Lenten Bougatsa me Krema
Flashback to 1980: it was a family vacation to Greece. We departed for Toronto on the last day of school, the report card still in my hand as we left for the airport and it was a summer I didn’t want to spend in Greece. Plans to hang-out with friends, we were interested in girls […]
Mushroom Giouvetsi
My love of mushrooms goes back to as early as I can remember eating on my own. I remember my mom sauteeing mushrooms with butter and finishing them with a squeeze of lemon juice and finishing them with some dried Greek oregano. Back then (70’s) one could only find white button mushrooms but today the […]
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 […]
Makaronia With Tarama
A recent article by Diana Farr Louis titled “Cucina Povera – Greek Style” got me thinking about all the tasty dishes in Greek cookery that were concocted during times of poverty and necessity. There’s the Macedonian Makalo, a flour-based sauce, there’s potato stew (Yiachni), the countless boiled greens harvested from the countryside, Bobota (bread from […]
Phyllo-Feta Cigars With Agourida & Niagara Ice Syrup Salad Dressing
There’s alot of good things happening with this salad, you’re gonna learn a couple of things, be frugal and fancy all in one dish! The centerpiece of the salad is the phyllo cigars filled with Feta cheese, walnuts and almonds, some lemon zest and ground anise. There’s more licorice flavour echoed in the salad greens […]
Nacho Macaroni & Cheese
A couple of weeks ago I did a cooking demo at Toronto’s Harbourfront. No stranger to crowds, cooking in front of strangers didn’t present a problem and besides..I was doing what I love – sharing good, comforting food. When I was asked to conduct some cooking demos the prerequisite was that I showcase comforting dishes […]
Beet & Walnut Muffins
A couple of weeks ago I saw a recipe for a Beet & Walnut cake – one of those cakes that was probably baked in a loaf pan an resembled a banana or zucchini bread. Kinda. What was unique about this bread is that it contained grated beets – raw beets and when you cut […]
Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup
This recipe combines some of my favourite flavours: earthy mushrooms and nutty, smoky wild rice which really isn’t a rice! Wild rice is the seed of an aquatic rice that’s been consumed by Native Indians. Here in Canada, wild rice is grown in shallow lakes in rivers in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and north-western […]
Patates Plaki
Some of you may be still salivating at the steak dish I posted just a couple of days ago but the side dish served with the meat is no slouch either and it’s one of family’s favourite during the cold months. Potatoes are big around here and when we agreed to cook-up some steaks for […]
Red Pepper & Feta Pseudokeftedes
When I visit Greece I also head into Thessaloniki to have a lunch or dinner at one of my favourite restaurants in the city, “Kourdisto Gourouni” (Wind-up Pig). The Kourdisto Gourouni has old world charm, serving lots of beers, a good choice of Greek wines and lots of great food to be served with […]
