By I closed on a beautiful home in Hyde Park this week. The buyers — a young couple, first-timers — looked at the keys the way I looked at my real estate license in 2012: like they were holding the future in their hands.
Sunday dinner at Mama's was the usual controlled chaos. Mama made roasted chicken and it was, as always, extraordinary. The table held fourteen people. The arguments held more opinions than the chairs held bodies. This is how Greek families communicate: loudly, with food, over each other.
Some weeks are ordinary. This was an ordinary week. I sold houses. I cooked dinner. I called Mama. I drove to Tarpon Springs on Sunday. The extraordinary thing about ordinary weeks is that they are the ones you miss most when they are gone.
I made avgolemono — the soup that fixes everything. Chicken broth, rice, eggs, lemons. Simple. Ancient. Golden as a January sunrise. Sophia ate 2 servings and said nothing, which means it was good. Alexander ate 3 and asked for more. The pan was empty by nine. Empty pans are the highest form of flattery in this kitchen.
The weeks pass and I am learning that life at 48 is not what I expected at twenty-five. It is messier, harder, more beautiful. The moussaka is better because my hands have made it more times. The career is stronger because the failures taught me what the successes could not. And the love — the love I pour into every dish, every showing, every Sunday drive to Tarpon Springs — is bigger now because I have lost enough to know what it costs.
After a week like this one — keys handed over, a table full of family, and a pan of avgolemono scraped clean by nine o’clock — I wanted something that felt festive without requiring another hour on my feet. Gorgonzola Phyllo Cups are exactly that: little golden shells that look like you fussed, but don’t ask too much of you. Phyllo has always felt Greek to me, no matter what you fill it with, and the sharp, creamy bite of gorgonzola is the kind of bold flavor that matches a loud, opinionated table. These are the bites I reach for when the week deserves to be toasted.
Gorgonzola Phyllo Cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 22 minutes | Servings: 15 cups
Ingredients
- 2 packages (1.9 oz each) frozen mini phyllo tart shells (15 shells total)
- 4 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted (optional, for topping)
- Fresh chives or thyme sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Arrange the frozen phyllo shells on an ungreased baking sheet — no need to thaw them first.
- Make the filling. In a medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and heavy cream until smooth. Fold in the crumbled gorgonzola, chopped chives, thyme leaves, and black pepper. Stir until well combined but still slightly chunky — you want pockets of gorgonzola throughout.
- Fill the shells. Using a small spoon or a piping bag, fill each phyllo shell with approximately 1 teaspoon of the gorgonzola mixture, mounding it slightly above the rim.
- Bake. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the filling is warmed through, lightly golden on top, and the phyllo shells are crisp and deep golden at the edges.
- Finish and serve. Remove from the oven and let cool for 2–3 minutes. Top each cup with a few toasted walnut pieces if using, and garnish with a small sprig of fresh thyme or a pinch of chives. Serve warm.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 78 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 142mg