Grilled Soutzoukakia
One of my earliest fond food memories (1974) was noticing how Greeks (in the summer) were always eating outside. Of note were the tavernas that would come alive for the evening service: tables and chairs being arranged outside of the premise, tablecloths, plates, glassware laid out. Greeks eat dinner late (say 10ish) and menu items […]
Instant Ramen Mac and Beef
Some days are very busy and often one loses track of time and quick meal hacks are something I always look for. Enter instant ramen noodles, once only found at Asian markets but they can now be found even in regular supermarkets. There are several instant ramen recipes on the ‘net, some keep the seasoning […]
Posh Cretan Dakos Salad
If you’ve been to Crete, you will have enjoyed a Cretan Dakos Salad. The base is a round Cretan rusk, topped with grated (or diced) ripe tomato and finished with fresh tart cheese (fresh myzithra). A garnish of dried Greek oregano, an olive and tuck in! For those not familiar with Cretan rusks (Paximadia), they […]
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 […]
Chicken Giouvetsi
Original post appeared on my blog on July 2008. Although I’ve made this dish several times since then, I was overdue to update the post (and photos). Since then, sheet pan and one pot meals have become very popular – us Greeks have been doing this for ages! Greek cooking is filled with dishes that […]
Zucchini Fritters
A long overdue recipe update: the original appeared on my blog on May 28th, 2008. The recipe is basically the same, I play around with the cheese mix sometimes, use scallions or leeks (or what’s in season) and as seen in the photographs here, I like coating them in breadcrumbs and quickly frying them ’til […]
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 […]
Briam With Halloumi
Briam is a summer dish that is cooked all over Greece and there are several versions and varieties, depending on the region, the home and the cook’s imagination. The basics of Briam are that it is a melange of vegetables, baked in the oven. The usual vegetables are eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomato and often potatoes […]
Eggplant With Sour Trahana
This is a dish that is great for summer – eggplants, tomatoes are local, parsley from the garden and all brought together with Greek extra-virgin olive oil, sweet onions and garlic. A NOTE ABOUT EGGPLANT: They are a summer vegetable and that’s when they are at their peak, sweet and not bitter. I presalt eggplant […]
Grilled Hanger Steak With Charred Scallions
I love steak and now that it’s summer, grilling them is the preferred way: the house doesn’t get hot from a running stove/oven, my gas grill heats up quickly and a steak is on my plate in 20 minutes. I recently was in a local Costco and they had a bin full of hanger steaks […]
