The definite evidence for one of my ‘guilty secrets’ is the piles and piles of cookery books that I seem to have acquired over the years. Some are real ‘workhorses’, referred to for the basics; a quantity of pancake batter or the perfect proportions for a classic vinaigrette. Others are filled with beautiful photography and…
Tag: Greece
Perasma, Kos – Greek cooking from field to plate
When you know a place like the back of your hand their is pleasure in revisiting the familiar – slipping back into the known just like putting on a pair of comfy shoes. It’s easy is to swim at the usual beaches and eat at your favourite restaurants. Then, every once in a while, you…
Sweet Summer Spice – Kaneláda – Cinnamon Cordial
I am currently suffering from a very specific condition. Fortunately, it is not life threatening – I’m sure that. externally I may even appear fit and healthy. Nonetheless, the affliction continues and the cure that I am desperately in need of is a good, strong dose of Greece. In these last, flagging weeks of August has…
Easy food for changing places – Fassolákia Yahní – Green Bean Casserole
There hasn’t been a lot of cooking done in our house since my last post. Obviously, we’ve all been reeling from the massive events in this country but that hasn’t been the reason for the lack of culinary activity. The cause is much more practical and mundane – we’re moving house. After twenty two years of…
A New Greek Delight in London – ‘Hellenic Gourmet and Bakery’
A random Google search whilst visiting London last week had a very positive result. I have to admit that when it comes to making tsoureki – the fabulous Greek version of brioche – I struggle. It’s probably because I am a little impatient – the proving and rising takes forever – or it could be…
The Brightness of an Island Easter – Lambrópites – Easter Pies
Back in the distant days of the mid-1980s, I was fortunate enough to spend a few years living on the Greek island of Kos – one of the Dodecanese group of islands, in the eastern Aegean. It is now known as a major ‘package holiday’ destination, but back then the original character of the island…
Bringing in the New with the Old – New Year 2016
Here in Athens, 2016 has arrived with a long-anticipated blast of wintery weather. All through this autumn, Greece has been basking in bright sunshine and temperatures that would put an English summer to shame. To be honest, you could tell that the Greeks were getting a bit weary of it – longing to get…
A Family Classic – Snitsel or Schnitzel ?
It’s funny how things come around – especially with cooking. I have always found that wherever I go and who ever I am talking to, there is a commonality in food – it’s a great leveller. We all eat the stuff, and amongst most people, there is a real interest in how to prepare it….
Super Food Heroes and Mythical Places
To those of you whose only experience of Greece is on a summer holiday, all I can say is that you are missing a trick or two. Of course, the Greek islands in July or August are without comparison. The familiar picture of sapphire seas under cloudless skies is one cherished by philhellenes and…
11/11/15 – A Corner of a Foreign Field.
Traveling along the Kalamaki – Phaleron stretch of the coastal highway in suburban Athens is a bit of a mixed bag. The traffic at this part is frenetic, but the endless vista of the glistening Aegean sea all along this road is glorious. The beachside is peppered with cafés and bars and since 2004,…
kouzina 