16 Greek Recipes You'll Make Again and Again

Though Greece, like much of Europe, hungrily incorporated New World ingredients like tomatoes, potatoes and beans into their native cuisine in the last few hundreds of years, the Greek diet remains notably faithful to its Mediterranean form from thousands of years ago, dominated by olives and olive oil, breads and pies, wild greens and fish (the country is surrounded by water on almost all sides—and then there are its islands). And why should it change? When your meals are this flavorful, healthful, seasonal and satisfying, one could hardly crave more. Getting hungry? There’s no way of overstating the deliciousness of a bowl of avgolemono. As elemental and comforting as any kind of chicken soup, this gains a lightness and sophistication from the inclusion of lemon, even as it is thickened and fortified by emulsifying it with egg yolk. Once you’ve had a taste, you might find yourself craving it whenever you’re the slightest bit under the weather, or really, anytime.

In Greece (and in American Greek enclaves), there is hardly a gathering without a massive platter of these little pies. Thanks to the advent of frozen phyllo, making a stack is within the reach of any home cook, regardless of whether or not you have a Greek pedigree. What makes these a cut above less faithful renditions you may have tried are the fresh herbs in the filling, a must for authenticity.

Though some call it the national dish of Greece, moussaka, or versions of it, are endemic to many countries in the surrounding area, found in Turkey, Iraq and parts of North Africa. Its modern form, layers of eggplant and sometimes potato, meat sauce and a topping of bechamel, is likely to stem from a published version of the dish as recently as the 1920s, the bechamel particularly reflecting the love of French food by its writer, Athens-born Nicholas Tselementes. Origins aside, this is exactly what you want bubbling in your oven in the deepest of winter nights, is easier to assemble than a from-scratch lasagna and way more unexpected.

We might have Starbucks on every corner, but Greeks have souvlaki joints, where grilled meats and shaved gyro are served on platters and wrapped in pita sandwiches. Though the meal is inexpensive and ostensibly simple, the flavor explosion that comes from the marinade and the smoke of the grill makes it quite mouthwatering. Why choose just one meat? Here, Michael Symon gives you the option of chicken or pork—you will definitely want (at least) one of each.