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If you want to learn how to cook Greek food the right way, you may want to take a Greek cooking class. I had the benefit of learning how to cook Greek food from my yia yia and mother. I believe it really is best to learn how to cook Greek food from someone who really knows the cuisine and the food. To me, the food isn’t necessarily about the ingredients and what to do with them, it’s about the stories and the tradition.

And there are some foods in the Greek culture that demand adherence to tradition. I remember when my mother wanted to bring kourambiedes to a funeral. These are melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies that are garnished with powdered sugar. It’s absolutely faux pas to do this because they are considered the standard celebration cookie - for weddings and such. These stories and traditions are what enliven the culture.

Finding a Greek Cooking Class

There are several things you can do to find someone to teach you how to cook Greek food. The first is to check with your local cooking schools, cooking supply stores, and even your community center to see if they offer instruction on Greek food. If not, you may want to find a Greek who really knows how to cook and ask them if they’ll teach you.

My mother used to do this with her famous bakalava. She’d wait until she was going to make it anyway (she always did around Christmas to give it away as gifts) and then invite the person over. The payment was that my mother had an extra hand in the kitchen, which is always nice.

Can You Teach Yourself?

Of course. The majority of things I know how to cook, Greek or otherwise, I taught myself how to do. But I encourage you to do more than just follow a recipe. Experiment. Learn the stories behind the foods. Find a forum so you can interact with other Greek cooks. These are the intangibles that will liven up your kitchen and make the food even more meaningful to your own table.