Greek

"In our family," writes Georgia I. Chletcos of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, "we have a saying that the Greek kitchen is the original twenty-four-hour diner: It never closes. And being from a Greek family, I can say unequivocally that food is the center of our lives. As I've gotten older, preserving this tradition has become more important to me, so I've started experimenting with family recipes, including this one." Enough for a large family and guests, too.

Easy to make and absolutely delicious. Pour a good Cabernet Sauvignon with this.

A taverna standard, saganaki (fried cheese slices) is named for the two-handled pan it's cooked in. Here, the cheese is melted to make a sauce for fish. Chef Costas Spiliades uses a medium-textured feta, such as Mt. Vikos or Dodoni brands, for this dish. He also uses a Greek Chardonnay, Katsaros, which is sold at some U.S. wine shops. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Ouzeries are Greek cafés that specialize in mezedes, or appetizers, as well as in ouzo, the strong, anise-tinged drink after which the cafés are named. Saganaki gets its name from the two-handled pan in which it is made, but it can be prepared in any heavy small skillet. For a final flourish, the cheese is often splashed with ouzo and flamed.

Although it would be years before most Greek cooking would become familiar to Americans, one Greek dish, moussaka, did catch on in the seventies.

Samali: One of the great sweets of Thessaloniki, made in pastry shops, at home, and hawked from small carts on the streets all around the Kapani market.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but may required additional sitting time. Be sure to lightly oil the grill rack again so that it doesn’t stick.

A favorite accompaniment is the rice-shaped pasta called orzo.

(Greek Cucumber and Yogurt Salad)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

This dish known, as pastitsatha, is one that evolved from Corfu to stretch scant supplies of meat. Consisting of chicken, turkey, beef or veal braised in tomato sauce fragrant with spices, it is served over thick tubular pasta from Corfu called "perciatellli" (if you can't find it, use spaghetti). Kefalotyri is a nutty tasting hard cheese similar to Parmesan. It is available at Greek markets.

Greeks call this fassolakia Iadera. It's a traditional vegetable mixture that is often eaten cold, accompanied by hunks of country bread and feta cheese.

Usually made of mashed potatoes, garlic and olive oil, skordalia is a thick sauce served with meats, fish, fritters or greens.