Tsiknopempti – Greek Carnival Dinner Recap
Last night’s dinner was probably my most ambitious to date…record sold out crowd of over 60 guests, a menu with a over a dozen items and all this being cooked in a kitchen I have never worked in before. My first Tsiknopempti dinner was a delicious success with lots of Kechribari retsina, Babatzim Ouzo, Alfa […]
Piroski
There are about 11 million Greeks in today’s Greece and about another 11 million throughout the rest of the world. Greeks have long traveled beyond familiar land and have made their new beginnings in far off lands. Eons ago, Greeks had settlements in Egypt, as far west as southern France and as far east as […]
Pastourmadopita
I’ve made this pita a few times last month and I am now sharing this festive recipe for a pita containing Pastourma, an air-cured beef with its origins in Caesaria (Cappadocia), Turkey. Greeks have a long history in this area and St. Basil the Great was born here. Yesterday was St. Basil’s day and many […]
Pork & Mushroom Tigania With Katsamaki
The winter time in Greece is all about gathering with friends at someone’s home or at a taverna. Bonus points if the taverna has a fireplace…maybe in the center of the room or tucked in one corner. You’re really lucky if you get a table near the fireplace! My of my favourite wintertime Greek dishes […]
Tsigarides – Fried Pork Chunks
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family, friends and loved ones. Yesterday was one of the most memorable…for the company and of course, the food. Christmas for the Greeks goes beyond Christmas day and the tree at this household does not come down until after Epiphany. One of the mezedes I made […]
Feta & Leek Croquettes
A city in Europe that always caught my interest was Amsterdam. I liked that the Dutch had a historical tie to Canada from WWII, that the Dutch were tolerant and a diverse society, many spoke English and the sheer green beauty of the countryside and the gorgeous canals and steepled buildings of its cities, like […]
Feta Cheese in Phyllo With Honey & Sesame
When in Greece you’ll likely dine at one of the tavernas that dot the entire country. These eateries are more informal, great meeting/gathering places for family and friends and usually the prices are affordable. I love taverna fare as you often get a combo of classics and some of the chef/owner’s creativity in the menu […]
Greek-Inspired Nachos
Forgive me for stating the obvious but there’s no such thing as Greek nachos but I can assure you lots of Greeks enjoy Tex-Mex flavours and that when I saw Bittman’s take on Greek-Style Nachos…I wish I thought of it first! It’s not a stretch of the imagination that one can think of using baked […]
Mushroom Strapetsada With Halloumi and Crispy Bacon
Every Saturday I like to treat myself to a big breakfast. That is to say I enjoy eggs (scrambled or sunnyside up), some bacon or breakfast sausages, toast, orange juice, fruit, coffee. Yesterday I broke-up the monotony of having the same breakfast by adding some mushrooms leftover from last week and one of my favourite […]
Stuffed & Pickled Red Shepherd’s Peppers
I’m sharing more inspiration from my summer vacation in Greece and again, from my parents’ corner of Greece, Florina. The folks in this area love their peppers and the appellation product known as “Piperies Florinis” begin to appear in the markets in August. Travel around the towns of Florina and you’ll see these peppers (here […]
