Roasted Beets With Almond-Potato Skordalia
This dish is a play on a Greek favourite – roasted beet salad with lots of garlic. This is a side dish enjoyed my many and more creative types have even come up with doing a mash-up (pun intended) of a beet skordalia. Inspired by a dish from the Kokkari cookbook and restaurant in San […]
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 […]
Sauerkraut With Sausages, Pork & Caraway
Last Sunday I completed my journey into the world of ancient Greek cuisine by present the flavours and some of the ingredients that were enjoyed at that time. Some ingredients like olives, olive oil, grapes, wine, honey, grains are still present, other ingredients like eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes are more recent additions to the […]
Spaghetti With Shrimp, Lemon & Saffron
You know what’s in season in Greece right now? Big, fat juicy lemons! Last year when I traveled to Nafplio (Peloponnese) I recall seeing groves and groves of lemon trees lining the roads. It was August so they all looked like limes but I was imagining myself stopping at the side of the road and […]
Bougatsa With Kima (Meat)
My family traditionally makes a Meat Pie (Kreatopita) in a rectangular or round baking tray (tapsi) but in Greece many will also have a Bougatsa with kima (meat) from their neighborhood Bougatsa shop. As I related in my previous post, Bougatsa is phyllo pie that can contain a sweet custard, savory cheese or meat filling […]
Meatless Moussaka
Ahhh Moussaka, a dish food historians can’t agree upon who it belongs to or food critics argue about who makes the best one. I can assure you Greeks love Moussaka and our version is usually made with alternating slices of eggplant, meat sauce and topped with a Bechamel sauce. Probably an equal amount of Greek […]
Cauliflower Stifado With Kale & Kalamata Olives
You’ve indulged in rich foods over the holidays, perhaps some decadence in the diet? I have too! Now that we’re into January it’s time to look to the vast, delicious and healthy vegetarian Greek dishes that we call Ladera or “oiled”. The cornerstone of Greek cookery is seasonal ingredients, quality olive oil and prepared in […]
Roast Pheasant With Mushroom Cream Sauce
Last week I had the good fortune of being given two pheasants, just hunted from southern Ontario’s wilderness. The last time I enjoyed pheasant was over 10 years ago and the pheasant was farm-raised, not wild. Farm-raised game birds, boar, venison will be easier to cook than animals from the wild as the animal’s age […]
Pork & Mushroom Tigania With Katsamaki
The winter time in Greece is all about gathering with friends at someone’s home or at a taverna. Bonus points if the taverna has a fireplace…maybe in the center of the room or tucked in one corner. You’re really lucky if you get a table near the fireplace! My of my favourite wintertime Greek dishes […]
Kozani Style Cabbage Rolls With Tomato & Saffron
The most common and well-known cabbage rolls for Greeks are made with an Avgolemono Sauce. The the rest of the world, most of you are more familiar with cabbage rolls with a tomato sauce. Us Greeks have that in our repetoire too! Today, I introduce you to Kozani Style Cabbage Rolls (lahanodolmades in Greek) with […]