KUKLA'S KOUZINA










  • home
  • BOOKS
  • blog
  • about
  • videos
  • gallery
  • contact us
  • kouzina EXTRA!
  • events

Eat Your Fava

11/19/2018

 
Picture
Picky eaters have plagued their parents’ lives from the beginning of time. The blame often falls on moms allowing their kids to dictate what should be on the menu—chicken nuggets, canned soup, pizza—these foods are not only served at home but dragged along in coolers on visits to other people’s homes AND to the restaurants that don’t have a kids menu. Hard to believe that kids can even dictate the contents of most restaurant menus! How is it that these half-pints developed the power to get grownups to grovel when it comes to mealtime? It’s the threat of “give me what I want or I won’t eat!” Some kids get away with this today, but when our mom (Kukla) was growing up, our grandmother (Yiayia) was the boss!

Picture
One of our favorite stories that our mom used to share with us was about a memorable dinner she experienced when she was about 6, which at first seemed like a rude awakening. Our grandfather (Papou) worked in the coalmines in West Virginia, so money was tight with four kids to feed. Our grandmother was a master in the kitchen and knew how to stretch a dollar. She cooked everything and the kids learned from a very young age to, well, eat everything. Beans are a main staple in the Greek kouzina, a great source of protein, and inexpensive, so this was one food group that Yiayia made the most of. 

Fava Fast

Picture
DAY 1
Fava, it’s what’s for dinner: One night Yiayia prepared Fava (φάβα), a split-pea puree made with olive oil and lemon juice. Yiayia set the table and called everyone in for dinner. Our mom took one look at the Fava and said, “I don’t like it.” Yiayia asked her how she knew that she didn’t like it if she didn’t try it. Our mom emphatically said that she didn’t want it. Yiayia told her that Fava is what’s for dinner and she had to eat it. Our mom stood her ground and refused, so Yiayia told her to go to bed without dinner. Our mom left the table and went to her room.

Picture
DAY 2
Our mom came to the table the next morning, happy that fava-day was behind her. She sat down and, after Yiayia served everyone a breakfast of bacon and eggs, she placed the same bowl of Fava in front of Mom. Our mom was stunned. She couldn’t believe this was happening to her again…for breakfast no less! She refused to eat it and, again, she was excused from the table.

Lunch came around and so did the Fava for Mom. Can you guess what happened to this feisty kid? Yup, she left the table hungry.

As the sun went down, dinner was served. Yiayia brought out a Greek roast-chicken-and-potatoes dinner and placed the same bowl of Fava in front of Mom. By now she was being stubborn out of spite and she once more refused to eat it…and, once more, she was excused from the table. At this point Papou felt the situation was getting out of hand and he spoke up saying, “Give the child something else to eat. You can’t send her to bed hungry again!” Yiayia told him “You go out and work and bring home the money, and I’ll take care of raising the kids!” A.K.A., don’t mess with a Greek mother trying to teach her kids a valuable lesson.

DAY 3
Mom was now starving and when the bowl of Fava was placed in front of her that morning, she dove in, wiped the bowl clean with some bread, and asked for more. She actually loved it and, from then on, she ate everything that was placed in front of her, partly because she didn’t want to go through that fava-fast hunger again, and partly because she didn’t want to miss out on food that was actually good. Yiayia’s fava-fast was a bit extreme but it worked, and it sent out a message to all the kids that dictating what was on the menu was her job, not theirs—learning how to eat started at home.    

Turkey Day

PictureJoanne, Mom (Kukla) & the turkey
Our mom, like her mom before her, raised us to eat just about everything from the time we were able to chew, but one Thanksgiving, my sister Joanne, who was about 5 at the time, refused to eat the turkey. She said didn’t like it. (Do you see a pattern here?) This was our mom’s juicy, delicious, most excellent bird (the recipe will be in our cookbook!) and I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t eat it. I remember saying to her “how do you know you don’t like it if you don’t try it?” She said she didn’t like the way it looked. I told her that I’d make a deal with her, “try just one bite and if you still don’t like the turkey, you don’t have to eat any more of it.” She thought about it and felt it was a good offer so she took a bite and her eyes lit up…she said it was great. Next I told her to put some of our mom’s gravy on it and, again, she said she didn’t like the way it looked (she was a chip off the ole block!). Once more I told her to take just one bite—she did and she loved it. From that moment on Joanne was cured of finicky-eating syndrome.

Pass the Greek Veggies Please!

On the flip side, maybe the message kids are trying to convey is that the good-for-you stuff just doesn’t taste good. 

We grew up loving veggies like broccoli, spinach, greens, and artichokes. We were clueless as to why the other kids didn’t. One day we had dinner at a friend’s house where they had spinach on the table. We took a hefty portion and it was awful. That’s when we realized that there’s something about Greek cooking that makes everything, including veggies, taste great. 

A simple olive-oil-and-lemon dressing (Ladolemono) not only makes ordinary greens seriously flavorful, the citrus helps your body to absorb their nutrients. And how about Spanakopita? What a great way to enjoy spinach!

Joanne’s daughter Jackie has been eating it all since she was a toddler and now enjoys cooking it herself. 

Bottom line: Add flavor to make foods taste good, make a one-bite deal with your kids, and watch them turn into mini-foodies right before your eyes.


Picture
Picture
Picture
I hope you enjoyed our finicky eater stories and our tips on how to turn the foods you thought you wouldn’t like into great-tasting staples in your own kouzina. Stay tuned for more on Greek cooking in upcoming blogs.

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.

We wish you all a very blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday.

Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!

Kelly
Bookmark and Share

Copyright © 2018 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    

Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos

Comments are closed.
    Picture
    Subscribe to get our weekly e-newsletter and add "kefi" to your in-box. Be the first to hear about our new Greek food blogs, events (including cooking workshops), cookbook news, special offers, and much more. 
    ★ It's easy and it's FREE!
    SIGN UP NOW!

    about

    Picture
    Picture
    This Greek cooking blog is a companion to our  cookbook series 
    KUKLA’S KOUZINA: 
    A Gourmet Journey~
    Greek Island Style, including Meze 
    ​
    (Appetizers & Petite Plates) and Spreads & Dips, on Amazon. Visit our BOOKS page for more info.


    It's a Greek cooking school in your own home. Here you'll learn about Greek-island foods and will find cooking techniques that will demystify what is sometimes considered a complicated cuisine, allowing you recreate the dishes of the gods in your own kitchen! ​

    visit & follow

    Picture
    Subscribe to me on YouTube

    olive oil kouzina

    Picture
       This exquisite olive oil produced by Mentis Estate is hand picked and carefully pressed by local artisans, creating a pure unblended oil that is aromatic and fruity with an acidity of less than 0.5%. 
       Mentis Estate is truly the finest olive oil we at Kukla's Kouzina have ever tasted and it's our first choice for serving with crusty bread, drizzling on salads, and finishing a dish. 

       Check out our blog Olive Oil~Branch to Bottle to see what makes Mentis Estate so special. Delicious (υπέροχος)!

    author  
    Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos

    Read all about Kelly, Kukla's Kouzina's blogger, and the rest of our team in our about page!


    categories

    All
    About Kukla
    Anytime Flips
    Apple & Phyllo Minis
    Apple Recipes
    Apples & Cream
    Apples & Phyllo
    Apples Warm & Spiced
    Aprons On...Inhibitions Gone!
    Artichokes: Heart Your Salad
    Beef
    Blooper Videos
    Bread
    Bright Lamb Week
    Bright Week Kouzina
    Cake Recipes
    Chicken
    Chocolate
    Cocktail Kefi
    Cocktails That Say “Opa!”
    Cocktails With A Greek Twist
    Cookie Bloopers & Laughs
    Cut The [Greek] Cheese!
    Desserts
    Dessert Wine & Sweets Pairing ~ Part 2
    Dolmathakia (dolmadakia)
    Drink Like A Greek~OPA!
    Eat Your Fava
    Ekmek Kataifi
    Entertaining
    Fasting & Feasting~Greek Foods For Body & Soul
    Fasting Foods
    Feta
    Feta Feast
    Fish
    Flippin’ Dip It Greek
    Flippin’ For Pumpkin Fritters
    Flippin' Greek!
    Flippin’ Greek Br-EGG-fast Makeovers
    Flippin’ Greek Healing Foods
    Flippin’ Greek Lunch Makeovers
    Flippin’ Greek Pizza
    Flippin’ Greek Roasted Potatoes
    Flippin’ Greek Savory & Sweet
    Flippin’ Greek Slider Makeovers
    Flippin’ Greek Snacking
    Flippin' Greek Yogurt Dessert Makeovers
    Flour Kouzina
    Friend Your Fillo
    Fruit Recipes
    Get Into The Greek Spirit ~opa 2
    Get Your Souvlaki On
    Gift Guide
    Gift The Mediterranean
    Go Greek Cooking 101
    Go Greek Cooking 101-the Basics
    Grain Kouzina
    Great Greek Pumpkin Pie (Kolokithopita)
    Greece~An Edible Revival
    Greece Cuisine
    Greece: Trending Edibles
    Greek Artichokes 101
    Greek Baking
    Greek Beans For Lent
    Greek Beverages/cocktails
    Greek Blue Zone Kouzina
    Greek Bread
    Greek Cheese
    Greek Cheese~delectable Varieties And Uses
    Greek Cheesefare Week
    Greek Chocolate Love
    Greek Christmas Cookies
    Greek Cookies
    Greek Cookies~Filling In Love!
    Greek Cooking With A Karpathos Island Twist
    Greek Cuisine
    Greek Custard & Fruit Pastry
    Greek Customs
    Greek Desserts
    Greek Diet
    Greek Dolmathes Dolmades
    Greek Dolmathes Dolmades~stuff Wrap Roll
    Greek Fish For Palm Sunday
    Greek Foods
    Greek Foods Of Lent
    Greek Grains
    Greek Herbs~Spices & Flavorings
    Greek Holy Week & Pascha~easter Foods
    Greek-Island Salads
    Greek~Karpathos Recipes
    Greek Kouzina In A Can
    Greek Lamb For Pascha (Easter)
    Greek Olives
    Greek Orthodox Great Lent
    Greek Orthodox Pascha~Easter
    Greek Pascha
    Greek Pasta
    Greek Pastry/pastries
    Greek Phyllo Pizza
    Greek Recipes
    Greek Snack Recipes
    Greek Spirits Dessert Wine And Sweets Pairing
    Greek Spirits Ouzo Tsipouro Brandy
    Greek Syrup Pastries
    Greek Traditions
    Greek Veggies For Lent
    Greek Village Eats
    Greek Wine And Food Pairing
    Greek Wine And Food Pairing (part 1)
    Greek Wine & Entrée Pairing
    Greek Wine & Meze Pairing
    Greek Wines
    Greek Wines And Spirits
    Greek Wine & Seafood Pairing
    Greek Yogurt
    Greek Yogurt In Pastry
    Greek Yogurt~Simply Homemade
    Growing Up In Kukla's Kouzina
    Herbs & Spices
    Honey
    Honey~An Ancient Treasure (part 1)
    Honey~An Ancient Treasure (part 2)
    Honeyed Feta & Yogurt Pastry
    Honey~Karpathian Gold
    It’s A Wrap!
    Karpathiko Spiti (Karpathian House)
    Karpathos
    Karpathos Beaches
    Karpathos Customs
    Karpathos Honey
    Karpathos Island Beach Paradise & Sports Mecca
    Karpathos Island Cooking & Foods
    Karpathos Sports
    Karpathos~Style Pickled Wild Sea Fennel
    Karpathos Wedding
    Koulourakia~Making The Perfect Twists
    Kukla’s Kouzina: 9 And Stacked
    Kukla’s Kouzina Celebrating 6 Yummy Years
    Kukla's Kouzina~Coming Full Circle
    Kukla’s Kouzina Flippin’ Greek!
    Kukla’s Kouzina Magic 8
    Kukla’s Kouzina: Perfect 10
    Kukla’s Kouzina~Sweet 7
    Lagana: Bread For The Spirit
    Lahanodolmathes (lahanodolmades)
    Lamb
    Leftover Phyllo Solutions
    Legume Kouzina
    Legumes
    Lemon Lust
    Lenten Chick…Pea Inspiration
    Lenten Cuisine~A Faith Inspired Journey
    Lenten Foods
    Lenten Kouzina Made Easy
    Lenten Wine Koulourakia
    Lent Me Some Loukoumades
    Marriage Traditions In Karpathos
    Meat
    Meat The Greek
    Mediterranean Blue Diet
    Mediterranean Charcuterie
    Mediterranean Diet For Lent
    Mediterranean Diet Resolution
    Mediterranean Diet Resolution: Fats Fiber And Flavor
    Mediterranean-diet-resolution-power-up-with-omega3s
    Mediterranean Diet Resolution Recipes
    Mediterranean-diet-resolution-scaling-the-pyramid
    Mediterranean Food Gifts
    Mediterranean New-You Guide
    Mediterranean Products
    Melomakarona Finikia Shaping Filling Dipping
    Meze/Appetizers
    Olive Kouzina
    Olive Oil
    Olive Oil~Branch To Bottle
    Olive Oil Odyssey
    Olive-Thyme Flatbread & Pizza
    Pasta Kouzina
    Pasta~Makaronia
    Phyllo/Fillo/Filo
    Phyllo/Fillo/Filo Recipes
    Pickling~Greek Island Style
    Pita-bilities
    Pizza
    Pork
    Pumpkin
    Pumpkin Pot Pie (savory Kolokithopita)
    Recipes
    Roasted Pumpkin By The Ladle
    Roasted-Tomato Summer Pasta
    Salad Flips
    Salad For Lent
    Seafood
    Sea Salt ~ Cook~Taste~Savor
    Sea Salt~Meze To Dessert Recipes
    Sea Salt ~ Natural & Flavored & Infused
    Shish Kabob
    Side Dishes
    Sideline
    Soups/Stews
    Souvlaki
    Super Bowl
    Super Game-Day ChicEats
    Sweets & Beverages
    Tailgate Fryers
    Taramosalata~Beyond Meze
    Tavernas & Restaurants Of Karpathos
    The Art Of Making Kourambiedes
    The Wedding Season~Karpathos Style
    Trending Edibles: Balsamic Glazes
    Trending Edibles: Crepes & Pita
    Trending Edibles: Liqueurs
    Trending Edibles: Sea Salt & Olive Oil
    Trending Edibles: Za’atar
    Valentine It Greek
    Valentine’s Day
    Valentine’s Day
    Valentine’s Day
    Vegetables
    Videos
    Village Cooking-horiatiko
    When Greek Meets Chocolate
    Whole Grains
    World Cup Greek Recipes
    World Cup Tailgating~Greece Scores The GOAL


    archives

    January 2025
    December 2024
    December 2023
    August 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    January 2017
    June 2014
    April 2013


    foodie links
    Kontos Foods
    Sahadi's
    ​Mediterranean Foods

    Titan Foods
    'Anama Concept
    Recipiada
    Grubstreet
    Eater

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.