Greek Recipes

Like many food bloggers, I am often asked, why do you have a blog? Why do you write about food? Why is it all about Greek food? The simple answer is, when your Greek father in law gives you a dazzling basket of freshly picked, home grown zucchini blossoms – you need to know what to do with them. So much love and hard work goes into home grown produce and I want to be able to treat it with the respect it deserves. My father in law is a passionate gardener. As a boy and young man, he learnt much of his fruit and vegetable growing knowledge from his father, living in the Peloponnese. It’s in his roots. I feel extremely lucky to not only share in the spoils of his garden, but also to be able to absorb his knowledge and passion for growing things. And that really is what my blog is all about. Each day I learn a little more about Greek food and culture – and this is my place to record and share it. There is often so much beauty in simple day to day moments. In my posts, I try to celebrate t...

Rice pilaf dishes are incredibly popular in Greece and come in varied forms. The most simple pilaf is made with homemade stock, olive oil, lemon and herbs such as bay and cinnamon. Special occasion or ceremonial pilaf, such as the Cretan wedding pilaf is cooked in stock made from quality meat and bones. To enhance the taste of the pilaf, fresh butter is also used in generous quantities. My sister in law's mother, who is from Crete, is well known for her amazing pilaf recipe. I am hoping to learn this dish one day soon. Then there are homely pilaf dishes, which feature regularly on our weeknight menu, such as spanakorizo (spinach rice) or prassorizo (leek rice) - and my mother in law's delicious kalamari pilaf. Seafood pilafs are particularly popular in the islands and costal areas of Greece, because it allows the flavour of the spectacular local fish and shellfish, or in this case kalamari to stand out from a fairly simple flavour background. It can also turn a small home-cau...

This post was especially written for Pretty Greek Villas , a site owned by my friends Marie- Louise and Ben. If you are thinking Greece this summer, take a look,for some of the most beautiful villas in the country. Peloponnesian cuisine is influenced by its sea-girt mountainous topography. Olive oil, wine, grains, pulses, herbs, wild greens, fish, goat and sheep meat, cheese and honey have been staples in local pantries for millenia.  Though olive trees do not flourish at its highest altitudes, still one third of the country’s entire production comes from here because of the quality of the soil and the mild climate. In fact, Peloponnesian cuisine could be described as an olive oil cuisine since generous amounts of olive oil (often added towards the end of cooking) are poured over greens, beans, and all sorts of stews.  The Northern Peloponnese cuisine has also been influenced by migrations over its long history and so it comprises elements of both the mainland and the islands,...

There has to be a gazillion recipes for Imam Bayildi (ιμάμ μπαϊλντί). It is one of those shared dishes amongst Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries and it is very popular in Greece – available on most tavern menus in summer. The phrase imam bayildi is Turkish for "the priest fainted". It is believed the amount of olive oil used in the dish when first served to the priest was so abundant, it caused him to faint – olive oil being incredibly expensive at that point in time. Some recipes for Imam Bayildi do call for a very generous quantity of olive oil – but it is really up to you as to how much you want to add. When reading all of the various recipes for imam bayildi, the one common feature was the method for cooking the eggplant. All the recipes I read ensured the eggplant flesh was left intact. The eggplant was either slit to form a pocket to stuff it with the sauce or it was cut in half and the sauce was poured over the eggplant before it was baked. This dish is very s...

This has to be one of my most favourite salads - it's a variation on the traditional Greek beetroot salad, patzarosaláta (παντζάροσαλάτα). In Greece, patzarosaláta, is usually served two ways. The beetroot, along with their greens, are boiled. Once they have cooled, they are sliced and served with a generous dressing of olive oil and wine vinegar. This salad is served alongside a dish of skordalia, feta cheese and bread. Alternatively, the simply cooked beetroot is cut into small cubes and folded through garlic spiked Greek yoghurt - similar too and often served as an alternative for tzatziki - a pretty soft pink version of tzatiki. The greens are also served - this time as a seperate dish on the side, rather than mixed through with the beetroot itself. My variation of this salad combines these two approaches. Instead of being boiled, I roast the beetroot with a little balsamic vinegar to bring out its natural sweetness, along with a pinch of cloves to emphasise its earthiness. Onc...

The grape vine is probably one of the most used plants in Greek home cooking. Nearly every part of the plant is used, except for the roots. In late Spring, the fresh stems and shoots are pickled in a spiced vinegar and used in salads or served on its own as as a meze ( see this link to Kalofagas for a very moving blog post about how Peter's papou made pickled grape vine shoots ). The shoots can also be used to make a rice pilaf and the juice from the unripe grapes (agourida), which is very similar to verjuice, is used in areas of Greece as a citrus alternative in early summer when lemons are not available. There is also grape molasses called (petimezi) - I have a fresh bottle in my store cupboard which I cannot wait to use. Then there is of course Greek wine - not only just for drinking but a classic ingredient used in much Greek cooking - such as kokora krasato, a summer favourite of rooster slow cooked in fresh tomato and wine. Even after pruning, the dry vine cuttings are collec...

As I mentioned in my last post, apricot delights and rum balls have long been a favourite holiday treat in our house, courtesy of my Nana. They are perfect to have on hand in the fridge over the festive season when friends or family drop in - but they are also pretty good at any time of the year, especially as a great way to finish off a meal as a part of a petit four or on a fresh seasonal fruit platter. Apricot, sour cherry & Metaxa delights 2 cups dried Turkish apricots! finely chopped 1/4 cup dried sour cherries, finely chopped (or use dried cranberries that have been soaked in a little lemon juice) 2 and 1/2 cups of dessicated coconut 1/2 - 3/4 cup of condensed milk 3 tablespoons of Metaxa brandy 1 extra cup of dessicated coconut, for rolling 12 cup icing mixture, for rolling Method: 1. Combine condensed milk, 2 and 1/2 cups of coconut, sour cherries, Metaxa and apricots in a bowl and combine well. 2. Take teaspoons of the mixture and roll into walnut sized balls. 3. Mix remai...