By The market continues its steady climb. I had 5 showings this week and 1 offers. My reputation precedes me now — the Greek agent who tells the truth about roofs and brings food to open houses. Worse reputations exist.
Mama called at 9 PM to tell me she sold out of baklava. She reported this with the urgency of a woman who considers every piece of information critical and every phone call an opportunity to also critique my cooking from forty miles away.
Mama is 85 and still at the bakery at 4 AM. I do not know how much longer she will do this. I do not ask. You do not ask Voula Papadopoulos about endings. You stand next to her and roll phyllo and trust that the beginning continues as long as the hands are moving.
I grilled souvlaki tonight — chicken marinated in lemon, garlic, and oregano, served in warm pita with tzatziki. Fast, perfect, summer in a wrap. I ate it on the back porch while the sun set and the air smelled like oregano and summer. A quiet evening. The food was good. Good is enough. Good is everything.
I visited the bakery this weekend. Mama was behind the counter, flour on her apron, her face set in the concentration of a woman who takes baking as seriously as other people take surgery. I stood next to her and rolled dough and said nothing because the silence between us is not empty — it is full of every recipe she taught me and every critique she gave me and every morning she woke at 4 AM to make phyllo that nobody else can make.
That night on the back porch, after the souvlaki and the sunset and the oregano-scented air, I kept thinking about how the best meals are the honest ones — nothing hidden, nothing overdone, just good ingredients treated with a little respect. This cherry tomato and mozzarella saute is that kind of dish: bright, quick, and completely at home alongside warm pita or on its own as a summer evening winds down. Mama would approve, though she’d never say so directly — she’d just reach for a second serving.
Cherry Tomato Mozzarella Saute
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil leaves, for serving
- Crusty bread or warm pita, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the pan. Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute.
- Saute the garlic. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the tomatoes. Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pan. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6—8 minutes until the tomatoes have softened and released their juices, forming a light sauce.
- Add the mozzarella. Remove the pan from heat and scatter the mozzarella pieces over the tomatoes. Let them rest for 1—2 minutes, just until they begin to soften and melt slightly at the edges.
- Finish and serve. Tear fresh basil over the top and serve immediately, directly from the pan, with warm bread or pita alongside if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 280mg