Kapamas – Lamb In Aromatic Tomato Sauce

Kapama is the name given to many different aromatic meat stews in Greece. This particular recipe is from Evia, and I’ve included two of the island’s major agricultural products, figs and green olives. It’s a great Sunday meal.
Tarta Spanaki – Spinach & Kalamata Olive Tart

This Greek recipe for spinach tart is inspired by the classic Greek spanakopita, except I use puff pastry instead of phyllo, and by the flavor palette of Messinia, where extra virgin olive oil and olives figure prominently. The landscape is almost one continuous olive grove and savory pies are a common treat. Ironically, olives are […]
Protoyiahni – Tomato Chicken Noodle Soup

Is there any recipe more comforting than chicken noodle soup? This Greek recipe for a global classic is rooted in the cooking of Messinia, land of plenty in the southern Peloponnese.
Hoirino me Syka – Pork Braised with Figs

This luscious, rich Greek recipe for pork braised with figs comes from the land of Messinia, where pork is a very important meat because it was the only animal protein locals could savor with impunity during 400 years of Ottoman occupation. Figs grow all over the region and the combination is divine.
Savory Pumpkin-Onion Skillet Pie

In my humble opinion, this is one of the greatest Greek recipes in the entire Aegean! With two basic ingredients, a good frying pan and some manual deftness, you’ll create a simple elegant pumpkin skillet pie that is a paean to the simplicity of the Mediterranean Diet and can stand its own at the fanciest […]
Naxos Potato Salad with Tomatoes and Sardines

Everyone loves a great potato salad, and all the better if it’s a simple Greek recipe from the Aegean islands that calls for plenty of seasonal vegetables, great Greek extra virgin olive oil, and some Mediterranean-Diet friendly, omega-3-rich anchovies or sardines! This Greek salad recipe is from Naxos, the potato-cultivation center of Greece. Enjoy in […]
Kalogeros – Beef Baked with Eggplants & Cheese

A wonderful Greek recipe from the Aegean island of Naxos, Kalogeros, named for a mountain on the island, is a rich combination of eggplants, beef and cheese, the latter both specialties on the island. Naxos is famed for its unique breed of cows and its wonderful cow’s milk cheeses, such as graviera You can substitute […]
Clay-Baked Chick Pea Soup from Sifnos

Chickpeas are a national dish in several Cyclades islands, most significantly, though, in Sifnos. This soup, prepared in unique tapered clay pots that narrow at the mouth, called xespastaria in the local dialect, is the de rigeur Sunday meal. Every family has its own such pot and brings it on Saturday night to the local […]
Kotopoulo me Kythonia – Chicken Braised with Quince

This Greek recipe is one of the great one-pot dishes of the Eastern Mediterranean, and a classic on the island of Chios, the cooking of which was inspired and influenced by the aromatic dishes of the Greeks of Asia Minor, present-day Turkey, almost a stone’s throw from this island’s shores. In Greek cooking, quince is […]
Handmade Makaronia Spartou – Greek Pasta

There is a surprising variety of regional fresh and dried pasta made throughout Greece, with specific shapes and techniques associated with specific places. This Greek recipe for pasta hails from the Greek island of Chios and is called Spartou, after the name for reed in Greek. It is also sometimes herisia, for handmade. This pasta […]