It's All Greek To Me!

I'd like to think that even if I weren't Greek, I'd still love Greek food...REALLY good, fresh Greek food.  If you think Greek food simply consists of pita bread and hummus...you're wrong.  Check out the other yummy dishes Greek cuisine has to offer.  Here are some of my favorites!

THIS is how a Greek Salad is done...no lettuce! 

Lamb Souvlaki...deliciousness on a stick. Sprinkled with a little bit of lemon...perfection.

Pasticcio ~ our version of lasagna {and yes, in my opinion, it's better!}  There's a heavenly, thick bechamel sauce on the top and a hint of cinnamon in the pasta.  Yum!

Moussaka ~ the "vegetarian" version of Pasticcio.  Filled with yummy eggplant instead of pasta and meat. {You may remember this dish from a scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding when a student asks with disgust, "Moose Caca?"} 

Spanakopita ~ spinach pies with cheese.

Saganaki!  This is a cheese-lover's dream.  Sharp cheese fried in wine over an open flame.  Enough said.

Feta ~ good, sharp feta.  The one found at your local Trader Joe's just can't compare.

Kalamata Olives...I could eat these like candy.

Classic white bean hummus with olive oil and crusty bread.

Grilled octopus with lemon...seriously delicious.  In Greece, they are caught in the morning and cooked perfection later in the day.  When done right, this is delicious! 

{When it's cooked wrong, it feels like you're chewing rubber - yuck!}

Fried Calamari {in good olive oil} drizzled with lemon.

Dolmades ~ stuffed grape leaves.  A yummy snack or meal.

Gyro...pronounced yee-ro (not jy-row or guy-row).  A gyro is like the "hamburger" of Greece - you can find them everywhere - and they are delicious!  The white sauce is a creamy tsatsiki sauce - made with yogurt and cucumber.  Yum!

Soutzoukakia...I know, it's a mouthful to say.  These are basically really tender, juicy meatballs slow-cooked in a tomato sauce.

Avgolemono - soup with lemon, egg, and rice.  Delicious whether you are well or ill!

Fasolada...bean soup.  Hearty and satisfying.

Baklava! Layers of flaky phyllo dough {pronounced fee-low}, walnuts, cinnamon, and honey.

One of my favorite summer treats ~ watermelon and feta.  Sounds like an odd combination, but it is heavenly.

One of my favorite breakfasts ~ Greek yogurt with drizzled honey.  Perfectly sweet and tart.

Loukoumades ~ the Greek doughnut eaten as dessert.  These little dough balls are fried, then tossed in honey, and sprinkled with cinnamon.  When you bite into them, the honey oozes into your mouth.  Divine!

Nescafe Frappe!  The "go-to" Greek iced coffee drink.  Ahh...somebody take me here.

I love how the Greeks eat.  Nothing fancy about it ~ just good, fresh local ingredients cooked with love to perfection.

OPA!