Cypriot-style pastitsio (makaronia tou fournou)

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By

Daniel & Luke Mancuso (with Yiayia)

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As a child, there was nothing better than getting home from school and walking into Yiayia’s house. You just knew you were going to get something special. For me, that special something was her makaronia tou fournou – a Cypriot baked pasta dish, filled with spiced mince and topped with a halloumi bechamel. 

Growing up, I spent the majority of my time at Yiayia and Bapou’s house. My love for cooking and fresh produce stems from spending much of my life watching or cooking with Yiayia, under the watchful eye of Bapou. Yiayia taught me everything I know about food.

I knew before I’d even opened the front door what she was going to cook for dinner that night. I’d smell the spices waing outside as I walked up the porch steps and I’d start telling myself, ‘No after-school snacks – save some space for the good stuff!’ Yiayia would make the biggest pot of bechamel (my favourite part!) and I remember sitting on the kitchen floor between her feet licking the pot clean.

Among the countless dishes she has taught me, which I’ve eaten with her or that she has cooked for me, this is truly the one that feels like home. It’s the one that always takes me back to her kitchen floor and the dish that I will continue to cook for my children and grandchildren for years to come. Even though I’ve added a few personal touches, it’s my way of having her with me always.

from Recipes https://ift.tt/Y3jFIMx