I’ve never been much of a beef fan — I’ll take the surf over the turf any day — but ever since I first went to Olga’s as a kid and had the Original Olga, I’ve been crazy about lamb. (I’d love to try mutton, but I guess I’ll have to wait until I’m in [...]
When you think of Greek cheese, you probably think of salads topped with feta. Or — if you’re old enough to have frequented restaurants before the days of increased fire code safety — you think of cheese with flames shooting up from it and a waiter yelling “Opa!” (That dish, saganaki, is typically made with [...]
As long as you’re not planning on stuffing them, when you go for potatoes, give the smallest ones a try. They have a higher skin-to-inner-flesh ratio than the big boys do (which gives them a nutritional edge), they cook much faster thanks to their diminutive stature, and all you have to do to make them [...]
Continue reading about Potatoes Any Way You Want Them: Plain, Sautéed or Herbed
One thing I always have in my pantry: chickpeas. One thing I always have in my refrigerator: tahini. Why? Because hummus is my go-to staple, no matter if I need a last-minute appetizer, a dish to take to a party, or a quick dinner. You just can’t go wrong with hummus. (I omitted garlic and [...]
Although popular conception would have you believe that the vaunted Mediterranean diet mostly consists of olive oil and vegetables, in reality, it also involves a lot of pastured eggs and dairy. What self-respecting Greek would be without her feta cheese? Or halloumi or kasseri? Then there’s the whole extra-thick, double-strained yogurt that has caught on [...]
Continue reading about Mediterranean Meals: More Than Just Olives
Ever since I had baked Feta at a lovely out-of-the-way restaurant in Panamá, I’ve been wanting to make it myself. The idea is just so simple! I’d had baked Camembert plenty of times in Germany — when I lived there, baked Camembert with rote Grütze was one of my favorite dishes, right up there with [...]
There’s a new crust in town, and her name is Polenta. She’s an oldie-but-goodie — although polenta dates back to Roman times, it’s still on market shelves today. It’s basically a cooked cornmeal mash. Originally, it was served as more of a porridge; nowadays, it can be cut into slices and then grilled, or it [...]
You know the rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot (or steamer) when you cook it? The crunchy, coveted, burnt-but-not-burnt grains that everybody fights over? It’s definitely the best part of the rice, but you usually don’t get much to enjoy per batch of cooked rice. Well, here’s an idea: purposely make a [...]
This herb–which smells a bit like a pine forest–has been used since the days of the ancient Greeks. Back then, it was considered to be a memory aid–students wore garlards of it while studying for exams. It protected against evil spirits in medieval times, and in the 1500s in Europe, it was used to perfume [...]
Ah, one of the world’s most celebrated herbs! The French call it herbe royale, it’s considered sacred in India (and is often planted around temples and shrines), and it’s a sign of love in Italy. There are more than fifty species of basil; their various iterations are ubiquitous in cuisines ranging from Thailand to the [...]
