Pita me Spanaki kai Anitho–Spinach and Dill Pie

I’m in the midst of a big baking project–let’s just say it’s a multi-tiered cake that will feed 100–but I wanted to quickly share this recipe with you before I completely drown in gum paste, fondant icing and buttercream frosting. In the mood to bake a pita (savory pie) the other day, I put together this lighter version of spanakopita or spinach pie. Usually, a spanakopita includes lots of Feta (or any somewhat soft cheese similar to it) but as I was fresh out of Feta and I in no way intended to leave the house again to shop for any, I

Garides me Ntomata kai Leuko Krasi / Shrimp with Cherry Tomatoes and White Wine

The typical Greek diet during the days of Lent includes an array of legumes, grains and pastas but the highlight for me is the multitude of seafood dishes from shrimp, to calamari, to octopus, lobster, crabs, mussels, clams or scallops. I love seafood and yet as of late it’s been frequenting our dinner table less and less. The kids really enjoy fresh fish such as red snapper, sole or porgies much better so all other seafood and shellfish have naturally been put on the back burner (no pun intended). With the start of Lent, however, I got to make this scrumptious

Eliopsomo me Anitho kai Melitzanosalata me Karydia / Olive Bread with Dill and Eggplant Dip with Walnuts

For the last six weeks or so, I’ve been baking a fresh loaf of bread at least three times a week. How, you ask? Just keep reading … … After seeing my grandmother regularly bake loaf after loaf of bread when I was a child and remembering how long she would sit and knead the dough, let it rise, knead again, let rise again, etc., etc., I was certain bread-making was not for me. Then one day I read a post lauding this new book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Then I read another post doing the same; and then another and another and another. Every

Nistisima Papoutsakia/Eggplants Stuffed with Tomato, Onion and Walnuts

The term papoutsakia is literally translated to “little shoes” and as these small eggplants stuffed with tomato, onion and walnuts truly do resemble little shoes (maybe even little ballet slippers) they are aptly named as such. There are numerous versions of papoutsakia to be had in Greece including ones stuffed with ground meat and topped with bechamel, others stuffed with ground meat and topped simply with cheese and others still filled simply with tomatoes and onion or really any variety of sauteed vegetables. Today, I whipped up this Lenten version of

Kathara Deutera (Clean Monday)

Kathara Deutera (Clean Monday) symbolizes the start of Lent for Orthodox Christians and is an important day in the Greek Orthodox faith. A day that prompts us all to eat simple, very traditional Greek fare, Kathara Deutera is meant to cleanse the body and spirit in preparation for Easter and is one of the many celebrations leading up to this important holiday that help us carry on precious customs and traditions passed down from generation to generation of Greeks found all around the world. On this day, my family–as most Greek families–begins the Great