Greek Food Blog

The Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 15th each year. This is the day that we honor the "falling asleep" or Kimisis (KEE-mee-sees) of the Theotokos, or Mother of God.

The feast day happens to coincide with the period of time that most Greeks break for Summer holiday. There is a great exodus from the city as people depart Athens and head to their family villages and island homes.

If you happen to be named Mary, Maria, Marie, Panagiota, Panagiotis, Despina, or any other name derived from the Virgin Mary, then the 15th of August is your feast day.

The greeting for someone celebrating his or her patron saint's day is, "Hronia Polla" which translates to a wish for "many years." After church services, friends and family will travel from home to home to greet the name day celebrants and to offer their wishes in person.

In return, the celebrant is expected to put out a spread for their guests in the typical Greek style of entertaining which means tons of food and sweets. Having fasted for the two weeks prior, it's time to feast.

In a traditional Greek home, the Roast Leg of Lamb with Potatoes is a customary offering for holidays and gatherings.

This is my simple recipe for Roast Leg of Lamb with Potatoes which I offer with many good wishes for Hronia Polla to all those that celebrate.

This recipe for Artichoke Pie or Pita is a traditional favorite of the beautiful island of Kefalonia in the Ionian Sea.

Tender baby artichokes are combined with green onions, leek, and a combination of Greek cheeses then layered with flaky phyllo pastry and baked until crisp and golden brown.

You can make a full pan of the pita or use the filling to make individual finger-friendly phyllo triangles. Enjoy this recipe on its own as a light meal or pair it with an entrée as a side dish.

If artichokes are out of season or not readily available, you can easily substitute frozen or canned artichokes in the recipe.

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Here's a quick and easy recipe for a delicious pasta salad that will perk up your next party or gathering. The secret is in the tangy Greek yogurt dressing.

The recipe makes enough pasta salad for a crowd, so feel free to cut in half if you have a smaller group.

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Every now and again I like to take a traditional recipe and change it up a bit. What can I say, that's my idea of entertainment!

This recipe was inspired by a spinach salad that I love that has crumbles of crisp, smoky, bacon. It's much like a traditional Spanakopita except I've added bacon and mushrooms to the mixture.

This recipe for Spanakopita Tart with Bacon and Mushrooms is a little decadent, but then again we need to indulge every now and then, don't we?

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This dish is so good, but quite the tongue twister to pronounce!

Yiaourtlou (yah-oor-TLOO) is a recipe that combines savory beef kebabs with a zesty tomato sauce that is tempered by a cool and tangy yogurt sauce.

I first had this dish in Athens and have been a dedicated fan ever since. I think you will agree that this one is a keeper!

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Independence Day is a time for picnics and parades for sure, but it is also a reminder of the reason many of our parents and grandparents emigrated to this country.

They left their beloved homeland in search of opportunity and embraced it with everything they had.

Our blessings are a result of their struggles and sheer determination to make their own American dream a reality.

I for one am eternally grateful for their sacrifice, and very proud of the country that opened her doors to welcome them to their new home.

Get out there and celebrate and light a sparkler for me too!

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By popular demand, here is the recipe for the Diples (THEE-ples) that I wrote about previously.

I just can't enjoy these without remembering my dear departed Thea (Aunt) Zanna. She made the best diples I've ever tasted. I have such fond memories of being invited to her house for coffee because I knew that she would make this very special treat for us. Regrettably, I never had the foresight to capture her recipe or technique before she passed.

In case you are not familiar with them, Diples 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 then drizzled with honey and dusted with cinnamon and ground walnuts.

While I may not have Thea Zanna's recipe, I do have a wonderful recipe that has been adapted from the cookbook of the Ladies Philoptochos Society of Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Elgin, Illinois. Thank you Ladies!

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One of the reasons I enjoy writing about Greek food and culture is that I feel I am somehow bridging the ever-widening gap between my parents' generation and the next generation, that of my children.

This became painfully clear to me as I worked with the tireless ladies of my Greek Orthodox parish to prepare Diples, (THEE-ples) a delicious fried dough pastry, which will be sold at our upcoming Greek Festival.

The majority of the women working at the church were of my mother's generation and they were skillfully executing what their mothers and grandmothers had taught them when they were growing up.

You should know that making Diples is a process - first the dough is kneaded and rested. Then it is rolled out into paper-thin sheets using long dowels as rolling pins and cut into rectangular strips. These sheets are then fried while being "folded" into their distinctive wrapped shape and finally they are drizzled with honey and cinnamon.

Diples are simply delicious, and you really should try them, but I digress.

What struck me as I watched the women hard at work, was that this is an art form that is slowly disappearing. Fewer and fewer women of my generation have the time or the inclination to learn to bake the traditional sweets of our heritage.

Most of us are stretched thin by the demands of our modern lives and have little time for much else. Sadly, with each successive generation we are becoming further and further removed from the traditions of our parents and grandparents.

Who will carry on?

This problem is not unique to Greeks in America. Even in Greece, I found few women of my generation that have the time or desire to bake the traditional sweets. Most purchase them from bakeries and pastry shops which are readily available in Greece.

Here in America, unless you live in an area with a high concentration of Greeks, in most parts you are quite simply out of luck. I remember when I lived in Dallas, Texas that people would tell me they waited all year for the annual Greek Food Festival to get their "fix" of Greek food.

Recently, I had an email from Peggy in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin who is still working hard at her church festival at 79 years young. She lamented that it is difficult to find people who can do the work necessary to put on a festival. She was very tired, but happy that their festival was a success.

That situation illustrates exactly what I am afraid of. I fear that when the elder generation passes, that my generation is not up to the task. Personally, I think that would be a tragic loss.

What do you think?

Here's a great Summer pita for you try.

It's a delicious combination of eggplant, roasted red peppers, and creamy Feta cheese layered with phyllo and baked until flaky and golden brown.

This recipe for Melitzanopita (meh-lee-tzah-NOH-pee-tah) will yield enough filling for 60 individual triangles or two 9 x 12 pans.

Or you can do what I do - make a pan for the family, and then freeze some triangles for future appetizers!

It's always great to have some of these in the freezer for when friends drop by.

Here's a quick course on how to fold phyllo triangles step-by-step with photos.

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I can't think of a better way to enjoy the fresh flavors of the season than with this Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Salad. It's the perfect Summer side dish or light vegetarian main course.

Tender grilled eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, and potatoes are tossed with Greek vinaigrette and topped with a bit of crumbled Feta cheese for a little extra zing.

You don't have to limit yourself to the vegetables I've used, you can grill whatever you enjoy and toss it all together.

Even the kids will clamor for more vegetables when they are served up this way.

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