Fried Octopus
How many ways are there to prepare octopus? There’s grilled, boiled, baked, I recently tried “sous vide” (and it was fantastic) and now there is fried. Regardless of how you’re going to eat octopus the key is to tenderize it. The old-school way in Greece was to bash it on rocks at the beach, some […]
Halkidiki Green Olives Two-Way Meze
Recently, green olive from Halkidiki were finally granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status by the European Union (EU). A PDO product is given this designation/label to highlight the uniqueness of the product produced in a specific geographical region. Halkdiki is located in the northern province of Macedonia and if you look at a Greek […]
Quick Cauliflower Toursi
In Greece, cauliflower is called “kounoupidi” and its a winter vegetable usually steamed/boiled or pickled and enjoyed throughout the colder months. Toursi are pickled vegetables and practically anything can and will be pickled from eggplants to beans, green tomatoes to peppers and onions to cauliflower. I made some Fakkes (classic Greek lentil soup) last week […]
Politiki Salata
Not too long ago, even if one wanted a fruit or a vegetable out of season, it would be bought at a supermarket and the price would be heavy. Imports of produce into Greece are widespread and depsite this “advancement” in the Greek markets, many in Greece still prefer to eat seasonally as it’s cheaper, […]
Calamari Stuffed With Shrimp and Smoked Metsovone Cheese
As a general rule, cheese and fish & seafood shouldn’t be mixed but there are always exceptions and when it comes to Greek food, we have some wonderful cheese and seafood combos like Shrimp Saganaki and Mussels Saganaki. Today I’m taking this delicate but delicious combo of cheese and seafood to calamari aka squid. For […]
Tsaitia
Here in Toronto, we have Greeks from all over Greece, much like other cities in the Greek diaspora. The origins of where those Greeks came from can (and will) vary depending on immigration patterns of that region in Greece. If a certain relative or villager went to say, Australia then more folks from that part […]
Islim Kebabi
For those that have been to Istanbul, you know what I mean when I say it’s surreal: the density of the city, the endless traffic, boats and ships running up and down the Bosphorus, the seemingly endless city filled with historical landmarks and everywhere…I mean everywhere – there’s food to be had. When you’re a […]
Batzos Saganaki
One of the cornerstones of Greek cuisine has to be it’s cheeses…varied in taste, texture and many offerings coming from all parts of the country. I brought a cheese from Greece is called Batzos – not Batsos (Greek slang for Police/Cop). Batzos come from northern Greece and more specifically from central to western Macedonia (Naoussa […]
Fried Batzos With Makalo & Kefte
I figured I better squeeze in all the fried cheese while it’s still December and we can splurge on some richer foods (and eat them too)! I have just one thick slab of Batzo cheese left in the fridge – a cheese from northern Greece that I brought back this past summer. To refresh your […]
Tomato & Feta Stuffed Peppers
The cool weather is here (in Canada for awhile) and the shift to heartier dishes and spicier dishes has been made. Although I like to eat spicy and hot dishes all year ’round, Autumn/Winter is ideal for eating hot peppers. I was brought-up in a household that always had peppers in the fridge, we pickled […]
