Gemista – Stuffed Tomatoes With Rice & Herbs
One of the observations I often hear about Greek cuisine is that the food tastes so much better than over here in North America, and often many wonder “why?” Greek cuisine shines when ingredients are used that are in season, and when it’s the middle of summer, that means tomatoes! Greeks love stuffing vegetables and […]
Moussaka Burgers
Most of us here in the northern hemisphere and now safely into grilling season i.e. the weather is warm enough for us to cook and enjoy a meal outdoors…just like in Greece! Here in Canada we will grill all year ’round but it’s so much more civilized now that it’s summer. Imagine, us Canadians will […]
Braised Quail Kokkinisto
Last month, I created a menu that was inspired by the cuisine and local ingredients of Messinia, a region of Greece located in the southwestern tip of the country. Here you will find the rugged Mani peninsula, rolling hills with rows of old olive trees, mountains full of herbs and mountain tea and the sea […]
Curley Calamari on Spanakorizo
I’ve been given the privilege to write/share recipes and food ideas on Inside Toronto’s web portal. I first shared this dish a couple of months ago at my Lenten Greek Supper Club. Basically you have fancy Spanakorizo molded on a plate then topped with a quick sauté of curly calamari. Click here to read the […]
Octopus Stifado
It’s been very busy around here and in case you missed the memo, I am currently working on the manuscript for my very first cookbook! The excitement of having a cookbook with my recipes and my name on it quickly wore off after I realized that there’s a lot of work involved! Here are the […]
Seared Halibut With Greens & Chickpeas
Here in Canada we still have snow on the ground. A cruel joke served by Mother Nature after having a mostly mild winter here in the Great White North. Back in Greece, they survived a relatively mild winter, sparing many Greeks who feared the cold with little money or means to heat their homes. The […]
Spaghetti With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Dry Mizithra Cheese
Last weekend brought the end to the meat-eating phase of Apokries (Greek Carnival) and now Greeks are in the homestretch – the last week of Apokries. It’s Tyrini or Cheesefare Week with many Greeks forgoing meat and only eating dishes with cheese…lots of cheese! Pasta’s popularity goes beyond the happy bellies of Italian diners and […]
Ellasonitiko (Slow Roasted Pork Belly With Crackling)
Last summer was a hot one and avoid the cities and stay near the beaches where most of my friends and family are, anyways. Once the temperatures get cooler, the evenings longer – that’s when it’s time to head into the city and explore without sweating off half your body weight. September is a wonderful […]
Monkfish With Kritharaki, Fennel & Orange
One of my favourite fish is monkfish or angler fish. In Greece they call this fish peskandritsa and it usally is big, it’s fugly but it’s versatile and delicious. If you’re the type that doesn’t want to fuss with pin bones, no worries. Monkifish is large, triangular with the the body tapering as you near […]
Misko Pasta With Sausage & Red Pepper Sauce
Greeks have been preserving the Summer’s bounty for ages – anything from sun-drying tomatoes, pickling, curing olives to even meats. In Florina (where my parents come from), you can see red shepherds peppers air-drying outside of homes in the late summer warm and breezy air. These dried peppers can then be re-hydrated in hot water […]