Lamb Stuffed Phyllo Packets

Thom and I share a love of many things culinary related, but absolutely nothing matches his love of lamb. One night when we were out to dinner with my Dad and brother my brother started to ask Thom a question and Thom, the most mild-mannered man I know, actually shushed him and said, "shhh! I'm lambing."

Thom likes lamb.

When my Mom hosted an engagement "meet the future in-laws" dinner for us she made a delicious lamb stuffed phyllo dish. She worked on that menu for weeks, wanting everything to be perfect, and it was incredible. Flaky, buttery phyllo stuffed with savory lamb and salty, tangy feta. I was inspired by that dinner when I developed this recipe which can be made ahead in bite sized pieces and frozen, unbaked, until you need to pull a tasty appetizer out for unexpected guests. Or just, you know, because it's delicious. I made mine into larger portions, two of which form a reasonable portion with a salad or another side dish.

Greek Cooking Night featuring Nahir's Lamb Burgers

My dear friend Nahir claims she cannot cook. She loves food and can wax poetic about a new restaurant or a favorite culinary experience. In my experience, people who appreciate the time, labor and love that goes into good food tend to be good cooks themselves. They can't help it - even if they haven't learned technique or are nervous cooks they respect the food and the process of cooking. Upon being pressed on this point one evening over wine she finally conceded she can make two dishes: lamb burgers and paella. I was surprised that someone who purports to lack culinary talent would name those particular dishes so of course I immediately did what any good foodie friend would do and invited her to come over and host a dinner party at my apartment.