[image via MANIFEST VEGAN]
BY MAVIS LINNEMANN I was first exposed to Greek food many years ago when my best friend, Laura, and her parents, the Brokamps, took me to the Panegyri Greek Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Greeks have always known how to throw a party, and the festival is a barrage of fun activities: music, dancing, amusement rides, raffles, games, and, of course, food. The succulent smell of lamb wafts through the air at Greek festivals, but it’s the sweet and sticky Greek pastries that really win me over. There’s usually a host of Greek moms and grandmas selling these honeyed, flaky treats, and I can’t leave the party without at least buying an assorted box of them. That first festival year, Laura and I even took a cooking class where we learned to make that much loved Greek treat: baklava. There’s a real art to making baklava. The delicate, papery sheets (phyllo) that make the baklava so tender and flakey can easily dry out if you’re not careful. Preparation is half the battle here, so make sure and have everything ready before you put the phyllo dough out on the counter. Also, put the phyllo sheets on a piece of wax paper and cover with a damp towel to keep them from drying out in between use. But what is baklava exactly? MORE