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…
Tag: Greek cooking
Dipping into Autumn – Kolokithosaláta and Pantzarosaláta – Two unusual mezé dips.
So that’s it… it’s officially autumn. It seems to have come around really quickly, and I suppose that’s the result of a disappointing summer season in England. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not complaining – but it is that lack of a good blast of bone-searing heat, that makes the onset of autumn…
Times they are a-changing for tea drinking in Greece
Time was in Greece, that having a cup of tea was a definite signal that your health was in decline. The standard response when asking for tea was, invariably, “What’s the matter with you ?” Tea was solely a beverage for the sick. There was no choice when buying black tea – it was almost…
Friendship and Flowers – Stuffed Courgette Flowers – Anthoús
Yesterday I cooked stuffed courgette flowers – anthóus. Not an easy dish to make in England. It is hard to come by the perfect, golden, courgette blooms – unless you grow your own, or maybe have a tame allotment owner, ready to relieve their prize vegetables of the flowers. The other day, though I…
5th July 2015 – Simple food for complex times…
You will have to excuse me for having been a bit quiet of late. To be honest, I have been uncomfortable prattling on about lovely Greek food when the country is going through such a difficult time. I have really felt that it would be totally frivolous and flippant. I am not going to…
Greek Food Myths No.2 – Lamb is not the only meat. Pork with leeks
It’s a given, of course, that lamb is definitely not the only meat. However, it seems to me that for most Anglo-Saxon food-writers and U.K. supermarkets, all people eat in Greece is lamb. Those of you who follow this blog will remember my hummus-rant – well, this is the next on my list of Greek…
Benaki Museum Eats – Black Eye Beans with Chard
It is probably true to say that eating in museum or gallery cafés is, on the whole, a disappointment. At best, it can be glorified canteen food and at worst, it can be really bad canteen food. Things have improved in recent years, but it is hard to produce fresh, interesting food on that kind…
Seeking Perfection – Keftédes
It is probably impossible to find a tavérna in Greece that doesn’t have a serving of keftédes on the menu. Variations of these tasty, little balls are common across the Balkans, the Middle East and parts of Asia. Wether it’s called a kofta in India, küfte in Azerbaijan or köfte in Turkey, the result is…
Double Dips and Feasts and Festivals
One of the many bonuses of having two cultural backgrounds, is that you have the chance to have ‘double dips’ when it comes to celebrations. So, in our house at Christmas, we have mince pies and melomakárona, and when it comes to stuffing the seasonal fowl, sage and onion gives way to the traditional rice…
The Everyman Dish as Fusion Food – Fasoláda and Co
Every country has a foodstuff that is so popular that it becomes something close to a national dish. I suppose in Britain, or England at least, it would be fish and chips – although I have heard that Chicken Tikka Masala is gaining in the popularity stakes. America has the hamburger, Italy has pasta, Turkey,…
kouzina 