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Hi again.... I am not sure about the measurements you have given... I tend to use volumetric measurements for Greek cooking as that is how my mom measured. I tend to use equal butter and flour by volume... and about 5x the volume in milk, for the bechamel.... quick google measurements for weight are 227gm butter to 120gm flour and 1200gm milk... this should get you pretty close. Remember that there is also cheese and eggs in this preparation which will also thicken the bechamel. Good luck!!!

Hi Neil... thanks for the comment/question. Bechamel can be made light, medium, or heavy, depending on what you would like for a final result. A light bechamel would be for a light coating on vegetables or with cheese added to make a Mornay sauce. A medium might be used as a binder in a filling or some such. A heavy, which is closer to what I have is for making something like croquettes or as a stuffing or in this case, a layer that will not run when cut and hot. The bechamel (actually a Mornay since it includes cheese) is similar to the potato layer in a Shepherd's Pie...although, in pastitsio, it is an extra starch whereas in moussaka it is the main starch. I hope that answers your question. You are more than welcome to make it with a thinner bechamel, but the end product will be sloppy on the plate, ie: not be able to cut into a nice serving etc.

Hi Mary! Thank you for the comment. :)

Thank you for the feedback. My hubby tells me this all the time... 🤣😂😅🥰 Alas, it is who I am. I suggest you watch at 1.5 speed.... hahahaha... Thanks again...

@@MomsGreekKitchen Great idea to speed it up! Like I said, loved the recipe and will make it next week for my 60th birthday party, including a trip to Kos to pick up the tarama. How do you make the tarama that is white instead of pink, and is there one that uses potatoes instead of bread?

@@southerncrossbluecruising274 Hi again.... glad you liked the tip... hahaha... Mom never made the potato version... but I assume you use boiled cold potatoes instead of the wet bread in a similar way. I do not know what you mean by white vs pink. The tarama itself is usually a bright deep pink... so unless you are adding a LOT of the filler, ie: bread or potato, not sure you can get rid of the colour. Happy early birthday... and congrats on 60... been there, done that... hahahaha

Hi Dallas! I am so glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks for the comment!! <3

Guten tag Rainer! Wie gehts?? (sorry, that is about the extent of what I remember from my German in high-school many many many years ago!!) I am very happy you found the recipe and thank you VERY much for the sub. My mom always called it sperna and only learned the name kolyva when I was researching it for the meaning and significance of this preparation in religious practice. I hope you try it. Let me know what you think and how it matches the one you had in the past. Danke und auf wiederhören?? ( do we say that if we aren't face to face, I know we do it over the phone)

Thank you for the comment, but if I am not mistaken, I SAY that it is a Turkish recipe and even detail the legend of where it gets its name. Did you not watch the video? We adopted/perfected many recipes of our Turkish oppressors... 400 years... you would think us 'borrowing' their cuisine is at least a small part in exchange for being oppressed, no?

Hi Derekh.... actually, I have done... and I am mostly Greek by ethnicity... hahahaha... and I just met another Greek who didn't like lamb and she doesn't like feta.... so there are some of us who don't fit the stereotype, I guess... hahaha. Thx for the comment!

@@MomsGreekKitchen Yassou! I’m just messing with you. I enjoy your channel and get some nice tips for Greek meals.

@@derekh.7582 and that's how I took it... no worries... (grin). Thanks again for the laugh and I am glad my little videos can you out. Hope you liked the results!? Kali orexi!! (good appetite)

Hi Gail!! I am glad you found my little video helpful and so thankful for the kind comment. My condolences on your mom's passing, 'May her memory remain eternal'. My mom passed in 2019...and I don't think we ever stop missing them. Thank you again for the kind words... <3

Hi Sophia!! I am so glad you liked the recipe!! Thank you for your comment!! <3

Yiassou Vicky! Thank you very much for the kind words. I am glad my little video could help, that is very nice to hear. May your parents' memory be eternal, as well. Thanks again.... <3

Hi Craig!! Tht's awesome!! I hope you both enjoy it and that the visit goes very well!! Hope you and Jeremy are well, as well.

@@MomsGreekKitchen It turned out amazingly! An hour was a tad too long in our oven, so it got super dark on top. That's okay, next time I will check at 40 minutes

@@dympulls I am glad it came out well...albeit a little sunburned... hahahaha... it happens to the best of us. Hope your visit went very well!!? <3

@@MomsGreekKitchen We drove to Banff and Lake Louise yesterday, it was beautiful :)

Hi Diane!! Thank you for such a heartwarming comment. I am very glad I could bring a memory of your pappou to mind!! Is my mom's recipe close to your pappou's recipe? I love seeing the variations to these recipes. You are very welcome and thank you again!! <3

@@MomsGreekKitchen Thank you for your response. My father and family came from Greece to New York and started a Greek and Italian food market. As a child I would love going there and getting bites of feta and my father would lift the lids off the barrels of different olives for me to grab a few bites. Then Papou would slice some of my favorite cheeses and some mortadella for a snack. The store always smelled heavenly. A funny story is a man tried to get my grandfather to sell jarred spaghetti sauce in the store and my family laughed that no one would ever spend money on such a product. That man was affiliated with what is now known as Ragu sauce. My family recipe is just a bit different. We use a light beef broth with a teaspoon or two of tomato paste added. We cook the broth for 20-30 mins at simmer to develop a rich flavor. Also rolled the barrels smaller. The Avgolemono sauce is made by simply beating together the whole eggs, about twice as many as you used, till a pale yellow froth. Then slowly stream in the fresh lemon juice. Temper the eggs with the broth and add the eggs mixture to the broth. I bring it to simmer, then remove from heat, gently stir, cover and leave about 5 minutes. It results in a rich and hearty soup. Top with fresh dill and fresh ground pepper. It is a meal in itself. Thank you so much for allowing me to share. Oh and YiaYia said that I should always use converted rice in all Greek cooking because it is more forgiving and tastes better. 👵🏻

@@dianer.9203 That sounds like a wonderful way to grow up... surrounded by love and good food. The tomato paste is an interesting addition... never heard of a red avgolemono before... learn something new every day. So you start with a beef broth vs having the uvarelakia MAKE the beef broth. Hmmm... my mom came from a poor village, so the expense/availability of having extra meat to make the broth doesn't mesh with the upbringing she had, which is why the avgolemono (all versions she made...beef, lamb, chicken etc) have the meat itself flavour the broth and be added to the soup in later stages (after cooking off the rice or pasta etc) and making the lemon/egg mixture. Your family may have been more wealthy Lgrin). Thx again for the info... I will do some research and see if I can find other versions with tomato paste.... Take care!!

@@MomsGreekKitchen It’s not red or pink. Just a teaspoon in a large pot to add a hint of savory. The beef broth is quite weak.

@@dianer.9203 thank you for clarifying!☺

Hi Queen!! It is a light pink when it is done mom's way. It may not look it in the video. If you have had it and it is VERY pink, I am assuming they have added food colouring. The tarama, the fish eggs, are a deep pink, but you are adding quite a bit of other ingredients, like the bread which will lighten the colour, then of course, you are adding lemon juice which will also have a bit of a lightening effect. If you want, you can add a drop of red or pink food colouring but it is not traditional. Hope you enjoy the recipe!! :)

Hi Ashley! Yo are very welcome and I hope you like it!! <3

Thanks for the comment. You are correct on the Mornay nomenclature, but for most people, they will still call it a bechamel and there is no reason to complicate things. As to tempering, you are also correct, you can even do it 'on heat' if you whisk quickly enough, which is the way I normally do it, but not everyone is experienced or confident enough to do so. This is a fool-proof method and will give the best results for the most people. If I did NOT tell them to do so, and they end up with scrambled eggs in their bechamel come Mornay sauce, I would get a LOT of people complaining/unhappy and that is NOT my intention. You are obviously an experienced cook, but not everyone who watches my videos is. I try and give as much info as necessary so everyone can succeed in reproducing a good result. Thanks again for the kind words!!

Yiassou Alice!! I am not sure how many pounds I used, but use what you think you will need. The spicing is by eye/estimate each time, so I can't give precise measurements. It may take seasoning to where you think it is good, then frying up a piece to taste, and adjusting as needed. You will eventually get a good 'eye' for how it should look. That is one of the reasons I like the seasoned salt, because you can 'see' how much is on the meat, as opposed to regular salt which disappears. As to fatty-ness... as long as there aren't pieces that are fully fat, no, the fat, like in a sausage, makes the souvlaki juicy, tender and very tasty. You can again experiment with this... do one skewer with ONLY lean meat and one with a mix, as I have shown, and see which you prefer. If there is no or very little fat, you will find the meat rather dry... at least that is my opinion. Good luck and kali orexi!!

Yes, I understand now. I don’t measure myself either when cooking so i’m familiar w “ Eyeballing it.” Thank you so much 😊

@@alicekapolas3210 You are very welcome! Did you end up finding the seasoned salt?? :)

Hi Vanitha!! Thank you for the comment and the kind words... that was very sweet! I am sorry for the missing info. I would bake these at 375F/190C for about 40-50 mins or until nicely golden brown, with the tips slightly darker. Each oven is slightly different so I would check them after about 30-35 mins. Good luck!! Hope your family loves them as much as mine does!!

@@MomsGreekKitchen thank you so much - this is how my mother in law made it when she visited from Greece - she used fresh spinach and squeezed the liquids out. She made her own filo and fried them! I am going to try making it your way - looks delicious and again thank you so much

@@vanitharigatos1875 Hi again!! We make our own filo too, but hard to get it that thin and even, so store-bought saves a lot of time and effort... haha... I have tried the cheese triangles/tiropitakia deep-fried... those are also good. Not a tradition in my family. The people who I had them fried from where from Crete. They also drizzled them with a little honey. Interesting but I prefer them our way. I hope you like them!! Do let me know!! Kali Orexi!! :)

hehehe.... You are very welcome! whereabouts are you from? Just curious since you can't seem to get seasoning salt?

Nashville- It’s probably right in front of my nose in the spice section. Will check tomorrow 👍

@@alicekapolas3210 hahaha... I bet you did... it is a pinkish/reddish colour usually... McCormick's, Lawrey's, and Morton's all seem to have one listed as sold in the US... good luck!!!

So very nice to meet you too!! :) Irish and Greek... that must be a party!! hahaha... You may message me, of course!! Happy to help!.. I have made up the pages of a cookbook, so far, but they need a lot of work to get ready for publishing, but that 'was' an idea... hehehe... I will hopefully get it done one day.... Thank you again for the kind message!! Go raibh maith agat Slán!!

Hi Alice! Thank you for the question. Seasoned or seasoning salt is a combination of salt and other flavourings. It is common here in Canada where I live... Lawrey's and Hy's are two brand names that produce it. You can make your own or just use plain salt... will be just fine. If you want to make your own, here is the first recipe I found online... ¼ cup kosher salt 4 teaspoons ground black pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper I hope that helps?? :)

Hi Tom... Thanks for the feedback, but I assure you the onions were perfectly caramelized, as they should be in Greek cooking, we don't do pale onions, as a lot of the flavour comes from this browning step, just as it does in Indian cuisine. Maybe you aren't experienced in world cuisines. Secondly, those are not regular non-stick pans, they are Rock cookware which are metal utensil safe, which is why I bought them so I would not have to baby them as much as you need to care with old-fashioned non-stick. But since you don't care for the sound, I suggest you leave my channel and don't let the door hit ya on the ass. Have a lovely day!!

Save the sarcasm. You should do some research on YT about the hybrid cookware. Many of these brands have been criticized by knowledgeable channel owners for bold claims about longevity and imperviousness to metal utensils. I bet you believe that they are dishwasher safe and safe for the environment? There are also channels which have videos on caramelizing onions and their proper appearance. Brown is good . Black is bad. Dude , you haven’t made a video in two years so I wouldn’t chase subscribers away( which I am).

@@tompagano9015 No, I don't think I will. Sarcasm is the appropriate reply to a comment like yours. I still have that same set of cook wear and it still looks like the day I bought it, minus a ding or two from dropping them but the insides are just fine, thank you very much. Secondly, as someone who went to French Culinary school, has worked in restaurants for decades before I changed careers, etc., I think I know how to caramelize onions. The video in question was one of my first, before I got decent lights etc., and it may look dark in the video but they were not burned. As to lack of videos... could it be I have a life outside of YT? Could I have issues in my life that take precedent? Could I have come to the end of my mom's repertoire? Could I have lost the drive to produce content? I am not obligated to make more videos, am I? I've offered what I have offered, free of charge to any and all who would like to try authentic Greek cuisine as interpreted by my mom, who was known as an excellent cook. I do this in honour and memory of my mom. I don't owe you anything, 'dude'. Thanks for the subscription, but it won't bother me if you unsubbed. No skin off my nose.

Hi Yolanda!! Thank you very much for the comment. I hope you do make it... this is a very easy and tasty dessert. That is sweet of you but I have quite a few of those molds, but only 1 that I put a hole in to make it easier to unmold. I just need to put a hole in one of the new ones... but thanks for the offer!! :)

Hi Janette... Glad you liked the video!! Enjoy!!

You are very welcome! I hope you like it!! :)

Hi AngieF... thank you for the comment... yes, that is a great tip if you need to mix or beat things in a bowl and you can't hold the bowl like when drizzling oil into a mayonnaise or something. I am glad you enjoyed the video!! <3

Hi there.... why would my rice be broken? I didn't cook it to mush... I cooked it to a little more than al dente and then it finished cooking in the pot with the other ingredients. I also used converted rice which is a little more robust and better to use in a preparation like this. (I think.. it was made a long time ago but it looks like it is converted rice from the video...I did not watch it all again). I hope that answered the question. 😁

Hi there!! Thank you for the comment and you are very welcome!! Enjoy!!😀

You are very welcome!! Yes, it is quite easy and straightforward and my favourite thing about it is the recipe shortcut... 1,2,3,4 bit, dash... hahahaha... The secret is to make sure the cream of wheat/semolina is nicely toasted before adding the syrup and cooking until nice and thick so it sets up firmly. Good luck and thanks for the comment!! <3

Hi Masou! Sorry... I cook them at 375F/160C for about an hour or until they are soft when pinched/squeeze one of them at the top and see if it is soft. You may need to add a little extra water if they are going dry so it doesn't burn. Good luck!!

Hello Fooffooffoofoofi!! Thank you SO much for the kind words and I am VERY happy you enjoyed the recipe. I hope you try some of the other of my mom's recipes... Thank you again!! That was very lovely to read!! <3

Hi Janette... thank you very much for the kind words!! <3

Hi there.... my condolences... may her memory be eternal. As to your question... I am not actually sure. If you follow the recipe amounts, it makes quite a lot. The platter I used is about 20" by 14" or so... and it was enough to fill it and mound up nicely. I would estimate at least 16 cups...but that is a very rough estimate.... sorry I cannot be more precise... but I've never thought to measure how much it makes. It fills a large stainless steel bowl, or pretty close to full... maybe an inch or so below the rim.... I hope that gives you an idea of how much it makes. If you are like me and enjoy it for just eating, as opposed to the religious reason, I would boil up 3 lbs of the wheat and if you don't use it all for the platter/bowl you are taking to the church, you can freeze the rest (without the icing sugar). It freezes well. You take out a portion, allow it to thaw, and stir in some icing sugar to taste. Let it sit so the sugar dissolves and mix before eating. Or if you have family that also likes it, like mine, I just put it in bowls, and do a quick sesame seed and icing sugar coating before wrapping in plastic wrap and delivering. If it has the sugar added, it can start to ferment so best eaten just after mixing. Again, my condolences and I hope it turns out well. Remember to cook the wheat enough that it is tender, as it can firm up when cooled which is unpleasant to eat. Cook it so it is soft, not al dente... but not falling apart...you don't want mush, either. Thank you again for the kind words!! <3

Thank you ! I want to decorate it the day before- can i refrigerate it with the powdered sugar on top?

@@user-jh5ll3ex4f if I recall correctly, I think I did the same and it was ok... do not cover it with plastic wrap as we don't want it to get damp and the filling does have moisture in it, which is why we use the ground sesame seeds as a barrier between the icing sugar and the rest of the filling...

Thank you ❤

Hi Muzaffer! Thank you for the kind words. I don’t think I have ever had ravani with alcohol in it. Actually, I don’t think I know of any traditional Greek dessert/pastry with alcohol in them, except for kourabiedes, a type of shortbread cookie that sometimes has ouzo or brandy spritzed on them to flavour them before being covered in icing sugar. I could be wrong.. I am a diaspora Greek so did not grow up in Greece… but I am a dessert junkie and NEVER had anything with alcohol in it from a Greek housewife or the Greek bakeries here. Greetings from Canada!! Thanks again for the kind comment. <3

Hi Elaine. You are very welcome... and I HOPE you never have to use it for its intended purpose, if you know what I mean? 💝🤞🤞🤞

Thanks for the comment. As stated elsewhere, this channel exists for me to share my MOM'S recipes... and this is how she always did it. Just sharing her variants. Thanks... :)

You are very welcome!! I hope you enjoy it!! :)

Hello Alice!! I am VERY sorry for the late response... I never got a notification and only saw your comment when I was working on the channel in the background. So very sorry. There is a list of ingredients just after my introduction. The older videos had the ingredients on the video itself. I haven't had the time to add these to the description box but I will try and do this retroactively for the earlier videos. Thank you for the question and the comment!! :)

@@MomsGreekKitchen Thank you! I LOVE your site and watching all. You explain things so well and not in a hurry. For new beginners that’s important!

@@alicekapolas3210 Thank you very much for the kind words.... and I hope you try the recipes... Enjoy!! :)

Hello Alice! Thanks for your comments... I hope you do make them... these are a very lovely cookie... My recipe says 3 cups of flour, or as needed. Start with 2 and add as needed to make a dough as shown. One can never give exact amounts of flour as they all act differently depending on type, location etc... Good luck and I hope you like them!! Kali orexi!! :)

Yiassou Andy…. Thanks for the comment. You are entitled to your opinion, but since this channel is in memory of my mom’s cooking, and sharing her recipes, I will continue to make them the way she did. Not only that, but I am classically trained French chef, and the proportions of butter and flour, to the milk to make a medium bechamel are correct here. 1 cup of butter to one cup of flour to about 4-5 cups of milk with flavourings etc. The recipe for a light to medium bechamel from epicurious.com has the proportions as follows; Makes about 1 cup 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1¼ cups whole milk, heated Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper As you can see, their proportions are pretty close to mine, considering I have about 4-5 cups of sauce… and I made a thicker bechamel which requires a bit more butter/flour to the milk… This pan of pastitsio will normally be cut into 9 pieces… so that works out to about 1.75 Tbsp of butter per portion… is that really too much? It isn’t like we eat pastitsio or moussaka, another dish where we use bechamel, every day…. It is a celebratory dish. But, you do you…. 😊 As to the pasta, again, you are welcome to your opinion…. And I am glad you can speak for all Greeks… how nice that must be. BTW: ‘al dente’… 2 words… ‘to the tooth’… Thanks again for your ‘kind’ words. 😏

Καλή χρονιά και σε σένα. Χρόνια πολλά. Δεν ξέρω σε τι ακριβώς αναφέρεσαι. Πέρασα γρήγορα το βίντεο και τα μόνα πράγματα που είναι λευκά και θα μπορούσαν να μοιάζουν με ρύζι είναι τα ψιλοκομμένα αμύγδαλα στο μείγμα ή η ζάχαρη άχνη από πάνω. Εάν δεν μιλάτε για αυτό, θα μπορούσατε να με ενημερώσετε για το πού βρίσκεται στο βίντεο που βλέπετε αυτό το «ρύζι»; Ευχαριστώ για το σχόλιο και τις ευχές για το νέο έτος. :)

Hi Alice! Thanks for the comment. I ‘guess’ you could top it with phyllo… it wouldn’t be pastitsio any longer but it should work. As to the meat sauce, no, stir occasionally. Did I somehow say stir continuously?! I apologize if I did. No, stir occasionally so the sauce doesn’t stick & burn. Good luck and let us know how it comes out if you use phyllo to finish it off. Happy New Year!! 👍🏽😉🥰

@@phaulsgawds9945 Hi! I understand. My husband’s parents were Greek,and she would top it with phyllo. No, you didn’t actually say “ continuously “ it was an observation :) I’ll update. Thank you ☺️

@@alicekapolas3210 Happy New Year's eve!! :) Thanks for the feedback... I have never heard of pastitsio being topped with phyllo before... interesting. I guess it would add a crunchy element, but I think I'd still prefer the creaminess and moistness of the bechamel... but interesting to know about the variation. Thanks again for the comment!! :)

@@MomsGreekKitchen Hi! good video. My mother in law was using phyllo like making tiropita (some on the bottom and some on top) and mixed the bechamel with the pasta. The meat in-between the two layers of pasta. It was very good. She was using cinnamon but my mother used nutmeg and that's my preferred spice.

@@roulab8657 Hi Roula mou!! Thank you for the comment. I guess phyllo with pastitsio must be a regional variation. I have never heard of it in my extended family and friend group. Which part of Greece did your mom come from? Mom always used cinnamon and cloves, as well as the garlic and bay leaves... that was in all meat sauces/kokkinista dishes... So interesting to learn about variations in recipes... learn something new every day. Kali orexi!! <3