Hunkar Begendi With Beef
When I visited Greece in the past, I’ve taken side-trips to Istanbul (Constantinople). The city to this day is the center of Greek-Orthodoxy and the Patriarchate is situated there. One of the most interesting experiences during my trip there was to try out many of the dishes being offered up by the Turks. Many dishes […]
BBQ Spaghetti
I’m always amazed when parallels, cooking coincidences and similar ingredients arise out of two different, unrelated cuisines. I discovered such a parallel recently after watching a newly introduced series on the Food Network called Down Home With the Neelys. The Neelys run two family businesses in Tennessee and they are famous for their ribs and […]
Latholemono (λαδολέμονο)
Latholemono literally translates to oil-lemon. Oil and lemon are ingredients indigenous to Greece and found in every kitchen, used by every Greek cook and enjoyed by millions who love Greek food. Greeks love their seafood. If it weren’t for it’s northernmost borders, Greece would be an island, surrounded almost entirely by the sea. Years ago […]
Briam Florinis (Μπριαμ-Φλωρινης)
When I was growing up, I was forced to eat what my parents ate and endless arguments and bratty moping took place until a winner came out on top. Conversely, I also missed out on alot of dishes that my parents didn’t like. My father, to this day, has not and will not eat chicken. […]
Costolette di Maiale Piccante
Is it just me or do you all have a backlog of dishes you would like to try? Just counting the tagged recipes I have saved, I’m at 156! Nevermind the new dishes I see daily or recipes from a cookbook, magazine or tv show. I have a big problem but I swear, I’ll get […]
Okra With Veal
Another staple of the Greek kitchen are okra. Okra is used alot in southern US cooking, Afro-American “soul food”, the Louisiana dish of Gumbo’s main ingredient is okra and in the Caribbean, Callaloo gets the okra treatment. Okra look and taste similar to beans but then are obviously thicker and taper like a thin pepper. […]
Shepherd’s Pie
I’ve been emotionally scarred. My father worked all his adult life in the restaurant biz. My father also rarely dines out. My dad has witnessed many kitchen nightmares and on occasion, he’d share his experiences. Don’t get me wrong, I still eat out but I know a few things to look for in a clean […]
Jamie Oliver’s Baked Chicken Thighs
For the record, I’ve always been a leg and thigh man. Now let’s get on about chicken. Chicken thighs have to be, hands down, the tastiest part of the bird. Yeah okay, the breast is lean, healthier for you but it’s also bland. Why do you think chicken breast tastes so good in a Club […]
Tourist in My Own City
One of my favourite things to do on my spare time is to roam different neighborhoods in Toronto. I live in the suburbs but I’m a downtown guy and I’m often in an area called Kensington Market. Kensington Market was (and still is) an area of the city where immigrants would first reside and set-up […]
Red Snapper With a Tomato Herb Crust
Despite Greece having a mild winter, the general population does stay in quite a bit. Greeks will opt for for cozy nights at home with friends or out at a taverna or club. Either way, you don’t see many Greeks doing outdoor grilling (in the winter). Greeks rate seafood integral to their diet and in […]