-
6 Classical Music Festivals in Burgenland, Austria
Every year on the New Year’s Day, I enjoy watching the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert, broadcasted live from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein. In 2021, due to the ongoing high rates of COVID-19 infection, the concert took place without an audience, under the baton of the Italian conductor Riccardo Muti. Listening to the beautiful music of Johann Strauss II and other Austrian composers, I learned that, in 2021, the state of Burgenland would celebrate 100 years from when it became part of the Republic of Austria. This beautiful landlocked Alpine country is bordered by a total of eight countries: Germany to the northwest, Czechia (Czech Republic) to the…
-
5 (+1) Books from the Land of the Rising Cat
When I first came across the title of the book ‘Land of the Rising Cat: Japan’s Feline Fascination’, I knew I had to read it. On the one hand, even though I have never been to the land of the rising cat… sorry, the land of the rising sun, I’ve always been fascinated by the Japanese culture and pretty much anything else Japanese (including literature). On the other hand, I have been an ailurophile for as long as I remember… About a year ago, I published the post ‘5 (+1) Japanese novels to read in 2020’, where I recommended some Japanese books I’d read and loved, and also mentioned some…
-
7 reasons to follow the Traveling Psychiatrist
Hello and Happy New Year! As England has recently gone into a third national lockdown, it is a good opportunity to re-visit my post ‘Self-isolation, social distancing and wellbeing’ first published in March 2020, during the first lockdown. At the same time, as this is my first post this year, it is a good opportunity to re-introduce myself and my blog, the Traveling Psychiatrist. Or, rather, I am going to give you 7 reasons to follow the Traveling Psychiatrist in 2021: Tips for Greece & the Greek islands from a Greek Having been born and raised in Greece, I have always loved sharing tips to help people see my home country…
-
Goodbye 2020: End-of-year-reflection
An eventful year, 2020, has come to an end. Over the last few days, I’ve had time to relax a little (which is why I decided not to publish a new post last week), re-connect with my family, and reflect on the year just gone (as well as on the 56 posts I published over the last twelve months). January 2020 5 (+1) Japanese novels to read in 2020 2020 was going to be the year that the Olympic Games would’ve taken place in Japan, a country that has fascinated me since a very young age, but I’m yet to visit. In the last couple of years, I have read…
-
Moussaka: a classic Greek dish
I was born on this day quite a few years ago. For many years, I would celebrate my birthday with my friends and family, either in Thessaloniki, where I was born and raised, or in England, where I’ve lived for the last 12 years. This year, however, a birthday party is simply not an option. I shouldn’t be complaining though; instead, I am spending this special day with my mother, who’s come all the way from Greece to London. To mark the occasion, I’ve baked a classic Greek (albeit not Christmassy) dish: moussaka. Moussaka is perhaps the best-known Greek dish. It is a layered dish, traditionally made with fried sliced…
-
Melomakarona: Greek Christmas honey cookies
It’s this time of the year that Greeks around the world start eating and/or baking melomakarona, aromatic cookies made of flour and olive oil, flavoured with cinnamon, cloves and orange, and dipped in honey syrup. Melomakarona are traditionally eaten around Christmas time; one may say they are the Greek equivalent to the British mince pies. As I’m baking melomakarona this year, I’m reflecting on my baking journey. I first started baking 9 years ago, soon after I started my psychiatry training in Leeds. Inspired by the culinary murder mystery novels I was devouring at the time (i.e. ‘Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder’ by Joanne Fluke), I started baking batches of cookies…
-
Tomato pie with phyllo pastry
Traditional Greek stuffed vegetables (tomatoes and peppers). Baked tomato fritters from Santorini. Spinach and feta cheese pie. Greek semolina halva with orange and honey. These are some of the traditional Greek recipes I’ve recently experimented with. Today, I am using the basic ingredients I used in these recipes to create something different, but as delicious: a tomato pie. For me, the star ingredient in the recipe is -surprise, surprise- the tomato, one of my favourite ingredients and protagonist in my diet. Tomatoes are rich in various antioxidants and the major dietary source of lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.…
-
Greek semolina halva with orange and honey
A few days ago, the Great British Bake Off crowned its 2020 winner. But don’t worry if you are yet to watch the final episode, I’m not going to spoil it for you. I am only going to say that it inspired me to take a break from my savoury bakes and make something sweet this week. Staying true to my roots, I opted for a traditional Greek dessert: halva. The word ‘halva’ (‘halvas’ in Greek) is used to describe two different types of desserts: a semolina-based one and a tahini-based one, which is called ‘Makedonikos halvas’ (Macedonian halva). I made the former. Traditionally, the recipe calls for 4 main ingredients:…
-
Traditional Greek stuffed vegetables
Although I am neither a vegetarian nor a vegan, stuffed vegetables is my favorite Greek dish. ‘Yemista’, as it is called in Greek, is one of those dishes that I’d rather have at home than at a tavern. When I was a child, it was always my grandmother who’d make this delicious dish; if I didn’t happen to be in her house, she would always find a way to send a few portions to mine. Now that I am an adult, I’ve simply taken over that role myself. For me, ‘yemista’ have always been tomatoes and bell peppers stuffed with rice and baked in the oven. As a child, I…
-
Baked tomato fritters from Santorini
I recently started tweaking traditional Greek recipes, foods that I enjoyed as a child and I still enjoy every time I visit my home country. To showcase the Greek cuisine and Mediterranean diet, this week I’m baking tomato fritters (known as ‘domatokeftedes’ in Greek). This dish is very popular in Santorini, where it is served as an appetiser. Traditionally, tomato fritters are deep-fried and not baked. But, since I am an advocate for healthy eating, I swapped the frying pan for the oven. Despite being eaten and prepared as vegetables, tomatoes are actually fruits. They are rich in various antioxidants and the major dietary source of lycopene, which has been…