Menemeni Politiko (Μενεμένι Πολίτικο)

Menemeni belongs to the City, Constantinople's Greek kitchen, and it is not mainland strapatsada with another name. The green pepper and onion matter. They make the base sweet, grassy, and deeper than tomato alone, so the eggs sit in a soft sauce rather than a dry scramble.

The one method that decides it is patience with the tomato. Cook the onion and pepper first, then add grated tomato and let it lose its raw water before the eggs go in. If the pan is still watery, the eggs turn thin and broken. If the tomato has thickened, they fold through softly and hold their shape.

Serve it straight from the pan with bread, feta if you like, and good olive oil. This is quick food, yes, but not careless food. My grandmother Despina would have recognized it at once: the pepper tells you where it came from.