Greek Recipes

      Yellow split peas or fava, as we call them in Greece, are cultivated in many regions of the country where different microclimates give them completely different tastes. Santorini , apart from being one of the most beautiful islands, is the place of origin of the best quality fava beans produced in our country. The volcanic soil and the unique dry climate give to the beans an exquisite taste but the limited production makes it difficult to find them outside the island. Very good fava is also produced in the valley of ancient Feneόs here in the Peloponnese.         Fava is usually cooked as a puree and since its taste is quite neutral, caramelized onions, capers or some finely chopped Greek salad on top, can transform it into a gourmet dish.  Serves 2 For the fava puree: 70gr olive oil 1 medium onion chopped 250gr yellow split peas 1,5 litre of water salt and pepper to taste  For the caramelized onions:       ...

      Sometimes I wonder what makes something traditional in cooking. I suspect it is a combination of factors: local ingredients, eating habits  and  sometimes our ability to incorporate into our own tradition methods and ingredients that come from other countries with different cultures or even a  different climate.       This flexibility probably keeps traditions alive within generations and endlessly produces more traditions. A good example is spices. They are now widely used all over the planet in all cuisines. Who can imagine pastry making without vanilla? Such ingredients seem to have been in our kitchens since the day we started cooking our food.       That’s how my grandmother used to make her delicious coconut ravani cake , - without ever wondering what coconut ( καρύδα in Greek ) had to do with Greece. We usually make this light dessert when the weather gets warmer because it smells like summer and it’s the ve...

       My father liked hunting with my uncles on the winter weekends when hunting was permitted; so we often had wild rabbits and birds for special meals at home.       The most common and delicious way to cook game in Greece is   stifảdo  (στιφάδο) . This is a meat stew with baby onions. Since most people, including myself; don’t  like hunting,  stifảdo can also made with beef, rabbit or any kind of poultry hunted down at your local butchers       Baby onions keep their shape during cooking making for a nice presentation and giving  a sweet taste to this dish. Adding a teaspoon of tomato paste gives a warm rich color to the sauce. Serves 4 4 chicken legs (or any other part) 1 onion chopped ½ cup olive or vegetable oil for frying (110gr) 28 baby onions ½ cup of olive oil for cooking (110gr) 1tsp tomato paste 1.5 litres water 6 cloves 1 bay leaf 1 garlic clove 1Tsp vinegar  salt and pepper to taste ...

     Legumes are an important part of the Greek diet. Lentils ( fakẻs in Greek) are usually cooked as a soup with carrots and garlic and are traditionally served with a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar.      I remember lentil soup was a Tuesday dish in my home and, as you know, kids don’t usually like legumes. So my grandmother would make omelet for me with my mother hesitating to agree, - thinking  that I would become spoiled. So I was almost ten years old when I first tasted my mother’s lentil soup. We were on summer vacation with my cousins who loved lentil soup and they convinced me to try it. Since that day I have never argued about this dish. Actually I really like lentils a lot, so why don’t you try them for yourself? Serves 4 500gr brown lentils ½ cup olive oil 1 large onion chopped 1 carrot grated or cut in cubes 1 bay leaf or some fresh dill 2 garlic cloves 1 ½ litre water salt and pepper to taste      Place the lentils in a...

           This year, Greek Orthodox Easter is on Sunday April 15, a week after the Catholic Easter.            During the “ Holy Week" preceeding Easter, my grandmother would make the Easter cookies and sweetbreads. You can imagine the aromas of vanilla, butter, orange zest, and mastic, spreading all over the house and my anticipation to taste everything coming out of the oven. Unfortunately, I was forbidden to touch anything until Sunday because dairy products and eggs were not consumed during the “Holy Week”. So I had to watch all these goodies being wrapped in colorful transparent plastic wrap to keep them fresh and pretty, before half of them would be given to friends and relatives for Easter.  This entire “patience test” didn’t serve to make me any more religious!          The sweetbreads my grandmother used to make are called “tsourẻkia” .They were once special Easter sweet breads , but now...

    Artichokes  (aginảres in Greek)  are the most tasty and unique vegetable of Spring. These flower buds can be found fresh only at this time of the year and the list of recipes to cook them is endless.     Globe artichokes are cultivated worldwide but the ‘wild’ variety, although they are smaller and have thorns, have been preferred in Greece since ancient times. They cost double the price of Globe artichokes because of their wonderful taste. Wild artichokes are more difficult to find in the market but in the island of Tinos they are widely cultivated, marinated in olive oil, and sold canned,  -  a great meze.     In Greece we also make a very nice vegetable stew with artichokes, broad beans and peas, all of which are in season at the same time.      Since Easter is getting close, one of our favorite traditional festive dishes is lamb stew with artichokes  ( arnảki me  ...

       Youvarlákia are meatballs made with ground beef, rice, and herbs. They are cooked in stock and then thickened with avgolẻmono sauce. Avgolẻmono is the most characteristic Greek sauce and consists of whole beaten eggs with the addition of lemon juice. This is added carefully to the meatballs just before serving to give taste and a velvety texture to the final dish.        When you have no time to cook two dishes for a meal, Youvarlảkia can be the best choice. It can be served either as a hearty soup in winter or as a main dish anytime, - especially in summer when the weather is hot and soup is not a good choice. We then cook youvarlákia with half the amount of stock in order to end up with a thick sauce. This version of the dish is usually served with fried potatoes. The meatballs Serves 4 500gr ground beef ¼ cup rice  3 Tsps olive oil 1 carrot grated 1 onion chopped 2 Tsps. Chopped parsley or dill (or both) Salt and pepper to tas...