Grilled Feta

I wanted to make grilled halloumi but couldn't find any, so I bought some feta and found that you can grill it as long as it's in a little tinfoil packet. This is a great appetizer or accompaniment to a light dinner of Greek salad and chicken souvlaki. You can really add in whatever you want for seasoning. I kept it pretty simple with grape tomatoes, herbs de provence, lemon, and garlic, but you could add cooked tomatoes, capers, chilies, olives... The cheese gets hot and melty and it's super tasty, and couldn't be easier.

Kiki's Greek Tavern in Chinatown

Found such a great spot! Kiki's Greek Tavern in Chinatown. The Times wrote it up two weeks ago so I tried it out with my friends Kara and Alice. It's adorable! It's down a tiny street in deep Chinatown (off the East Broadway stop) and to fit in with the neighborhood, the awning says "Kiki's Tavern" in Chinese characters. The inside is sparse and charming and the waiters are so friendly and don't rush you at all. Most importantly, the food is fantastic. 

Moussaka

Moussaka is one of my favorite Greek recipes. I love eggplant and the great flavors of cinnamon and onions and garlic in the tomato-meat sauce. This is a great alternative to lasagna and is good for feeding a large group (there were six of us and we ate the moussaka twice - once the first night and then another night we ate the leftovers, yum!). It's a bit of a labor of love, so you have to set out an hour or two to make it, but it's well worth it. It also tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients:

4 eggplants

Olive oil

4 medium onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (maybe more to taste)

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cups dry white wine

Black pepper to taste

Tzatziki

Every night in Greece we have a little cocktail hour when we snack on tzatziki, carrots, pita, olives... and drink some cheap but pretty good white jug wine while the sun goes down (not too bad, right?). Maria, the Greek woman who takes care of the house and speaks zero English, taught me to make authentic tzatziki about eight years ago. It's very simple and incredibly good - creamy, refreshing, with a great garlic zestiness. It's a wonderful hors d'oeuvres to have out at a party. This version is very simple, and I like it a lot more than those that add sour cream or dill etc, and it brings back great memories of watching the sun set!

Ingredients:
1 hot house cucumber
1-2 cups Greek yogurt (full fat is better, but you can use the low fat versions)

Saganaki (Greek Fried Cheese)

Just back from an amazing trip to Greece! I have a house in the Cyclades (my family does) and I went for a week with a few friends. Even though the kitchen is rustic - no electricity, the fridge runs on gas, etc - it is my favorite place to cook. I love to cook up a simple lunch of tzatziki, pita, and saganaki which is always a huge hit after sitting on the beach and swimming in the beautiful, salty, Aegean Sea. Saganaki is essentially the Greek version of mozzarella sticks. Usually at a restaurant, they serve it as one big square, but I prefer cutting it into little squares to make it easier to snack on and share and it's great for groups. After lightly flowering the cheese, you quickly fry it up and cover the cooked cheese with a generous dose of fresh lemon juice. The big, red, ripe tomatoes and the acid of the lemon juice cut through the heaviness of the cheese and make the most delicious lunch! Served with a cold bowl of tzatziki and some toasted pitas (and a nice, icy Mythos) it's the perfect meal for a hot, sunny summer day.

Ingredients:

1 package of Kolios cheese (a Greek semi-hard cows milk cheese)