together the Tarama and onion until well combined. Add the bread and mix together.  Do not over mix. Add the juice of fresh lemon and combine. Slowly incorporate the olive oil, again, just mixing until combined. Serve with fresh slices of bread.

You are looking at a photo of what just might be my all time favorite food. I hate to make extreme statements and my tastes often change. But, right now, if I had to choose one last thing to eat in life, there is a good chance it would be the Bougatsa from a small, hole-in-the-wall place in Corfu, Greece.

This steaming hot, custard pastry is cut in squares straight out of the oven by a guy who looks more like a member of The Sopranos gang than a bakery employee. He slings your piece across the counter to the gum-chewing check-out lady who sprinkles it heavily with powdered sugar and cinnamon, wraps it up, takes your money and sends you on your way. On the scooter ride back to the house, my mouth salivates with anticipation as the warm custard pie warms my lap.

In this bakery, there is a door open to the back where you can see the lady making the phyllo pies. Watching someone stretch and toss homemade phyllo is unbelievable. I had hoped to make a video of it this year but did not have the time. Think pizza dough tossing times one-hundred. The expert tosses it back and forth, swings the dough around her head in the air a few times with a lasso-like motion, expanding and thinning its size considerably. The custard filling is plopped and spread into the middle and the dough is folded and refolded around it. The whole process is quick, as I am sure she has done it thousands of times, and is both graceful and rough at the same time.

I have never made Bougatsa myself because I don’t like to mess with perfection. I am lucky enough to go to Corfu once a year and will eat this perfect pie annually. Below is a recipe I found on About.com, which looks good and uses commercial phyllo for those of you who want to experience something similar.

Bougatsa – Greek Custard Pie
4 1/4 cups of whole milk
sliced peel of 1 lemon
1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar
3/4 cup of semolina
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
12 sheets of commercial phyllo dough
6 ounces of butter, melted

For the topping:
confectioner’s sugar
ground cinnamon

Remove from oven, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon while hot, and serve warm.

As I mentioned, I spent 10 days abroad at the beginning of this month. We visited relatives and friends in the Netherlands and then continued on to Corfu, Greece for a week. There, we also enjoyed time with relatives, swam in the sea and were honored with an amazing baptism and party for Mini-Whipped at the church in my father-in-laws village.

The Greeks that I have met on Corfu do not fool around when it comes to a barbeque. One of our family members builds free-standing, large grills with chimneys that are fit to hold a full animal… or barbeque an abundance of meat (like the above photo). People thought the scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding movie was so funny when they mentioned a whole lamb on a spit in the yard. Well, it is a present day reality for many, animal head and all.

For my sister-in-law’s birthday, we set up the big, long table on the front porch, invited all the cousins and had an amazing, multi-meat course, red-hot-glowing-coals, tons-of-beer-and-wine-to-wash-it-all down barbeque. The Chicken Souvlaki is always one of my favorites. Small pieces of chicken, a few pepper pieces, oregano, lemon and olive oil is all it takes. I think that cooking the meat over wood charcoal adds a special flavor. But, gas grill or broiling would be an acceptable substitution since most Americans are not in the habit of having a 10 foot grill in their front yard. Often, the chicken skewers are served with pita bread (not a pocket) which can be warmed on the grill as well and Tzatziki (cucumber yogurt dip). Put it together with Horiatiki (Greek Peasant Salad) and you have a meal.

Chicken Souvlaki
1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
1 Red Pepper cut in 1 inch squares (optional)
1/2 red onion cut in small pieces (optional)

Combine lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper and oregano and whisk together. Put in a bag or container with chicken and marinate 2 hours to overnight. If you are using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes before using to avoid burning on the grill. Thread chicken on skewers, alternating with a few pieces of red pepper and/or onion if you are using it. Grill on high heat, lid down for about 4 minutes per side or until juices run clear. Serve with non-pocket pita bread (warmed on grill) and Tzatziki sauce.

Oh how I wish there was a way to make a meatball look prettier. The little sprig of mint on the plate helped, but still, the ol’ meatballs just aren’t looking nearly as good as they tasted. These are the best meatballs that I have ever made. The wine soaked bread and the fresh mint set them apart from your usual Italian balls of meat.

I do respect the sensitivity vegetarians have for animal life. But, I am omnivorous and must say that I enjoyed rolling these little balls in flour and frying them up to crispy perfection. Try them alongside this Greek Peasant Salad.

Keftedes – Greek Meatballs

3 cups stale white bread, cut in 1 inch cubes
3/4 cups water
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 T salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
2 lbs. minced/ground beef
1/2 lb. minced/ground pork
3 T chopped fresh mint
flour and olive oil for frying

Soak the bread in the water and wine in a bowl. Heat butter in a skillet and add onion. Cook a minute or two until just translucent. Mix meats, soaked bread, onions, salt , pepper and mint. Use your hands to combine well. Let the mixture stand for 20 minutes or overnight covered tightly in the fridge.

Shape into small meatballs or patties. Roll lightly in flour. Fill skillet with about 1/2 – 1 inch of olive oil and heat. Shallow fry the meatballs until golden brown on all sides. Serve as an appetizer, with your favorite red sauce or with a side of tzatziki yogurt sauce.

When we eat in Greece, there always seem to be a variety yummy things on the table to nibble at each meal: olives, cheeses, loads of sliced white bread, salads, spreads and in our house… these amazing fried peppers. It is common to eat just a bunch of mezethes, which are basically appetizers. There is nothing I love better than just grazing and picking at delicious foods for hours!

There is not much to this recipe, just the peppers with oil, a splash of vinegar and salt. But, the flavor of that oil after cooking the peppers is amazing. Soaking your bread in the flavorful juices is heaven. Make a pan full – they keep in your fridge for a few days.

Piperies Tiganites – Greek Fried Peppers
6-8 bull’s horn sweet peppers (the light green, long, sweet peppers)
olive oil
red wine vinegar
sea salt

Take the stems off the peppers. Cut in half and remove the core and seeds. Put enough olive oil in your pan to cover the bottom about 1/8 of an inch deep. Fry the peppers, turning every few minutes or so until browned and quite soft on all sides. This may take about 10-15 minutes. Add approximately 1/3 cup of water to the pan (be careful, the oil can splatter out). Cover for a few minutes to further soften the peppers. Remove the lid and cook off the liquid a bit more for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with red wine vinegar and sea salt. Serve with bread.