Mary's Moussaka

[MusicManiac]

Hi - I'm making this today.  One question:  in step 4, do I add one egg?  I didn't see it listed on the ingredient list...

Thanks,
Marga

[MusicManiac]

Hey, I guessed right!

My hubby (who isn't really picky) said "This is a keeper!"

So, two thumbs up here!!!     

Thanks again,
Marga

[Joyful Friend]

I am going to visit the grocery store for the ingredients. I have an egg plant in the frig-need to get another one.  I know that I will love it.  Forever Friend

[CodingQueen]

Little Mary,

I have a question..... could I make this with zuchinni?  Eggplant and me, we just don't get along.  *whispers softly*  I think it's SOOOOOO icky!  LOL

(In Faith)  Little Princess

LP, I use to date a Greek gentleman years ago and his mother used zucchini instead of eggplant. It was delicious. I've never had it this way.

CQ

[MusicManiac]

Goodness gracious, Marga. You go a lifetime without trying an eggplant, and now here you go having eggplant dishes twice in as many weeks!   :laughing:  What's next?!  Shall we explore squashes or perhaps fennel bulbs?! 

If you cook it, I will come!!!

Okay, if  you keep those recipes coming, I'll try them all!!!

Thanks again,
Marga

[crickadoodle]

Little Mary, do you have a recipe for fennel bulbs??  I ate that once when I was in Provence one summer and it was so delicious.  I didn't think I'd like it because I don't like licorice and fennel tastes like that to me -- at least the seeds must or something.  Well, this recipe had cheese in it, but I don't remember much else about it, except I really liked it.

[Gwennaford]

Whenever I hear the name of this dish, I'm reminded of the scene in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" where little Toula was eating her moussaka for lunch & was taunted by the little WASP girls eating their Wonder Bread sandwiches.  She pronounced it "moose-a-KA" and they thought she said "MOOSE-ca-ca".

I have a soft spot in my heart for that movie.  When I was growing up I looked exactly like Toula.  I just posted the picture of me wearing the Greek dress that Neil bought me at the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs.  It's all scratched up from being carried in his wallet for 23 years (awww!)

Gwennaford

[crickadoodle]

Gwen -- I too have a soft spot for that movie, as it was the first movie my husband and I saw while dating.  Well, real movie, we'd seen an IMAX movie at the aquarium.  Also, God was so good to us for our wedding that it was a beautiful, talked about wedding that everyone loved, and we hardly spent anything to do it, because so many loving friends and church family helped out so much.  We even flew up a minister who I'd always wanted to do my wedding who was a missionary in El Salvador at the time -- dress, tuxes, cake, decorations, drinks (non alcohol, much cheaper!), food, plane ticket for minister -- we spent about $2000.  We had like 400 -500 guests!  I'd taught for close to 20 years at that point and let it be known that any of my former students that wanted to come could come.  In fact, we pretty much said that anyone who felt connected to us enough to want to be there was welcomed, even if they didn't get an invitation.  It was a miracle in itself, and so touching people told me it was the best wedding they'd ever been to.  Now, only God could have been responsible for that.  I often joked that instead of My Big Fat Greek Wedding,  it was My Big Lots Cheap Wedding!
(I think everyone probably has heard of Big Lots! -- discount store.) 

The coolest thing of all was we were not stressed or worried about food, decorations, the beautiful cake -- which was made by a lady who loved us for only $100 (the rest was her gift to us), but it fed like 400 and we had lots left over.  I really have never tasted such a delicious cake -- very non LDL of course.  What memories!

[crickadoodle]

It was an amazing thing.  I made my invitations on the computer and then hand embossed borders on the top and bottom and I know I made over 250 invitations.  Then we sort of opened it up to whoever really wanted to be there.  I was 44 when I married and had taught almost 20 years and so many people were so excited about this wedding.  It was so much fun to make so many people happy like that.  I just knew everything would work out and didn't worry about a thing.  I'm so glad we didn't get all bent out of shape over things.  The marriage has to be more important than the wedding and I think some people forget that.

Looking forward to those fennel soups!  When I went to Provence, I was in my 30s.  This family from New Orleans rented a chateau every summer for a month and always took a college student to babysit their 2 girls, if needed.  Well, they could fine no college student to go with them and I was single and a friend knew this family and suggested they take me.  It was an awesome opportunity.  I was there for 3 1/2 weeks before having to come back home to begin the school year.  The family stayed another week.  Actually, Princess Diana died that summer the week I got home.

[lisbeth]

Ms Witheraway, This is one of my faves.  You should try it sometime.
lisbeth

[lisbeth]

I had to come back on this thread again to say how much I love this dish.  Everyone should try it.
lisbeth

[Joyful Friend]

This was one of the first recipes that I made from the boards because I love egg plant--not my last. The recipes make cooking LDL much easier.  Thanks for them all.  JF

[yayatrudy]

My big fat Greek wedding was were my daughter first heard of a Ya ya (Greek equivalent of Cajun mawmaw) and she said "mom I really like that when I have kids can they call you Ya ya... and the rest is history. 
I have made moussaka the old fashion way(fattening) and I love it.  I have the beginning of Mary's moussaka on the stove now.  I actually think I won't have to substitute anything because I have all the ingredients.
Someone gave me a jar of caponata,,I was thinking I could add that to meat sauce?  Maybe I better just go with the recipe. LOL

[yayatrudy]

Mary the meat sauce was great but I think I overcooked the topping and it was dry..I am hoping to try again one day.