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Greek Cooking, Made Simple—Ted Pappas on the Recipes That Matter
Ted Pappas has always been a creator. First, as an architect in healthcare consulting, helping hospitals provide the best spaces to enhance the patient experience. And now, as a home cook, he builds something just as essential—flavors, meals, moments around the table. Growing up in a Greek American family in Chicago, food was never just food. It was memory, tradition, a way of showing love. His mother made sure he understood not only how to cook but why—the meaning behind each ingredient, the stories behind each dish.
That love for food has followed him through every chapter of life. When he’s not in the kitchen cooking for his family, you’ll find him crafting beautiful charcuterie boards in his woodshop, exploring Instagram and YouTube for cooking inspiration, or competing in cooking shows like The Great American Recipe on PBS. And while his culinary skills have taken him far, some of his favorite meals are the simplest—like a classic Greek village salad or a sizzling, showstopping pan of Saganaki. (Yes, he has made flaming cheese at a Bears tailgate, and yes, it was a hit.)
In our conversation with Ted, he talks about the joy of making lunches for his daughters, the importance of sharp knives, and why he’s been paying more attention to what’s in his ingredients lately. And if you’re looking to bring a little Greek flavor into your kitchen, he’s got the perfect place to start.
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Ted Pappas on Family, Food, and The Great American Recipe
Introduce Yourself: My name is Ted – mostly, I’m still just a dad who loves cooking for his fam. I’m a semi-retired architect, and a Greek-American home cook who has competed on the Great American Recipe on PBS, and has had my cooking featured on other shows. This summer marks 20 years of marriage for me and my wife, and we have two amazing daughters, now 13 and 15 years old.
Your family has deep roots in Greek culture. When did your parents and grandparents come to the U.S., and what role did food play in your home growing up?
My dad immigrated from Greece in 1968, while my mom’s family had already been in Chicago for generations. My grandfather ran a restaurant and often sponsored new immigrants, helping them get settled through food and community. Cooking was everything in our house—my mom worked full-time but still made dinner every night. Ordering pizza was a rare treat because homemade meals were just the norm. The smells, flavors, and rituals of those meals are what stuck with me the most.
How do you bring those family traditions into your own kitchen today?
Cooking was always part of my life, but during COVID, I had more time to really dive in. My daughters started sharing photos of my meals with their cousins, and that turned into an Instagram account where I documented not just the food, but the stories behind it. My mom worked all day but still made dinner, and I love sharing the recipes she used to make. For me, cooking isn’t just about the meal—it’s about keeping those memories and traditions alive.
Cooking for family is one thing, but stepping onto a national stage like The Great American Recipe is another. How did that happen?
It was completely unexpected. In the summer of 2022, I was on vacation in Maui with my family when I got two DMs from casting agents. I wasn’t super active on social media at the time, so I thought, Is this a scam? But I responded, and it turned out to be legit. One was for Guy’s Grocery Games, which I didn’t get, but the other was The Great American Recipe on PBS.
The show is about home cooks from diverse backgrounds sharing their stories through food. Each cooking challenge had a theme, and you had to create a dish that fit that theme while also telling a personal story. Originally, it was an elimination-style competition, but due to some changes, seven of us stayed on to compete throughout the entire season. It was such a great experience that they kept that format for season three. The bond between the contestants was incredible—we still talk all the time.
Did the show change the way you cook or think about food?
Definitely. One thing I realized is that you can’t just watch a 24-second Instagram reel and expect to cook like that. A lot of people see quick clips online and think, Oh, I can just throw that together. But there’s a process—you have to read the recipe, plan, prep, cook, and then present it. It’s a lot like architecture. There’s a structure to it.
Being on the show also pushed me to cook outside my comfort zone. My wife and I have a shared Instagram folder where she’ll send me things and say, “Can you make this?” I’ll try anything from any culture. I love experimenting and learning through food.
You talk a lot about recipes being a bridge between generations. Do you have a specific food memory that stands out?
One dish that really hit me while preparing for the show was Kokkinisto with Macarona, a Greek braised meat dish with bucatini noodles in a rich tomato sauce. Growing up, my mom would make it with whatever meat was affordable—often a more affordable cut of chuck in the pressure cooker. I hadn’t thought about it in years, but when I was brainstorming dishes for the show, it just came flooding back. I made it again for the first time in decades and now it’s something I cook for my own family. It’s amazing how food can bring back memories so vividly. I love that I’ve been able to take this traditional recipe that my mom used to make and put my own twist on it, and pass that down to my own family.
Is that the one recipe you hope your daughters carry forward, or is there another?
That’s one, but another big one is Pastitsio. It’s bucatini layered with a savory meat sauce and topped with a creamy béchamel – but don’t call it Greek lasagna. It’s labor-intensive, so my mom would make it for holidays like Easter and Christmas. After she passed, we kind of stopped making it—we’d just buy it from the Greek store. But my sister and I finally started making it ourselves, and now my kids love it. Hopefully, they’ll carry that on.
Do your daughters cook with you?
Not as much as I’d like, but it’s more because of how busy life is. When I was a kid, I was often in the kitchen watching what my mom did. These days, between school, sports, and activities, it’s harder to have those moments. Instead of putting the focus on the cooking with my girls, we prioritize family time at the dinner table. They appreciate the food, and they love sharing it—whether that’s with their cousins or just enjoying a home-cooked meal. And that’s enough for now.
Talking about the food that you cook and the love that you put into it—through the recipes you share, the photos on Instagram, the interviews you do—is there one dish that stands out? Something you’ve shared that people really loved and that you’d recommend our readers try?
Oh, one that’s been really fun is making Saganaki at a Bears tailgate. You know, the flaming cheese. It’s one of those things that people—especially non-Greeks—recognize. That’s part of what I’m trying to do, make everyday Greek food feel accessible. Because everyone knows Italian food, right? No matter your background, you probably make Italian food at home. But Greek food isn’t as widely known in the same way, and I want to change that. Saganaki is a great example—it’s so easy to make, the flavor is fantastic, and it’s a little bit of a show. You can do it quickly at home, but it still feels special. And presentation is such a big part of food for me. We recently did a hot dog night for the Cubs season home opener, and I plated everything in little dishes instead of just throwing it all out there. Just that little extra effort makes even a simple meal feel like an experience.
If someone wants to bring a little bit of Greek flavor into their kitchen but isn’t sure where to start, what’s the first ingredient or spice blend they should stock up on?
One of the easiest things to start with is a Greek village salad. It’s so simple—cucumber, tomato, red onion, pitted Kalamata olives, and feta cheese. But the dressing? That’s what makes it. Olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper—that’s it. You mix that up, and it’s not just a dressing; it’s also a great marinade for pork or chicken souvlaki. The flavors are so fresh, and it’s all made with things most people already have in their kitchen.
That’s what I love about Greek cooking—it’s not about complicated spice blends that require a special trip to the store. Now, don’t get me wrong—I love making chicken shawarma too, but that spice blend has nine different ingredients! I had a buddy ask me for the recipe, and when I listed the spices, he was like, “Yeah, I don’t have any of those.” So I just made him a little jar of the mix and sent it over. But Greek flavors? They’re simple, and that’s what makes them great.
We love talking about small joys in the everyday. What’s one simple ritual—food-related or not—that brings you joy?
Making my daughters’ lunches. Every morning, that’s my time. Nothing fancy—it’s usually the same thing every day because, well, that’s just easier. But I like those quiet moments in the kitchen before they’re up and getting ready. And sometimes I’ll do a little something extra—write a note, wrap something in special paper, or put my logo sticker on it just to mess with them. My daughter will open it at lunch and be like, “Dad, did you really have to do that?” But then I’ll get a text in the middle of the day—“Hey, that was really good.” And that’s one of the best things.
What’s one cooking skill you use all the time that you think home cooks should master?
Basic knife skills. Years ago, one of my best friends and his fiancée had a couples’ knife skills class booked, but she couldn’t go, so he asked me to come with him. So there we were, the only non-couple in a room full of date-night participants. But I learned so much. Just the basics, but those basics change the way you cook. And the biggest thing? Keep your knives sharp. A sharp knife is safer than a dull one, and it makes everything easier. If you’re going to invest in one thing for your kitchen, invest in a good knife and a solid sharpener.
Is there anything else that you think our readers should know about you—any topics that feel important right now?
Honestly, I’ve been paying a lot more attention to ingredients over the past year or so. Maybe it’s just where we’re at culturally—people talking about seed oils, looking for alternatives—but I’ve started reading labels more. And what I’ve realized is: the simpler, the better.
Take salad dressings, for example. My daughter loves salads for lunch, and when I looked at the ingredients on store-bought dressings, I thought, I don’t need all of this. So now, I just make my own. I already said that’s one of the things I love about Greek cooking—it’s naturally simple, like the Village Salad dressing/marinade. No preservatives, no weird additives, just real ingredients. When you start cooking that way, you realize how much better it tastes, and you feel better about what you’re feeding your family.
