This blog began as a way of writing down all of the recipes, cooking techniques, shopping tips and tricks that my father carries around in his head as well as meals that I’ve enjoyed since childhood. In the process of what soon became a monumental task, this blog has turned into something very wonderful. 
It’s become a way for my father and I to share and connect. We call each other at all hours to discuss, tweak, review recipes and ingredients. And in the process, we reminisce about loved ones now gone, childhood memories, family folklore, past vacations to Greece and plan future trips – probably our favorite thing! I’m so very grateful that we’ve found this project together and very happy to share what I’ve learned with you.
Collecting family recipes may not seem like a terribly difficult undertaking unless you understand Greek cooking. For American cooks, following authentic, traditional Greek recipes can be a bit like falling down the rabbit hole. There are few exact measurements, cooking times/temperatures as these details are often left out or are lost in translation.
My family, and most Greek American families I know, measure ingredients
- by handfuls, by glassfuls, by teacups, by eye, by spoonfuls and finger widths
When asking about a recipe you’ll get instructions like
- ‘use a little bit but not too much – but not too little, just enough’
Cooking times include
- ‘until it’s ready’ and ‘take pan from oven before burnt’
Ubiquitous cooking measures like teaspoon and tablespoon are for us,
- ‘big and small spoonfuls’
and tasks include stirring not for a specific amount of time but until ‘not too thick not too thin but just right’.
Even cookbooks use these terms – no joke!
finikia
So, to tease the treasure trove of delicious Greek vegan recipes from my father has been no small feat. It’s become a labor of love and I hope very much you’ll enjoy these dishes as much as we do.
Thank you for inviting us into your kitchens,
Kiki Vagianos at The Greek Vegan
