Baked Zucchini Patties

Don’t tell me what you ate, tell me who you ate with.

– Anthony Bourdain goes Greek in Naxos (Parts Unknown: Greece)

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Christina Xenos, is the co-author of Opa! Healthy Greek Cookbook, and is the resident ray of sunshine in today’s story! She imparted her knowledge of her Greek heritage recently at Melissa’s Produce, and I am hooked.

Never have I cried reading the first chapter of a cookbook before, but it was hard to hold the tears back. Her book, co-authored with Theo Stephan, nearly literally transports you to Greece. You can smell the salty sea air, and you can taste the herb-dusted, and olive-oil drizzled fresh tomatoes. You picture yourself at a table with all of her family, including her Yiayia (Grandmother), indulging in a couple slugs of raki with great conversation, and plenty of food to go along with the laughs.

When something touches you so deeply, that you weep, is something special. I’m never one to shy away from admitting tears, and this is no exception. This particular book, and this particular person has brought me something that I didn’t know I needed until now, and it’s because of my own heritage that it is so poignant. I want to learn more about a culture that I have not acknowledged my entire life. It’s fitting that I post this just two days after what would have been my Grandmother’s 94th birthday, goddess rest her soul. She was part Greek.

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My Grandma always treated everyone she encountered as if it was her family. Your color, age, ethnicity, status, did not matter one bit. It wasn’t until reading the first chapter of Christina’s book that I realized where she got it.

Philoxenia is a term describing a Greek custom and code of ethics, which means, “the love of strangers”. You welcome strangers into your home, with open arms. Present them with food and wine, and once they are restored, only then do you ask what their business is. There is no more perfect a word to describe my own Yiayia.

The Greek diet, more broadly known as the Mediterranean diet is primarily vegetable forward, so this fits in with my lifestyle wholeheartedly. One large meal a day (lunch), with mezzethes (appetizers) supplementing. While Greeks do enjoy their meat, they do so in moderation, reserving it for holidays and special occasions.

In this very special gathering and demonstration, she executed her Baked Zucchini Patties (pg. 96). These are traditionally fried, but here she bakes them to lighten up the dish. They sounded so scrumptious, I had to try them!

In order to make a completely plant-based version, I substituted the eggs with flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax meal with 4 tablespoons water), and in place of the feta, I brine tofu with lemon juice and salt. The result is a delicate zucchini patty that is perfectly caramelized, and when dipped in Not Your Yiayia’s Tzatziki (pg. 23) sauce, will explode a few brain cells. Yes, they are that good.

This amazing Greek cookbook is available on Amazon, and where all fine cookbooks are sold.

Stranger love,