Tour of Krinos Canada Facility
I’ve been having a wonderful time here in Greece so far this summer and one of the aspects I love about my vacation is that everywhere I go, there’s fresh, local Greek food products available. I eventually will have to go back to Canada and as reality sets in, so to will the fact that […]
The Classic, Basil & Pine Nut Pesto
When I first heard or and tried pesto, this was the only version out there: warm, aromatic, spicy fresh basil leaves from my garden, garlic, pine nuts and Paremesan cheese. Today, there are so many varieties and twists on pesto – I’ve lost count! Pesto is traditionally made in a mortar & pestle but a […]
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 […]
Spaghetti Tossed in Shrimp Butter
This is one of the tastiest pasta dishes you will ever have. Really. How can it not be good when the sauce contains onions, garlic, lots of shrimp, mushrooms, red peppers, Ouzo , butter, cream cheese and the surprise ingredient? Vanilla extract! This pasta dish is a riff on shrimp butter that I’ve used for […]
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 […]
Ginger Scallion Noodles With Shrimp
One of new additions to the landscape of Toronto’s food scene is the addition of Momofuku here in Toronto. Momofuku began in New York and it is headed by chef David Chang. Reviews of the Toronto location (which is 3 floors of varying Momofuku concepts) have been really good so far, from both foodies and […]
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 […]
Spaghetti With Shrimp, Lemon & Saffron
You know what’s in season in Greece right now? Big, fat juicy lemons! Last year when I traveled to Nafplio (Peloponnese) I recall seeing groves and groves of lemon trees lining the roads. It was August so they all looked like limes but I was imagining myself stopping at the side of the road and […]
THE Macaroni & Cheese
NO…not the boxed one most of us grew up with but a down home, comforting casserole of elbow macaroni tossed in a cheese sauce and baked until just golden and crisp on top. I’ve always loved macaroni and cheese and today I am going to share the my recipe, which also borrows some inspiration from […]
Rigatoni With Mushrooms & Cheese
I’ve always loved mushrooms (ever since I was a kid) and besides them being healthy for you (great boost to your immune system), they are also versatile. Mushrooms are a great side dish, they add great flavour to stocks and sauces, you can add them to an omelet, make a soup, fry them, grill them, […]