lentils – greek islands style

When I was a little girl I had a hard time eating lentils.  Just the sight of a dark soup in front of me, with a piece of garlic swimming in, was enough to turn me off.  Often we say that we don’t like certain foods, but growing up I realized that this is simply … Continue reading »

a sandwich is a sandwich

Dagwood (does he have a last name?) is without any doubt the  most famous sandwich maker/eater in history. His fantasy had no limits, or I should rather say, the limits were the content of Blondy’s refrigerator.  The comic strip  “Blondie”  was featured in a Sunday Greek paper when I was a kid, and these sandwiches … Continue reading »

El Bulli, cooking in progress (the film in pictures)

I am always intrigued  with the creativity of some chefs.  The most amazing of all is Feran Adria, the famous chef and owner of  the  three Michelin star restaurant El Bulli in the city of Roses in Catalonia. When I turned on the TV one day, and saw  the movie ” El Bulli cooking in  … Continue reading »

The red mullet / Το μπαρμπουνι το δικο μας.

Μπαρμπούνι μου θαλασσινό και ψάρι του πελάγου όσο μποράς φυλάγου, αχ ψάρι του πελάγου. Το μάθανε πως σ’ αγαπώ κι όσο μποράς φυλάγου, αχ ψάρι του πελάγου,, όσο μποράς φυλάγου. Μπαρμπούνι μου θαλασσινό κι ολόχρυσό μου ψάρι, κρίμα είν’ εγώ, να σ’ αγαπώ και άλλη να σε πάρει The Greek text above is a verse … Continue reading »

A Fall Birthday Dinner

The preparations In an extended family, there is no calendar month without a birthday. In our family we celebrate two in the beginning of October.  The nature is changing since the end of September in this area of the world.  Cooler mornings, some yellow and red leaves and the first pumpkins appear in the markets. … Continue reading »

The Ivy Inn

A  little before leaving for Charlottesville Virginia during the Labor day weekend, I searched the internet to find dining recommendations .  The Ivy Inn was the first choice in one of the popular restaurant critique sites.  When I visited the web site of the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised discovering that the owner and chef,   … Continue reading »

Benu

  Benu:  The yard It was a chilly and rainy evening last Friday in San Francisco.  Visiting from the Washington DC area, I was looking forward to a few warmer days. Still I did not get too disappointed and proceeded with my plans.  I had made reservations to a restaurant that had excellent reviews and … Continue reading »

San Pedro Market – Cusco

One of my favorite things to do when I travel in a foreign city, is to visit the central market.  In the past I have presented markets in Austria, in Spain, in San Francisco,  in Paris and in Athens. The main food market in a city says so much about people, their behavior and their … Continue reading »

Μαρια Χαραμη (in memory)

Η Μαρια Χαραμη έφυγε προχθές απο ένα κόσμο που χρόνια προσπαθούσε να τον κάνει πιο όμορφο. Την πρωτογνωρισα, σαν συγγραφέα εννοειται, πολλα χρόνια πριν σε ένα βιβλιοπωλείο, τότε που αγόραζα βιβλία μαγειρικης με την σεσουλα. Το μικρο μακροστενο βιβλιαράκι με τίτλο ¨Κοκκορας Κρασατος¨ των εκδόσεων Libro, τράβηξε την προσοχή μου. Μια παράγραφο διάβασα και το … Continue reading »