Greeting from Greece!

[Clementine Blanche Tyler]

Hello everyone!

 

I'm Clementine, I live in Thessaloniki, Greece and I can't even begin to describe how excited I am to be here!

 

I'm reading all those posts made by people from all over the world and I think how great this is.

To get to know about all the different food cultures and traditions, tip and tricks!

 

I am 25, I studied photography but cooking is what I do best. I've been working in the food industry for the last 5 years.

 

I am really passionate about food.

Eating it, yes, but mainly cooking or even reading about it.

Actually I spend hours reading about cooking online or on actual hard covered books.

 

I'm looking forward talking with all of you about our biggest passion, food! 

 

 

 

[rotuts]

welcome

 

I look forward to seeing the food you cook !

[SylviaLovegren]

Welcome, indeed!  Very curious what an "average" days meals would be like in Thessaloniki!

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Welcome to eGullet, Clementine!

 

I love Greek food and will be eagerly looking forward to your take on it. I think my favorite is spanakopita, but I can't get enough of moussaka, pastitsio, avgolemono, braised chicken with tomatoes and cinnamon, baklava, pita, salads with feta and olives, and on and on. 

 

My first husband was Greek American, and his dad, who was from Chios, used to bring us big pans of all of the above, except he did not make his own pita. Now I make them all except the pita, and I am seriously contemplating boning up on and making that.

[Clementine Blanche Tyler]

Thank you all for welcoming me!!

 

I'm looking forward sharing with you some tested greek recipes!!

 

SylviaLovegren Greece is somewhere between east and west. This means that although many things are "westernised", we still are a mediterranean country. So lots of vegetables and olive oil. Imo we tend to over consume meat which is not a great thing but other than that I feel very lucky. We produce many wonderful vegetables, nuts, legumes. Greece is a vegetarians paradise.  

 

Thanks for the Crepes believe it or not I have never in my life had mousaka. It's not my cup of tea, seems a little too much with the bechamel and the meat and the potatoes,eggplant.

But everything else you mentioned I love! 

Plus watermelon with feta in the summer. I could eat this combo everyday!! 

 

 

Have you ever been to Greece? 

[Smithy]

Let me add my welcome to the others, Clementine. I too love Greek food and am looking forward to what you have to say about it. According to what I've read, there's been some changes happening there and some of the traditional dishes are being jazzed up with new twists. I confess, I've never thought of watermelon and feta!

I've been in Coftu and the Greek part of Cyprus, and loved both places. That's the closest I've been to Greece, but I hope to get to the mainland one day.

25 years old, and already started in the food industry! You're off to a good start!

[Clementine Blanche Tyler]

Oh this compbination is nothing new to Greece! You should definately try some watermelon with feta.

Both ingredients compliment each other so good!!

I've even tried it in a twist of the typical greek salad, with some cucumber, tomato sliced in small cubes, thin sliced red onion and green bell pepper!! I skipped the oregano and the olives though, and kept the seasoning simple, a tiny amount of

virgin olive oil and some salt! 

 

My parents owned a pizzeria and I practically grew up in a kitchen. Cooking is something that comes to me naturally. How about you? Are you in the food industry in some way?  

[Smithy]

Oh this compbination is nothing new to Greece! You should definately try some watermelon with feta.

Both ingredients compliment each other so good!!

I've even tried it in a twist of the typical greek salad, with some cucumber, tomato sliced in small cubes, thin sliced red onion and green bell pepper!! I skipped the oregano and the olives though, and kept the seasoning simple, a tiny amount of

virgin olive oil and some salt! 

 

My parents owned a pizzeria and I practically grew up in a kitchen. Cooking is something that comes to me naturally. How about you? Are you in the food industry in some way?  

 

I once worked as a short-order cook in a diner, and later tended bar in a pub, but have not otherwise been involved in the food industry.  One of the things I like about the eG Society is that I get to rub elbows, figuratively speaking, with professionals as well as home cooks.  I have learned a great deal here!  

[Jaymes]

Well, let me add a big vote for watermelon and feta. Certainly one of our favorite summertime salads. I buy good feta at a local Middle Eastern import shop, so it's nice and salty and sharp.

 

I'd love to know how you do yours, Clementine. I do watermelon cubes, a couple generous handsful of crumbled feta, some sliced kalamata olives, a few mint leaves and a sprinkle of black pepper, then dress with olive oil and a few squeezes of lemon.  Sometimes I add a little chopped sweet onion.

 

Is that similar to what you do?

 

Funny that you said you don't eat, cook, or like moussaka. As soon as I saw you were from Greece, planned to ask you for your recipe!  Guess never mind about that. In addition to watermelon and feta, what are some other Greek favorites that you enjoy cooking? 

 

I'm really excited to read about what you love to cook, and to try it. 

 

And then I'll close my eyes and pretend I'm sitting in the Plaka again.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

My ex-father in law would either start with a base of sliced potatoes for moussaka, and top the casserole with no bechamel and substitute a generous layer of parmesan cheese, or not include the potatoes and top it with bechamel and a light sprinking of parm. I liked them both a lot, although I have to say I preferred the no bechamel version.

 

I have also included zucchini in some of my versions along with the eggplant and that's a winner too.

 

FIL owned a very profitable restaurant for years, and I learned a lot from him, even though he did not deem me worthy of his firstborn and only son. I'm an American, and as you probably, know, Clementine, people from the "old country" only consider native Greek women for marriage to their offspring. While we were dating, my FIL took my husband on a trip to Greece, and I wasn't invited. I found out later that the purpose was to find him a proper Greek wife. That didn't work, as we ended up marrying anyway.

 

The watermelon/feta combination sounds very appetizing. I'll definitely try it when watermelon comes into season here.