Food People, Parent Picks: Katina's Favorite Things
Katina's favorite food-related gift to give will *always* be Kosterina!
Food People, Parent Picks: we ask our favorite chefs, food writers, and industry insiders who we interview in our Order Up! Series to share the products, books, and bites they can’t live without.
Small Bites:
🫒 Discover Kosterina Olive Oil - Get 10% off & free shipping on your first order - Shop Now!
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🔪 Knife Skills Now - eCourse from Kids Cook Real Food - our guests keep telling us that knife skills are a #1 kitchen skill to have!
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This week, we interviewed Katina Mountanos, the founder of Kosterina Olive Oil. Katina founded Kosterina to bring authentic Greek olive oil to American kitchens — the kind she grew up eating with her family, straight from her family’s hometown in Southern Greece. We asked Katina to share the kitchen tools, pantry staples, and everyday favorites that make feeding her family easier and more delicious.
Olive oil is one ingredient that packs a big punch. A drizzle here, a spoonful there — good olive oil makes everything taste better. But beyond the flavor, extra virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest fats you can cook with - that’s why we’re bringing it to your attention during National Nutrition Month. High-quality EVOO (like the kind Katina makes at Kosterina) is packed with antioxidants and heart-healthy fats that can lower cholesterol, fight inflammation, and even boost longevity.
Katina's picks are a perfect reminder that small, high-quality upgrades — a better olive oil, a spice blend you reach for every day, a little drizzle of honey — can completely transform the way we cook and nourish our families.
🍞 If we opened your fridge right now, what’s something we'd always find?
I'm warning you — this is about to become your new nightly habit. I always have a jar of Cocojune Coconut Yogurt in my fridge. It's super creamy, packed with probiotics, and honestly tastes like dessert. I have it almost every night with honey and a little cinnamon.
Another staple? Base Culture Gluten-Free Bread. It’s the only gluten-free bread we’ve found that the whole family actually loves.
🥘 What’s your go-to meal when you're short on time but still want something delicious?
I have two! One is my tried-and-true chicken thighs — just marinated in Kosterina Greek Herb & Lemon Olive Oil with our Greek Town Spice Blend (sea salt, oregano, pepper — so simple but so good). I'll let it sit for 30 minutes or a few hours if I have time, then roast it alongside whatever veggies we have on hand."
The other is a quick sheet pan dinner — ButcherBox Italian sausage roasted with sweet potatoes. It's such a family favorite — everyone loves it, and it basically makes itself.
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🥣 What's a recipe that tastes like pure comfort to you?
My mom's Macaroni Mikima — basically Greek spaghetti Bolognese. It's a simple meat sauce with ground beef, onions, carrots, spices, and lots of olive oil, served over pasta. Now we make it with gluten-free spaghetti, and it's one of those meals that instantly takes me back to childhood.
🍽️ What’s one kitchen tool you can't live without?
I'm a little obsessed with my waffle maker — I use it all the time for gluten-free waffles…
And for busy mornings? A Breville toaster oven with an air fryer built in — it's a lifesaver.
⭐ What’s always in your pantry for quick, family-friendly meals?
Our Greek Town Spice Blend is always on the table alongside a bottle of olive oil — we drizzle them on pretty much everything.
Other must-haves: Greek honey for tea or yogurt and Greek mountain tea — We make a pot every night before bed.
🔪 If you could splurge on one kitchen item, what would it be?
A Vitamix blender — I'm big into morning smoothies and could probably use an upgrade. And I'd love to finally splurge on a few Le Creuset pots for Kosterina photoshoots... but mostly just because they're so beautiful.
🎁 What’s your favorite food-related gift to give (or receive)?
It's always Kosterina. I bring our olive oils everywhere — the White Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling and the Blue Extra Virgin Olive Oil for cooking. They're the kind of thing that makes every meal taste better, and they're so special to give because I know exactly where they come from. You can get the Kosterina Olive Oil Duo Here and check out all our Gift Bundles here.
As part of National Nutrition Month, we're also helping families meal plan smarter — not harder. We're partnering with Peas & Hoppiness to give One Potato readers a free 30-day trial of the Peas & Hoppiness Meal Planning App — a tool that makes planning balanced, stress-free family meals so much easier.
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