Archive for January 2008

The Squeaky Cheese

Jan 31st, 2008 | By

I’ve been really diggin’ Halloumi cheese of late. It’s a semi-firm, slighty salty cheese that’s popular in Cyprus and much of the Middle East. One of the characteristics about this cheese is that when you’re chewing it in your mouth, you hear this squeaking noise. Personally, I amused by it and besides, it tastes great! [...]



I Think I Love Harissa

Jan 30th, 2008 | By

One of the goals of my blog is to explore other cuisines, try new dishes and and always, share my experiences with you, my dedicated readers. My focus is on Greek food but you’ve seen me branch out into other Mediterranean dishes but I’ve neglected the other side of the Mediterranean – North Africa. There’s [...]



OPA!

Jan 28th, 2008 | By

Ever see this flaming dish at a Greek taverna? Ever hear the Greek waiter shout OPA? This next dish is inspired by the many Greek restaurants, eateries and tavernas that serve up this style of fried cheese to a clientele that never ceases to tire of this ritual. Whoever said presentation never mattered to a [...]



Seafood Medley With Fusilli Corti Bucati

Jan 28th, 2008 | By

Looking back at my recent posts, it seems I’m on a seafood kick of late. I’ve been fortunate enough to find some good quality fresh seafood and I recently also found a really good frozen seafood product. For years I’ve seen frozen bags of mixed seafood at the grocery store but the quality was sub-par, [...]



Amaranth Greens (βλήτα)

Jan 27th, 2008 | By

Greeks eat alot of greens in their diet and you should too! Amaranth greens or as we call it, “Vlee-ta”, is eaten lot with fish and seafood and it can be found growing wild throughout Greece. What others consider weeds and a garden nuisance is another’s culinary gold!It’s of course also cultivated to supply the [...]



Deep-Fried Mussels (Μυδια-τηγανιτα)

Jan 26th, 2008 | By

One of the most enjoyable items of seafood out there are mussels. They taste of the sea, they are affordable, available fresh or frozen in many places and they are so versatile. Greeks love mussels in a Saganaki, a soup, seafood pizza or in this case, deep-fried. The second largest city in Greece is Thessaloniki [...]



Cream of Vegetable Soup

Jan 25th, 2008 | By

It’s no secret that I love my soups in the cold months. I love brothy soups, chunky soups, soups with noodles and creamy soups. Lately, people shy away from creamy soups thinking that they are packed with flour or heavy cream as a thickener. Sometimes those ingredients are called for but I’ve discovered that potato [...]



Stew of Veal With Carrots (Μοσχαρaki-με-καροτα)

Jan 24th, 2008 | By

When I was young, I didn’t like having the “Greek” meals like the one here. I didn’t like carrots, I thought bay leaves and spices were weird. What led to my awakening to good food and all food Greek? Perhaps it was spending summers traveling and being absent from my mom’s home cooking or perhaps [...]



Beets (παντζάρια)

Jan 23rd, 2008 | By

It’s winter time and yes, the beet dishes are all over the internet, in your markets, in your grocery bags and on your table. I can remember beets beyond a part of my family’s cuisine since I was a young, Greek “palikari”. I’m going to show you beets done 2 ways: the first is the [...]



One Potato Salad, Hold The Mayo

Jan 22nd, 2008 | By

A couple of weeks ago when I was having some fish, I couldn’t decide on a side dish/starch. I love potato salads but the usual recipes with mayonnaise aren’t a good match with fish. I recalled making a potato salad last summer in Greece that went very well with fish and the Mayo was absent. [...]