Stuffed Mussels With Rice, Pine Nuts and Sultanas
This meze is inspired by the one of the street foods one finds in the evenings when strolling the Sokaks (streets) of Istanbul. They call these Midye Dolmasi or Mussel Dolmades as the shells are stuffed with rice and mussel meat. The first time I visited Istanbul I would try everything offered by street vendors […]
Everything Mediterranean Cookbook Launch in Toronto and Montreal
This past week saw me celebrating the release of my first cookbook, Everything Mediterranean. The first event was here in Toronto where family, friends and those who lent support were present at the Burroughes Building, who were kind enough to donate the space for my event. Guests were treated to appetizers made from recipes in […]
Everything Mediterranean Cookbook Launch in Montreal!
Come meet me in Montreal on Thursday, November 14th and help celebrate the launch of my first cookbook, Everything Mediterranean. I will have books for sale (sign them) and will also prepare some appetizers from the book and demonstrate a couple of recipes. I am partnering here with Cook and Date and I would like […]
Wasabi Mussels Saganaki
If you’ve visited Thessaloniki and the nearby Halkidiki, you likely will have enjoyed mussels saganaki. This dish is a specialty of the region where mussels are served in two-handles vessel, a wonderful appetizer on all seafood tavernas in the area. The most common versions are a tomato based mussels saganaki with a touch of got […]
Zucchini & Eggplant Stack With Smoked Metsovone Cheese
This recipe riffs of one of favourite Greek appetizers, fried zucchini chips. Tavernas all over Greece serve this easy but delicious dish in the summer months, when zucchini are in season. They are often served with Tzatziki. Another fave, although not as common are fried eggplant chips. I like combining both to make for a […]
Pickled Octopus
Sometimes I have some leftover octopus or there’s always the octopus heads. Every bit as delicious as the tentacles but not as nice of presentation. No worries, you can use those leftover heads to make this classic Greek meze – pickled octopus. This meze keeps for awhile in the fridge and if surprise guests arise, […]
Tapas Night at Uxbridge’s Urban Pantry
North-east of the city, in Durham region is the quaint old town of Uxbridge, proud to remain a traditional town that’s close to Toronto yet far away. Smack in the middle of town is Urban Pantry, a relatively new restaurant owned and operated by restaurateur and friend, Niki Pagidas. Urban Pantry prides itself on sourcing […]
Greek Salad on a Stick
I recently had the pleasure of catering an evening of Greek & Mediterranean nibbles on the occasion of a client’s 50 birthday. I was instructed to make appetizers, perfect for people who want to stand and mingle or sit and chat. The challenge with a small bite menu is that there are usually twice the […]
Cuttlefish Lemonato
Cuttlefish Lemonato (serves 4 as a meze plate) 1 kg. of baby cuttlefish, gutted and cleaned, patted dry 1 medium onion, sliced the tops of 2 scallions, chopped 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1/3 cup olive oil water salt and pepper to taste dried Greek oregano juice of half a lemon Place your skillet over […]
Bulghur Salad With Nuts, Honey, Cheese, Pomegranate
I made this salad this past Sunday for guests who attended my Ancient Greek Food & Wine dinner. The main ingredient here is bulghur wheat, an ancient ingredient made of cracked durum wheat, parboiled and then dried. It gets sifted and then separated according to the size of the kernels. It’s a whole grain, super-healthy […]