When I head into Thessaloniki (from Halkidiki) it’s to grab a bite with some family and friends and each and every time – a culinary surprise waits for me – guaranteed! A conversation with my friend Yianni goes like this: Me: I’m coming in to the city, what’s new, what’s hot – where shall we [...]
This past summer while in Greece I visited the island of Lefkada, situated on the Ionian side of Greece. Each day was spent visiting a new beach and each evening it was a new dining adventure. Sometimes it was seafood and sometimes meat. Many dishes were sampled – some good, some were “meh” and others…memorable. [...]
The first time I visited the Greek islands on the Ionian side of Greece was back in ’88 when I took a bus from Thessaloniki to Igoumenitsa and from there the short ferry boat ride to Corfu. Until about a few years ago this trip took a day with a 7 hour ride through winding [...]
A Turkish dish that’s entered the kitchen’s (and bellies) of Greeks is Imam Baildi – the literal translation being “the imam fainted”. From the all the olive oil ingested in this olden dish. I’m calling this Imam as the canoes of eggplant filled with vegetables and topped with cheese still resemble this classic. I’m avoiding [...]
Eggplants are in season in Greece from August and here in Canada, you can still find sweet (not bitter) eggplants at your local grocer or farmer’s market. Eggplant is one of the ingredients in classic vegetarian dish called Briam and the similar dish (we’re cooking today) called Tourlou. Toulou is like a ratatouille but not [...]
This past summer in Greece I cemented my affections for pork butt, a particular cut of pork that’s diverse, very forgiving to cook with and it always come out juicy and delicious. The pork butt comes from the front end of the pig (nowhere near its rear), located near the shoulder. It’s not as pretty [...]
Just in case you thought I may still be in Greece, allow me to ensure you I am back on the American side of the Atlantic, here in Toronto, Canada…feels good to be back! I left for Greece on August 2nd and spent 48 days there and traveled using planes, trains, automobiles, vespas, on foot, [...]
I love this garnish as it adds height to a dish, it’s easy to make and you’re damn right they taste good! The key here is to thinly slice the onions and I use my mandoline. Serve with a steak or any other meat & potatoes dish or even a big bowl for friends to [...]
It’s been tough vacationing here in Greece. I go to the beach for two swims a day and on occaision I get bored and go for a walk along the beach. Towards the end of our beach it gets rocky but that’s where I also found rock samphire growing. I first made a potato and [...]
Spetsofai is a Greek dish made of sausages and peppers. Think of it as a Greek stir-fry, a one pan dish.The first time I tried Spetsofai was in the city of Volos. It’s a dish that’s native to the province of Thessaly, which lies between Macedonia and Attiki. Traditionally, this sausage stew is spicy but [...]
