Moussaka

My mother’s side of the family is Greek. When I was little, my yiayia (grandmother) lived with us. She took care of me and cooked for the family. My first memories stretch back to when I was barely able to reach the stove, yet still determined to “help” her in the kitchen. She and my pappou (grandfather) opened a successful restaurant, The College Inn Café. It was in this restaurant that they built their American dreams. Her life, much like my own, revolved around the kitchen. My yiayia made her own dolmades (using fresh grape leaves), cured her own olives, and of course made moussaka. One thing you need to understand about Greek grandmothers and mothers: They all make moussaka. Naturally, every Greek swears that their mother or grandmother’s moussaka is the best. In Greece there’s even a cooking competition show called My Mother Cooks Better than Your Mother, in which rosy-cheeked, apron-clad mothers throw down in the kitchen like MMA fighters. We Greeks take our cooking seriously! I’ll let you decide for yourself if my yiayia’s recipe is the best moussaka.