Category: Main Ingredient

Shrimp Saganaki with Ouzo and Feta

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

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

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 […]

Soup with Trahana / Trahanosoupa

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 […]

Sarikopites (Cretan “Turban” Pies)

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 […]

Barley Rusks, Tomatoes, Apples, and Mint (Dakos salad)

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 […]

Tarama and Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Mint-Flavored Olive Oil

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 […]

Onions Stuffed with Ground Meat / Kelemia

Recipes for stuffed onions abound in the traditional Greek kitchen, which prides itself on taking humble ingredients and transforming them into delicious, rustic masterpieces!

Meatball Sausages Smyrna Style / Soutzoukakia Smyrneika

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.

Spicy Cabbage and Rice Pilaf / Lahanorizo Thrakiotiko

Try this spiced cabbage pilaf from N. Greece for your Thanksgiving table. Great for vegans and vegetarians, even as a main course!