Appetizers Archives - Modern Pineapple

If I had to name my favorite cuisine, it might be Greek. Really. It would even possibly edge out Mexican, which is saying a lot. I love the bright flavors, fresh ingredients and overwhelming sense of family I get when I dip into a bite — but maybe that’s my love of My Big Fat Greek Wedding talking (the dad in that movie is classic). The craving for Greek food hit me when I realized it was Xristos Anesti last weekend (a holiday I always remember thanks to my favorite Greek and college roommate Alexandra Sarris) coupled with the warm weather.

I mentioned it in a post earlier this week, but we dipped into said Greek fare last Friday. It was the first time I tried my hand at tzatziki, but it’s always the first thing I order when we go down the street to Mazi. I found a recipe in one of my very favorite wedding presents: Two in the Kitchen cookbook from Williams-Sonoma.* It was so easy that I almost got mad I haven’t been making it all these years, but it was too good to be upset. Side note: the recipe made quite a bit more than the two of us could handle on our own, or that we felt friends at a party would eat. I’ve halved the recipe here for you to enjoy — perfect for summer nights with crudites or small crackers.

Summer Snacks: Perfect Tzatziki for Two

1/2 cucumber, halved and seeded
1/2 lemon
250 g Greek yogurt (1 cup)
1 Tbsp minced fresh dill
1 Tbsp minced fresh mint
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Using a box grater, coarsely shred the cucumber into a fine-mesh sieve. Let the water from the cucumber drain for about 10 minutes in the sink. Squeeze the cucumber to remove any remaining moisture. Halve a lemon, and grate one half into a bowl. Then squeeze the juice of the lemon into the bowl. Stir in the shredded cucumber, yogurt, dill and mint. Season with sea salt and pepper. Refrigerate for later, or as I did, serve immediately.

*The cookbook is from my cousin Ben and his wife Kelsey, and is inscribed with a wonderful quote shared with the wisdom of several beautiful years of marriage behind them: “Cooking is like love: it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”

Every girl needs a few go-to recipes that can be made at a moment’s notice. One of mine is guacamole — it’s simple, practically effortless and absolutely delicious. I usually keep avocados and the other ingredients around, so this also doesn’t leave me scrambling {there’s nothing worse}.

Avocados

The Perfect Guacamole

2 avocados
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 cup red onion, minced
2 serrano chiles {seeds removed! and minced}
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Cut the avocados in half, remove the seed and scoop out the avocado into a bowl {any bowl will do, but as guac enthusiasts we have a molcajete — I love ours and totally recommend getting one}. Use the pestle, or fork, to mash the avocado. Sprinkle with salt and lime juice to keep the avocados from browning. Then add the pepper, red onion, cilantro and chiles. Mix together and voilà!

This avocado tool from OXO is my favorite.

Serve with chips {I warm mine in the oven for just a few minutes to get them toasty} and dig in! It’s easiest to pour the chips into an oven-safe dish like this one, heat, and then serve on a trivet.

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