Measurements
If you have eve tried to learn a recipe from your mum or yiayia, you might have heard… “ena potiri” “ena flitzani” or “me to mati”…. a glass, a cup…measure with the eye!
Like many home cooks of her generation, Sophia doesn’t have a neat nest of measuring cups or spoons. Instead she has her trusted tea cup (φλιτζάνι τσαγιού), a Greek coffee/espresso cup (Φλιτζανάκι του καφέ), water glass (ποτήρι) and smaller wine glass (ποτηράκι). Then there are her hands which send a pinch or handful of ingredients into a dish.
To be able to recreate her dishes, I have pestered Ma in the kitchen and measured out her glasses and cups. However, to keep things as authentic as possible on this blog, our recipes refer to measurements in terms of:
- 1 Greek coffee cup (Φλιτζανάκι) = 50 ml
- 1 Wine glass (ποτηράκι) = 100 ml
- 1 Tea cup (φλιτζάνι τσαγιού) = 200 ml
- 1 of Mama’s handfuls = about 1 tablespoon
Some of the Greek terms for measurements and the English translations are noted below:
| Measurement | Abbreviation | English |
| κουταλιά σούπας / σούπας / κουταλιά | κ.σ. / σούπας | Tablespoon |
| κουταλάκι γλυκού / κουταλάκι | κ.γ. | Teaspoon |
| γραμμάρια | γρ. | Grams |
| φλιτζάνι τσαγιού | φλ. τσ. /φλιτ. | Tea cup |
| Φλιτζανάκι του καφέ | Small coffee / expresso cup | |
| κούπας | Standard Cup | |
| ποτηράκι | Small glass / Dram | |
| κιλό | Kilogram | |
| μπαστουνάκια (eg. sticks of cinnamon) | Sticks | |
| ματσάκι | Bunch | |
| αρκετό (eg. enough dill) | Enough | |
| μικρό | Small | |
| μέτριο | Medium | |
| μεγάλο | Large |
Essential Tools
Here is a basic list of kitchen equipment used in Mama’s kitchen:
- Round stainless steel baking pans in various sizes (called tapsi/ταψί) in Greek
- A small, medium and large frying pan (τηγάνι)
- One medium and large pot (κατσαρόλα) with lid (Ma uses Bessemer)
- Tsoukali – clay oven dish with a lid
- Motar and pestle (Κονιάματα και γουδοχέρια)
- Colander (Τρυπητό / σουρωτήρι) with wooden pestle
- Grater (τρίφτης)
- wooden spoons (ξύλινα κουτάλια)
- whisk (αβγοδάρτης)
- Tongs (τσιμπίδα)
- Small pairing knives (μαχαίρι)
- Thin dowling rod, used as a rolling pin (πλάστης)
- Mixing bowls (Μπολ) (incl. big plastic washing up basins for cleaning wild greens)
- Briki (μπρικι) – stove top and electric Greek coffee pot
- Oil pourer
