Ingredients 1 pound (4 cups) blanched almonds or walnuts or a combination of both, finely chopped 3/4 cups sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 pound filo pastry 3 sticks (3/4 pound) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing filo SYRUP 2 cups water 3/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice A 2-inch strip of lemon rind […]

In Greek: κολοκυθόπιτα, pronounced koh-loh-kee-THOH-pee-tah This can also be made with other orange squash. This is a variation of a recipe from Ileia, a province on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 16-18 large sheets of phyllo dough 3 to 3 1/2 pounds of fresh pumpkin or […]

In Greek: σκαλτσούνια με φυστίκια Αιγίνης, say: skahlt-SOON-yah meh fee-STEEK-yah eh-YEE-nees The Greek island of Aigina (say: EH-yee-nah) is famous for its pistachio nuts and this recipe for pistachio turnovers showcases them beautifully. The dough is rolled out to the thickness of a standard pie crust (about 1/8 of an inch), but the recipe is […]

Definition: The Greek word pita (plural pites) refers to a pie or cake cooked in a baking pan. Greek pan pies are often made with phyllo dough crusts and pan cakes are often soaked in a honey or sugar syrup.Pita (say: PEE-tah) is most frequently used as a suffix following the word for the pie’s or cake’s main ingredient, […]

In Greek: ξιφίας σουβλάκι, pronounced ksee-FEE-ahs soov-LAH-kee Grilled kebabs (souvlaki) are a favorite cooked over the coals, but also work well under the broiler. Fresh swordfish is a delight if you can find it; otherwise, frozen swordfish steaks (usually sold 1-inch thick) are a good alternative. The addition of bay leaves to the skewers (bamboo […]

In Greek: ξεροτήγανα, pronounced kseh-roh-TEE-ghah-nah The end result of this recipe for honey-dipped spiral pastries is similar to that for thiples, but the dough for xerotigana does not usually contain eggs, and the recipe does not contain any hard-to-find ingredients. And the pastries are fabulous. Quick-fried spirals of the thinnest dough are dipped in a honey syrup and […]

In Greek: δίπλες, pronounced THEE-ples These light, crunchy pieces of fried pastry dough are a delicious sweet to serve with coffee, as a party food, and as a snack. Thiples can be made in different shapes, the most common being bow ties and spirals (done here). Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes Ingredients: 4 […]

In Greek: λουκουμάδες, pronounced loo-koo-MAH-thes This recipe calls for yogurt. Look for thick, strained Greek yogurt at your grocer’s or use plain (unflavored) yogurt and strain it using a piece of muslin or a clean white dish towel. Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 2 eggs 3/4 cup of strained yogurt 2 cups of all-purpose flour […]

In case you are not familiar with them, Diples (THEE-ples) get their name from the Greek word for “fold.” They are thin sheets of dough that are folded while being fried into a crispy package that is drizzled with honey and dusted with cinnamon and ground walnuts. This recipe has been adapted from the cookbook of the Ladies […]