Leonidio, Tsakones and Eggplant
This past summer in Greece was full of many firsts: met new friends, tried some new dishes, new wines, visited parts of Greece for the very first time. One such place was Leonidio. Leonidio is the town centered the region of Tsakonia, a major part of the the coastal area of the Prefecture of Arcadia. […]
Michael Psilakis’ Pork Sofrito
Last week I was given an advance copy of New York Chef Michael Psilakis’ first cookbook, “How to Roast a Lamb”. It turns out my copy wasn’t so advanced. Yesterday, I popped into Toronto’s “World’s Largest Book Store” and there it was! For those not familiar with Michael Psilakis, here’s a recap: Michael is a […]
Athens: History, Culture and Lobster
How can one summarize the city of Athens in a blog post? That would be a fool’s game. Athens is the capital of Greece, practically in the center of the mainland, the economic and government hub of the country and home to half of Greece’s population. For those who have traveled to Greece, you will […]
Anogeia Lamb With Macaronia
This dish is inspired by a recipe I’ve seen in a few Greek cookbooks and the recipe involves lamb (or goat), boiling the pasta in meat stock and the result is a meal that tastes way more complex than the ingredient list would lead you to believe. The village of Anogeia is located over 700 […]
Kampanoules With Mushrooms and Amaranth
Always, always, always…the best sauces for pasta are in the time it takes to boil them. This instance was no different. I decided to use “kampanoules” (καμπανοÏλες) or little bells and I paired them with mushrooms and some amamaranth. Us Greeks eat alot of amaranth and we call them vlita. Amaranth can be picked in […]
Greek Macaroni & Cheese
Toronto is experiencing one the coolest summers and definitely a wet one with a couple of rainfalls a day. The thermometer has breached 30 Celsius a mere three times. Toronto has also seen some labour unrest with some summer strikes (major one being a strike by the city’s garbage collectors). Me thinks summer is on […]
Grilled Octopus (xταπόδι-σχάρας)
One of the reasons I started this blog is because I noticed a disjoint from the notion people have of Greek food here in Canada and the United States and what is actually eaten in Greek homes or served if you were to go to a Greek estiatorio (restaurant) or taverna (tavern). This gap is […]
Spaghetti With Tomato and Basil
Of all the Italian dishes that one could (and can love), for me there is a no equal to the quick, delicious and simple Spaghetti with tomato sauce and basil. Living in Canada, we are blessed to be living in a harmonious and multicultural country that is Canada. Here in Toronto, we boast of having […]
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 […]