Broiled Halloumi With Honey, Lemon, Herbs
I was first introduced to Halloumi cheese by Cypriot friends of the family. Rightly so, since Halloumi is an appellation product of Cyprus. There are a lot of pretenders but the real deal comes from Cyprus. Often called the squeaky cheese (it squeaks in your mouth when you chew it), holds up well when grilled, […]
Svinghi
Here in Toronto, we have a large and diverse Greek diaspora, boasting of a Greek population that resettled here from all over Greece. The first time I had Svinghi, they were made and given to me by Kathy Hourdas, a lady from Kalymnos, one of the islands in the Dodecanese. A few years ago, I […]
Naxos Style Tomato Salad
Greece boasts of over 6000 islands but the most well known are the Cyclades, located in the Aegean Sea. Last year I visited Naxos, a large, almost self-sufficient island – they can eat from what they cultivate. Meat, dairy, seafood, vegetables all grown on the island. I had this simple yet delicious salad that celebrates […]
Taramosalata with Crab
What is taramosalata? It’s a dip/appetizer made with a base of fish roe (caviar). Greeks use carp or cod roe, either bread or potato, onion, lemon juice and oil. Modern times has given us many conveniences and the food processor here does its duty. Tarama can be found at Greek specialty shops. White tarama is […]
Chorizo Carbonara
I first tried Carbonara the summer of 1988, in Corfu during my summer vacation in Greece. This pasta dish is made with eggs, lots of black pepper, diced guanciale (or pancetta) and here in Canada, bacon does the trick too! Traditionalists will scream if you add cream (ha-ha) and if you make a Carbonara properly, […]
Fried Whiting aka Bakalarakia
I love fried fish and of my faves are whiting. Whiting belong to the cod family of fish and in Greece they are know as Bakalarakia. They are also called Hake and Italians called them Merluzzo. Here in Toronto, we get our fish from the Canadian Atlantic, so the fish is fresh, wild caught and […]
Buffalo Chicken Wings
Chicken wings used to be the cheapest part of the bird, often used to make stock. Historically, the Chinese were the first to cook chicken wings and in the American South, Afro-Americans were cooking chicken wings before Buffalo Wings became a “thing”. As the story goes, some leftover wings were fried up as a snack […]
How to Cook Bacon
I love bacon. I have with breakfast, in sandwiches, on salads, on burgers, in pastas, on a baked potato. Cooking bacon sounds easy right? I’ve seen people fry it in oil, in the microwave or people just using that pre-cooked bacon. No. When you go out for breakfast or brunch, diners are cooking bacon on […]
Pavlova With Greek Yogurt and Vissino
A few days ago I shared my Pavlova recipe. Here, I’ve combined it with the simple Greek offering of Greek yogurt and Vissino (sour cherry spoon sweet). I served this a couple of years ago when I was guest Chef at a St. Sophia banquet in Los Angeles. It was a big hit and continues […]
Spaghetti With Grouper, Capers, Kalamata Olives
This dish takes me back to a visit I took to the island of Santorini. A beautiful island of steep cliffs, villages dotted atop of these cliffs and the blue Aegean sea below. The island also boasts of many excellent tavernas serving local specialties, lamb and many fish and seafood dishes. One dish that stood […]