Cod Wrapped in Crispy Potatoes
Have you ever reflected on what you used to eat, how you cooked/what you cooked in the past versus the present? What ingredients were you using? Were the ingredients seasonal, were the dishes complex or were they straight-forward and rustic? Have you learned anything new in the kitchen..technique, new garnish or passion for a new […]
Grilled Grouper With Crispy Roast Potatoes
A couple of weeks ago I came upon some grouper that was very fresh but the fish monger would only cut me steaks rather than fillets. Had the fish not been so fresh and had there been a winder selection of fish to choose from, then I would have….skipped…the grouper steaks. I have nothing against […]
Onion Dolmades
These stuffed onions are flavour bombs with a filling of meat, rice and herbs.
Kotopoulo (Chicken) Maskouli
A couple of years ago while vacationing in Greece, I was up in my Dad’s town (Amynteo) and even though I always enjoy going back to visit the region of my ancestors…I’ve grown tired of chasing chickens (think Rocky Balboa). Amynteo is about 90 minutes north-west of Thessaloniki, in the region of Florina. Beside Florina […]
Slow-Roasted Pork Belly
I’ve been using this marinade with pork shoulder for a few years. Resplendent with the aroma of fennel, rosemary and thyme, citrus and a bottom end of smoked paprika and coarse ground peppercorns. Light garlic flavour, coarse sea salt offering just the right amount of seasoning and the natural pork flavours come out in this […]
White Giouvetsi With Chicken
Sometimes, less is more with a dish. When quality ingredients are selected, they should be allowed to shine, without sharing the stage (in this case the plate). I’ve been hankering for home-spun dishes of late…is it the cold? That we’re in January and full-on in the Winter Blues or that’s just the “food space” that […]
Roasted Sea Bass With Potatoes & Fennel
I’ve noticed that I’ve been seeing good quality (very fresh) sea bass and sea bream on the iced displays at local fishmongers. Both the sea bream and sea bass are a Mediterranean fish and as I looked on the side of the Styrofoam boxes that contain these fish packed in ice – they are shipped […]
Pork Tigania With Cabbage & Mushrooms
Today’s dish will transport you to a Greek taverna in the mountains. The sea is never more than three hours away in Greece but mountains are everywhere. I have a cousin in Greece, Stefanos and let’s just say he’s another “Kalofaga” or gourmet. Stefano once told me he loves winter! I find this odd coming […]
Giouvesti With Keftedes
During the holidays (December) most of us were running at a fast clip with work-related parties, dinners with family and friends and the big dinners around Christmas and New Year’s. December was a month to add some extra cheese, use more butter, creams, that extra-thick steak and ask for seconds of rich dessert. A lot […]
Braised Lamb Shanks & Beans
I had a steak earlier this week and it was just okay. I’m not eating as much meat as I used to and certainly less steak. At the same, I am greatly enjoying the tougher cuts of meat, the challenges in the kitchen to make them tender and relishing the triumph of tasting a delicious, […]