In Greece, during the months of April and May, grapevines start sprouting shoots, tendrils and new leaves rapidly like many plants do in springtime. Unless you want your vine to…
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Yanna’s Arni me Stamnagathi / Αρνί με Σταμναγκάθι (Cretan Lamb with Wild Spiny Chicory and Lemon Sauce)
Stamnagathi can be consumed either raw in a salad, boiled and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice, or cooked together with meat. My friend Yanna, whom hails from…
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Fava / Φάβα (Greek Yellow Split Pea Dip)
Traditional Greek fava dip is made with yellow split peas and not with beans as the name might imply. To make fava, yellow split peas are cooked until they fall…
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Glyko tou Koutaliou Portokali / Γλυκό του Κουταλιού Πορτοκάλι (Greek Orange Spoon Sweet)
Glyko tou koutaliou, or Greek spoon sweets (literally, ‘sweet of the spoon’) are a traditional preserve that’s commonly served as a sweet snack or dessert to houseguests and costumers at…
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Crayfish with Ouzo, Tomato, Fennel and Lemon (Crawfish)
Crayfish, crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies. No matter what you call them, these freshwater crustaceans are a real treat! While these river-dwelling creatures may be quite common in Northern America and Northern…
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Mrs Julia’s Kolokithopita me Trahana / Κολοκυθόπιτα με Τραχανά της κα Ιουλίας (Greek Crustless Zucchini and Trahana Pie)
This crustless pita here is what my boyfriend’s mother – the mrs Julia from the title – calls ‘moutzopita’ (Μουτζόπιτα)*, or ‘trachanokseskoufoti’ (Τραχανοξεσκούφωτη), but I suppose you could simply refer…
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Agretti (Salsola Soda) with Mussels
I agree that this Mediterranean vegetable, with its slightly sour and briny flavours and pleasant crunch, doesn’t need much and is best when shortly boiled and sprinkled with nothing but…
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Psarokeftedes me Salaxi/ Ψαροκεφτέδες με Σαλάχι (Greek Skate / Ray Fish Fritters)
These deep-fried skate fritters are deliciously golden and crispy on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside while the simple yoghurt, lemon and mint dip on the side…
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Mushroom Magiritsa / Μαγειρίτσα με Μανίταρια (Vegan/Plant-Based Greek Easter Soup)
This soup, or stew is traditionally made with offal removed from the whole roasted lamb that is commonly served on Easter day, which makes this one of those dishes that…
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Skordalia me Karidia / Σκορδαλιά με Καρύδια (Greek Garlic Dip with Walnuts)
Skordalia is a Greek dip that is usually made with lots of garlic, olive oil and either mashed potato, or bread. You can already find a recipe for a simple…
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Pasta with Cuttlefish in Tomato Sauce
While it has less ingredients than my other cuttlefish and pasta recipe, and while it also needs less time on the stove, this tomato-y pasta is still full of that…
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Spaghetti with Whiskey Cream Sauce and Bottarga
This spaghetti with whiskey cream sauce and bottarga combines both the comfort of carbs and cream with the luxury of whiskey (or bourbon) and brightly coloured, briny bottarga or avgotaraho…
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Salatοuri / Σαλατούρι (Greek Skate or Ray Fish Salad)
Salatouri is a Greek meze, or salad with boiled and flaked ray, or skate fillet (σαλαχι), red onions, parsley, lemon and olive oil. Some like to add fresh dill, capers,…
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Lahanodolmades tis Tebelas / Λαχανοντολμάδες της Τεμπέλας (Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls for Lazy people / Cabbage Pie)
While I would make the little individual lahanodolmades for a special occasion, on regular days I prefer this ‘lahanodolmades for lazy people’ recipe, which uses the same ingredients you’d use…
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Atherina Tiganiti / Αθερίνα Τηγανητή (Greek Fried Smelt / Whitebait)
Atherina, or Mediterranean sand smelt are a species of small fish that can be found in the Mediterranean Sea. In Greece, these small fish are usually battered in a light…
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Reggosalata / Ρεγγοσαλάτα (Greek Smoked Herring Roe Dip)
My recipe here is not so different from the one for my taramosalata that I’ve already got on this site; the amount of roe, onion and olive oil are basically…
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Hohlioi (Saligkaria) Kokkinisto me Rizi / Χοχλιοί (Σαλιγκάρια) Κοκκινιστοί με Ρύζι (Greek Snails with Red Sauce and Rice)
In order to turn snails into a full main course, a couple of handfuls of rice can be stirred into the sauce to create a kind of Greek snail risotto…
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Soupia Toursi / Σουπιά Τουρσί (Greek Pickled Cuttlefish Meze)
In Greece, if you are lucky, you will be served pickled seafood such as marinated anchovies (gavros marinatos/γαυρος μαρινάτος) and slices of pickled octopus as a meze (drink snack) with…
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Kalamarakia Tiganita (Extra-Tragana) / Καλαμαράκια Τηγανητά (έξτρα-Τραγανά) (Extra Crunchy Fried Calamari)
My recipe for fried calamari here guarantees you end up with a batch of kalamarakia that are extra crunchy on the outside (using a mixture of bread flour and coarse…
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How to Brine and Marinate Olives
It’s nearly the end of November, which means that for the past few weeks many Greeks have been busy harvesting olives to make their treasured, delicious golden extra virgin olive…
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Sardeles ston Fourno / Σαρδέλες στον Φούρνο (Greek Oven-Baked Sardines)
In my version of ‘sardines from the oven’, the few slices of tomato and onion are a great accompaniment to the fatty fish without overpowering the entire dish too much…
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Greek Grilled Octopus
If you miss your summer holidays on the Greek islands as much as I do, this Greek style grilled octopus will transport you straight back to that quaint little tavern…
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Greek Cuttlefish and Spinach Stew/ Σουπιές με Σπανάκι
This classic dish is enjoyed all over Greece, since fresh cuttlefish is relatively easy to find at fishmongers all over the country. The recipe is easy, basically foolproof and you…
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Magiritsa / Μαγειρίτσα (Greek Lamb Pluck Soup for Easter)
Magiritsa is a traditional Greek lamb soup that is usually prepared on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter Sunday) and consumed immediately after the midnight Divine Liturgy. The dish is…
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