Post originally appeared on September 19/07 For anyone who’s traveled to Greece knows that dining “al fresco” is a neccessity, not a luxury like here in Canada with our short summers. Greece’s hot nights force one to eat outside and when my good neighbor, Gregory invited my family for a “spesial” dinner, I knew it [...]

This dish takes a little patience but you’ll be rewarded with a succulent, slightly smoky appetizer that will fool the firmest chicken haters. What we have here are pieces of chicken breast  that are wrapped with bacon, skewered with pieces of pepper and grilled until the bacon fat renders, leaving you with a moist, tender [...]

Here I am, writing to you from my family’s summer home, just outside of Nea Kallikratia, Halkidiki in northern Greece. The beach is just minutes away by foot and bars, tavernas, farmer’s markets are all nearby. My family has had a summer home here since 1989 after spending some summers as guests at our relatives’ [...]

I’m  not sure if this flank steak tasted so good because it’s been so long since I last had a steak or, it was just plain awesome. I’ll be off to Greece in a few days and I will not be eating steak there. I figured I’d get my steak fix now or wait 42 [...]

This grilled calamari dish is something I first made last summer, just before I left for Greece. I’ve come full circle and I’m getting ready to go to Greece again. I’m looking forward to the vegetables from the garden that my family planted, the weekly visit to the farmer’s markets, meeting new friends and some [...]

This past Sunday was my birthday and I invited some friends over for some good drink, delicious food and hearty laughs. The weekend forecast was for hot summer days, little humidity. The clouds rolled in just before guests arrived and there was a little bit of rainfall. The clouds left, happy to have teased us [...]

A couple of weekends ago I had the pleasure of visiting the Cypriot Community of Toronto’s Cultural Centre, where they held their annual Summer Festival on their grounds. After straightening out a mix-up (someone thought I was a politico and asked me to sit at a head table), I located some friends, had a seat [...]

Years ago, my family would attend these huge picnics where hundreds of Greek families would gather at a park somewhere north of Toronto. Anyone remember Green River? 101 International Park? Each family would pack coolers with provisions for the day: soft drinks, water, beer and wine, salads, rice, Spanakopitas, Tyropitas, bread, cheeses and lots of [...]

I remember when and where I first had a swordfish souvlaki, like it was yesterday. It was the summer of 1987, my first summer in Greece without my parents. I had just completed one year of university and the trip to Greece was a gift from my parents for graduating high school and being accepted [...]

The second week of the World Cup has commenced and I am enjoying the upsets, surprises and surprising wins and losses by underdogs and favourites. Greece for example, gave us a disappointing 2010 World Cup debut against South Korea but then they won our hearts back with a gutsy victory over Nigeria this past Thursday. [...]