WHY LEMON ZEST? Lemon zest is one of my secret go-to ingredients when I want to perk up the flavor of otherwise mild or subtle dishes. Can you think of another vegetable as mild as zucchini?! Lemon is, in fact, as crucial a flavor enhancer as salt and works pretty much the same way on […]
ABOUT GREEK SAFFRON: It’s called Krokos Kozanis and it is cultivated in the northern Greek area of Kozani. Greek saffron has been known for its aromatic and therapeutic values since prehistoric times, evinced one of Greece’s most famous archeological finds, the famous fresco of the saffron harvester unearthed at Akrotyri on Santorini. Greeks use saffron […]
BLACK BEANS IN BAKING: Yes, you can really use black (and many other) beans in baking! The texture offered up by using black beans is rich and dense, perfect for a brownie. What’s more, you gain a lot of great nutrition: fiber, protein, and potassium to name three nutritional components of black beans that regular […]
WHAT IS GRAVIERA CHEESE? The term Graviera is used for many natural rind hard cheeses and is derived from the Swiss Gruyere, a cow’s milk cheese, which they resemble only in name. There are three Protected Designation of Origin Greek Gravieras: Agrafon, Kritis and Naxou. Graviera Agrafon, made on the Agrafa mountains of Central Greece, […]
HOW TO REMOVE WAX FROM LEMONS AND LIMES Many lemons and limes are coated with wax to keep their skin shiny and bright. The wax is considered safe to eat but it’s not so tasty when you zest them! It’s easy enough to remove the wax: Place the lemons or limes in a single layer […]
SHIITAKES AND WHY THEY’RE GOOD FOR US Shiitakes, a brown-capped mushroom with thin stems, grow to between two and four inches tall. In recent years, they have been cultivated in Greece and some local (Ikarian) mushroom connoisseurs say that they’ve seen them grow wild on the island. I have not been able to confirm that. […]
ABOUT WATERMELON RADISHES They’re not watermelons! That’s the first thing to know about this newly popular vegetable that resembles a watermelon in that its flesh is bright pink. It’s a relative of the daikon radish and despite its very low calorie count, it’s got plenty of nutritional benefits. Watermelon radishes are high in calcium, potassium […]