Smoked Cheese Croquettes
I love cheese. I love trying new varieties, from many countries, made from different milks, briny, soft, firm, semi-firm. Mild or stinky, sharp or creamy and smoked cheeses. Back in Greece, the most touted smoked cheese is Mestovone (from Metsovo). Here in Toronto, in its absence I used smoked gouda. It holds up well to […]
Cheese Pies with Figs
Last summer, during my vacation in Greece, I visited the island of Naxos for the second time. The first time was a quick and I had it in the back of my mind to revisit this island with it’s delicious local products and cuisine. I had the pleasure of lunching at highly regarded taverna “Axiotissa” […]
Cream Filled Diples
December is almost here and you’re planning (or already) making your holiday treats. We may not have as many visitors or visiting as many people this year but there’s nothing to stop you from gifting a box of cookies and pastries. Besides Melomakarona and Kourabiedes (standard Greek Christmas cookies), many families from the Peloponnese will […]
Chicken Souvlaki
Autumn is definitely here and winter threatened to stay earlier this week with our first snowfall. Warm temps returned, the snow melted overnight and we’ve had a bright and sunny weekend. If there’s an opportunity to grill, I embrace it. Greeks do not eat souvlaki all the time but we are known for putting practically […]
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 […]
Sea Urchin Pasta
This first time I saw sea urchins was in Halkidiki (where our family’s summer home is), clinging to rocks under the sea. Another sea urchin memory was eating them on the half-shell with a squeeze of lemon juice in Mykonos (summer ’92). Fast forward to 2009, first visit to Crete and I have a big […]
Politiko Baklava
I’ve been making this version of Baklava for a few years. There are many styles and varieties but this one is my favourite. A round tray is used, I have a diagram below that demystifies how to cut the baklava pieces into diamonds and when you look at the whole pan, it looks like a […]
Brie Baked in Grape Leaves
We’re more than halfway through 2020, which is a good thing. However, it may be a long winter and the one thing I know I’ll be doing is enjoying some great food at home. Today, I am sharing an appetizer I served 3 years ago at one of my Supper Clubs. It’s a wheel of […]
Butternut Squash Bouyiourdi
One of my favourite Greek appetizers is a dish called Bouyiourdi. It’s a baked mish-mash of tomatoes, peppers, Feta, Kasseri cheeses, oregano, some chilli flakes and baked in the oven until hot and gooey. It screams for bread to scoop out this molten goodness. I call it a Greek fondue! Last year I served this […]
