My BFF John and I love to cook. We are both always trying new recipes and talking about our recent culinary adventures. So in March, John came up with the idea to form a Supper Club. For now it’s just the 4 of us (John/Jeff and Me/Robb), but there is potential to add others and include guests from time to time. We both researched Supper Clubs online and looked at different rules and technical aspects of other people’s Supper Clubs and we took a couple tips from other clubs and formulated our own rules and standards.
Essentially, you have to be able to cook like a mofo and WANT to cook like a mofo once every other month. You have to want to challenge yourself. And you have to be prepared to buy top ingredients and cook everything on your night. The host prepares everything on their turn and the guests are able to just show up!
We sat down in April and wrote out a bunch of themes (greek, indian, mexican, finger foods, old classics, etc) and tossed them in a hat. Then we took turns picking themes and organized the remainder of the year so we know what we are cooking throughout 2012. We wanted to challenge ourselves and choose themes that are out of our comfort zone or realm of skill.
I was up first with GREEK night! I knew NOTHING about Greek food really…..so I enlisted my parents to take me to their favorite Greek Restaurant (Yianni’s Taverna) so I could study up! Once I tasted the food there (their food is DELICIOUS), I solidified my menu and developed my plan. OPA!
My menu:
Appetizers
- Beef Patties with Mint
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Homemade Pita Bread
- Melitzanosalata (eggplant dip)
Main Course
- Moussaka
- Lamb Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce
- Roasted Potatoes
Dessert
- Baklava
Appetizer Spread
Greek Wine
Dinner Spread
Moussaka
Lamb Souvlaki
Baklava…delicious!
I started prepping my meal on Thursday night. Then I cooked by butt off on Friday night and all day Saturday (except to take a 2-hour break for water aerobics). It was exhausting but so well worth it. The food turned out FABULOUS and we were stuffed before the meal was even over. And now I am not afraid to make Baklava (phyllo dough was easy!) and I learned that moussaka was a bit more involved than I thought it would be.
I will post a couple of the recipes in the coming weeks so everyone can try making greek food for yourselves. I’ll update my blog each time we have Supper Club – even if I am not cooking –so everyone can see what we both come up with!
my dad’s family is from Turkey; and Turkish food is just about the same as Greek. Laura, look up Sephardic Turkish food links; some really wonderful things. My g’ma made these things called “pastilekos” – phyllo dough with, depending on the season, apples, or pumpkin, or even leeks, shaped into triangles, and baked. Good stuff.
That sounds awesome, Christine! My mom said the same thing – that turkish and greek foods were similar and she gave me some of her turkish cookbooks. I didnt use them this time though.
Love, love , love this and I too, wish I lived closer! Try the patties using lamb instead of beef, with pine nuts, mint, cinnamon, sun-dreid tomatoes and EVOO. Can’t wiat to see your moussaka recipe – it is very time-consuming adn SO delicious! I love Mediterranean (and Greek) especially foods! Laura, I just love your blog!
I evidently cannot proofread my typing/spelling 😦
I wanted to use lamb for the patties but Robbbb doesnt like lamb so I was trying to give him a couple dishes to eat as well. I did Lamb for the Souvlaki instead! Thanks so much Annie!!!! Your comments and interest mean so much 🙂
I wished we lived closer. The menu sounds amazing. Can’t wait to see your versions of the recipes. Especially looking forward to beef patties and the mousakka (and finding out why it turned out to be more involved).
I wasnt happy with the beef patties so I wont be posting a recipe for them. But the Moussaka will be posted for sure – it’s a 3-4 part recipe with assemblage….it was definitely at least a 2-hour process. But well worth it.
I totally wished we lived closer, too!!!! How awesome would that be??