Olive Oil Nut-and-Spice Cookies / Melomakarona me Elaiolado

These cookies are a Greek Christmas specialty, but they are great with your morning coffee every day of the year, too. These cookies are a Greek Christmas specialty, but they are great with your morning coffee every day of the year, too.

Fricasse of Fish and Greens

Fish with greens and avgolemono sauce

This subtle, tangy Greek fish dish is an underappreciated classic, even in Greece. It’s traditionally made with the thin-stalked dark green celery that Greeks call “selino” but which Americans might know as Chinese celery. You cal also make this with leafy greens, such as chard. To lend a truly authentic flavor to this luscious fish […]

Shrimp Saganaki with Ouzo and Feta

Shrimp, Olive Oil, Ouzo, Feta, Herbs

I can honestly say I’ve nevermet a soul who didn’t love this Greek taverna classic. It’s super easy to make at home, too. Look for the olive oil, tomatoes and herbs used to make it on my online store here.

Octopus Baked in Paper / Htapodi Yioulbasi

Octopus Baked in Paper

I first encountered this delicious, succulent octopus recipe inland in the Peloponnese, near Mantineia, one of the great wine-producing regions of Greece. Baking octopus in paper helps retain all its juices and also makes for a dramatic presentation. Try it with an aromatic Moschofilero wine from the same region.

Octopus Cooked with Fennel, Orange and Green Olives

Braised octopus with caramelized leeks, oranges, mixed olives

4 servings as a main course1 large red onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped ½ cup/120 ml olive oil, or slightly more if desired 1 medium-size octopus (2-2 ½ pounds/1 -1.35 kilos) ½ cup ouzo 1 cup chopped plum tomatoes, or 1 can Greek whole Santorini tomatoes in their juices ½ cup fresh chopped fennel […]

Fish Tales: How to Know if it’s Fresh

Red Mullets and Capers make this a specialty of the Cyclades, in the Aegean.

It’s not by accident that literature is filled with references to the tricks unethical fishmongers will play. From the ancient comedy writers to Athenaeus to Shakespeare, the fishmonger is derided for everything from spraying fish with water to make it look fresh to overcharging for his goods. Not much has changed today.  So how, exactly […]

Beyond Extra-Virgin: Greek Olive Oil and the Super Premium Trend

The time is ripe for rethinking the positioning of one of our most traditional foodstuffs, olive oil, on the global market. That market, no doubt, will change dramatically over the next decade, as consumers become more savvy and knowledgeable about specific regional oils and as a group of high-end producers across Europe is hoping to […]

Meze Basics

All over the Mediterranean, small, savory plates of food enjoyed in a convivial atmosphere make for one of the region’s basic dining experiences. Known widely now as tapas, antipasto, merende, even hors d’oeuvres, these tidbits comprise a whole pan-Mediterranean culture: that of sharing food and drink with friends in an unrushed, unharried environment. In Greece […]

A Guide to Greek Table Olives

A Guide to Greek Table Olives

Most consumers recognize Greek table olives either by their place names (Kalamata, Atalanti, Amphissa, Halkidiki, etc.) or by their curing and processing (cracked, split, salt-cured, brine-cured, etc.) While there are dozens of “different” kinds of olives, only three main varieties are commercially important as table olives. The confusion starts here—these few types of olives just […]

Olives in Greek Cooking

Greeks say “I ate bread and olives with him,” to denote an act of friendship. The olive branch is the universal symbol of peace. Like no other fruit, the olive is responsible for shaping an entire civilization. Its history is long and illustrious, and the legends surrounding it are rich and splendid. Mostly, though, literature […]

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