Braising

Marianthe’s Baked Octopus and Eggplant

Feb 5th, 2012 | By
Marianthe’s Baked Octopus and Eggplant

Last year when I visited the Gerovassliou winery in Epanomi (near Thessaloniki), it was my second time for a tour of the winery and museum. As you will recall the first visit was cut-short because I arrived late and the winery was closing. I had to wait one whole year to come back tho this [...]



Braised Rabbit With Mushrooms and Orange

Jan 19th, 2012 | By
Braised Rabbit With Mushrooms and Orange

For a few years now there’s been talk of “sustainable” sources of fish, produce and meat. Today I ask you to consider the rabbit – mild in flavour (like chicken), lean, healthy (no skin) , sustainable and delish. Before I get any comments from the Philistines, the rabbit you see in recipes is not “Fluffy” [...]



Pork Belly & Quinces

Nov 28th, 2011 | By
Pork Belly & Quinces

File this one in your “Sunday Dinners” roster of recipes since most of us don’t have a few hours to spend after getting home from work and none of us likely want to eat dinner around 11PM. Sundays are made for relaxin’ and slow food rules! One of my favourite cuts of pork are used [...]



Beef Bourguignon

Feb 20th, 2011 | By
Beef Bourguignon

I think every home should have a Beef Bourguignon dish in the family’s roster of Sunday dishes. The dish demands patience (time)  to be successful, little kitchen skill and a keen eye to some quality ingredients. Beef Bourguignon is translated as “beef in the style of Burgundy”…from the Burgundy region of France, of course. The [...]



Octopus Kokkinisto on a Smokey Eggplant Purée

Sep 22nd, 2010 | By
Octopus Kokkinisto on a Smokey Eggplant Purée

Some know it, many don’t and I now urge you to try the combination of octopus with eggplant. Next time you’re at a Greek taverna and you’re ordering seafood – make sure you have some octopus and eggplant in the mix. Try tasting both the eggplant (say Melitzanosalata) and the eggplant both in your mouth. [...]



Rooster Braised in Wine (Κόκορας κρασάτος)

May 6th, 2010 | By
Rooster Braised in Wine (Κόκορας κρασάτος)

I could have called this dish “Coq au Vin” but then most of you would have had visions of Pierre cooking up the French Classic. This dish is a Greek classic and we called it “Kokkoras Krassatos”….”coq au vin” in French. Both dishes are are alike as a rooster gets braised in wine (among other [...]



Octopus Salad “Mosaic” (Χταπόδι-σαλάτα-Μωσαϊκό)

Mar 9th, 2010 | By
Octopus Salad “Mosaic” (Χταπόδι-σαλάτα-Μωσαϊκό)

Readers of this blog should know by now that Greek food goes beyond souvlaki, spanakopita and pastitsio. There’s nothing wrong with these dishes but as Greeks, we do not eat them every week. The traditional Greek diet is weighted towards vegetables and pulses, grains and bread, fruits and nuts and fish and seafood. It’s a [...]



Cross-Rib Pot Roast

Jan 23rd, 2010 | By
Cross-Rib Pot Roast

One of my family’s favourite Sunday meals centers around a Prime Rib Dinner. It’s not a cheap cut of meat (Prime Rib) but it’s fitting for a Sunday meal. From Medieval times, the wealthy used to get to eat the tender, more expensive cuts and the rest of us were left with scraps, offal and [...]



Kapani Open Market and Braised Lamb Shanks With Beans

Sep 28th, 2009 | By
Kapani Open Market and Braised Lamb Shanks With Beans

As an adult and as someone totally (I mean totally into food), a visit to a market with the freshest of seasonal ingredients on offer is like a trip to an amusement park. The Kapani Agora (market) in the center of Thessaloniki is one of those attractions…amusement for the foodie. The shouts of store owners [...]



Recipe For a Greek Wedding

Jul 23rd, 2009 | By
Recipe For a Greek Wedding

In less than two weeks, I’ll be back in Greece again for my vacation. This will be my 20th time and I still get excited about going. I still have some experiences to share from last year’s trip. One of the most cherished memories has to be when I attended a traditional Greek wedding on [...]