Of the thousands of Greek islands, one holds a very special place in my heart—Crete. With sandy shores, rugged terrain, bustling nightlife, ancient treasures, and world-renowned gastronomy, Crete is a feast for the senses. Everyone agrees Greek hospitality rates a ten on a scale of ten. However, Cretan hospitality rates a 20. Cretans robustly share … Continue reading 5 Things to do in Crete
I recently browsed through my late Yiayia Helen Metos' recipe book, filled with her recipes plus clippings from recipes she found from the paper or given to her by friends. I was told from my mom that her oatmeal cookies were everyone's favorites, so I had to test for myself. Results: these cookies are amazing--so … Continue reading Helen’s Oatmeal Cookies
I'm all for simple recipes, especially when it comes to baking. That's why I love these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies: they only require three ingredients and are ready in 25 minutes. I first tried these cookies years ago at a party, and my friend Lexi gave me the recipe. I've been making them ever since … Continue reading Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Everyone knows BAKLAVA. Layers of flaky phyllo pastry blanketed with ground nuts plus plenty of spice (and everything nice), soaked in a sweet honey syrup. Many consider baklava as the gold standard of Greek desserts. I’m not sure if this constitutes a mortal sin against Greek culture but I will say it anyway: I’m not … Continue reading Baklava
DISCLOSURE: I don’t condone stealing. There is just one instance, however, where I do pardon a group of thieves because their act of stealing eventually gave the world a glorious gift. The thieves I’m speaking of are the klephts, an indigenous population that descended from the Greeks who fled into the mountains to escape--and from … Continue reading Lamb Kleftiko
Two months ago I was asked to cook a Greek dish on a local TV station, KUTV 2, to promote the Salt Lake Greek Festival. I cooked one of my favorite dishes, Bouyiourdi (spicy baked feta) while chatting with Chef Bryan Woolley (cookingwithchefbryan.com). Much to my surprise, Chef Bryan asked to come back on the … Continue reading Pumpkin Pie with a Phyllo Crust
“Back in Greece, your circle of friends grows larger and larger as you go through life. In America, the circle mostly shrinks or stays the same size.” “Why do you think that is?” “Time. Nobody has time here. It seems that every time you make a new friend, another friend has grown too busy or … Continue reading Importance of Parea
How to impress a foodie: serve them BOUGATSA creaminess. How to impress a history buff: serve them bougatsa knowledge. Both the history buff and the foodie will wonder where bougatsa have been their whole lives. They say bougatsa originated in Serres, a city north of Thessalonaki where many Greeks immigrated during the Greco-Turkish war that … Continue reading Bougatsa
At the Salt Lake City Greek festival, almost every family plays a role, often with specialties they claim as their own and which they work on for months before the festival. My good friend John Timothy and his entire Pappas family are always on tyropites (cheese pie) duty. Another friend, Jeff Chipian and his family … Continue reading Stifado (Beef Stew)
Whenever I spent the night at my grandparents’ home, breakfast was always an egg sandwich with a cold glass of milk. My Yiayia Saltas would toast two slices of bread, spread some ketchup on the toast, and then put a fried egg in the middle. As a final touch, she would cut the sandwich into … Continue reading Strapatsada (Eggs with tomatoes)
