Many Greek food recipes call for grated lemon peel (a.k.a., lemon zest). When you want the lemony taste to be particularly evident, use the peel from green, unripe lemons for the recipe; the flavor is stronger. You ought to be able to find a few underripe lemons in your market's produce section.

Don't throw out the water you use for boiling the potatoes for your Greek food dishes. It might not look inviting, but it's full of flavor, starch, and nutrients. It makes a great base stock for making soups and gravies, and if you don't want it, you can mix it with your dog's food.

If your Greek food recipe calls for blanched almonds, you can make your own very easily. Just bring a saucepan of water to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Then add your raw, shelled almonds to the pan and let it sit for one minute only. Drain them, cool them off with cold running water, and slide the skin off with your fingers. Then drain them on paper towels, and they're ready.