Spanakopita Bites

Two weeks. Jisoo and Jun-ho land on Thursday. I have not slept more than five hours a night all week. I am not sad about it. I am running on adrenaline and planning lists.

The condo is ready. The guest room is set up. The refrigerator is stocked with things Jisoo will recognize (Korean pears, a Korean white rice brand she prefers, a jar of the same Sempio doenjang she uses, Korean seaweed, dried anchovies for stock). I have laid out soft slippers. I have printed a small welcome note in Korean that says "Welcome to our home. Please make yourself comfortable." I am being slightly performative about this, I know. I also know Jisoo will read it and smile.

James has gone a touch softer and more attentive this week. He anticipated that I would be emotional and has been, basically, showing up for every small thing. He bought me flowers on Tuesday. He made dinner every night. He asked me on Wednesday night if I wanted to take Friday off with him. I said yes. We spent Friday at Pike Place Market and at a bookstore and then at a park and then we went home and had pizza. It was the kind of day I am going to think back on when I am stressed. I stored it.

Karen, Rosa, and David are ready on their end. Karen has been preparing the guest room at her house for the Saturday Jisoo dinner. She has been rearranging furniture so Jisoo can sit comfortably. She has been practicing Korean phrases with an app on her phone. She can say, "Welcome. I am glad you are here. Thank you." Her accent is terrible. Her intention is perfect.

Eunji flies in the morning of the wedding — she is cutting it close, flight in at 10 AM Saturday. She will come straight from the airport to the hotel to the ceremony. I was nervous about this but she said, "Unnie. I will make it." I trust her.

Dr. Yoon: her last session before the wedding. She said, "Stephanie. This may be the best week of your life. Or it may not. There is no way to know in advance. All I can tell you is this: your job is to show up and be yourself. The day will do the day." I said, "Thank you, Dr. Yoon." She said, "I will see you in two weeks. Come back and tell me everything."

The recipe this week is pajeon. The dish I made Jisoo in our first week in Busan. The dish I plan to make for her on Thursday night after she arrives — not a fancy meal, just pajeon and rice and soup, something light that will be easy to eat after fourteen hours of travel. Green onion pancakes with a seafood option. The dipping sauce with soy, vinegar, sesame, a little gochugaru. Fried crisp. Served with cold beer for Jun-ho who, I have been informed, loves a cold beer after travel. This is the dish to welcome home the mother who is coming to a home I built, in part, for her. She will fold the pajeon into squares with her hands. She will dip them in the sauce. She will smile at me. I will not cry. Or I will cry. Either way.

I made these on Wednesday night while James was making dinner and I was supposed to be relaxing — I needed something to do with my hands, something small and repetitive and crispy that would come out of the oven smelling like butter and warmth. Thursday is almost here. Jisoo lands in two days and the pajeon is already planned, but these spanakopita bites are what I made for myself, for the week of waiting — a little savory thing to eat standing over the counter with James, a practice run at feeding people I love before the main event.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 24 bites

Ingredients

1 package (15 count) mini phyllo pastry shells (2 packages for 24 bites)
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt to taste (feta is salty — taste before adding)

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Arrange frozen phyllo shells on a baking sheet in a single layer.
Sweat the aromatics. In a small skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil and sauté onion and garlic for 2–3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the squeezed-dry spinach, feta, cream cheese, egg, sautéed onion and garlic, oregano, black pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until evenly combined. Taste and add salt only if needed.
Fill the shells. Using a small spoon or a piping bag, fill each phyllo shell with about 1 heaping teaspoon of the spinach-feta mixture, mounding it slightly above the rim.
Bake. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the filling is set and lightly golden on top and the phyllo edges are deep golden brown and crisp.
Rest and serve. Let cool for 3–5 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. They hold well for up to 2 hours at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spanakopita Bites — A Little Something Crispy While We Wait for Thursday