During this past vacation in Greece I again returned to the warm embrace of Athens.
I visited some old friends, made some new ones and I also had to cook and film a pilot to promote the concept of “Kalofagas” as a TV show.
If you would like a sense of where I’m coming from when it comes to food and in particular, Greek food, visit Wandering Educators where you can read a brief interview that I recently conducted.
As for the sharing the footage from the taping in Athens, please be patient…it’s a matter of time ’til I unleash my video debut!
The majority of the filming took place at the Fresh Design Hotel in the center of Athens, at the foot of the Parthenon.
Basically, we filmed some footage at the nearby Barbakeios Market and then I along with two of the hotels’ chefs, Christos and Athinagoras,
cooked a few dishes.
I would like to thank the staff at the Fresh Hotel, especially Christos and Athinagoras who made me feel like part of their cooking team and for selecting the quality ingredients.
The biggest “thank you” goes to Dimitri Vorris, the writer/producer/director who originally contacted me about creating a flim version of Kalofagas.
The day was long, the work hard but when one is deep in something you love (look food & cooking), it was damn good fun.
We almost forgot to eat but during a break to a relocation of camera equipment to the rooftop restaurant & bar, we had a chance to catch our breath, chat a bit and have a well-deserved lunch in one of the hotel’s cafe’s.
One of the offerings was a play on the Cretan Dakos, which is a barley rusk served with grated ripe tomatoes, olive oil and crumbled feta (or Myzithra) with a final topping of Greek oregano.
This salad uses “almyra koulourakia” or dry savory biscuits, kinda like a Greek pretzel but with anise seeds in them. Ask for Taralli at an Italian grocer, they should do the trick.
The presentation caught my eye, the idea novel and the flavour with those anise seeds, fantastic!
Fresh Salad
(inspired by the Fresh Design Hotel’s offering)
Some almyra koulourakia (savory cookies)
1 medium sized tomato, diced
1 Tbsp. diced red onion
1 small clove of garlic, minced
extra-virgin olive oil
Crumbled Greek feta
coarse sea salt
ground pepper
Dry Greek oregano
- Arrange some Paximadia (savory cookies) on a plate to form a bedding for your salad (break them in half if they are too big).
- In a bowl, add your diced tomato, red onions, garlic, some sea salt, pepper, oreegano and some olive oil and allow the mixture to stew for about 15 minutes.
- Spoon the tomato mixture over the paximadia and then top with crumbled Feta, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and top with dry Greek oregano.
- Share the plate with friends, spoon some onto your plate, crack the paximadia and eat each forkful with some paximadi, tomato and feta.
52 Responses
We want the video! We want the video! LOL
I can’t say as I’ve seen these Paximadia cookie things before – seems I have missed out! Will be on the look out for them on next years trip to Greece.
Great pictures as always.
I can’t wait for your video debut!
How exciting for you, Peter. Best of luck with the project!
Congrats on your film debut! The salad looks delicious! Whewre can i get a recipe for savory cookies like that?
Look at you Mr. Minaki!!! Pretty impressive and all I did on my summer vacation was to go to TO and meet a Greek guy! Congrats on the interview!
BTW the salad looks great too!
Oops I spelled your name wrong!!! Too fast on the keyboard!
YUM! this looks so delicious!
I love your picture of the Parthenon, sitting there on top of the cliff! There is a full sized replica in Nashville, and that is impressive enough, just sitting on flat ground. One really can’t fathom the scale of this without seeing it, and realizing that the ancient Greeks built this without the aid of machinery is breathtaking!
Nice looking salad, too, and good luck with the film project, and, I’m still enjoying your travelogue!
Hi Peter, this is cool and so exciting!!! Congrats!
I echo the sentiments of others when I say I can’t wait to see your video debut. A very exciting time for you Peter. Truly a great ambassador for Greek food. And the salad looks great too. I have always loved paximadia!
Congrats on filming the pilot show! Very exciting. Lovely Greek salad too.
JI, we want the video! me too!
Hey Congrats well, well, you are sooo important dear!!
I love this dish Peter look fantastic!! xxxGloria
At last I want to see more pictures please!!!
Sounds like you had a lot of fun! The salad looks wonderful and I can’t wait to see the video!
What an exciting project Peter. I admire your dedication to food.
This salad is unlike any I have ever had. I’m drooling over those big chunks of feta. Thanks for yet another top notch recipe.
Very excited for your video debut!
I always have feta cheese. I always have tomatoes and I almost always have taralli (right now the ones I have are black pepper), but I never thought of composing them in a salad.
…I guess that’s why you’re on TV and I’m not.
:)
How interesting to use paximadia in a salad, Peter. It looks delicious! Looking forward to hearing more about/seeing the taping!
What an absolutely beautiful salad! I can just imagine the joys of all the different, complementary textures! Thank you for the wonderful window into the filming process – I can’t wait to see the video!
Exciting things are happening at Kalofagas:D
What a beautiful salad. I can already tell by the photo you are a natural on the camera.
I just read your interview. You did a great job! Congrats! Next time I would like to see the video please:)
Your salad looks very good – so fresh and colorful!
Lots of exciting news, congratulations. The salad looks just wonderful too. I’d fly to Greece just to eat this salad.
You are going to be the next foodie superstar!! You won’t forget the little people when you make it big will you?
That is so exciting and cannot wait to see where this adventure takes you.
Cheers
PS this salad looks amazing
that sounds like fun! good luck to you … and can’t wait to see the video!
Peter, that’s really cool about your show! Congrats. This is the first I’ve heard about it. You may have mentioned it before.
I’m looking forward to watching it!
Peter congrats on the T.V. show. Are they going to show it on Greek T.V. and if yes, when and which channel?
Very exciting! Congrats! That’s so cool!
Your salad looks beautiful! Very original and tasty!
Cheers,
Rosa
Very exciting! Congrats! That’s so cool!
Your salad looks beautiful! Very original and tasty!
Cheers,
Rosa
Very exciting! Congrats! That’s so cool!
Your salad looks beautiful! Very original and tasty!
Cheers,
Rosa
Very exciting! Congrats! That’s so cool!
Your salad looks beautiful! Very original and tasty!
Cheers,
Rosa
Very exciting! Congrats! That’s so cool!
Your salad looks beautiful! Very original and tasty!
Cheers,
Rosa
Very exciting! Congrats! That’s so cool!
Your salad looks beautiful! Very original and tasty!
Cheers,
Rosa
Very exciting! Congrats! That’s so cool!
Your salad looks beautiful! Very original and tasty!
Cheers,
Rosa
Very exciting! Congrats! That’s so cool!
Your salad looks beautiful! Very original and tasty!
Cheers,
Rosa
been reading your blog for a few months now, and i think you and “Kalofagas” deserve this… Cheers to you!!! :)
we know this salad well in crete!
I just love your salad and this plum tarte tatin. When I arrive on your blog, a nice smell come back to me.
Peter, it’s a good interview… but I still can’t wait for the video ;)
peterrr look at you so handsome! hehehe and i so wanna try the savoury cookies in the salad (with the salad of cos) :)
Can we expect a slot on BBC food soon …..Kalfofagas, Greek food and Beyond!!!!
I’m very happy for you, Peter ;)
Very exciting stuff! And I really want some of that salad.
Jan, in time my dear, in time.
Kat, patience, my dear.
Thank you Sylvie!
Lisa, I've only ever bought these cookies.
Thank you, Ms. Judy!
MArjie, I've been to Athens many times and I still get the goosebumps when I see the Parthenon.
Janet, thank you!
Peter, thank you for your ever kind words and I do feel a sense of great camaraderie with the greek food bloggers.
Jen, thanks!
Gloria, you know I have lots of pictures!
Nicole, the salad is yum all right.
Lisa, your welcome…give the salad a go.
Kat, me too!
Foodalogue, can't wait to see yours!
Elly, the salad totally rocks!
Astra, thanks…it was tiring but fun.
Val, it's a long road still.
Glam, I was nervous but settled down.
Farida, thank you…the interview was fun!
Kalyn, thanks…you can have this salad at home too!
Cathy…oh stop it…there's no show yet…we only taped a pilot.
It was fun,Arundathi.
Emilline, it'll be up soon!
Ivy, this was just a pilot. The purpose of the dvd is to sell the idea. No airing on tv as yet.
Rosa, I loved this salad.
Mikky, thanks and cheers!
Kiwi, Cretans know good food!
Helene, merci beaucoups!
Kittie, wait you must! ;)
Rita, and an ice cold beer? ;)
Nina, that would be so awesome!
Maryann, thanks!
Foodycat, come & get it!
Oh, Peter, I’m so happy for you – congratulations! (Loved the interview, BTW.) I can’t wait to hear more about your culinary journey!
Another vote for the video. What a great opportunity. The salad looks great too. You can’t go wrong with nice tomatoes and feta.
Oh, how exciting! Congrats on your impending superstardom – best I get your autograph now while I still can ;-)
The salad looks fab – kind of like a Greek riff on panzanella in a way. Makes me crave properly ripe tomatoes!
Ooooh! I’m so excited for you! I wish you every success and happiness on this project. How was it cooking in a kitchen other than your own … in front of a camera? I bet you had fun … hard work for sure … but loads of fun, too.
I’ve not seen these savory cookies before, but boy they sure look fantastic in this salad.
Looking forward to your debut!
Nice interview Peter, and what a fantastic experience for you! I’m so excited for you! All your blessings are so well deserved! Just look at that salad! Need I say more???
Hi nice recipe.
Just a small translation correction, the biscuits in your salad are almyra koulourakia (translated as savoury biscuits) paximadi is translated as rusk. There are many different types of rusk in Greece, from the Ctetan rusk made with Barley to the Kythyra rusk made with white flour and loads of olive oil and the sweet white rusk found in Athens made with the addition of semi-sweet wine. The main differences between the rusk and the savoury biscuit are that the rusks are harder than the biscuits while the biscuis are also crumblier and have a richer flavour.
Peter, the addition of the salty biscuit to what is essentially a Greek salad makes for a nice twist, pardon the pun on the twisted biscuits! :-)
As for the video, let’s have it already! You’ve been building the anticipation for months!
Oooo what an exciting sneak peek into the video. Can’t wait for more ;) (hint hint hint hint) congrats again! :D
Can’t wait to see the video. Read the interview and you did very well. That must have been so exciting to do. Congratulations!