Batzos Saganaki
One of the cornerstones of Greek cuisine has to be it’s cheeses…varied in taste, texture and many offerings coming from all parts of the country. I brought a cheese from Greece is called Batzos – not Batsos (Greek slang for Police/Cop). Batzos come from northern Greece and more specifically from central to western Macedonia (Naoussa […]
Lahmacun Recipe
This past summer in Greece i didn’t get a chance to go to Istanbul but memories from last year are still vivid: people everywhere, a mix of modern and traditional as Istanbul is a city over 20 million that straddles both Europe and Asia, the smells of street vendors hawking their food, the restaurants for […]
Patates Plaki
Some of you may be still salivating at the steak dish I posted just a couple of days ago but the side dish served with the meat is no slouch either and it’s one of family’s favourite during the cold months. Potatoes are big around here and when we agreed to cook-up some steaks for […]
Halvas Farsalon
Most Greeks are named after patron saints (others given ancient Greek names) and each person celebrates their “name day” on the day their namesake (patron saint) died. The saint’s memory is celebrated along with all those named after that particular saint on that particular day. There are name days practically every day in Greece (many […]
Taverna Spiridoula, Lefkada
During the past week I’ve been vacationing on the island of Lefkada, located on the Ionian side of Greece. Lefkada is one of the few islands where a ferry boat is not used to reach it. Mainland Greece can be seen from the east side of the island and the other side faces the west, […]
Estiatorio Volos
Torontonians know and love The Danforth for the string of Greek restaurants, cafés and bakeries that line Danforth Road and spill out on Pape Avenue. Next month the Taste of the Danforth opens up the streets and shop fronts and over a million people pass through Toronto’s Greektown to sample the best of what the […]
Purslane Tzatziki
One person’s weed is another person’ dinner. Purslane grows amok in Greece and the other nations that surround the Mediterranean. This succulent can be found growing in gardens, roadside and yes, even at the farmer’s markets. In Greece, purslane is often made into a salad (or a salad component), stewed or simply added as a […]
Thessaloniki Mustard
One of my favourite condiments is mustard and my affinity has nothing to do with that yellow ballpark stuff most of you are familiar with but it from my first taste of good mustard…in Thessaloniki of all places! My first trip to Greece was in 1974, accompanied by my mother who had not seen her […]
Spatchcock Chicken
This dish instantly takes me back to Thessaloniki (and Greece) – just this past May. I stayed for about a week at my favourite uncle’s place, “Theo Mitso”. My uncle saved his drachmas, built a wonderful new home in the suburbs and surrounded the family with a lawn, gardens, olive and varied fruit trees. In […]
Nea Folia “Η Νέα Φωλιά”
Tucked into one of the narrow roads in the Turkish Consulate neighborhood of Thessaloniki sits “Nea Folia” or “new nest”. Nea Folia is near the intersection of Kassandrou and St. Sophia and then you have to locate its actual location which is at the corner of Aristomenous & Kassandrou. Get to the area and park […]