5 Things to Order off a Greek Menu

There’s nothing quite like Greek food. It’s a cuisine that knows how to balance filling dishes and light, fresh flavors. Greek food covers a large spectrum of flavors all the way from briny feta cheese to sweet baklava. Plus, Greek food is just about everywhere these days. You might order a Greek side salad when you’re out to eat or swing by the souvlaki stand for a delicious lunch. But, how well do we really know Greek food? I was curious to move past moussaka and discover the full parthenon of Greek dishes. So, I asked my subscribers to tell me just what they would choose when ordering from a Greek menu!

Featuring

Yioula

Alexia

Ioanna

1. Gigantes (Braised Giant Greek Lima Beans with Tomato Sauce)

“From the appetizers, I have chosen a very characteristic dish. Gigantes are made in the oven with those gigantic beans. That’s why they’re called ‘Gigantes.’” – Yioula

“To me it’s the best vegetarian or vegan dish.” – Alexia

2. Imam (Roasted Eggplant, Caramelized Onions, Topped with Greek Graviera Cheese and Tomato Sauce)

“From the appetizers, I’ve chosen Imam. It’s a dish with Middle Eastern influences. They are eggplants stuffed with onions, baked in the oven with some garlicky tomato sauce. Dunk some bread in the sauce, so you can soak up all the deliciousness.” – Ioanna

3. Garides Saganaki (Braised Shrimp in Tomato Sauce, Melted Greek Feta Cheese and Herbs)

“I would recommend Garides Saganaki. This dish is savory, but it’s also a little sweet. For me, this dish is amazing and it reminds me of eating at seaside restaurants with my family in Greece on weekends.” – Alexia

4. Giouvetsi Arni (Oven-Baked Lamb Shank with Orzo and Tomato Sauce)

“As for the main dishes, I have chosen Arni Giovetsi, which is literally orzo pasta with lamb meat or goat meat or beef. It’s slowly cooked in the oven and I hope that you like it. It’s one of my favorites and I hope to be able to eat it more often.” – Yioula

5. Galaktompouriko (Semolina Custard Baked in Filo)

“From the dessert menu, I strongly suggest Galaktompouriko. It’s a custard pie with honey syrup and filo pastry. This one hits home for me because my aunt used to make it from scratch, even the filo. Without a doubt, one of my favorite Greek desserts.” – Ioanna

Dishes like Gyros and dips like Tzatziki will always hold a special place in my heart. However, thanks to my subscribers I have more than a few favorites to order off of a Greek menu. If you’re curious to explore even more Greek dishes, don’t worry. There were even more recommendations submitted like Dolmadakia (grape leaves stuffed with rice, pine nuts, and raisins), Melitzana Feta (roasted eggplant rolled and stuffed with feta cheese, tomato sauce, and parsley), Ntakos (olive oil, shredded tomato, oregano, onion and feta cheese on rye bread), Paidakia (charcoal grilled lamb chops), and Keftedes (Greek-style meatballs slow roasted in tomato sauce). Treat yourself to a few of these amazing Greek dishes the next time you find yourself ordering from a Greek menu.

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6 Things to Order off a Palestinian Menu

Palestine is so much more than what we’ve all been hearing about recently in the news. It is a beautiful culture with an incredibly diverse cuisine. The cultural erasure that is happening in Palestine right now can be fought in many ways, but one of them is through talking about the culture and, of course, talking about the food. With the help of my subscribers of Palestinian descent, I was able to learn more about the beauty of Palestinian culture what this vibrant cuisine is made up of.