Monthly Archives: June 2012

A Short History of Spoon Sweets

A Short History of Spoon Sweets

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, The Country Cooking of Greece, Chronicle Books, October, 2012) Ancient Greek and Byzantine literature is filled with references to fruits preserved in honey or petimezi—the world’s oldest sweeteners. To this day, eggplant and pumpkin rounds are still put up in grape must syrup, especially in wine-producing regions like Naoussa....

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Greek sparklers: d’Ifestia from Limnos

Greek sparklers: d’Ifestia from Limnos

In summer, one of my favorite quaffes is champagne and almost any form of sparkling wine, so long as it is, well, good. I love it chilled in the afternoon, a drink to sip instead of ouzo, which knocks me out and dulls my palate if I indulge in it too much. For years,...

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