Not Your YaiYai's Spinach Pie

Another dirty little secret is about to surface: I'm not that crazy about spanakopita.  I enjoy a piece here and there but, considering its privileged place in the Greek culinary canon, it really doesn't blow my hair back.  JetSet Kef, on the other hand, has been known to eat enough spanakopita so as to conjure the dreaded "carb face" in a single sitting.  But I digress. This year, I stumbled upon this little gem: Picnic Pie, hereafter referred to as "spanakopita on crack" (SOC).  Though I usually try not to serve things on the same day I make them for the first time, I...

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Quite Possibly the World's Best Cookie

Melomakarona. Mel-o-ma-KAI-ron-a. While you're busy saying that mouthful three times fast, I will have already eaten all 60 cookies this recipe makes.  These are far and beyond my favorite cookies on the planet, as evidenced by the sign they earned at Greek Easter 2012: Like most of my photos, the above really doesn't do these justice, and I also forgot the ground nuts on top this year-- so check this page out for some great photos, the original recipe, plus the inside scoop on THE event of the Orthodox year here in DC. These are about an intermediate on the difficulty scale--...

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John Steinbeck, on Falling in Love

On a nearly-winter's day in 1958, John Steinbeck received a letter from his teenage son.  From it, Steinbeck learned that his son had fallen desperately in love with a young woman he attended boarding school with.  Below is the thoughtful response Steinbeck composed that afternoon, full of advice worth considering.   --- New York November 10, 1958 Dear Thom: We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers. First -- if you are in love -- that's a good thing -- that's about the best thing that can happen to...

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Baklava to Beat the Rainy-Day Blues

After two days of rain, I'm fantasizing about being back in Lindos with the Family Kef. Instead, I'll revisit some Greek Easter glory-- baklava.  Surprisingly easy to make, this gooey treat is one of my favorites to bake and eat.  This recipe comes from JetSet Kef's grad school classmate and has become a yearly addition to the Greek Easter table. Ingredients: 1 lb Walnuts - Finely Chopped 1/2 C. Sugar 2 tsp Cinnamon 1.5 C. Butter (3 sticks), Melted 1 Package Frozen Phyllo Dough (16 oz) Thawed 1 C. Sugar 1 C. Water 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1 C. Honey (Net weight...

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Greek Easter Run Down Part 1: Tsoureki, Honey-Cheese Pistachio Tart, And Beet Salad

This was the scene in my kitchen at about 3:30pm on Sunday: By this point, I had been cooking for about 24 hours, my feet were swollen to the size of Pluto, and pretty much every usable inch of space of my kitchen was holding a plate full of food.  I had just gotten off the phone with JetSet Kef, who had had perfectly executed his Greek dinner feast, and the stress was building. I'll be the first to admit it--hosting things makes me a little crazy.  While I find cooking for others to be just about the most enjoyable task on the planet, the time between finishing cooking and...

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Greek Easter 2012 Preview

The table, still missing a few dishes Peep-shaped butter dish, courtesy of Mama Kef. Sadly, I did not make the cheese. I did make the jam. I also made a gluten-free version of this- yum and a half. Spanakopita The 10 lb pastitsio. Many, many thanks to everyone who came out and made it a Greek Easter to remember. And the biggest thanks to our host, KefiKathleen, who saved us all from my cramped apartment and provided us with a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy a beautiful spring night. I'll post specific stories and recipes in the weeks coming,...

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The Marathon Begins

The first spanakopita of Greek Easter 2012 has just gone into the oven, which gives me a second to pause and think about why I spend an entire weekend every year covered in olive oil and spinach. There are two main reasons that keep me looking forward to this time each year.  The first is that Orthodox Easter is usually 1-2 weeks behind Roman Easter, which reminds us that Jesus was, in fact, a socialist and that he ascribed to the more relaxed lifestyle of the Southern Mediterranean and took his sweet time rising from the dead (I mean, wouldn't you?). The second (and more legit) reason...

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Easily the Best Thing to Come From the Internet Since This Blog

See more hilarity from Hil: http://textsfromhillaryclinton.tumblr.c...

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The Strangest Piece of Delicious Pie

I have some good news, and I have some bad news.  The good news is that I'm back in action, with the heavy weight of that horrible HESI exam lifted off my shoulders.  The bad news is that I replaced it immediately with the weight of some bona fide Greek goodness around my hips.  So like I said--good news and good news. It's been a minute since I've actually written about something Greek on this Greek-gastronomy-inspired blog--that pathetic trend ends here.  With the Big Fat Greek Easter extravaganza (not to be confused with The Extravaganza) a mere NINE DAYS away, I've kicked...

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