Time to announce the winner of last week's Fabulous Feta Giveaway! Please congratulate Beth S! She will be receiving the Athenos prize pack that includes the following items:
- ATHENOS Feta coupon
- ATHENOS Feta “Shape Up Your Salad” recipe booklet
- ATHENOS Feta water bottle
- Life Time Fitness 1-month membership
- Fit & Fresh salad container
- Built NY lunch bag <---dude! I wanted one of these things for awhile now!
Beth shared a simple salad of cucumber, tomato, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and feta as her favorite way to use Feta in a salad.
This Friday's Fabulous Feta Giveaway question is going to be a little different. As you may know from my posts, I'm a Feta newbie. It just wan't something Mom bought growing up so I never really gave it much thought. We were more of a ricotta/mozerella family. That's what happens when you have a full blooded Italian Mom. 😉
I know I'm not to only one who's new to Feta so I want to hear your first experience with the cheese. Did you grow up with it? Try it for the first time recently? Have never tried it?? That's cool too! I'm just curious as to how popular it is and I love reading everyones stories.
To enter simply leave a comment with your first feta experience before next Friday and I will randomly select winner from the comments and announce when I launched the next weeks giveaway.
Good luck!
FULL DISCLOSURE: I have partnered with ATHENOS Feta to serve as one of ATHENOS Change for the Feta Bloggers. I am compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes blogging about my cooking experiences with ATHENOS Feta. I have also been compensated for the food purchased for my Change for the Feta creations. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments. Click here to see all my Feta Ideas!!
Julie
My first experience with feta was in a greek salad!! it was awesome and delicious!!!
Kati Stoddard
I don't know when my first experience with feta was but I certainly know that I love it in watermelon, red onion and feta salad now.
Leslie Watkins
I'm not sure when I was first introduced to feta, it was probably hiding in some delicious middle eastern salad or dish one of my best friends Mom made. One of my favorite kitchen sayings is "fix it with Feta", it always seems to come to the rescue when a dish needs an extra little something!
Stacy Johnson
I've been eating feta since before I can remember. My lebanese family used it in salads and on top of vegetables as an appetizer years ago! I can eat it straight out of the container by itself I love it so much! My favorite way to use Feta is actually on a fish taco recipe, it is DELICIOUS with the spicy adobo chile rub I use on the fish.
RG
yeah, feta showed up in a greek salad one day in grad school. But: Indian have a mild feta called "paneer" that, like feta, pairs beautifully with spinach. saag paneer is just a gooey spanakopita, with indian spices.
Anna S
My first feta experience was at a greek restaurant in college. I had spanakopita, and it was love.
Amanda
I had feta first a few years ago when I was new in my WLJ. I had it in a greek salad and it was SO GOOD! We don't buy cheese too often but after trying that salad, we did and then we (we being DH and I--this was pre-kids) ventured out and tried it in our eggs and LOVED it!!!
Brianna
My first feta experience was in high school. I had a box of pasta that had a pasta salad recipe on the back that called for feta. I thought the rest of the salad sounded pretty tasty, so I bought a small container of feta to try it out. I've been making variations of the recipe ever since, and my family asks me to make it for large get-togethers every year!
jen (jeninRL)
I was out to breakfast and on the menu was a spinach & feta omelet. This restaurant makes amazing omelets and I had eaten their spinach omelets and the use awesome, fresh spinach so I bit the bullet and ordered the omelet with feta and it was wonderful!!
Lisa
My first time having feta was in a gyro. It was delicious in that, but I have since found so many great ways to eat feta! I love it and I eat it frequently.
Hila
We always had feta growing up. My mom would you use in savory bakes dishes and in salads!
Tracy S.
I started putting it in salads. I just love the flavor it adds, especially the tomato basil.
Ami
I never ate any crumbly cheese like that growing up, and I was taught to be anti-blue cheese. Don't know why...never saw anyone eating it but my parents were definitely against it.
So when I started going to Panera as a young adult I would ask for no feta on my salads. Pathetic.
I'm over that now. I think I forgot to ask for them to hold it at some restaraunt one time and I realized it's just fine. Quite yummy, in fact!
Lindsey
I definitely did not grow up with feta, I can't remember it ever being in our house. I think I learned about it some time at the end of high school when I started going to a Greek restaurant that my best friend knew about. Since then (12-13 years), I've definitely had it at home here and again. Love it!
Healthy.One
First tried feta in greek salad and now make one frequently - five simple ingredients - lettuce, tomato, black olives, red onion, feta, tossed with olive oil and vinegar. I absolutely love feta and use it in so many other things now. Funny story: Tried to share my love of feta with my family and received the comment that it "smells like throw-up" - sorry if that's too graphic, but, well, some things can't be said any other way. :o)
teawench
I've loved feta cheese for so long I honestly can't remember my first experience with it. I would guess it was in a Greek salad somewhere but it's also entirely possible I just decided to pick some up at the grocery store as something new to try. Either way, I'm glad I met feta as it's the best cheese ever!
Barbara Unger
First time I had feta was trying some of my husband's pasta at a restaurant. I'm Irish, grew up with food that had NO flavor, and the idea of a Greek cheese in an Italian dish sounded awful. It was THE BEST PASTA DISH I EVER ATE IN MY LIFE, TO DATE. I'm kind of a purist when it comes to Italian, no chain restaurants, only classic recipes, but this pasta dish BURST in your mouth with flavor.
Shana
Don't remember my first experience with feta. I did not eat it growing up; that I know. The only thing I have made with it is a salad.
Liz @ life in liz's shoes
The first time...hubs doesn't cook, he really doesn't know how and gets all stressed out about it if I am sick or something and he needs to. But when we were dating, the first (and only) time he cooked for me he made a recipe that a good friend gave him: chicken & proscuitto tortellini, tossed with pesto and feta sprinkled on top along with a ceasar salad. It was delicious and has become one of our favorite go-to meals 🙂
Lori
First time I tried feta was in a greek salad. Loved it then and still love it!
Lorie H.
I've never tried it.
Betsy S.
I found feta in college and haven't looked back. Before college it was one of those mystery items in the salad bar. Now - I always add it on !
Traci
I didn't grow up with it either, my mom still doesn't like it. The first time I tried it was in a vegetarian gyro wrap from a place called Great Wraps. So yummy!
Kim
My mother use to purchase it long time ago. I remember the first time I tried it, I thought it was way too salty. Then about 5 years ago, I was watching a cooking show on the food network and thought the meal they were making looked yummy. It had feta cheese in it: a tabouli like salad with feta cheese. So my next visit to a major centre that sold feta cheese, I bought the ingredients and gave it a try. I loved it. I now I put it on pizza along with mozza cheese.
mary
mmmmmm.....greek salad....yummy!! think i might have to go make one right now....
Renda
Greek salad. Yum. Also like it on every salad.
I have enjoyed the tips I have picked up from y'all, though.
But this Southern girl will keep her watermelon pure, thank you very much :).
jenn
My first time was due to you and your willingness to try anything and experiment. when you started your feta challenge i though "ok, i can do this" so i bought sum and the smell threw me at first ...but i still carried thru...i held my nose the first bite..then threw some in a salad and i didnt die...so i ate some more nose clamp free..and it wasnt horrid...could i actually enjoy this...m'mm yes i do i may even love it...time to recipify some things....and here i am
Jeanette
I tried feta for the first time about a year ago on some pizza and loved it. It is still strange to me as we never had it growing up but I love trying new foods, don't you?
Aimee Moreno
My first experience with feta, as with many, was a Greek salad. I was working a part-time job while in high school (20+ years ago!) and went to a little deli with co-workers. Tried it and have been a fan ever since! 🙂
Danielle
My first experience with feta was at a little, hole-in-the-wall Greek place a few years ago. Still one of the best, freshest Greek salads I've ever had!
Diana Kuyendall
My first and on going addition to my meal planning is a side dish of Couscous tossed with sauted tomato, onion, garlic, parsely mixed w/basil flavored feta cheese this compliments my Orange Grilled Salmon with Asparagus/Squash spears. Yum. Love your creations also!
Tamara Jo Rankila
My favorite meal is a grilled flatbread pizza. Feta cheese, fresh spinach, olives, drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction.MMMMMMMMMMMM
Angela
I can't remember my first experience with feta. I've been eating it forever and loving it.
I love feta in Greek salads and with hummus and pita. I also mix it into cous cous, and mix it into yogurt for a nice chicken marinade. My Iranian roommate used to mix it with red grapes and serve it on bread. I think my favorite thing to use it for is mixing it with lemon juice to make sizzling lemon chicken.
We always have feta in the fridge and I never run out of things to do with it.
Janna
I remember my mom letting us make mini pizzas and one of the ingredients was feta cheese...I LOVED it! Little bit of mushrooms, sometimes pepperoni...and FETA!
Amy L
I really don't remember my first experience with feta. As soon as I moved out on my own and into the "big city" at 17, I started experimenting with all different foods that we never had at home. I've been using it for several years now!
Brandy
My first Feta experience was like a lot of other posters-in a Greek salad, which is my favorite. I love the slightly salty and tangy taste of it. I have tried tomatoe basil feta and really liked it, but would love to try the lemon kind that you used on your tuna recipe. That sounds divine!
Vee
Definitely grew up eating greek salads and the love affair was born. I love feta on everything now...in wraps, on pizza, in salads, or just drizzled on tomatoes!
Niveditha
My first experience with feta was when I had it with my veggie pizza and I loved it!!!
[email protected]
Kerry
Growing up, our favorite pizza place was just down the street. We'd often get a Greek salad to go with the pizza, and that was pretty much my introduction to feta. (I am also from an Italian family, where'd you more likely find mozzarella, Parmesan, and asiago!)
Andrea
My first experience with feta was on brushetta. OMG it is amazing! The tomatoes, garlic. olive oil and feta. My mouth is watering just thinking about it !!!!!!!!!
Jessie C.
I am still kind of a feta newbie, the first time I tried it was with grilled pizza,and loved it!
kelly
the first time i tried feta in a large enough quantity to really know what i was eating was a couple of years ago on a chicken salad my boyfriend brought home for me from his restaurant. the smell is a little obnoxious but i truly do love that salty/creamy taste now!
Ru Perkins
I grew up eating it with homemade bread and hot tea-Persian family!
Jessica
I first had it in a Pita Pit pita in college... but now its a fridge staple in our house!
amy
my first time with feta was in a salad and i actually didnt like it....now i have grew to love on and love it in salads and thats mainly how i eat it
Tara
My first feta experience... sadly it's not great. It was when I was controlled by my eating disorder, and I saw that we had fat free feta in my fridge. At only 30 calories per oz I was thrilled, but still only used half of that. Now nothing compares to the taste of real feta cheese.
Karen Jones
I have no experience in feta... but I would like to. Does that count?
Macrae
First time eating feta was probably at my uncle's house. He always had foods I thought were "strange" when I was little. I would never have thought it would be one of my favorites now!
Debbie
Feta in a spinach salad.. Yum... And of course, feta on hummus.. Love, Love, Love both...
Melissa
I had it for the first time in college when a roomate cooked dinner. I was afraid to try it because I thought it looked odd, but now I LOVE it! Thanks to her, I have a love of Feta!
Helen
My first taste of feta cheese? Oh, probably as a side to my strained peas! Both my parents are Greek and I don't ever remember not having feta in the fridge. It was always found on the table at any family dinner we were at and at home, along with yummy kalamata olives. Of course, it was IN alot of things too: tyropitas (feta cheese pitas), spanakopitas(spinach feta cheese pitas), tyrokouloures (a type of feta pancake), etc.
We still eat it alot. Now, my kids love it in salads and to crumble on just about everything especially spinach rice and stuffed veggies. Eggs scrambled with feta are awesome as is feta pasta salad. My new addiction: feta cheese stuffed hot peppers with some kind of fresh crusty loaf bread to save my mouth from the heat of the peppers that I can't stop eating. (drool)...pardon me while I wipe up my keyboard, LOL.
sarah
First feta experience was a greek salad in college! We never had it at home 🙁
kyree90
I haven't been eating feta for long, just since I started doing Atkins in 2003. I branched out and tried a bunch of different cheeses back then. I love cheese! (But my mom didn't cook with feta while I was growing up, so it was new to me.)
Jackie W.
My mom threw it in salads when I was growing up, along with dried cranberries usually. As a kid I wasn't thrilled, but now I enjoy it!
Kelly
My first experience was at my neighbors house for her birthday. She is 50+ years old and full on Greek. So there were quite a few dishes to me that were completely foreign, stuffed grape leaves, this Greek salad covered in feta cheese, mousaka (My sister and I called it moose kaka... we still do lol), and spanakopita. There were many more that I can't remember the name of, but I felt like feta cheese was ambushing me at ever dish. I did not enjoy that party very much. Feta was too pungent and "chalky" for my 19yr old taste buds at the time lol.
But I mean hey, I tried all the dishes in an attempt to find SOMETHING I could call edible for 6 hours.
Michelle
A girlfriend made me a turkey and feta burger...probably 10 years ago, and I've been a feta fan ever since. My fave trick these days is to use ground chicken and mix it with feta and oregano and top with a raspberry vinaigrette. Yum.... glad I have some Athenos feta in the fridge right now. My BJs warehouse club sells large tubs for a great price.
Jzbell
I can't remember my first time with feta... haha! seems it's been a favorite forever. it's the only cheese I really, really, really love to add to a salad... but it's good on anything.
F. Plvan
I first had feta in a Greek salad and LOVED it! Now I'm on an endless search for the perfect Greek salad!
F. Plvan
[email protected]
brandy
i'm not sure the first time i remember having feta. college salad bar??? i love it because of the tanginess!
Amy Blaylock
SInce I was young we ate a lot of Greek food, from souvlaki to gyros. Feta was always a part of these meals. It is an acquired taste for sure, but I love it! No one else in my family (DH or children) would touch it with a ten foot pole 🙂
Corie
My first time trying feta was when I bought some to try in a chicken burger recipe! I have been hooked ever since:-)
Kim S
First time was on a Gyro, a bar I worked in served them, I think I gained 10 lbs eating those darn things! I love Feta, the rest of the family, not so much 🙁
Rhea (Greek Feaster)
My dad is Greek, so feta has been around in my house for as long as I can remember! I used to love drinking the brine. Gross!!!
Almost 24 years later, I haven't gotten sick of feta. Crumbled over salads and eggs are just two of my favorite ways to savor it.
I love this series you're doing because I can get some fresh feta recipes! Weeeeee
Tonyne @ Unlikely Success Story
My first feta experience? I'm pretty sure it would have to be a Greek Salad. It's still my favorite way to eat feta. Either that or in Turkish Borak (phyllo dough cigars stuffed with feta and herbs...AMAZING)
Amanda
I don't remember my first feta experience, but I have only recently begun to enjoy it. Now I love it in pasta salads and pizza!
Brandi G
My first feta experience was on a greek salad at a restaurant. I liked it from day one but then again I'll eat almost anything! I LOVE feta on a wrap with hummus and red peppers now.
Colleen
I have to be honest, the first time I tried feta I really didn't like it at all. It was too salty for me. Now that I'm a little bit older, my taste buds have changed and I can't get enough of it.
Sherri
My first experience was when a friend of mine made an awesome black bean salsa that's made with feta cheese. I was hooked from that point on and that salsa is always a hit whenever I bring it to a get together. I always have a container of feta in my fridge!
Sarah
I'm not sure when my first experience with feta took place, but I know it was on salad with craisins and some sort of balsamic vinaigrette dressing. My mom just didn't buy the stuff either, but I love it!
Leanne
I can't remember not knowing feta! I grew up with it, mostly in greek salads. My most fun experience with it was on a pizza with ham and pineapple. Yum!
Kristi
College! We most definitely didn't have feta in my house growing up...although now my mom eats it all the time. I think it was on a salad I ordered at a restaurant out with friends...
Lori
I can't remember having it before, so I guess my first experience was just recently when you and several other bloggers I read started using it. I found a recipe on the Kraft website (I think) for Fresh Tomato and Pita Salad which used feta, it was wonderful. And then I added some to my hummus/veggie wraps. I'm all out now, I guess I need to buy more. Thanks for getting me to try something new.
Whitney
I don't remember eating it a lot growing up, but I do remember some salad my mom made that had it in it. I like it a lot now though and use it for salads and in omelets!
Lynette
My first experience was from a dear friend, she made a great salad with it... I will cop to not using it as much as I would like, but your feta ideas made me buy some at my last grocery trip!
Jenn
My first experience that I can remember is actually a really bad one.
I had a DELICIOUS pizza with feta, sundried tomatoes and basil but the lactose got to me and I swore off feta for a few years. A few years ago I got back to feta and it is now one of my grocery list staples, up there with lettuce and tomato. I'm mostly veggie and put feta on EVERYTHING now!
Michelle @ Turning Over a New Leaf
I grew up with American singles, shredded cheddar cheese, and the inevitable Velveeta. For a splurge my dad might buy a block of Cabot cheddar to snack on at the local Braums. Toward my later years at my parents' house, they started buying enormous bulk bags of shredded mozzarella. Not sure why. I never saw them use it.
I didn't really get into all the different cheeses until college. My "experimentation" with cheese in college began with swiss, provolone, and feta. I think feta may be an acquired taste, just like any pungent or salty cheese. I've extended my cheese repertoire since then, and I think I'd probably like it more now that my tastes are a bit more developed.
Lacey Q
I'm a feta newbie! But I find it really versatile on salads, and I love it with the combo of good olives!
Heather
My first experience with feta was in a Greek pasta salad I had my freshman year of college. I fell in love and always have at least one container of feta in my fridge at all times.
Yasmin
My first feta experience was in Iran visiting family. They would serve feta cheese in the morning for breakfast with warm, fresh homemade pita bread, walnuts, and honey. Oh my gahh.....
Grace R
The first time I had feta, I didn't know I was having it! We were at a gourmet pizza place and my mom ordered the "greek pizza" - telling me it was yummy. I had no idea what came on a greek pizza, but I remember thinking how amazingly delicious it was! Turns out it was nothing more than some olive oil, a light sprinkle of mozzarella then the amazing feta and kalamata olives.. YUM. Still my favorite pizza to this day! And now that I know the wonder of feta, I throw it into everything!
Amy
I never tried feta because I had tried blue cheese and wasn't a huge fan. My work provides lunches during our busy quarter ends. They had a salad with strawberries, pecans, chicken, and FETA! I fell in love. But I have been scared to try it in any other combination because 1)I didn't think I liked fruit on my salads so I thought this combination was only what worked 2) I didn't know what to do with it other than in a salad. I'm loving this giveaway contest so I can learn ways to use it!
Julie
My first feta experience was when I was young. My grandparents are from Syria and we always had ethnic food at celebrations. The first time I tried it I was in love with it!
kristin
first ever was on hummus pizza - and i loved it!!! ive not tried the flavored feta though - i am excited to try it now.
Jan
My first experience with feta was in a greek salad. I kept eating it wondering what this awesome cheese was. I have loved it ever since. It has only been the last few months that I have been using it for things other than a salad topper.
Congrats Beth!
Lacey @ Lake Life
I first tried Feta about 6 years ago while in a South Beach Diet phase. I hate the "usual" cheeses now that I do my own grocery shopping.
paula
I first had it in Greek salad when I was in grad school in Columbia, SC. there was a little diner near campus that had traditional Southern food and some Greek dishes. I want to try the tuna salad. I don't like mayo much either. A friend just brought me some seasoning mixes from a trip to Greece.
Erika @ Dr.TriRunner
My first experience EATING feta was in a greek salad, but USING IT... haha. It was the only cheese I had in my fridge, and I really wanted to make nachos. So I sprinkled it on just like regular shredded cheese, and popped it in the microwave. Only to find out it doesn't melt?! Why is that!?