I am now back in Halkidiki (home base) yet my many fond memories of Crete replay in my mind and when friends & family ask about my trip. I think of the warm and generous Cretans, the stunning beaches, majestic landscapes and the amazing food. Cretan cuisine is centered around using local and seasonal product. [...]

Tomorrow is Father’s Day and I would like to salute all the Fathers and Grandfathers out there who put food on the table, offer inspiration to young boys and men, the comfort and security to daughters and grand-daughters, regale us with tall tales, wisdom and humour. Chances are the man in the house will want [...]

It’s meze time! Appetizers! Backyard entertaining, offering an array of dishes through the evening with family, friends or both! With some prep, a little organization – one can serve an array of mezedes (appetizers) through the evening.I made this dish a couple of weeks ago, inspired by another shrimp dish I made with shrimp and [...]

Once again last week, a visit to the market offered up inspiration for this dish. The markets are full of  fresh bunches of scallions (green onions). Peppers are starting to appear but I have frozen roasted red peppers in the freezer (for just the occasion like today) and a walk to the fish and seafood [...]

This dish was made with the intent on transporting my parents back to their towns in located in the northern Greek prefecture of Florina. Florina is located about 2 hours northwest of Thessaloniki. It’s at the top end of Greece and it’s motto is “Where Greece Begins”. This region is mountainous with stretches of elevated [...]

WhenI first scanned over this recipe in a recent issue of Gastronomos, I was smitten with the concept of filling cabbage with seafood. In Greek cuisine, cabbage rolls are usually filled with mince and finished with a creamy Avgolemono (egg/lemon) sauce. This recipe is an obvious take or twist on the Greek classic: shrimp and [...]

One of the reasons I find fasting for Lent more manageable is because when I choose a recipe (and ultimately share it), it has to be good. Not just good enough for Lent but worthy enough to reproduce throughout the year. You should consider cutting down on your red meat intake and boosting vegetables, fish [...]

Giouvetsi is a class of Greek casserole dishes. Vegetables, stock, kritharaki and your choice of protein make up this rustic, straight-forward and delicious dish. Today’s dish is another offering for your Lenten table. I start off with making a stock with the peel shells of your shrimp. The next step is to soften/sweat the vegetables [...]

Cuttlefish. Don’t touch that dial and the cuttlefish is an interesting member of the cephalopod family. That is to say, it’s related to squid and octopus. The cuttlefish has an internal shell, the cuttlebone. Some of you who have spent much time on the beach will have found some cuttlebones in the sand. Others who [...]

Tuna has gotten a bad wrap in the past, being labeled as the “chicken of the sea”. In my opinion, the real “chicken of the sea” is the sole. Sole (the flatfish) has to be the chicken breast of the sea. It’s lean, it’s white and in need of some flavour. That’s the minus side [...]