I hate mushrooms. Absolutely detest them. My parents love them, so of course they were put into whatever meal they could be. I would pretend to chew them, and then spit them into my napkin as I pretended to wipe my mouth. Yes, I was that kid.
Continue reading Cream of Mushroom Soup
One of the treats I looked forward to during summer vacation was the sandwiches my mom would make that she called Greek Tost (pronounced like toast, but with a Greek accent). It started with slightly toasted and buttered bread, layered with cheese and then broiled until the cheese started to melt. Put the gooey slices together and voila! Greek Tost! Hold your horses, I know what you’re thinking.
Turkeys are some pretty big birds. Roast one, and you’ve got yourself enough turkey to last until you start gobbling. Or maybe crying. Yep, probably crying. Don’t despair, help is here in the form of a modern twist on an old recipe.
Continue reading Turkey “Shepherd’s Pie”
Breakfast in Greece can be a very rustic meal wih cheese pies, olives and feta, and crusty bread with honey or marmalade, to fare more familiar to the American palette like scrambled eggs and omelets. Whatever it is, it will be tasty and reflective of what is available from the local area. This includes a variety of grains that can be cooked up and served as a wholesome hot cereal.
Continue reading Farro Wheat Cereal
One of the few good things about living in a place with ridiculously hot summers is that the growing season for summer vegetables lasts a good, long time. The latest I ever pulled eggplant from the garden or tomatoes off the vine was a couple of days before Thanksgiving. The plants may not be in full production mode this late in the year, but there’s still enough to do something with. Continue reading Baked Eggplant with Tomatoes & Onions
So here’s an idea: take an already bland-ish food and cook it by submersing it in plain hot water. Did I miss something here? I love eggs, but really, they need some help in the seasoning department.
Continue reading “Poached” Eggs
We grow three varieties of plums in our yard. Needless to say, when we have a good year we are swimming in plums. This was a good year.
Continue reading Greek Plum Cake
If you’re not from California, especially Central California, you can be forgiven for not knowing about beef tri-tip. What was once considered a sub-par cut of meat mostly reserved for ground beef has now become a highly sought after slab of tastiness, but only if you know how to prepare it.
Continue reading Burgundy-Garlic Roast Tri-Tip
When was the last time you saw something like basil jelly in the grocery store? I never have, but I know it exists because my mom would make it from scratch. That’s the wonderful thing about making your own goodies is that you get to have so many options available to you.
Really, sometimes there’s no school like old school. I’m pretty darned sure the settlers didn’t have a box of pectin in the back of the wagon. They just used fruit, water, and sugar. That’s it. They relied on natural sources of pectin and just a slight bit of patience. No food colors, no gelling enhancers.
Continue reading Apple Pectin Jams & Jellies
Mostly Greek 