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 [...]

I recently was sent some samples from a Pitenis Bros. in Greece that produces dips, pickled vegetables, dips and smoked fish and seafood. One of the more intriguing and delicious items in the care package sent to me was the smoked octopus. Yes, smoked octopus. Much like eel, trout or mackerel, the octopus also gets [...]

Toronto had a very mild winter (the mildest I can remember) and Spring has arrived early. Snow melted by the second week of March, trees and flowers bloomed early and the lilacs brief two weeks of aromatic bloom is but a memory. I write this post in shorts, T-shirt and itching to flick-on the air [...]

Today is Mother’s Day and I would like to extend my best wishes to my mother, all mothers, grandmothers and mom’s to be. You rock, you make the world go round and I send this dish out to you. My love affair with Halloumi cheese continues. This slightly briny, semi-firm sheep’s milk cheese hails from [...]

I’m not sure which ingredient is the star here – the Halloumi cheese or this dressing made primarly of processed Kalamata olives? The Kalamata olive is best known as topping the famous Greek or Horiatiki salad. The Halloumi cheese, born in Cyprus, enjoyed equally throughout the Middle East and gaining new fans around the world. [...]

This salad comes to you with inspiration of the season, my visit last year to southern Greece (Laconia) and timely in that it’s also a Lent-friendly dish. Let’s examine the ingredients: a new shipment of Greek extra-virgin olive oil, just shipped from the old country and courtesy of a family friend. The early harvest of [...]

Greeks eat according to the seasons. In the summer, Greeks will have the bounty of their garden with tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers to make the world famous Greek salad. Although these vegetables are now also available in the winter, there’s a definite shift in ingredients during the winter months. Taste, cost and a little bit [...]

One of these days, I’m going to go to Greece when the olive harvest takes place in autumn. Olives can be found all over Greece and as if taunting me, I pass by the idle olive oil cooperative in the town where our summer home in Halkidiki is. All over Greece, farmers and families with [...]

Recipe update from June 2007 What would a food blog from a Greek dude be without touching upon Tzatziki? I’ve been disappointed with the representation of Greek food in North America and in particular, Toronto. I found that once very good Greek eateries are going the way of serving pre-made foods & dips on their [...]

This salad has quickly become my favourite winter starter. During the cold months, my diet shifts into including lots of wholesome soups, perfect for warming the belly in the cold Canadian winter but one mustn’t take your eyes off of other ways to eat your vegetables. I do not eat many salads in the winter [...]