Poutinga (Πουτίγκα)
Poutinga is the Greek answer to bread pudding. My take on Poutinga inspired by the Corfu (most common) version. Other versions can be found from Santorini. It used to be that regional dishes of Greece were only to be found in it’s area of origin but in this day & age, word travels fast, distances […]
A Blush Sorbet With Pears, Rosé and Muscat
Here in Greece, trees are planted for their shade as much as they are planted for their fruits. Here at my family’s summer home, we have a pear tree that blocks the late afternoon sun and it also provides us with more than enough pears. Want some pears? Come over….guaranteed to get a full bag! […]
Tonka Bean Creme Caramel
In the summertime, us Greeks try and beat the heat any way possible. Days are spent at the beach, siestas in the middle of the afternoon and cooking when the home has cooled down or minimizing cooking. During the summer in Greece, meals are prepared the evening before or that morning and simply reheated for […]
Lady Fingers (δάχτυλα-κυριών)
You’ve been asked before and you’ll be asked again…”is there anything better tasting than fried dough”? This delicious treat comes from the island of Cyprus. This predominantly Greek-speaking island lies in the easternmost corner of of the Mediterranean Sea (between Turkey and Lebanon) has a cuisine very similar to mainland Greece but it also possesses […]
Grilled Halloumi With a Fig-Ouzo Sauce
The first time I ever tasted Halloumi cheese was when friends of the family (part Cypriot) gave us some. Here in Toronto, we have a good-sized Greek community with approx. 130,000 Greeks living in the area, about fifteen churches, hundreds of associations and federations representing towns & villages from all over Greece and Cyprus and […]
Baklava (Μπακλαβάς)
Finally…a baklava recipe and some background and opinion on this dessert, popular all around the world. The origins of Baklava can be traced to Turkey (which is fine by me) and rather than focus on the differences between Greeks and Turks, I try and focus on the similarities between the two peoples. Relations between the […]
Creme Brulee With Mastic
Cooking, food, menu planning is as much about your culinary upbringing as it is about your instincts. Sometimes I’m wrong about a recipe or new riff on a classic. Thank goodness I’m right most of the time. Case in point was this Creme Brulee with Mastic. Although there are some savory applications for mastic, it […]
Apple Tarte Tatin
Being someone who grew up Greek in Canada, I was taught to celebrate my Greekness without belittling or diminishing anyone else’s culture in the process. My parents came here (Canada) as immigrants and we as Greeks wave our flag but we also enjoy the culture, company and foods of other peoples. Canada is an officially […]
The Cheese Boutique
My blog has been trucking along since the Spring of 2007 and most of you are familiar with my travels to Greece and love of my native cuisine, Greek food. Being a Greek who lives abroad (Diaspora), I feel lucky that my parents chose Canada as the country of choice to start a new life […]
Melomakarona Cheesecake
Here in Toronto, I visit our Greektown (locally known as The Danforth) at least once a month. One of the reasons I head down there is to pick up the monthly edition of Gastronomos (included in Kathermerini). Gastronomos keeps me posted on new developments in Greek cookery and the issue is always good for resurrecting […]