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Everybody has a favorite Greek pita pie, or two or three, because the choice of fillings, both savory and sweet, is almost endless creating a tasty treat wrapped in layers of buttered, filo dough. The traditional pita pie has a special place on the daily Greek table. It is sometimes savory, sometimes sweet, with sheet dough or not, almost always baked in the oven and, less frequently, fried. The word appears in Greece in the Middle Ages. Pita also refers to a type of round, unleavened flatbread (pita with slouvaki, pita with gyro). All varieties of pita pies are made … Read more

A day in the life of the ancient Greeks started at early rise with barley bread dipped in wine and, perhaps, a few figs or olives. This may sound ‘spartan’ compared to today’s full breakfast but Athenaeus, 2nd-3rd Century AD grammatist, names a long list of different breads in The Deipnosophistae  (dinner table philosophers), sometimes called the oldest surviving cookbook, that underlines the importance of bread in ancient Greek life. Bread played a vital role at the table for nourishment and health (there were three daily meals). There were special breads and cakes for all occasions, such as celebrations, entertainment and … Read more