Keftedes With Pligouri, Fresh Herbs and a Lemon Verbena Yogurt Sauce
Each time I visit Greece (count 20 times), I come back to Canada just a little more Greek, a little less “Canadian”. Don’t get me wrong, Canada is the best place in the world to live but the climate here sucks and that’s a big BUT. Otherwise, why wouldn’t the world’s second largest country have […]
Back in Black
Today, I’m cooking with a black ingredient, a new ingredient. I’m talking about black trumpet mushrooms. The black trumpet is a Chanterelle mushroom and although you may not find them fresh at your market, one can easily find the dried variety (which I bought at my local Asian store). I don’t think I’ve ever cooked […]
Pasta Shells With Fresh Tomatoes & Feta
One of my favourite pasta shapes of late, are shells, or “kohilia” in Greek. This shape of pasta is great for trapping the sauce and cheese inside the shell, making for a very falvourful meal. This is one of the quickest sauces you’ll ever come across but I remind you that this dish only works […]
Succulent Poached Salmon With a Fennel & Orange Relish
It’s Royal Foodie Joust time and this my first entry since I won back in July for my Apricot and Pistachio Cake. The “Joust” was created by Jenn The Leftover Queen and the premise is simple…a friendly competition where a dish has to be presented using three chosen ingredients. The winner of each Joust chooses […]
Fresh Salad
During this past vacation in Greece I again returned to the warm embrace of Athens. I visited some old friends, made some new ones and I also had to cook and film a pilot to promote the concept of “Kalofagas” as a TV show. If you would like a sense of where I’m coming from […]
Plum Tarte Tatin With Cinnamon Ice Cream
Tarte tatins are most commonly made with apples but other fruits get the spotlight every now & then. Up to bat are plums – another fruit that is at it’s peak in the late part of summer/early fall. The tarte tatin is French in origin and legend has it was created by accident when one […]
Calamari Souvlaki (Καλαμάρια-Σουβλάκι)
Yesterday in Naxos, today back at my homebase of Halkidiki, where our summer home is. No worries, we’re still be the sea. For years (since 1980), my family has been coming to Nea Kallikratia for our summer vacations. Here in Toronto, people head north to their cottages to spend the summers but us…we just go […]
Postcard From Naxos
One of the stops I made during my recent trip to Greece was visiting the large island of Naxos. I had no intent on visiting this island until one of my readers extended an invite to witness and be a part of a traditional Greek island wedding. I thought long and hard but after some […]
Greeked-Up Jalapeño Poppers
Today, I’m introducing you to a new ingredient called Pastourma. Pastourma, it is said, is where the origins of pastrami came from. Pastourma is stronger than pastrami and upon tasting this thin sliced cured beef, one immediately tastes garlic, paprika and notes of cumin and fenugreek. The origins of pastourma come from the Ottoman/Armenian cuisine […]
Chianti Chicken
I’ve had my eye on this dish for awhile. We’re at the end of summer and here in Ontario the harvest is in full swing. Grapes are at their peak and this next dish marries sweet with savory. As you can see, we have a show-stopper here but this ain’t just another pretty dish it […]
