Greek

This simple salad goes with many dishes. Or add some or all of the extras we suggest and make a meal of it.

I have always loved Greek food, and a trip to Greece a few summers ago only reinforced that affection. The Greeks are doing something right with their Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil. A burger might not exactly fit into those parameters, but I can use the salty, briny, and fresh elements that they love to make this burger Greek. Flavorful kalamata olives are blended into a spread for the bun, and this combo wouldn’t be Greek without some salty feta cheese and ripe tomato. You might not be as familiar with tzatziki, but this tangy blend of thick yogurt, pungent garlic, and grated fresh cucumber is a staple in Greek cuisine and is used for practically everything, from a dip for wedges of pita bread and French fries to a topping for sandwiches.

Capture some of the best flavors of Greece—spinach, tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and feta—in this family-pleasing vegetarian casserole.

You’ll think you’re at a taverna on the Mediterranean Sea when you bite into this chicken. It’s packed with flavor from lemon, feta cheese, oregano, and kalamata olives.

The dillweed provides a pleasant aroma, the red pepper flakes give a bit of a kick, and the feta cheese adds tanginess to this attractive green bean and tomato pairing.

If you don’t groove on the shrimp, use 1 1/2 pounds of chicken tenders, 20 large sea scallops, or even 8 pieces of calamari, 2 per person, and grill in the shrimps’ place.

A Greek Eastertime specialty, especially renowned on the island of Siphnos. Mizithra, a soft, fresh, unsalted cheese made from sheep’s milk, is used there, but a bland, unsalted curd or cream cheese may be substituted.

There are many feast days in the Greek Orthodox calendar which are marked in the kitchen. Easter is the most important. The date is movable, fixed on the first Sunday following the full moon of the spring equinox, but generally falling within the first half of April. Houses are whitewashed and decorated with lilac, clothes are made, and new shoes are bought. There is much activity in the kitchen, for the feast also marks the breaking of forty days’ Lenten fast and a complete fast on Good Friday. Solemn candlelit processions are followed by national rejoicing to celebrate the Resurrection. Paschal Lambs are roasted on spits in gardens and open spaces, and the innards are used for mayeritsa soup, which is finished with the favorite egg-and-lemon mixture. Hard-boiled eggs are dyed red, a color supposed to have protective powers, and polished with olive oil, and a sweet braided bread is adorned with them.

Stifatho is a Greek dish also made with beef. Serve it with rice or potatoes.

This famously Greek dish is to be found throughout the Arab world without the creamy topping. Broiling or grilling instead of frying the eggplants makes for a lighter and lovelier moussaka. This one is made upof a layer of eggplants, a layer of meat and tomatoes, and a layer of cheesy white (béchamel-type) sauce. Serve with salad and yogurt.

From the Greek word for “doll,” these Greek meatballs make lovely finger food, as good cold as they are hot.

This is a version, using fillo pastry, of a Greek dish of lamb baked in parchment packets.

This is served as an appetizer in Greece. The wine gives it a special flavor.

This Greek dish takes time and effort but is something special to offer at a dinner party. Serve with rice or with mashed potatoes (see page 297).

A Greek way of cooking mussels.