Regional Greek Easter Lamb & Goat Recipes
This dish is made all over Greece, but this particular version, the original of which calls for a wild Cretan chicory called askolimbrous is from Crete. You can use any sweet or even bitter green for this. To find some of the artisinal Greek products you’ll need to make this, visit my online shop here, […]
Cretan Chick Pea Soup with Cod
Although this soup is traditionally made in and around Rethymnon on the feast day of St. Eleftherios, on December 15th, it’s wonderful any time of the year, and especially in cold weather.
Snails in the Skillet with Olive Oil, Vinegar and Rosemary (Hohlioi Boubouristoi)
This is probably the best known snail dish in Crete and a meze par excellence for either wine or tsikouthia (fire water). It is also the only recipe that does not call for blanching the snails before cooking them. There are two stories regarding the provenance of the name: according to some Cretan cooks, it […]
Fish Baked with Okra
Fish baked with okra is a delicious summer dish from Crete.
Cretan Mashed Broad Bean Skordalia
Here’s a great version of the classic Greek garlic dip, skordalia, from Crete, where it is made with broad beans.
Cretan Bean Soup with Orange Zest / Haniotiki Fasolada
There is nothing quite as comforting as Greek fasolada, one of the best-known, if humble, recipes that comes in many regional variations. To find the authentic Greek olive oil that gives this dish its velvety, sating texture, go to my online store here.
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 […]
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 […]