Of all the exotic, aromatic spices in the world, none is quite like Chios Mastiha, the resinous, crystal granules that come from splicing open a particular tree, Pistacia lentiscus, at specific times of the year and letting its sap flow like slow-motion tears to the ground, to be collected, sorted, cleaned, and sold the...
Skordalia, the Greek garlic dip, belongs to the grand tradition of Mediterranean garlic pastes and like them, it is almost never served alone; instead, it plays an accompanying role to fried fish and seafood or to classics like boiled beets. While there are as many methods for frying salt cod as there are cooks...
Tarama is the roe (tiny, almost microscopic eggs) of either carp, cod or mullet. There are two types available in Greece: white and pink. White tarama is undyed and is difficult, if not impossible, to find in the United States. Pink tarama has had color added to it, a custom that originated for purely...
Several years ago, I spent the night before «Clean Monday», as Greeks call the first day of Lent, baking the traditional Lenten flatbread lagana with a local Athenian baker. Even though he went about his business methodically and professionally, turning out more than a thousand or so loaves, he didn’t fail to observe all...
Tahini is the dark golden colored cream made from soaked, peeled, roasted then, finally, pounded sesame seeds that usually replaces olive oil during the most austere fasting days of Lent. But beyond its role as a nutrition-packed Lenten ingredient (filled with protein, vitamin B, calcium, phosphorous and iron), tahini is also one of the...
The Meze platter should offer a variety of foods, textures, colors, and flavors for people to nibble on as they enjoy wine or ouzo and the company of friends. As a general rule, ouzo and tsipouro go best with seafood meze platters, while wines are a better match for cured meats and cheeses. Vegetables...
Visit us on the Blue Zone island Ikaria, where people have the longest life spans in the world, for a week of glorious Greek cooking classes in an ancient Greek-island village.
