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Spinach and feta cheese pie
A few days ago, on the 28th of October, Greeks all around the world celebrated 80 years from the rejection of the ultimatum made by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. This ultimatum, presented to the Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas on 28 October 1940, demanded from Greece to allow Italy and the Axis forces to enter Greek territory, or otherwise face war. Metaxas answered ‘ohi’ (‘no’ in Greek) and this marked the beginning of the country’s participation in World War II. In Greece, the anniversary of ‘ohi’ is commemorated every year with military and student parades. As I’ve been in London for almost a month now, I decided to cook a Greek recipe:…
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Fava: a healthy Greek island recipe
When I visited the Greek island of Skyros a couple of months ago, I bought several jars of spoon sweets, a couple of packs of trahanas, and a pack of fava beans (yellow split peas). Since I returned to London a few weeks ago, I have been trying to re-create some of the healthiest and yummiest dishes I had during my holidays in Greece. Amongst these dishes is fava, otherwise known as yellow split pea puree. In Greece, this dish is usually served as an appetiser or a side dish; however, it can also be served as a main. It is particularly popular in many islands in the Aegean; after all,…
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Trahanas: heart-warming Greek winter recipes
It’s been a couple of weeks since I returned from Greece to London and I’ve been feeling very homesick. The grey skies and the rainy weather certainly haven’t helped me beat those post-holiday blues. As a Psychiatrist who loves cooking and baking, I have the right ingredients and recipes to help lift my mood. In my almost overweight suitcase, I had packed many Greek culinary products hard to source in the UK. Amongst those, there were several jars of spoon sweets, fava beans, and a couple of packs of my all-time winter favourite food: trahanas. Trahanas is a dry food ingredient, commonly found in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. It…
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6 delicious Greek summer recipes
Hello! I’m finally back in Greece. As much as I enjoy living in London, I sometimes get quite homesick. There are actually two things from my home country that I have missed the most: the delicious food and the summer, hot, sunny and care-free. 2020 has been a very challenging year for most of us. International travel restrictions have taken a toll on many people, including serial travelers like myself. Mindful of the fact that many readers of this blog may not have traveled this year, I would like to give you a taste of the Greek summer and share some of my favorite Greek summer recipes. Greek summer recipes…
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Watermelon 3 ways: recipes from the Cyclades
If I had to pick one fruit that takes me back to my childhood summers in Greece, this would undoubtedly be the watermelon (καρπούζι/karpouzi). During July and August, the hottest months of the year, there would always be a huge bowl with freshly cut watermelon on the table at the end of each and every family meal. The same happened when we dined out; watermelon would always be served there too. In the afternoons, I remember waking up from my nap only to find that my grandmother had prepared a slice of watermelon served with some feta cheese. Perhaps because it is ubiquitous during the summer in Greece, perhaps because…