Souvlaki For The Soul

1. I’ll never forget the first time I ate Greek Chicken Soup. It provided such calming relief and to this day always conjures up memories of my childhood home. I still cook it once a week in the winter time.2. I had my first “meat pie” (a classic Australian take away food) in Grade 1. Being of Greek descent I had no idea what it was. To this day, I still love em but prefer to make my own version as the commercial ones have lost their appeal and flavour.

3. Making home made tomato sauce (thats marinara sauce to our US counterparts). Boxes of tomatoes were used to make bottles of this beautiful concoction. It truly was a family affair. While I don’t make it anymore, I still use home made sauce that I get from relatives to this day.

4. Dipping your bread in the salad bowl dressing. We were encouraged to dip our bread in the juices of the salad. The dressing almost always used to consist of Olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice. Nothing beats dipping a crusty piece of bread into a pure good quality extra virgin olive oil.

5. Chocolate cake!!! The first time I bit into this I thought all my Christmases had come at once. Nothing beats a good home made chocolate cake.

6. Pizza!!! I still remember the first bite. Baked bread with tomato and melted cheese. The Italians deserve a medal for this creation. These days I make my own and try different toppings.

7. Smelly cheeses. I was exposed to new foods quite regularly but this was one that would not sit well at all. Even though my taste buds have become “mature”, I still avoid strong, offensive smelly cheeses. Something about sweaty socks that just doesn’t do well with me.

8. Roast Lamb. Greek style of course!!! Olive oil, lemon juice and oregano are the holy trinity of greek cooking and make this dish the taste sensation it is. When you bake one of these, the whole house will undertake a new dimension. Expect the neighbours to be knocking on the door…Again, I cook this at least once a fortnight in the winter time.

9. Olives. Green, black, marinated…whatever. I bit into one of these beauties and have never looked back!!! I love their plump, meaty texture and the strong salty flavours. There is always a tub in my refrigerator. They are truly versatile and they work well with pre dinner drinks. they are a perfect appetite stimulator.

10. Spaghetti. Out of all the types of pastas this is still my favourite. Made with bolognaise sauce and you have another comfort food that screams happy childhood memories. Who can forget slurping long strands of pasta through your lips and getting dirty at the same time. There a packets of this in my pantry always.

11. Garlic. The aroma of this had me anaesthetised almost immediately. It featured in many of my childhood dishes as you can imagine. I still cook with it. It’s almost an addiction. And it’s good for you.

12. Olive oil. Boxes of this stuff would arrive on our doorstep from Greece almost every year. It still is and always will be the LIFEBLOOD of my kitchen. I can go on about this forever. It’s a staple and it will never ever leave the pantry.

13. Spinach and Cheese Pie. Otherwise known as Spanakopita. Again, another comfort food. Always served at greek parties and celebrations. Delicate layers of thin filo pastry brushed with butter, encasing a spinach and cheese mixture. Its the perfect pie. Crunchy on the outside and soft oozy goodness on the inside. Quite a healty dish when you think about it. With all that iron you can give Popeye a run for his money!!!

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