Meat

Fried Batzos With Makalo & Kefte

Dec 14th, 2011 | By
Fried Batzos With Makalo & Kefte

I figured I better squeeze in all the fried cheese while it’s still December and we can splurge on some richer foods (and eat them too)! I have just one thick slab of Batzo cheese left in the fridge – a cheese from northern Greece that I brought back this past summer. To refresh your [...]



Lahmacun – Turkish Pizza

Dec 1st, 2011 | By
Lahmacun – Turkish Pizza

This past summer in Greece i didn’t get a chance to go to Istanbul but memories from last year are still vivid: people everywhere, a mix of modern and traditional as Istanbul is a city over 20 million that straddles both Europe and Asia, the smells of street vendors hawking their food, the restaurants for [...]



The Best Steak….

Nov 6th, 2011 | By
The Best Steak….

is at home. Sunday’s are best enjoyed at home with family and friends and it’s a fine to either stretch your culinary wings and cook-up a sumptuous Sunday dinner or shift-down in gears and prepare a home-cooked meal that’s easy, comforting and most satisfying. I chose the latter today  – I chose steak. Go ahead, [...]



Holy Chuck Burgers

Oct 20th, 2011 | By
Holy Chuck Burgers

  The hamburger renaissance is large here in the Toronto area and from what I’ve been gleaning in the media, the same holds true throughout Canada and the US. Hamburger franchises are closing and new independent shops are opening up. Some of the new shops are merely new, glitzy shops offering the same ole’ processed [...]



Greek Easter Recipe Round-Up

Apr 12th, 2011 | By
Greek Easter Recipe Round-Up

Many of you have visited my Recipe Round-Up for Lent and I hope that I’ve helped you find some interesting dishes to break-up the monotony of the usual Lenten fare. We’re fast approaching Greek Easter and preparations are already beginning in my household! Greek Easter is centered around lamb or goat and the whole day [...]



Pork Gyro at Home

Feb 27th, 2011 | By
Pork Gyro at Home

One of the most recognized Greek foods has to be the Souvlaki. i.e. cubes of meat skewered and grilled over glowing embers. The most common souvlaki you’ll find in Greek eateries is pork but you’ll also find chicken, lamb and beef versions. The other popular Greek street food has to be the Gyro: slabs of [...]



Macedonian Sausages

Dec 27th, 2010 | By
Macedonian Sausages

As my parents have related to me on many occasions, the family pig would get slaughtered just a few days before Christmas and the ritual of butchering the pig and using everything but the squeal. Chops, loins for the Christmas dinners, pigs feet, ears, tail & head would be kept outside until the Epiphany whereby [...]



Braised Lamb Shanks & Beans

Dec 19th, 2010 | By
Braised Lamb Shanks & Beans

I had a steak earlier this week and it was just okay. I’m not eating as much meat as I used to and certainly less steak. At the same, I am greatly enjoying the tougher cuts of meat, the challenges in the kitchen to make them tender and relishing the triumph of tasting a delicious, [...]



From Athens to Adana to Istanbul: The Kebab

Nov 28th, 2010 | By
From Athens to Adana to Istanbul: The Kebab

This past summer saw me travel to both Greece and Turkey: neighbors, once foes, current rivals and friendly neighbors. Confused? There’s a lot of history between these two nations and to this day, ripples from the Ottoman Empire are felt in Greece (some good, some bad). Greece and Turkey also share some similarities when it [...]



Harvey’s Hamburger (Home Version)

Jul 24th, 2010 | By
Harvey’s Hamburger (Home Version)

Growing up in Canada and the US, one is never too far from a burger joint. I can’t think of any friends who didn’t enjoy a hamburger – be it at home or out with family or friends. One of my earliest memories of a eating hamburgers was at McDonald’s….long time ago when they were [...]