Simit Kebab (σημίτ-κεμπάπ)
While I’m not in Greece during the summer, I’m still connected and wired to the homeland via internet, Skype, telephone and satellite radio and television. Few television shows can resist including a cooking segment. I recently caught Greek cookbook author and TV personality, Maria Loi on a weekend show where she prepared a dish called […]
Grouper Poached in Olive Oil With Grape Leaves
One of the most popular and re-occurring ingredients in Greek cuisine has to be the grape leaf. They can be found grown all over Greece and many Greeks will go and pick their own and preserve them for future use throughout the year. I was just a year ago that I went and picked and […]
Pork Chops With a Honey-Mustard Glaze
Today, I’m going to share with you an entire menu that’s cooked on the grill. We’re talking from the protein (pork chops) to the potatoes and even the vegetables (mushrooms) meet the heat. First off are the pork chops. These pork chops are 1/2 inch thick and I left the fat around the outside. You […]
Hilopites With Mushrooms and Mint
Hilopites (pronounced “HEE-lo-Pee-tez”) are a class of pasta that are made in Greece and some families still have their own recipe, many festivals have ladies selling their artisan pasta and other dry noodles and they are definitely available at Greek supermarkets. The most common Hilopites are a small square pasta that are often used in […]
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 […]
Imam Baildi
Imam Baildi are stuffed eggplants. This is a vegetarian dish and it falls into the category of Greek cooking called “ladera” or lathera. Ladera dishes were born out of necessity, peasant families stretching-out food to feed families with what was fresh and what was seasonal. Ladera comes from the Greek word for oil, lathi and […]
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 […]
Spetsofai Skewers (Σπετζοφάι-σε-σουβλάκι)
Regular readers of my blog will know that I like to share dishes from a Greek magazine insert in the daily Kathimerini known as Gastronomos. This magazine comes out each month and it features the month’s seasonal ingredients, introduces new products entering the Greek market and it showcases new artisan and crafted foods made by […]
Rice Salad (Ριζοσαλάτα)
Another month is about to bite the dust, we’re closer to summer, spending more time outdoors, enjoying meals in our backyards, patios and even taking the odd picnic. Today’s dish is a wonderful option if you’re looking for something to bring to a party, potluck or picnic. You can use leftover rice or cook up […]
Bouyiourdi
This dish (Bouyiourdi) comes from Greece’s second largest city and the capital of the province of Macedonia, Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki gets it’s name from Alexander the Great’s half-sister and much like walking in any other part of Greece, one is aware that they are walking on history. Although the city’s main character has always been Greek, […]