Around the World in Foodventures (Greece: GEMISTA and GALAKTOBOUREKO)

I've had stuffed peppers before -- all my life, in fact.  But they were always kind of just thrown together; never from an actual thought out, tried and true, or traditional recipe.  So, when my good friend who happens to be Greek and who lives in Greece suggested Gemista (stuffed vegetables) for this installment, I didn't hesitate even though it doesn't seem to be any kind of official national dish.  According to my friend, Gemista is a food that everyone knows the smell and taste of, and pretty much everyone and their grandmother has their own way and secrets to cooking it.

He also told me I should try Galaktoboureko (a/k/a "milk pie" or "custard pie") -- another food that he says pretty much all Greeks fuss about, and even sweet shops are forever in competition over who makes the best.

So here they are (plated up together as part of a whole meal): 

Specifically on this plate is a stuffed green pepper, a stuffed orange pepper, a stuffed tomato,
and some potato wedges that roasted in the same pan; on the side there is bread and
feta cheese topped with dried oregano and olive oil; and then up top, the
Galaktoboureko garnished with lemon peel and a cinnamon stick

The recipes I used were the very ones that awesome friend supplied -- and although I could 95% follow these YouTube videos just by watching (it's otherwise, uh, all Greek to me - 😊) they do include links in the video descriptions to written recipes that can be translated):

• Gemista: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dESrdMD4xc&feature=youtu.be
• Galaktoboureko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5O083X2CXM&feature=youtu.be

The verdict?  These are the best stuffed peppers (and stuffed tomatoes) I've ever had, full of classic Greek flavors.  I would definitely make them again -- though I don't feel it was necessary to add water to the baking dish (they came out somewhat waterlogged and I think the ingredients would have given off enough liquid for this purpose themselves).  As for the milk/custard pie . . . . oh, yes!  Absolutely delightful, except for battling with poor quality store-bought phyllo dough during the build (of which I will have to find a better brand or make my own next time), and in my opinion there was way more syrup than I really wanted to put on the finished pastry (so now we have leftover lemony simple syrup to use in cocktails!).  I guess all these thoughts amount to that everyone-having-their-own-ways-and-secrets-to-making-things thing. 😉

Finally, I give you this bonus close-up of the Galaktoboureko because layers!

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain