Fermy, you seem to be overlooking one VERY important factor here. Just because something sounds good and looks good is no guarantee it will taste good. Often the simplest dishes made with fabulously fresh ingredients will put a time consuming “gourmet” dish to shame. So there’s no room for intimidation here! Keep swimming. The water is fine! '-)
Ouch! My stomach is in knots just thinking about it! God, it must hurt! ummmm… Did you know you can shred lettuce in a food processor??? '-)
i only needed enough for the tomato/mozz salad I was making for myself. I’ve done this twice before, so I know how to handle it. 
Moussaka recipe? RECIPE??? I’ve been making moussaka for so many years it isn’t funny, so would you settle for a shove in the right direction instead of a recipe??? How about three shoves in fact; the eggplant, the meat sauce, and the assembly and béchamel?
THE EGGPLANT
Depending on how large a casserole and the number of people you want to feed, you will need from 3 to 5 large eggplants. I find that eggplants are always tricky and depend greatly on blind luck. Some are fabulously tender, and some are like trying to cook with a loofah sponge. Cross your fingers when you shop! Wash them well, then cut off the stem end and then stand the eggplant on the stem end and slice them blossom-to-stem in slices about a half inch think. When you have them all sliced, then lay the slices out side to side on a cookie sheet or waxed paper or even a large plastic cutting board if you have one handy. Now sprinkle every slice well with salt on both sides and let stand for 20 minutes to a half hour. This is an important step because it draws out the bitterness that all eggplants have. When the time is up, rinse them in cold running water, pat them dry, then when all slices are ready, put a good sized frying pan on the stove. I use my big cast iron “chicken fryer.” Heat the pan and use a good grade of olive oil. Just for the record, I use Minerva “Horio” (village) olive oil from Greece, but any good evoo will work just fine. Adjust the temperature so that the eggplant slices brown in about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Brown them on both sides and stack them on a plate. Set aside.
THE MEAT SAUCE
A couple of pounds of ground meat. I usually use lamb. Some use beef. Frankly, it wouldn’t be “un-Greek” to use ground pork, as long as it’s not sausage. The pork souvlaki on the streets of Athens is OMG delicious! And I suspect a course grind like “chili meat” would be especially good, but I never think about it in time. So, in addition to the meat or meat combination of your choice, you will need:
3 or 4 medium yellow onions, medium dice
Fresh minced garlic. Sometimes I need to use 3 cloves, other times 5 isn’t enough. Taste as you go!
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill weed
1/2 cup chopped parsley
35 ounces (1000g) of good quality tomato sauce (but I’ve even used chopped fresh tomatoes)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or heat source of your choice)
1/2 to 1 tsp of sumac (optional)
Other options include some red wine and/or a scrape or grind of fresh nutmeg.
Salt to taste AFTER the sauce is cooked. Salting sooner will dry out the meat!
As much olive oil as needed. I usually use about a cup.
Sauté the chopped onions until transparent and softened. Add garlic and keep stirring so garlic doesn’t burn. Add meat and stir constantly to break it up. When meat is just barely pink, add tomato sauce and stir. Add all of the remaining ingredients EXCEPT salt. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and allow to cook from half an hour to an hour. There are tons of variables that modify cooking times for sauces, so just keep tasting and when the meat is tender and your taste buds are happy, it’s done!
ASSEMBLING THE MOUSSAKA
I use a large rectangular Pyrex casserole for mine, but any pan or oven proof dish that is about 3 inches deep will work fine. Oil the bottom of the casserole lightly, then spoon a bit of sauce over the bottom. Add your first layer of eggplant slices. Think of making lasagna but using eggplant instead of noodles. Next add about half of the meat sauce, but it should not be more than a half or three quarters of an inch deep. Another layer of eggplant. Top off with more sauce. NOTE: IF you have a casserole deep enough and enough “fixings” in hand, you can go for three layers deep. Once assembled, set the casserole aside while you make the béchamel sauce.
The Béchamel
First put about a quart of milk in a large microwave container and heat in the microwave until hot but not boiling. Next make a “beurre manie” with 1/3 cup of butter (I use ghee, or “drawn butter”) and 1/4 cup of AP flour. Don’t be frightened by the words beurre manie! It simply means mixing the butter and flour into a smooth paste for cooking. Just for the record, keeping a container of beurre manie in the fridge is a good thing because if you ever need to thicken a sauce or gravy or stew, beurre manie is the perfect answer because it WILL NOT clump! It just melts into the sauce/gravy/stew and makes it smooth! But we are going to melt the beurre manie in the bottom of a sauce pan over a low flame while stirring constantly so that the flour taste cooks out but the flour does not burn or color. It takes 2 or 3 minutes. Then, while whisking constantly, begin introducing the hot milk in a fairly steady stream. Continue stirring until the sauce is thick and creamy. Salt (sometimes I use Lawry’s Seasoned Salt), pepper, a touch of nutmeg, and a half cup or so of grated hard cheese. I usually use Pecorino Romano simply because I’m not that fond of Parmigiano Reggiano. Goat and sheep milks have a tang that cows just don’t touch! But use the kind of cheese you and your family like. You can even use cotijo from Mexico.
Pour the béchamel over the top of the assembled moussaka to a depth of at least 3/4 of an inch, but not more than about an inch and 1/4. This is the traditional method. Bake at 350F for about an hour, maybe a bit more. The top should be nicely golden with a few darker highlights.
Nontraditional method (aka “my way”) I often add a couple of egg yolks or even a whipped whole egg to my béchamel, being sure to temper the eggs by adding a bit of the hot béchamel while stirring before dumping the eggs into the sauce only to have them scramble on you. That’s not a good thing. The reason I do this is because it helps the béchamel firm up while baking so it isn’t too “soupy” when you serve.
Oh, and moussaka should never be served hot from the oven. Just a tad above room temperature is the ideal, and really brings out the flavors. Traditionally it’s served in squares much the way brownies are cut. And it’s not unknown to serve a small square of moussakka as an afternoon meze with a nice glass of ouzo and ice water. And a whole bunch of other “small plate” goodies to help keep it company!
Sorry I can’t be more precise with the measurements but my taste buds have been my guide for a whole lot of years now! Old habits are hard to break. Enjoy!
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Thanks! Good to be posting here
Sort of a “kitchen sink” salad tonight because I decided to use up a bunch of stuff that was hanging out in the fridge. Massaged kale, radicchio, white beans, radish, cuke, avocado, garlicky 'shrooms, roasted beets & peppers, sautéed green beans, enoki, mini heirloom tomatoes, crispy sweet potato “croutons” and a pomegranate vinaigrette. Tasty.
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2nd try to link reply to comment it goes with.
Still sighing and wanting a bite GHG!
I feel your pain. I actually stayed away from all posts because I was I intimated by the wealth of knowledge the community had to offer. I figure this is a new site and a new beginning and I’m jumping In with both feet.
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Okay, I’ll jump in. Your comments re: my reservations are reassuring. Dinner was going to be One Pot Chicken from an old Canal House cookbook. The first time I made this it was superb and so simple - chicken, butter, celery and onion, rice and water. I must have used a different pot, or maybe the changes I made last night were the culprit, but it was worse than a failure it was inedible. The chicken thighs I used browned very nicely, then I tossed the celery and onion in with one and a half diced carrots and large minced garlic clove. Returning the chicken with some of the water for a short simmer, then added basmati rice (instead of the long grain I used before) along with the rest of the water. Based on my previous experience I was confident that the remaining simmer time would be adequate and I could let it cook happily away on the lowest heat possible on my cooktop, without any monitoring. Big mistake! Removed from heat, took off the cover, and shocked to find the bottom totally, completely scorched – the onions, celery and carrot disappeared into a black sludge. And the thighs were burned firmly to the bottom of the pan.
What a waste! Dinner became black bean burgers from the freezer and a large scotch!
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I remember the Chowhound Inaugural Edition of WFD. It and around the next 20 WFDs are no longer available due to the heavy hand of the moderator who, in dealing with an albeit very unpleasant matter/person, deleted the complete batch of threads rather than trying to tidy them up. Let us hope that such things - unpleasant matters and heavy moderation - do not apply here.
As for dinner, there’s a dead simple pork casserole in the oven. Nothing more than stewing pork, sliced leeks, seasoning and a tin of tomatoes. To accompany, there’ll be new potatoes and steamed cabbage.
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Not related to the actual dinner- what kind of unpleasantness?
This group is also very active- does anyone want to volunteer to moderate the board and the WFD threads? I personally prefer to let people work out their disagreements unless the language gets out of line, e.g. personal attacks, etc. Have to strike a right balance between not stifling discussions unnecessarily vs setting the right tone for all to enjoy.
Right now its just me as mod though there hasn’t been much for me to do so far across the board as the discussion is civil. anyone interested please let me know. Thanks.
WFD was actually started by a real live Canadian conman who in a very short space of time, erm, unsettled some female contributors. The mods rightly banned him but, given a little thought could have just deleted his contributions to the threads rather than binning the whole threads. A nasty business.
You’re too much. Thanks 
Ferny, I’m not the least bit cheffy like some of these fancy pants folks, I’m a decent home cook, and a lazy one. If it tastes good and looks like crap, just write about it, no one’s the wiser. That’s what I do! ;-D
I love that some folks make such photogenic plates and go to so much effort.
Tonight I made my favorite braised brisket recipe to eat tomorrow night after I slice it and soak in the sauce overnight. It’s Tyler Florence’s brisket with creamy mushrooms sans the horse radish and cream step because I like it better than way. I should have taken a pic of the gorgeous array of color before I put it in the oven, with all the veggies, herbs, tomatoes around it.
Y’all just have to assume it was gorgeous. It smells incredible cooking, too.
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Thanks Linda! Great ideas (as always). I haven’t had a chance to whip up a home-cooked meal this week, but will definitely use your suggestions. I like the idea with lentils too - hadn’t thought of that!
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Taco soup garnished with chopped avocado, Vidalia onion and grape tomatoes atop a dollop of sour cream. Not pictured, but added later: fresh cilantro and crumbled tortilla chips. Nice meal to go with National Drink a Beer Day!
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Those bits of this and that and leftovers salads are always my favorite! Yet almost impossible to ever replicate again… Yours is infinitely more attractive than mine ever are!
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Potato and cauliflower curry, paneer makhni, tarka dhal and rice made for a nice, spicy supper. A dollop of yogurt on the side cooled some heat and added some tang.
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kattyeyes, did you leave chowhound? I just emailed them and asked to be removed form the site. I don’t understand it anymore and it seems complicated.
