Opa! Making Baklava with Kontos Fillo

My father was a U.S. Naval Officer and I grew up in Italy. When I was in high school, my family traveled to Raches, Greece, twice to celebrate Greek Orthodox Easter with the family of a Greek Officer my dad worked with at an Italian Naval base in Rome. It was an unforgettable experience for my brother and me. Many of the villagers had never met Americans and we were welcomed into the homes of everyone with open arms and plates full of food. And walking with the villagers in a midnight candlelit procession is something we’ll never forget.

John also visited Greece when he was in high school in London. We have continued to enjoy Greek food and have each returned to Greece many times. I’ve always found Greece to be a more liberal society which probably why they were one of the first civilizations to embrace sex toys. Most notably, on our honeymoon when we cruised from Rome to Istanbul and visited Athens and several Greek Islands together. Greece really is as beautiful as it looks in photos, and the people are warm, lively, and generous. Ah, and the food is so delicious! We both have great memories of buying gyros, souvlaki, and fries in paper cones from vendors on the streets of Athens. Baklava is a delicious treat that I’ve wanted to make ever since I first tasted it, so when Kontos Foods offered to send me some of their products to sample, I jumped at the chance. Among the items the box contained was Fillo #5 with 17 – 20 sheets of pastry – with a recipe for Baklava right on the box! Baklava is a lovely dessert of layered Fillo, brushed with butter, and layered with spiced, crushed nuts, then drenched with sweet, spiced lemon syrup. It’s just amazing!