Trahana, an ancient grain product that is made with flour or bulgur and milk, buttermilk, or sometimes vegetable pulp, is one of the oldest foods in the Eastern Mediterranean. I like to call it the world’s first instant soup or first fast food. Its rich, complex, milky flavor is a revelation. To find trahana go […]
Although greens and lentils both play a major role in the Greek vegetarian diet, the combination of the two is unusual in Greece. This is a thick and hearty soup, perfect for a cold winter’s day. Try stirring a little Kalamata olive paste or Greek balsamic into the soup to add depth of flavor. You […]
It’s the shape that sets these lovely pies apart: filled with cheese and coiled, Cretan cooks nicknamed them sarikopita after sariki, the word for turban in Turkish. Petimezi is essentially reduced, clarified grape must. You can find it in Greek and Middle Eastern food shops all over the world. It is, in fact, one of […]
Unlike small, meatball-size chick pea fritters elsewhere in Greece and certainly a distant cry from the Egyptian falafel, the Rhodian version turns calls for big, plump filling patties. They are found, in various renditions, all over the island. Pitaroudia with chick peas are by far the national dish of Rhodes.
Rusks are an ancient food in Greece. Basically they are the twice-baked breads, in various shapes. A dearth of fuel, i.e. wood, made daily, or even weekly, baking almost extravagant in the Greek countryside. These rusks are slowly dehydrated during the second baking, which happens overnight in a wood-burning oven that is not fired up […]
Here’s another unusual use for Greek yogurt–a savory cheesecake made with the ultimate Greek meze, tarama. I created this several years ago, when I was insane enough to open and run a summer restaurant, Villa Thanassi, basically in my backyard on the laid-back, Blue-Zone island of Ikaria. This dish became a signature. I still make […]
Recipes for stuffed onions abound in the traditional Greek kitchen, which prides itself on taking humble ingredients and transforming them into delicious, rustic masterpieces!
All over the Aegean you can find vegetable fritters and they are a great way to make vegetables–everything from wild greens to cauliflower to tomatoes, chickpeas, and more–fun and interesting. Kids love these crispy treats. This particular recipe is from the Cyclades. Tomato fritters are a traditional meze and main course vegetarian dish in Santorini, […]
The best place to taste these stateside is…Pylos restaurant in the East Village, NYC. This dish is one of the most aromatic in the entire Greek kitchen. My kids love it and so will yours! Serve with mashed potatoes, as pictured, or with whole wheat pasta and a green salad.
The best Greek giant beans are from the north, especially from Prespes and Kastoria. When cooked, they are creamy without being mushy, and that’s the way gigantes -giant beans- should be. You can also substitute butter beans for this dish.