We think that one of the most comforting phrases anyone can hear is, “Me too!”. With these two, simple words, so much is communicated; they signify a sense of belonging, of kinship, of mutual understanding. You once dreamed of being a prima ballerina, even though you have size ten feet and zero flexibility? Me too! You think you have an amazing singing voice that needs the acoustics of a shower to really shine? Me too! You are convinced that potato chips are a vegetable because, well, potato? Me too!
Since beginning this blog and sharing the idea behind Mia Kouppa with friends, family, co-workers and random strangers (we are very shameless friendly people), me too‘s have been reverberating in our ears. When we tell people that our parents measure nothing in the kitchen, that their cooking is instinctual and that their “recipes” (note: the term is used very loosely) are littered with instructions that truly make no sense, heads nod, laughter ensues, and “Me too’s!” are chuckled. Folks, we are not alone. It seems that there are cupboards in Greek kitchens everywhere which hold the ubiquitous kouppa. All sorts of kouppes! More kouppes!! And behind every one of these kouppes there is a mother, a father, a grandparent or an uncle, someone, who wields this kouppa like a magic wand, whipping up delicious food that is next to impossible to re-create. What to do? Keep these amazing recipes confined to one kitchen? Silly…of course not!
Given the joy we have had cooking with our parents, (and all that we have learned from them), and the excitement of sharing their delicious and traditional recipes with all of you… we decided to spread the happiness. We extended an invitation to family and friends, asking them to choose a favourite family meal, one that they did not have a true recipe for. And then, we invited ourselves into their kitchens and we arrived with our cameras, our notepads, our scales and our measuring tools and we set to cooking with these kitchen wizards. As when we cook with our own parents, the recipes are then transcribed so that they can be shared. More Kouppes is our way of celebrating all of the great, Greek, home cooks that we, and you, know.
Yay!
Helen and Billie
Links to our More Kouppes recipes
Cheesecake
Pear-shaped cookies (ahladakia)
Cherry spoon sweet
Theia Voula’s pizza
Vegan pastichio
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