Vine-Leaf Chicken Stuffed with Feta
Most of you are familiar with dolmades, where small packets of rice and aromatics are bundled using grape-vine leaves or “ampelofyla” in Greek. These small morsels may also contain meat or be wrapped with Swiss chard cabbage. The cabbage rolls are also often called “lahano-dolmades”. The use of grape-vine leaves is not limited to just […]
Roast Lamb in Parchment (Αρνί ψητό στη λαδόκολλα)
Oh how many ways to cook a lamb there are. I’m just a Greek guy sharing the many ways. You have braised, boiled, grilled, rotisserie and roast. Then you have your whole lamb, or sections of lamb on the spit, leg of lamb, shoulder, chops, steaks and in this case, the shank. All these recipes […]
Salmon With Artichokes & Potatoes
Here’s a dish that’s “just in time” for Spring. Artichokes are in season, salmon is available all year’ round and the flavours of citrus lick this dish. Some potatoes coated in sweet paprika and some briny capers round out the dish. The oregano has just sprouted and so have the chives. This dish is a […]
Day Trippin’ in Gytheio
Last year during my vacation in Greece, I had the pleasure of seeing, eating and drinking my way through the southern peninsula also known as the Peloponnese. I traveled from Thessaloniki to Athens by train, stayed in the capital for a couple of days and then headed to Leonidio and then way down south to […]
Seafood Cabbage Rolls (Λαχανοντολμάδες-με-Θαλασσινά)
WhenI first scanned over this recipe in a recent issue of Gastronomos, I was smitten with the concept of filling cabbage with seafood. In Greek cuisine, cabbage rolls are usually filled with mince and finished with a creamy Avgolemono (egg/lemon) sauce. This recipe is an obvious take or twist on the Greek classic: shrimp and […]
Thrapsala Gemista (θράψαλα-γεμιστά )
One of the reasons I find fasting for Lent more manageable is because when I choose a recipe (and ultimately share it), it has to be good. Not just good enough for Lent but worthy enough to reproduce throughout the year. You should consider cutting down on your red meat intake and boosting vegetables, fish […]
Lemon Meringue Pie
We (Greeks) are now into Holy Week, “Megali Evdomada” – less than a week until Easter Sunday. Both the Catholic and Greek-Orthodox Easters (as is the case from time to time) fall on the same day this year. It is a very spiritual time for Greeks and it is indeed more significant than Christmas. The […]
Lavraki Sto Fourno (Λαβράκι-στο-φούρνο)
Today is Palm Sunday for Greek-Orthodox Christians and it’s the second of two dates during the Great Lent where fish is allowed to be consumed (the other was March 25th, Annunciation). Many parishes will be hosting banquets with the main course being fish. These banquets are popular as those who have followed the strict fast […]
Fried Whiting With Makalo (Μπακαλιαράκια-τηγανητά-με-μακάλo)
Tomorrow is a double-celebration for Greeks. March 25th is a holiday in Greece where we celebrate Greek Independence Day. The inspiration is drawn from one of the most holy days in the Greek-Orthodox calendar, the Annunciation of the Theotokos. This is the day that Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear a child. […]
Grilled Butterflied European Sea Bass
Each time I go to Greece I have to stop by the “Kourdisto Gouroni” (Wind-up Pig) in the Agia Sophia neighborhood of central Thessaloniki. This eatery has been in operation since the early 1990’s and the feel of the place and the food could be best described as “Greek Bistro”. Lots of beers on tap […]