Posh Cretan Dakos Salad
If you’ve been to Crete, you will have enjoyed a Cretan Dakos Salad. The base is a round Cretan rusk, topped with grated (or diced) ripe tomato and finished with fresh tart cheese (fresh myzithra). A garnish of dried Greek oregano, an olive and tuck in! For those not familiar with Cretan rusks (Paximadia), they […]
Haniotiko Boureki
This is a recipe update, original appeared here on my site June 27th, 2014. I originally made it as appetizer offering at a Cretan-themed dinner. After the Boureki cooled, I cut them into squares and served with toothpicks for easy noshing. I’ve updated the recipe, making it easier to assemble and with all the same […]
Cretan Summertime Stifado
Have you been to Crete? I’ve been three times and each time I return with much inspiration from regional Cretan cuisine. I also follow, fellow blogger Vaggelio of Cretan Gastronomy, featuring Cretan dishes. Sometimes the ingredients aren’t available but most are adaptable using what you may have at hand. We are definitely in zucchini season, […]
Eggplant With Sour Trahana
This is a dish that is great for summer – eggplants, tomatoes are local, parsley from the garden and all brought together with Greek extra-virgin olive oil, sweet onions and garlic. A NOTE ABOUT EGGPLANT: They are a summer vegetable and that’s when they are at their peak, sweet and not bitter. I presalt eggplant […]
Whipped Olive Oil Butter
I love butter and I don’t think I will ever eliminate it from my diet but being Greek, olive oil is in our daily cooking, used when children are baptized and used in Greek-Orthodox funerals. It’s big thing for Greeks. We used it in our daily cooking and when I saw my friend, Chef Manolis […]
Sfakiano Goat Yiahni
One of the “must see” regions of Greece is the island of Crete. It’s a big island and your strategy would be to either see it over a few visits or concentrate on one area. The westernmost prefecture is Chania and in the southern part facing the Libyan Sea is the Sfakia area. This goat […]
Seared Calf Liver with Caramelized Onions
Up until about a few years ago, I hated liver – couldn’t stomach it. It smelled nice whenever my parents would fry it up with onions. I would try it on occasion – one bite and with half a chew, I would place a napkin toward my mouth and expel it. Won’t go down. Fast-forward […]
Chestnut Stifado
If you’re familiar with Greek cuisine, then you’ve heard of Stifado. It’s a slow cooked dish usually containing lots of onions, spices and either rabbit or hare. In modern Greek cooking, beef or veal have also become a favourites. Like many cuisines, there are regional differences and such is the case with this Cretan inspired […]
Gamopilafo aka Cretan Wedding Rice
The first time I had Cretan Wedding Rice (Gamopilafo) was 10 years ago, my first trip to Crete. Traditionally, this rice is served at Cretan weddings usually made with a combo of goat or lamb and rooster to make the stock. This dish is an center piece offering exemplifying the host family’s wealth and well […]
Cretan Dakos
Recipe Update from June 20, 2008 One of Crete’s most popular gifts to Greek cuisine is the Cretan Dakos. Dakos are a twice baked rusk made of whole wheat or barley flour. Dakos or Paximadi have been known in Crete since the Middle Ages. These rusk-like rolls are shaped into rings and baked once before […]
