Opa!

My husband and I are extremely fortunate to have lots of ethnic restaurants and grocery stores around. A few days ago we went to two grocers looking for a particular Chinese cooking wine called shao xing. As is obvious, the first didn’t carry it.

I figured as much as the sign mentioned Halal foods and Islamic law forbids imbibing any alcohol. But they did offer phyllo dough among their Mediterranean selection. I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making the delectable Greek desert baklava and their premade ones cost more than I wished to spend.

Not exactly the traditional diamond shape...

The recipe I found was simple and included detailed instruction. Food processing a pound of walnuts with cinnamon easy, the dough proved a challenge. I didn’t panic when the delicate sheets tore since nobody would know the difference once it baked. Nor did the phyllo dry out, my biggest concern. Layers drenched in butter before making and vanilla infused honey/sugar water after, it’s not the healthiest.

The good news? A few sweet and savory bites satisfy just fine and it can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for up to two weeks. Granted, I’d rather have a crab sandwich by the Pacific shore with Sandy from the blog Comedy Plus but beggars can’t be choosers. ~sigh~ Next time (and there will be one) I might skip the sugar and stick with honey for the sauce.

Have you ever eaten Greek cuisine? Should I try the pumpkin baklava recipe I found?

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