Pita Challenge
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Kolokithopita Triangles
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Kolokithopita – Pumpkin Pita
My mother’s questioning became more urgent as the weeks progressed. “I still have the pumpkin. Can we make the kolokithopita when you visit? Do you think you’re coming soon?” The great pumpkin had been sitting in the dining room corner, as if in time out, since Thanksgiving. It was now well into March. Would it even still be edible? My dad was the biggest skeptic. We cut it one afternoon, not long before I had to leave NJ to get back to Philly for class. We were all pleasantly surprised to find the meat inside okay.
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Spanakopita
Spanakopita (spinach pie) is a dish that just seems to bring people together. My mother first learned how to make her highly sought-after spanakopita not in Greece, but in the United States. Like tiropita (cheese pie) it is one of her go-to recipes to feed a hungry crowd and one of her signature savory dishes. And let’s just say it has a bit of a following. Who knew spinach could be so uniting.
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New York Pita Culture
Greece has a “pita culture” and the round or oval flatbread that most non-Greeks instantly think of when hearing “pita” is just a small part of it. Greek pita can refer to one of two dough products. One is the flatbread used for scooping up an assortment of appetizing dips and for wrapping many Mediterranean sandwiches like gyros, souvlaki and falafel. Perhaps more importantly to Greeks, pita also refers to a phyllo-based pie. Pites, the savory or sweet phyllo pies that most Greeks think of when they hear pita, or mean when referencing them, come in many varieties. My intention in starting the pita challenge was not only to nail…
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Tiropita
Tiropita, two ways, two times, practice makes perfect. Recipe testing is important when writing, developing, and sharing them. That’s how the first pita challenge ended up as a two-attempt trial. It wasn’t the result of a classic misunderstanding between my mother and me. No. Of course not. Tiropita is one of my mother’s staple go-to recipes for gatherings large or small, occasion’s special or regular, impromptu visits from friends, family or a hungry kid or grandkid. She’ll make a single large pie for gatherings, and almost always has some individually wrapped triangles in the freezer for last minute or smaller gatherings. As delicious as it is, tiropita is relatively straightforward…
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The Pita Challenge
Go to any Greek restaurant or festival and you’re likely to see at least one type of pita on the menu. I’m not talking pita bread for your gyro or souvlaki sandwich here. When Greeks say “pita” or “pites” they are usually referring to a “pie” made of a vegetable, cheese, or meat filling and phyllo dough. Pites come in a variety of configurations, and are always delicious. My personal favorites are my mother’s tiropites (cheese pie), triangular packets of cheesy deliciousness wrapped in buttery, flaky phyllo.
