I'm sure you're already looking for the first recipe, and that will be coming up shortly, but first I thought it would be helpful to give you some hints about working with phyllo pastry which is used quite a lot when making Greek deserts like Baklava, or mezes which is a "snack" or finger food, such as tiropeta (feta cheese filling) or spanakopita (spinach filling, sometimes with feta cheese).

I had to do quite a bit of research on this because all of my Greek recipes are buried deep in my little head and have never been put to paper, so I hope you'll bear with me. For those of you who are experienced in using phyllo you may just want to skip right to Baklava!

Phyllo is a paper-thin pastry dough that is used extensively in Greek cooking. You can find it at your supermarkets in the frozen food (desserts) section. You can store it in the refrigerator for several weeks, and for several months in the freezer. You'll want to defrost your package of phyllo overnight in the refrigerator so it will be ready for use the next day. Do NOT thaw it at room temperature. This would cause the sheets to stick together and would make working with them almost impossible.

The biggest problem in working with phyllo is that once exposed to air, it tends to dry and the pastry sheets may break, so you will need to work quickly. Before you begin, make sure that all of your tools and ingredients are at hand, and that you have a large enough area to work on. When you remove the phyllo from it's package, unroll it carefully (I leave it sitting on the waxed paper it comes rolled in.) If you have long fingernails, you'll need to watch you don't poke holes!! *grin* Once the bundle of phyllo is unrolled, it may have a few creases, so gently and firmly press on the creases to smooth them out; this will minimize sheets sticking together.

If you have problems with sticking, try just removing a couple of sheets together, especially if tearing begins....there are lots of sheets in that package, so don't hesitate to sacrifice a few if it's necessary. The first time working with phyllo is the most frustrating...then you learn, so don't let it beat you -- it will be worth it.  GOOD LUCK!!

TIP: It is recommended that you keep the unused phyllo sheets covered with plastic wrap. I've found this to be more of a hindrance than help.  So, I use a flour-sack dish towel, soaked in cool water and THOROUGHLY wrung out. It's the perfect size to cover the unused stack of sheets, it's lightweight and easy to use.

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