There is a long list of reasons why I love these simple triangles of feta wrapped in phyllo dough. One is that I love food that’s stuffed with other food, and that love is amplified when the outer layer is any kind of dough. I love dough. I also love biting into something and discovering a delicious surprise inside (though I’m sure you’d agree that there are few things worse than biting into something thinking the inside is one thing and it’s actually another, less good thing).
In 2015, the Netflix show Chef’s Table premiered, and it had a big impact on me. Maybe it was where I was in my life at that time (a year out from a divorce and getting the hang of an entirely new career, no big deal), but I vividly remember being deeply moved by almost all the episodes. The way several of the chefs talked about their passion for making food for people and what motivated them to do it at such an impressive level literally made me cry. And then there was Francis Mallmann.
Last week was the kind of week that really knocks the wind out of you- when you are certain things are going one way and then you’re suddenly on the ground, rubbing a bump on your head and wondering who pulled the rug out from under you and why. It’s the reason I’ve been posting with a little less gusto than usual, too- I’m trying to figure out how to integrate a little more balance into my life and cut myself some slack when I need to. Of course, this is easier said than done – and it doesn’t even sound easy. What I do feel like would help is taking a vacation and stepping out of my daily life for just long enough to get some perspective and remember that the simple pleasures – like eating a plate of homemade pasta or some double-fried patatas bravas – are what really makes the craziness of our day-to-day worth it.
One of my favorite reasons to make stuffed grape leaves is that people consistently find them to be extremely impressive. Yes, obviously the main reason I make them is because they taste delicious, but if they didn’t elicit such shock and awe I’d probably be less into serving them. People just really seem to love foods that are stuffed inside of other foods, and grape leaves are no exception.
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