ORTYKIA ME KOUKIA – ορτυκια με κουκια Quail appear in many varied dishes all over Greece, from the preserved quail so revered in the Mani to the quail-stuffed bread, also from the southern Peloponnesos. From the eastern Aegean, we find another unusual quail dish, in which the tiny birds are stuffed into eggplants (the recipe is included in my first book, The […]

GALOPOULA AVGOLEMONO Sometime after the sixteenth century, turkey arrived in Corfu from the West. There is some disagreement as to who first brought it. If its name is any indication, then the turkey came with the French, since its name in Greek, galopoula, translates literally as “French bird.” Regardless of its provenance, today it is still the Christmas meal in Corfu. […]

Melomakarona Yemista me Sousami In Greek, these honey spice cookies with sesame centers might be called “Stuffed Melomakarona with Sesame” or “Melomakarona from Rhodes,” where they have become famous. A winter holiday tradition (but delightful any time of year), these cookies bring in seasonal tastes and smells of cinnamon, cloves, and oranges. After baking, the […]

Kota me Aginares Plaki In Greek cooking, the term plaki (plah-KEE) is used to describe a dish that is baked in the oven with olive oil and vegetables. Spring is peak time for fresh artichokes. Wonderful steamed, stuffed, baked, or grilled, those spiny little charmers take a bit of prep work to clean and cook. Feel free to […]

Anyone familiar with Cajun cooking may recognize the term “dirty rice.” It’s essentially a pilaf flavored with chicken livers or giblets and it is so named because it takes on a brown or “dirty” color. In this recipe, boneless chicken fillets are stuffed with a combination of chicken livers and rice and flavored with plenty […]

In Greek: κουλακλί μαντί, pronounced koo-lahk-LEE mahn-DEE Greek refugees during the last century brought this example of the traditional cuisine of Kappadokia to Greece, and this recipe for minced meat dumplings landed in Kavala in northeastern Greece. Bite-sized dumplings stuffed with minced meat (ground beef) are served with a delicious yogurt and garlic sauce. The […]

In Greek: τζατζίκι, pronounced dzahd-ZEE-kee One of my friends here in Greece has always madetzatziki with carrots. The carrots don’t make a marked change on the overall taste, but they do add a delightful crunch and they add bulk to tzatziki to make it go further – a frugal choice. Use it as a dip for veggies, and […]

Greek name and pronunciation: Colianthro, κολίανδρο, pronounced koh-LEE-ahn-throh (hard th, rhymes with “dough”) At the market: Coriander seeds are available in sealed packs. Pour-and-shake containers of ground coriander are sometimes available, but it is recommended to buy the seeds and grind them yourself. Physical characteristics: When these rounded seeds are crushed with a mortar and […]

Anthotyro is a white whey cheese, a variation of and similar to myzithra, made from sheep’s and goat’s milk. Greek name and pronounciation: ανθότυρο, pronounced ahn-THOH-tee-roh Alternate spelling: anthotiro At the market: Like myzithra, anthotyro comes in a soft, fresh version that has a light lemon flavor, and in dryer (aged) form (photo) which is semi-hard […]

Greece is known for fabulous lamb dishes, from small souvlaki (skewered kebabs) to stuffed baby lamb to spit-roasted whole lamb – and a lot of grilled, roasted, and stewed recipes in between! Learn more about cooking with lamb. What is baby lamb? Spring lamb? Young? Mutton? The age of the animal is calculated based on […]