This year has definitely been... unprecedented.
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In April I suddenly found myself with a bit more extra time up my sleeve and a cook book beckoning with ideas.
I'm not sure what possessed me but I found myself cooking a range of traditional Greek cuisine.
It started with a 'why not' and it hasn't actually ended.
First was my seafood feast for two (or if you cook the way I cook - for 20 people) on Palm Sunday.
Prawn saganaki, rizoni, grilled octopus, fresh prawns, halloumi, taramasalata, olives and homemade bread.
Next up was traditional Easter biscuits and bread a few days later.
But it kind of snowballed after that.
Every week was something new, something I had to conquer. A new goal was set; to be the best family cook of my generation.
First it was spanokopita (spinach pie) with homemade pastry, then it was tiropita (cheese pie).
I then moved on to yemista (stuffed tomatoes with rice). A dish that my own mum avoids because it can be tricky to get the rice just right (but I did).
At this point I decided to flex my fingers and make a dessert.
This required the tutelage of my grandmother (post isolation of course), the original family cook.
Under her watchful eye - and criticism - I baked a whole tray of baklava and packed containers for all my family members to eat.
And that's when it hit me, COVID-19 and isolation turned me in to a traditional Greek housewife.
Not that my husband was complaining, he got fed.
I was happy to be in the kitchen learning how to cook traditional Greek food (wasn't happy about the clean up though).
I only regret not learning how to cook traditional Greek food sooner.
In 2018 my maternal grandmother passed away and through my cooking adventures I realised that I can't call her up and ask for help the way I called my mum or visit her for cooking lessons the way I visited my paternal grandma.
It's a bitter pill to swallow but I'm sure she's happy that I'm keeping our traditions alive.
I told you this year has been unprecedented.
Who would've thought I would find happiness in the kitchen?