FOR YOUR COOKBOOK
This past summer in Greece, we had dinner at a modern and gourmet restaurant, known for its nouvelle cuisine. The selection included real gastronomic delights, but there was also a whole page on the menu devoted to dishes and desserts popular when the Athenian upper class of the 60’s was entertaining, otherwise known as “Athenian Recipes”*. These were mostly European classics prepared with… Continue Reading
Chocolate Mosaic is a classic “easy-to-make-at-home” dessert that has been prepared in many parts of Europe for generations. It’s actually so old, that my grandmother Irene was still using blocks of ice to keep this dessert (and other food, too) cold, back when refrigerators had barely made their appearance and ice was still delivered in every home on a daily… Continue Reading
A bowl of soup is always a good idea! For years, we’ve been enjoying this pumpkin soup at my mother’s, usually during the holiday festive gatherings. Since the time we’ve been away from Greece, I’ve been preparing it myself, at least twice during the cold months. This year, however, I decided to add an ingredient that… Continue Reading
There was a time way before the internet when recipes were exchanged on paper. That’s exactly how I got the recipe for these chocolate cookies; a colleague had brought into the office an American cookbook (and that was not very common in Greece in the early 90s!) and I photocopied a couple of recipes, including… Continue Reading
Who would imagine that only a couple of tablespoons of a sweet liqueur would transform an everyday, traditional Greek recipe into an exquisite and fine tasting dish. Beef cooked into tomato sauce is a very popular meal in Greece, called “Kokkinisto” (meaning that it is cooked in red sauce) and is served in all traditional taverns and… Continue Reading
A hotel we stayed in for some days last summer served a few Italian dishes. One night, I ordered a mushroom risotto and did not have more than a couple of bites before the rest of my family plunged into the dish and scarfed it down in no time. We all agreed that the risotto was delicious and it… Continue Reading
If you haven’t roasted a whole chicken with the “butterfly and flatten” techniques before, consider doing so for these simple and absolutely mouthwatering reasons: 1) by opening up the chicken, all of its parts are exposed on the upper side while roasting and therefore all of the chicken’s skin stays crisp. 2) a flattened chicken will roast more evenly because all of its parts… Continue Reading
Now that Greek yogurt is found in almost every grocery store in the United States, and seems to be all the talk, it’s time I share another of my mom’s delicious recipes! Skinless and boneless chicken thighs, kept moist and delicious thanks to a thick layer of tangy Greek Yogurt covered with golden bread crumbs. I often like to add to… Continue Reading
I always bring back from Greece a jar or two of my favorite ready-to-use chicken seasoning (see here for all the Greek “treasures” that I brought back home this last summer), but I often run out of it before the next trip. So before my precious jar is empty again, I decided to measure and mix all… Continue Reading
Crème Caramel has been in every single cookbook for generations, but it falls into that category of desserts that we tend to forget about! So, take out your own recipe or follow mine, because it’s time we made this classic dessert! I happen to think my mom’s recipe is the best of all. Every time I prepare it, everyone is delighted.… Continue Reading