Greek Recipes

A classic Greek pasta dish - Click to Enlarge Image For me, this is one of the classic Greek recipes of my childhood. I cut my first teeth on bowls of the stuff and it remains as one of my all time favourite meals. A simple but satisfying lunch or dinner, this Greek pasta dish is a bona fide gem. Those of you that are familiar with the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding ought to get a chuckle out of this posting. As you will recall from the movie, the father of the bride, Mr. Gus Portokalos (as played by actor Michael Constantine), had a folksy habit of pointing out the Greek etymological origins of common English words. Well then, as Mr. Portokalos might say: According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word macaroni is originally derived from the Greek word makaria ‘food made from barley’ ( μακαρία in Gk., pronounced mah-kah-REE-yah). Barley was an all-purpose grain for the ancients and barley meal was used for a variety of purposes including bread baking and as part of ...

An excellent seasonal eggplant salad - Click to Enlarge Image This posting is all about appreciation. Appreciation for the people who visit this Greek food blog and take the time to comment when they see something they like; appreciation for those who share this blog with their friends, and those who share its contents with the world by Digging , Stumbling , or otherwise adding it to their social networks; appreciation for the many friendships I have made with other bloggers who post about their lives and passions, whether these be Greek food related or not. It continues to be my great pleasure to share my thoughts and Greek recipe selections and reflections with all of you. I am deeply moved and inspired by the encouragement and support you have shown to a perfect stranger who rambles on about Greek cooking and history and the like. Truly, your example typifies the concept of xenia (Greek notion of a guest-host relationship) and I graciously thank each and every one of you for...

The official ancient Olympic doughnut - Click to Enlarge Image The Olympic Hymn Ancient immortal spirit, pure father Of the beautiful, the great and the true, Descend, appear, and emblaze this place With the glory of your own earth and sky. In the race, the grappling, and the toss, Kindle the impulse in all noble contests, Crown with the perennial wreath, And fashion the steely and worthy body. Plains, mountains, and seas glow in your presence Like some great clear porphyrous shrine, And every nation hurries here to your temple In supplication, ancient immortal spirit. - Costis Palamas (1859-1942) Translation from Greek by: S. Sotiropoulos, Canada ©2001 Two thousand seven hundred and eighty four years ago, in 776 B.C., the ancient Olympic Games were born. The very first Games were a simple affair consisting of only one event: a 200 metre footrace known as the ‘ s tadion ’ from which we get the English word ‘stadium’. Over time, th...

My mother-in-law's Greek village recipe - Click to Enlarge Image This timely seasonal Greek recipe incorporating zucchini has many permutations throughout various regions of Greece . This particular version is my mother-in-law’s “village” recipe and makes for an excellent Greek vegetarian appetizer dish. You can serve these fritters with some tzatziki (Greek yogurt garlic sauce) or eat them on their own; either way, they make for some addictive eating; so go easy, it is fried… I used fresh-picked zucchini and mint from our kitchen garden to make this dish. Also, I usually make this recipe using a mixture of peanut oil and Greek olive oil in the frying for the reason outlined in my Feta Fries recipe. Contrary to popular opinion, olive oil is excellent for frying and is used liberally for that purpose throughout Greek cuisine. Its high smoke point (210º C/ 410 º F) is well above the ideal temperature for frying food (180º C/350 ºF), and it retains many of its healthful properti...