In summer aubergines are at their best. I can think of no better way of cooking aubergines that baking them, this time in a very traditional manner, with rich beef mince sauce and béchamel: melitzánes papoutsákia.
Continue reading
by 
Stuffed quince is a recipe walking a fine line between celebratory cooking and obscure medieval grandeur. Quinces, a somewhat awkward fruit, seem to be enjoying a timid comeback on food bloggers’ social media feeds and to be honest I am excited. Cooking with quince will make you jump for joy if you are into sweet-n-sour dishes. Stuffed quinces have a unique, elegant taste, certainly fit for a celebration.
Continue readingby Do you remember dolmadakia? Well, now the cold weather has set in, I thought I’d tell you about our winter version as well, ntolmadakia made with cabbage! We call them lahanodolmades, which we smother with avgolemono, a super yummy egg and lemon sauce that adds a zesty finish to the dish.
This is one fussy recipe, I have to warn you, but immensely rewarding! Just make sure you have a couple of hours to spare to prepare it properly – perfect for a lazy Sunday in the kitchen.
The weather finally turned. Athens had been enjoying wonderfully warm sunshine throughout October until last week: it poured down so heavily, everyone was taken by surprise. But it is autumn after all, summer doesn’t last forever.
Generally we don’t experience really harsh winters in the south of Greece. In fact most of us had started getting tired of the heat. Truth be told, you cannot get much done when it’s close to 40 oC. Maybe a swim and sunbathing will cook you through. But when the mercury drops to 15oC Aeolus, the keeper of winds, get his hands dirty and it feels like the Ice Age is just around the corner.
Don’t get me wrong we love the wind. We even have a monument to them, the Tower of the Winds, and each wind has its own myth: Boreas (N), Kaikias (NE), Apeliotes (SE), Eurus (E), Notus (S), Livas (SW), Zephyrus (W), and Skiron (NW). You can see them all featured on the Tower of the Winds at the Roman forum via a 3D Qtime app from the ministry of culture:
http://www.stoa.org/metis/cgi-bin/qtvr
My favourite is Zephyrus, the warm western wind.
From Travelogues, Aikaterini Laskaridi Foundation http://eng.travelogues.gr/item.php?view=48050
All this cold weather got me started on some heart-warming dishes: Youvarlakia in red sauce. Pretty much like meatballs in red sauce but not quite like the ones you are used to.
Of course, brownie points go to grandma Ntina again for reminding me of this recipe. I have to admit this dish almost totally slipped from my memory. But now that winter is approaching, it is time to start cooking warming, hearty dishes to sustain us and cheer us up a bit on those rainy days.
Ingredients
What to do
You will first need to grate your onion and finely chop your parsley and mint. Once ready, mix the mince meat with the herbs, salt and pepper to taste and also your rice.
Form the mixture into balls and roll them in flour, then give them a quick browning to keep them firm for cooking. Now prepare a deep pot with some olive oil and garlic, let it cook for a bit and add your tomatoes. Let the sauce boil and then you are ready to add your browned meatballs.
Your Yourvarlakia will be ready after 30-40 minutes in the pot on medium heat!
Enjoy!