In Greek: μελιτζανοσαλάτα με καρύδια, pronounced meh-leed-zah-no-sah-LAH-tah meh kah-REETH-yah The combination of the walnuts and a little more vinegar than in other recipes for this fabulous dip give it a nice tart taste that goes wonderfully with wedges of pita bread, raw veggies, and salty cheeses. Ingredients: 4 1/2 pounds of large dark eggplant 3 […]

In Greek: μελιτζανοσαλάτα, pronounced meh-leed-zah-no-sah-LAH-tah If you are a devoted fan of the traditional, cook the eggplant over a wood fire – or add wood chips to a charcoal grill and cook it for that deep, smoky taste. This version is easier and delivers a tasty result, and includes chopped tomatoes. Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: […]

In Greek: μελιτζανοσαλάτα, pronounced meh-leed-zah-no-sah-LAH-tah I have friends who try to save time and make this in a blender or with a hand mixer, but it’s very easy as is and gives a much more authentic texture and taste when mixed by hand. The key to a great tasting result is a well-charred eggplant. If […]

These dips are considered the four traditional Greek classics. The recipes are simple – easy to make, with few ingredients – and belong in the recipe box of every Greek food lover. Serve them as appetizers, mezethes, condiments, or in creative ways devised in your kitchen. Melitzanosalata – Eggplant dip Skordalia – Garlic sauce or […]

Definition: In Greek: μεζέ, plural μεζέδες (mezethes, pronounced meh-ZEH-thes) A word with its roots in antiquity, the word and usage came to Greece from Turkey. A meze is not a meal course like an appetizer (although meze dishes can be served as appetizers), but rather a dish, hot or cold, spicy or savory, often salty, […]

STRADIA Makes 4 to 6 servings This is an “urban” summer dish in Lefkada, savored in its capital. It calls for the grey mullet, which spawn at the end of summer. The female, called bafa, is swollen with eggs, and the male is at the height of his sperm production—details, granted, that are difficult to appreciate out of context. The […]

Stuffed Little Meatballs POLPETES APO TIN KERKYRA Makes about 24 meatballs What the rest of Greece knows as keftedes or by the diminutive, keftedakia, Seven Islanders call polpetes, delicate little meatballs. In the Ionian area these days they are apt to be the mint-doused rendition common throughout all of Greece. This particular recipe, borrowed from Ninetta Laskari’s excellent book on Corfu, […]

SKARTSOTSETTA Here’s a dish that some claim was the invention of Zakynthian and Corfiote taverna owners, but others, more wisely, point to Venice as the source of its provenance. (Skartsotsetta—at least etymologically— probably derives from the Italian scartocetti for “packets” because of the way the thinly sliced veal isstuffed, rolled, and braised.) Regardless of its origins, the dish has evolved to […]

Arbaroriza (Pelargonium graveolens), called kiouli in Cyprus,  is one of my favourite plants and it is so common in Greece  and Cyprus that you will surely find one in most gardens or balconies,  planted in pots or directly in the garden. Scented geraniums belong to the Geraniaceae family but they should not be confused with […]

Ingredients: 15 bergamot oranges 2 kilos of sugar Juice of 2 lemons 3 cups of water 2-3 leaves of sweet- Arbaroriza – Kiouli – Scented pelargonium (optional) Juice of 1/2 a lemon for the finish Spoon Sweets Method: Wash the bergamot well, and dry with a towel. Grate the peel with a fine grater without reaching […]