Wasabi Mussels Saganaki
If you’ve visited Thessaloniki and the nearby Halkidiki, you likely will have enjoyed mussels saganaki. This dish is a specialty of the region where mussels are served in two-handles vessel, a wonderful appetizer on all seafood tavernas in the area. The most common versions are a tomato based mussels saganaki with a touch of got […]
Roast Potatoes With Tomatoes & Smoked Paprika
This roast potatoes went over well this summer in Greece. Although I love fries, you can’t have them every day and why get stuck in a food rut making the same thing over and over. Step in roast potatoes but with summer’s ripe tomatoes and a touch of smoked paprika to give the potatoes a […]
Zesty Spaghetti With Shrimp & Scallions
There’s something about shrimp, tomatoes and peppers – especially when there’s some heat applied into the mix. Up here in northern Greece (I am here at the time of writing this) we have Boukovo, which is how we call chilli flakes in northern Greece. Red peppers are dried in warm, breezy late summer breeze and […]
Summer Octopus With Linguine
Here I am in Greece, having a wonderful time with family and friends…enjoying meals together in the city, in the mountains or by the sea. I created this dish while still in Canada, anticipating my vacation in Greece. You could say I was inspired, anxious…a little impatient. One of the best ways to transport yourself […]
Pickled Octopus
Sometimes I have some leftover octopus or there’s always the octopus heads. Every bit as delicious as the tentacles but not as nice of presentation. No worries, you can use those leftover heads to make this classic Greek meze – pickled octopus. This meze keeps for awhile in the fridge and if surprise guests arise, […]
The Classic, Basil & Pine Nut Pesto
When I first heard or and tried pesto, this was the only version out there: warm, aromatic, spicy fresh basil leaves from my garden, garlic, pine nuts and Paremesan cheese. Today, there are so many varieties and twists on pesto – I’ve lost count! Pesto is traditionally made in a mortar & pestle but a […]
Cypriot Style Lamb Souvla
A few years ago I attended the annual Cypriot Festival, as hosted by Toronto’s Cypriot Community here in Toronto. There were lots of regional dishes from Cyprus but I was intrigued the most by the large chunks of meat that were slow-roasting over a charcoal rotisserie. The Cypriots’ preferred way to roast lamb (or goat) […]
Warm Bean Salad With Cherry Tomatoes & Mint
One of my favourite salads for the warm months is this warm bean salad with cherry tomatoes and mint. Oh yes, I’ve snuck in some dried Greek oregano in there but mint alone is fine. Beans are very filling, a good way to skip some carbs and the dressing has a nice balance of sweet […]
Octopus Mosaic With Shaved Asparagus & Beet Dressing
I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago for my Aroma Messinia Greek Supper Club and it was a big hit. A successful dish delivers when it catches the eye, it’s presented well and it tastes great. What I’ve done here is take some ingredients used often by Greeks and use them in a […]
Pizza With Rapini & Italian Sausage
While I was writing my book and researching info on Mediterranean cooking, I learned that the foraging of wild greens went beyond Greece – folks in Italy, southern France and in the Balkans like their bitter greens…and so should you! Here in Canada, we don’t have the wealth of wild greens available to us in […]
