Vegan nut, cocoa & olive oil spread

in Breakfast, Taste -

Vegan nut, cocoa & olive oil spread

Every time I’m reunited with my sister, there are certain things that always take place (almost in this specific order): we hug and kiss (dramatically, on my part- Alkyoni is way cooler than me to gasp and whisper sweet nothings to my ear); we exchange gifts, have our first coffee and gossip enthusiastically. And then, on to the main course, our first brawl. It’s loud, usually for a dumb reason and it escalates quickly. And then, like ten minutes later, we’ve apologised to each other, made up and are swiftly moving on to what really matters: food. [READ MORE]

Orange & tangerine Greek semolina cake with pistachios & honey

in Desserts, Taste -

Orange & tangerine Greek semolina cake with pistachios & honey

One of the greatest pleasures I had over the past holidays was spending time with my Zoe. Zoe is one of my closest friends; she is a force of nature, a gorgeous teeny tiny ball of energy, charming and sweet, ballsy and witty. She studied History, she works at LSE and her cooking game is seriously strong. She can ace pretty much any traditional Greek recipe, knows her ingredients, techniques and history and, most impressively for me, she has the most balanced diet of anyone I know. [READ MORE]

Chocolate, coconut & sprinkle toffee

in Desserts, Taste -

Chocolate, coconut & sprinkle toffee

Coming back after the holidays, in a slight haze after days filled with too much romance, wine, friends and cheese, I couldn’t help but notice all the many healthy recipes all around. I mean, all those smoothies and fruit and veggie bowls and scrumptious salads and oh my! Getting back into shape seemed almost as appealing as this New Year’s cake: absolutely delicious, beautiful and very inspiring. And I really need that air of freshness, those beautiful colours. Βut I also need me some butter & chocolate. [READ MORE]

Parmesan, za’atar & sesame straws

in Small bites, Taste -

Parmesan, za'atar & sesame straws

Throughout the holidays, one of the things I enjoyed the most about the various dinner we attended or hosted at home was the starters. Not the meat, which was in overwhelming abundance, not the wine, which was flowing non stop, but the little bits and pieces available before the actual meal: different kinds of cheese paired with fresh and dried fruit, beautiful charcuterie, smoked salmon- they were all not only delicious enough to almost keep me from enjoying the rest of the meal, but also so pretty. [READ MORE]

Smoked gammon & broccoli au gratin

in Savoury, Taste -

Smoked gammon & broccoli au gratin

You know how, when it comes to vegetables (or anything, really), you have your star players and your underdogs? Tomatoes, avocadoes, the mighty kale, carrots- they’re all winners, loved by most and consumed enthusiastically. And then you have others, like broccoli and cauliflower which are less fancy, less sparkly, less favoured. So totally unfair. I think I love almost all vegetables the same. And I have my mom to thank for this. [READ MORE]

Christmas morning hamper

in Breakfast, Inspiration -

Christmas morning hamper

If you’re anything like me, you’re still not done with your Christmas shopping, still going for last minute runs to the stores (oh how I loathe all the stores around Christmas time!) or the post office (seriously, the worst). If you’re like me, you’re still trying to find the perfect extra to the gift you’ve already bought, or come up with an idea for Secret Santa, one that’s cool enough, yet not pretentious, funny, but not overly ridiculous. [READ MORE]

Buttery & nutty Greek Christmas cookies (kourampiedes)

in Desserts, Taste -

Buttery & nutty Greek Christmas cookies (kourampiedes)

This year I’ll be spending the holidays in London. It’s the first time I won’t be in Greece with my family and I’m feeling pretty bittersweet about it. See, I really love my loud, overbearing, inspiring, always-in-your-face family. I love and miss them constantly. Plus, they really know how to do Christmas. There’s always beautiful decorations all around the house, tons of hugs, tons of energy (I mean, tons of energy, which translates to heated debates on just about anything, arguments, long embraces, lots of frantic running around), tons of delicious food and presents. I know I’ll miss out on all these- but then again, I’ve been living in London for over ten years now and I’ve never spent the holidays here. It’s about time I gave it a try and created some new traditions, don’t you think? [READ MORE]

Creamy sunchoke, almond & dill pasta

in Savoury, Taste -

Creamy sunchoke, almond & dill pasta

Happy Monday everyone! Today is the last day of the BHMA Food Blog Awards competition. Maybe by now you’ve had enough of it: enough mentions, shout-outs, recipes featuring Knorr stocks (which are delicious btw,  competition or not). But bear with me just for a tinsy bit longer. Bear with me just long enough to tell you a little bit about this delicious pasta dish. [READ MORE]

Kidney bean & dark chocolate chilli

in Savoury, Taste -

Chilli-4

Two. That’s exactly how many meat recipes I have here. And it’s not wonder. See, I like meat, I really do. But it’s not my favourite thing to eat, hence, when I prepare meals, look for and test recipes, it’s almost always not on my mind. Also, I have to admit, I’m quite ignorant when it comes to ways to cook it. I don’t know meat well at all and until I do, I prefer to stay away. So, I stick to fish and vegetables and pulses instead, things I know, love and cook on a heavy rotation, hopefully without my meals becoming boring or repetitive. [READ MORE]