Thaao Penghlis: How Kourabiedes (Greek Wedding Cookies) Changed His Life

By Margaret McSweeney | June 10, 2024 |

Emmy Award Winning Actor and Daytime TV’s favorite villain, Thaao Penghlis, recently released his cookbook: “Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time.” This Australian-born Renaissance Man has traveled the world and hosted memorable dinner parties in his Hollywood Hills home with high profile celebrities. While this cookbook imagines the perfect meals for celebrities he has met, his actress friend Doris Roberts once wrote a thank you note praising his meticulous detail to the ambiance, food, and presentation.

Kourabiedes literally changed his life. While Thaao was working as an apprentice at an art gallery in Manhattan, Jacqueline Kennedy knocked on the door. The gallery owner was out to lunch so Thaao invited then Mrs. Kennedy to have some tea and kourabiedes which he had baked. How ironic that the son of Greek immigrants would serve Greek wedding cookies to the future Mrs. Onassis. Of course the featured entree that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis inspired was Thaao’s Moussaka. recipe (See below for recipe). He shares his delicious touches to this Greek dish including shiitake mushrooms and peeling the eggplants to remove any bitterness. Thaao also highlights delightful stories about other celebrities during our Kitchen Chat.

Thaao hosts a podcast called “Thaao Penghlis’ Lost Treasures,” a thrilling detective story-style exploration of Greece’s greatest contribution to the world’s literature, the poet Homer.

Here is Thaao’s great wisdom for life and success.

Never allow people to be the leaders of your life or tell you what’s next. I believe you plant your own seeds and trust.
If someone’s not opening the door, it’s meant that you look elsewhere. Don’t let them be your dominant in the ways they’ve taken you away from something. Out create them.
Make your life great. Don’t shortchange it. Don’t let people dismiss you. If they do it means that you have just been blessed by someone who has let you go onto another side of your track.
Be the cause and not the effect.

Enjoy the great recipes and stories in Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time. Here is Thaao’s recipe for Moussaka in his cookbook.

INGREDIENTS

6 medium size eggplants 3 pounds ground beef 1 large onion salt and pepper 4 tablespoons Herb de Provence 2 large garlic clove, finely minced 1 pound canned sliced tomatoes 3⁄4 quarters cup tomato puree 1 pound sliced mushrooms 6 tablespoons flour white pepper 4 cups hot milk 6 eggs 3 cups grated Parmesan cheese 3 cinnamon sticks

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel all the eggplants as I found the skin could be bitter. Slice thinly and pan fry lightly in olive oil. Set aside in a colander to drain the oil and cover. In a large pan brown the mincemeat in olive oil. When done, cover the meat so it does not dry. Take the chopped onion and garlic and lightly brown adding salt, pepper, pepper and salt. Stir and add the chopped mushrooms until done. Mix in the sliced tomatoes and the tomato purée. Cook together for ten minutes and finally add the mincemeat and sticks of cinnamon. Cover and slowly cook for an hour, stirring every fifteen minutes.

In a large baking pan place a layer of eggplant until the base

is covered. Cover entire pan with the meat mixture and pour Parmesan cheese across the top. Repeat the process three times until the layer reaches almost the top of the pan.

The Béchamel sauce begins with melting a stick of butter and

at the same time heat the milk so it will be ready with the final stage of the sauce. Add salt and pepper along with the flour stirring constantly so the paste doesn’t stick. Slowly pour the hot milk into the mixture and keep stirring so it won’t curdle. Beat up the eggs and add one cup of the sauce into the eggs and mix it together thoroughly. Add the egg mixture into the sauce stirring quickly and then turn off the heat.

Add the Béchamel sauce over the top of the pan, covering the entire layer, and generously sprinkle over the Parmesan cheese.

Bake the Moussaka for an hour. When the top is golden brown remove and let stand for a minimum twenty minutes.

Sprinkle finely chopped parsley over the dish, cut in squares and serve. I sometimes will place the Moussaka over a helping of mashed potatoes with a Greek salad comprised of Arugula, sliced watermelon, Serves 11

Savor the day!