Mediterranean Tuna Tartare
For those that have been to Greece and other Mediterranean countries, you may have seen some modern takes on dishes, some international flare mixed in with local ingredients. Some of the fancier seafood tavernas are serving ceviches, crudo, cured fish dishes, even sashimi and sushi. Many of the dishes have foreign influences and techniques while […]
Octopus Souvlaki
Last week, I came up with a new way to serve up octopus. Oh yes, it will be grilled but by mixing things up a bit, you get the same great charred octopus flavour with a new presentation. I braise my octopus (as usual) until tender then allow the tentacles to cool, place in the […]
Chicken Chops aka Paidakia Kotopoulo
In Greece, butchers will break down a whole chicken into pieces (leg, thigh, breast, etc) then with a heavy cleaver, cut them across the the bone into smaller pieces. They call these “kotopoulo paidakia” aka chicken chops. I like leg/thigh meat and that’s what I recommend for my recipe. The seasoning and flavouring of the […]
Fried Bogue
Greeks love fried fish and usually the ones on the smaller side are used, such as anchovies, red mullet, whiting, sardines. One of the most underrated fish has to be Bogue or it’s funnier names Boops Boops. In Greek they are called “Γόπες”. The are often found at fish mongers and “laiki” open markets in […]
Grilled Zucchini Ribbons
Here in southern Ontario (Toronto specifically), the first zucchini are ready and often the bounty overwhelming! Through the summer, I will feature some creative ways to cook up all these veggies coming out of your garden. One of the easiest and tastiest ways to enjoy vegetables is by grilling them. With summer here, the last […]
Steamed Shrimp With Old Bay
As a cook, I get inspiration from many sources: yesterday I shared a recipe from a Chef in Greece and today, an avid cook based out of Virginia. Drew of Spartakue shared a recipe for steamed shrimp on his Instagram stories and it caught my eye as it was easy and I knew it would […]
Greek Mirage Cocktail
Imagine sitting by the pool or by the beach. Sipping on a cool refreshing cocktail of muddled cucumber, mint, lemon and spiked with vodka and Ouzo. You’re going to be making a few and you may get visions of warm Greek summer evenings. Greek Mirage (serves 1) 3 fresh mint leaves 1/4 of a lemon […]
Salt and Pepper Salmon
RECIPE UPDATE: This recipe was first posted June of 2007, again when the blog was newly born (about a month old). I’ve included the original photo taken with my Canon digital camera for some nostalgia. The recipe however, has remained the same and that’s a good thing. When I prepare fish, the approach is usually […]
Pasta With Smoked Salmon
RECIPE UPDATE: this recipe first appeared Aug. 8th, 2007 (14 years ago). I’ve simplified the recipe compared to the original. I was probably trying to be “cheffy” with an excessive amount of ingredients. The dish contains heavy cream and with such a forward ingredient as smoked salmon, I’ve omitted cheese. Years ago, back in my […]
How to Prepare and Grill Whole Fish
Those who have followed by writings, recipes and travels from Greece will know that I love eating whole fish and that if you were to visit Greece and order fish at a taverna, it will likely arrive whole…tail, head, eyes, etc. Greeks will to their local fish monger in search of the best fish – […]