Baklava

I can't believe Thanksgiving is 2 weeks away! I love this holiday because I get to eat the most delicious homemade food made by the fabulous chefs in my fam. Not to mention, there's no stress of gifts. As I posted last year, I typically spend my Thanksgiving in NY. We (the cousins) are actively trying to come up with a Thanksgiving menu, slowly but surely. Since I'm traveling there, I take something small that keeps well. Year after year, my job has been Pecan Pies and Baklava. Not sure how I got stuck with Baklava, considering that it's not really a Thanksgiving staple. I made it one year, and it became a requirement thereafter. I didn't even like baklava all that much in the beginning, but over the years I've developed a taste for it. My previous aversion to baklava can be blamed on the awful baklava at most bakeries/restaurants around here. They tend to be overkill...way too sweet, soggy, and sticky. Homemade is far superior because you have control over those elements. For Thanksgiving, I make pecan/chocolate chip baklava. However, after having delectable pistachio baklava in Turkey (which is nothing like the stuff they call "baklava" here), I made it with pistachios, as pictured. I like both versions, and doing a mixture of nuts also turns out great. I agreed to take up my usual items this year. But, now that I posted the recipe, perhaps someone else will take it over in the future ;)

See Recipe!