This spanakopita is based on the classic recipe I used to make with my grandmother and mother, but inspired by my time living in the South. It comes from my cookbook, <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shaya-Odyssey-Food-Journey-Israel/dp/0451494164?tag=food52-20">Shaya: An Odyssey in Food, My Journey Back to Israel</em></e>, which really gets into the emotions, the history, and the stories behind a lot of the food that I cook. The recipes really blossom from the stories, so I hope that people read Shaya as a storybook, and then are inspired to cook the recipes because the story evokes some type of emotion in them. <br /> <br />The filling in this spanakopita is a mixture of all different types of greens—collard and mustard greens—that are abundant at the farmer’s market during the winters there. To give it an extra pop of flavor, I added lemon juice and zest, plus jalapeño (it also happens to be a Southern tradition to serve jalapeño vinegar with your stewed greens). Those little kicks of flavor work together with the creaminess of the feta, while the soft greens are accompanied by the crunch of the nuts and the crispy pastry. If you’re going to make this spanakopita at home, remember this tip: Keep the phyllo dough nice and soft by placing a towel over it; this prevents it from drying out. — Alon Shaya

Share: