Peinirli
The first time I saw a Peinirli was when the bus I was riding on from Thessaloniki to Amynteon (parents’ home town); the bus made a 20 minute stop in Edessa and some passengers were grabbing a “peinirli” to snack on. During many trips to Greece since, I’ve seen Peinirli at bakeries and there are […]
Greek Omelet With Fries and Sausages
When it comes to eggs, Greeks love to have them for dinner. Fried, scrambled with Feta and tomato or, with potatoes. It’s a shared plate, as a main or appetizer course. Today’s egg dish will remind you of a Spanish tortilla but it’s Greek all the way. Greeks will whip up egg dishes as a […]
Feta Brined Turkey Breast, Chestnut Stuffing and Make Ahead Gravy
American Thanksgiving is coming up this Thursday and Christmas is just over a month away. Both dinners center around a roast turkey plus whatever fixins’ and sides you may prepare plus some ethnic dishes that your family likes to serve on special occasions. Our holidays will be different this year – smaller gathering and that […]
Pasta With Italian Sausage and Broccolini
It’s often said the best pasta dishes are the quickest ones and today’s offering underlines this truism. One pot and one skillet on the stovetop, the pot of water blanches broccolini then does double-duty with cooking the pasta in the same water. The skillet is where the sausage meat is browned, onions and garlic cooked […]
Sausages With Petimezi and Vinegar
I’ve served this dish a couple of times at my Greek Supper Clubs. It’s a quick and easy appetizer, ideal for cool autumn evenings or day I say…winter nights (eek). It’s a three-ingredient recipe, the most exotic being Petimezi, an ancient Greek ingredient made during wine harvest. Basically, grape must (juice) is reduced down to […]
Chorizo Carbonara
I first tried Carbonara the summer of 1988, in Corfu during my summer vacation in Greece. This pasta dish is made with eggs, lots of black pepper, diced guanciale (or pancetta) and here in Canada, bacon does the trick too! Traditionalists will scream if you add cream (ha-ha) and if you make a Carbonara properly, […]
Strapatsatha (Στραπατσάδα)
In 1492, any Jews who did not convert to Christianity were obliged to leave Spain, their homes and belongings behind. Exiled Jews were accepted in different parts of the Ottoman Empire and many Jews settled in Thessaloniki, Greece’s 2nd largest city, in northern Greece. What little the Jews could bring with them was their faith, […]
Recap – Carnivale Greek Supper Club
A couple of weekends ago I hosted a Greek Carnival-themed Supper Club. It was a meat-heavy menu: lamb, pork, sausage, beef and cheese! All dishes were prepared using Cretan olive oil from Nisos Importing and Greek wines and beverages being poured by Apostolos Gerakinis. Thank you as well to Portioli Coffee Canada for serving cups […]
Loukaniko Gemisto
Sometimes foods sound better in a different language than English, like this one. “Loukaniko| means sausage in Greek and “Gemisto” means stuffed – put the two together and you get a stuffed sausage. Allow me to explain: I was in Toronto’s Greektown, stopped to see my friends at Megas on the Danforth (near Chester Subway). […]
Greek Taverna Omelet
Eggs are a versatile ingredient and in Greek cooking, they are used in a multitude of ways: there’s eggs in Avgolemono Sauce, eggs are often included as binder for meatballs or fillings for phyllo pies, there’s desserts, Easter eggs and of course, the many egg and omelet dishes. We love “avga matia” (sunnyside up), we […]
