Don’t get me wrong. I love my family dearly. Wouldn’t trade any of them for a million dollars. But, BUT.. a tiny part of me has always wished for a slightly more exotic heritage. In my dreams, I’d babble with my cousins in colloquial French or visit my aunt at her house in the Devon countryside. Surely anything was more exciting than hopping in the old Brown-family Plymouth station wagon and driving to East Texas and Arkansas.
The father of one of Sarah’s good friends is from Cyprus. In the summer, growing up, Andrea would visit her relatives on that gorgeous island. I can’t imagine anything more idyllic than spending my childhood on white-sand beaches in the Mediterranean.
One thing Andrea brought home to Texas from Cyprus is her grandmother’s ziziki recipe. (Actually Sarah claims it’s not really a recipe, because everybody there just knows how to make it, “like scrambled eggs.” ) When Sarah, Andrea, Margaret and the rest of the high school gang get together at Andrea’s , they make a big batch of Grandma’s ziziki and eat it…not with pita bread, but with tortilla chips. This is Texas, after all.
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cucumber, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- juice of 1/2 small/medium lemon
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or mint, finely chopped (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Stir all ingredients together in small bowl.
- Serve with vegetables, such as sliced cucumbers, carrots and cherry tomatoes, or with pita wedges. Tortilla chips are always acceptable, too.
