How to Throw a Greek Inspired Dinner
I had this delicious idea pop into my head and had to run with it. The idea was simple. Each month I would make a meal from a different country and celebrate it with friends and family. I love hosting, cooking and enjoying the company of those I love, all while appreciating the culinary heritage from different places around the world. Come follow along with me each month as I venture on this culinary journey, while never leaving the house. Seems like a true “homebody” thing to do. ;)
July we are visiting the beautiful country of Greece!
I remember when I was planning for my honeymoon, I had always dreamt of exploring the hidden paths that Greece had to offer. It sounded like the dreamiest place to visit, let alone take your honeymoon! It wasn’t hard to convince Ryan to go. We ate the most delicious food, visited some of the oldest sites in the world and took in the most beautiful views. All of that being said, Greece seemed like the perfect country to honor for our first ever dinner in this series, because of all the fond memories Greece left us with. We got to incorporate some of our most treasured keepsakes in the table decor and drink some “vintage” Ouzo we brought back with us from our honeymoon.
I really wanted to celebrate greek culture and make greek influenced dishes. I ended up finding some delicious recipes that i’ll tag throughout this post. I’m happy to say that we did not have any food leftover. It was a hit!
I love decorating a table for any event! And the greatest thrill is when you borrow or thrift items to make a very classy table at a very low cost. I ended up using my own everyday plates and borrowed these blue and white patterned dessert plates from my mom (thanks, mom!). HERE are some similar dessert plates that are stunning!
Natalie from JanuaryandJune.com helped me style the table with these stunning and timeless olive branches, lemons, and garden roses. If you don’t have olive branches, any greenery from your garden will do. Just gather a handful of greenery with some citrus and your table will look absolutely gorgeous! The white linen runner we actually bought while on our honeymoon in Greece. It is one of my favorite pieces I own. HERE is a similar runner, that would give this same effect. The small footed glassware was thrifted and HERE are similar seagrass glasses. Having different texture elements helps to break-up all the white and adds lots of interest. Play around with your plates and decor until you are happy with it.
GREEK INSPIRED MENU
Greek Watermelon Feta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
from HalfBakedHarvest.com
from TheMediterraneanDish.com
from SavingDessert.com
I bought the hummus at Nina’s bakery (a local Armenian bakery) and garnished with katamala olives, Persian cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts.
and baklava (also from Nina’s)
(Note: this is what I found and felt I could easily make, while keeping with the greek theme. You have lots of wiggle room here as far as the menu choices go. Have fun with it!)
This lemon greek rice was so nice and light. It had the perfect amount of lemon flavor and a hint of the additional spices. It was so good. 10/10 in my book. Recipe link above.
I love displaying the hummus on a cutting board with pita chips circling around. I garnished with some katamala olives, cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumbers and pine nuts. Delicious!
These grilled greek chicken skewers were so moist and flavorful. We followed the recipe and marinated the chicken for at least four hours ahead of cook time, to really seal in the flavor of the greek yogurt spiced marinade.
Adding some lemon slices to a water pitcher is such an easy touch! I know it’s nothing new, but this simple addition makes all the difference in taste and looks! And a pretty pitcher doesn’t hurt either.
At the end of the dinner we did all take a shot of Ouzo to celebrate the dinner. We brought this back with us from our honeymoon, six years ago now. I can definitely tell you it still tastes like black licorice, (can you tell i’m not a fan? ;)).
Getting friends or family together is always such a treat! We laughed, ate and drank the evening away in complete happiness! I can successfully say this first month’s themed dinner was a hit! Stay tuned for next month’s dinner. If you want to see more, follow along on Instagram @Sydney.grossman or search the hashtag #HLHtastetheworld
-Sydney