Greek Lent (Sarakosti) Recipe Round-up
As a convenience to the many readers of this blog, I’ve amassed all the Lenten (and Lent-friendly) dishes that I have posted thus far. Most of the dishes are Greek and appropriate for Lent and some are foreign but due to their ingredients, they fit in nicely with the Greek Lent in which us Greeks […]
Greek Coffee & Chocolate Pot de Cremes
This simple but decadent dessert is a play on a French one called “pot de creme”, meaning pot of custard. It’s an easy dessert that needs a little attention when straining the coffee grounds from the cream and once again care is needed when tempering the hot cream into the egg/sugar mixture. Otherwise, it’s an […]
Puff Pastry Twists With Black Olive Paste
Here’s a quick and easy appetizer you can prepare with just three ingredients….puff pastry, olive paste and the eggwash for finishing. I served these at last week’s Greek Supper Club and for something that contained so few ingredients…they had a complex taste, definite umami factor from the olive paste. Puff pastry comes in two forms…a […]
Recap of Greek Supper Club With Pavlo
This past Thursday, I had the pleasure of hosting a Greek Supper Club with the international recording artist, Pavlo. Born and raised here in Toronto, this dinner was a way for friends and fans to get together over dinner on the eve of his concert. Sandra (Pavlo’s wife) handed out authographed CD’s, Pavlo signed them […]
Perfect Rack of Lamb With Greek Chimichurri
My favourite way to enjoy lamb chops is to grill them but a close second is using this method, where I roast Frenched racks of lamb in a high heat oven. I’ve done racks of lamb at home and I’ve served over 50 people at my Greek Supper Clubs…same, consistent result – deep brown roasted […]
Sofia’s Kotopita (Chicken Pie)
Happy New Year everyone! This is the first post of 2011 and it’s a dish that takes me back to Thessaloniki, perhaps it will trigger some of your memories? I first had a Kotopita (chicken pie) at a taverna in Thessaloniki, in the Agia Sophia area in fact. A Kotopita is made of filling of […]
Phyllo Cigars With Bougatsa Cream
If you’ve visited Greece, you may have tried Bougatsa – a pastry that contains sweet or savory filling and wrapped like an envelope with phyllo pastry opened in the air by hand. The most popular Bougatsa has to be with “Crema”…a semolina based custard. The most common way to have it served is to have […]
Recap of Meze Night at Kefi Lounge
This past Thursday Kefi Lounge on the Danforth was the locale of my latest Greek Supper Club. The evening’s menu consisted entirely of Greek meze (appetizers) and all the dishes will be paired with wine and beverages from Kolonaki Group. All the dishes were made using Cretan olive oil from Nisos Importing. I would like […]
Beet and Ouzo Cured Salmon
Earlier in when I began a food blog, one of favourite preparations was curing salmon in Ouzo – a play on Gravlax, a Scandinavian specialty. This salmon recipe is similar but this time grated beets are added, giving the salmon a brilliant red colour with just the center remaining its natural orange colour. The grated […]
Phyllo Pastry Workshop
Can you think of a more delicious way to spend a holiday than in a Greek kitchen? In this hands-on, full-day workshop, Greek food enthusiast, talented cook and cookbook author Peter Minaki will walk you through a variety of authentic Greek specialities, from starters to mains, sides and desserts. The class will cover techniques such […]