Greek

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

This eggplant and lamb casserole, a taverna staple, is known the world over as the Greek national dish. In this lightened version, it's topped with yogurt rather than the customary béchamel sauce. (Moussaka is often made with beef instead of lamb.)

Serve this Greek salad as a crisp first course, or pair it with grilled pita bread and you have lunch for two. Serves 4.

Northern Greeks, particularly those from Salonika, eat a lot of clams and mussels, usually as mezedes. Here's an easy-to-make dish from Greece's "second city" Cappetino.

"Although I live in Athens," writes Yolanda Paterakis, "my connection to the islands is very strong — my husband, Andreas, is from Crete, and we have a vacation home on the Greek island of Euboea in the Aegean Sea. No matter where we are, we love to entertain our two children, our three grandchildren, and scores of friends. For these get-togethers, I always prepare quick, simple dishes because my busy schedule demands it; I write children's and travel books, and I'm the general secretary of the National Society of Greek Writers. I've often thought that cooking is like writing a story — always best when you put your heart into it." Rich and fragrant, this main course goes well with boiled potatoes or rice.

These rice-filled grape leaves are a classic Greek appetizer.

Similar to the whipped feta spread at Papagus Greek Taverna in Chicago.

Oranges are prized on Cyprus. They're used with delicious results in this pork dish, reminiscent of the cuisine on the northern side of the island.

It's easy to keep the Greek theme going by starting with stuffed grape leaves, widely available at supermarkets. Accompany the chicken with orzo and steamed baby carrots with mint. Finish with purchased cheesecake.

"In our family," writes Georgia I. Chletcos of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, "we have a saying that the Greek kitchen is the original twenty-four-hour diner: It never closes. And being from a Greek family, I can say unequivocally that food is the center of our lives. The great thing about these home-style dishes is that they're generous to the cook and to everyone else: You don't have to be a pro to prepare them, there's always plenty to share, and you'll have a delicious meal on the table in no time."

If you prefer, you can pile the lamb and salad on top of a larger pocketless pita for an open-face sandwich and drizzle with sauce. Pocketless pitas are sold at specialty foods shops and many supermarkets. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

An accompaniment to Greek-Style Shrimp.

Greeks have been wrapping food since antiquity, most typically using grape leaves. In early May, Greek country women go to the vineyard to collect their year's supply of leaves. The most famous dish made with them is dolmades, or stuffed grape leaves, a standard appetizer (meze). In this version, they have a simple rice filling.

The star of this dish is skordalia, a garlicky dip that is the Greek version of aioli.

On the Cycladic islands, homemade salted pork flavors most vegetable dishes. Pancetta makes a good substitute here.

"My husband, Andreas, is from Crete," writes Yolanda Paterakis, "and we have a vacation home on the Greek island of Euboea in the Aegean Sea. No matter where we are, we love to entertain our two children, our three grandchildren, and scores of friends. People often come over in the evening for mezedes and ouzo. For these get-togethers, I always prepare quick, simple dishes because my busy schedule demands it; I write children's and travel books, and I'm the general secretary of the National Society of Greek Writers. I've often thought that cooking is like writing a story — always best when you put your heart into it."