Comfort in a Soup Bowl
As I write this, I have just returned from NYC, where the mercury refused to budge above about 20 degrees F. Bone-chillin’ cold. In Greece, it’s winter too, of course, not quite as frigid but still cold enough for soup, my favorite winter food. Despite the winter and the need for warming foods, soup is […]
Metsovone Cheese
Metsovone (mets-oh-VOE-ne), named after the Vlach capital Metsovo, a beautifully preserved, historic mountain town situated at an important impasse in the Pindus Mountains, is one of the most revered cheeses in Greece. It is in the pasta filata family of cheeses. Metsovone is semi-hard and naturally smoked. Although it is one of the specialty regional […]
Kasseri, the Ultimate Greek Table Cheese
Kasseri is one of the best-known Greek cheeses, a table cheese par excellence. Kasseri is semi-hard with a unique, unmistakable flavor and buttery, pleasant texture. It has a mild, mellow, and faintly sweet flavor. It is lightly salty and its texture is dense and pliant. Pale yellow to white in color, it has a subtle, […]
The Country Cooking of Greece
Good food begins in the field. If ever there was a truism that reflects the philosophy and flavors of the Greek country kitchen, that would be it. Filled with an amazing collection of recipes inspired and based on the intimate and personalized handwritten recipe books of men and women from all over the country Diane’s […]
“Ti tha fame simera mama?” – Diane’s TV Show to be Broadcast on Greek TV’s Alpha Channel
After the huge success it has met in Cyprus on Sigma TV, Diane’s show Ti tha fame simera mama? (What’s For Dinner Today, Mom?), produced by Green Olive Films, is going to be broadcast on Greek TV’s Alpha Channel, as of December 15th. The show will air every Saturday and Sunday from the 15th of […]
Avgotaraho/Botargo
Greek Avgotaraho One of the great gourmet treats of Greece is also one of the most ancient: avgotaraho, or botargo, the pressed, salted, sun-dried roe of the gray mullet. It comes in small logs that have been dipped in beeswax. It is a delicacy like caviar, savored sparingly, usually sliced into thin sheaths and served […]
Food icon John Mariani picks The Country Cooking of Greece as Best Cookbook of the year
Praise for The Country Cooking of Greece by American food icon and restaurant guru John Mariani. Diane’s book referred to as 2012’s Best Cookbook and calls it her masterpiece. Check out the article on his personal website.
Quince in the Greek Kitchen
Quince is one of the oldest fruits prominent in the Greek region’s nutritional history. It has had a special place in the country’s sweet tradition since antiquity and has only recently been slightly overlooked by culinary practices. Nowadays it often causes awkwardness among chefs as to what it could be used in other than the […]
Manouri Cheese
One of the loveliest, mildest, most buttery mainland cheeses is the log-shaped Manouri, a alabaster-white, mild, velvety cheese that is served as both a table cheese and a dessert cheese, with honey and fruit. It is very similar to the Italian cheese ricotta salata. It is almost always made with sheep’s milk whey to which […]
A Short History of Spoon Sweets
(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, The Country Cooking of Greece, Chronicle Books, October, 2012) Ancient Greek and Byzantine literature is filled with references to fruits preserved in honey or petimezi—the world’s oldest sweeteners. To this day, eggplant and pumpkin rounds are still put up in grape must syrup, especially in wine-producing regions like Naoussa. The […]
Book Tour & News
COUNTRY COOKING OF GREECEIS OUT AND THE SCHEDULE FOR GLORIOUS GREEK KITCHEN ON IKARIA ISLAND IS AVAILABLE! Check out my adventurous new book The Country Cooking of Greece filled with great recipes enjoyed not only in the rural background they originate from but in many Greek urban and suburban homes! Be sure to order your […]
Haloumi, the Cypriot National Cheese
Haloumi is the national cheese of Cyprus but is also popular in Turkey and the Arab world. Haloumi traditionally is made with sheep’s milk, but nowadays is also produced with a combination of sheep’s and cow’s milk. The cheese has two distinct characteristics: its square or rectangular, relatively flat, folded shape and its strong mint […]