Spinach, swiss chard & feta pie (spanakopita)

in Savoury, Taste -

SpinachPie-620-4

I left home when I was 18; I’ve been gone many years and food, as much as it is important to me, is not at the top of the list of things I miss. I miss my sister most of all and my parents too; I miss the frequent arguments we used to have and the almost instant truces that followed -although, in keeping with the family tradition, we still have plenty of those every time I go back. I miss the gorgeous house I grew up in and its beautiful balconies, filled with flowers, herbs and small trees and the views to the Acropolis and Lycabettus hill. [READ MORE]

Very chocolatey hazelnut brownies

in Desserts, Taste -

Brownies-620-4

It really doesn’t take much to throw a successful dinner party; as I’ve shared on Monday’s post, as long as you get a bit organised with the prep required, being surrounded by good friends alone is a guarantee for a fun night in. Even though preparing and plating appetisers is my favourite ‘before’ step, the part of the meal I always anticipate the most is the dessert. [READ MORE]

Dinner party appetiser: hummus & mini flatbreads

in Small bites, Taste -

Hummus-620-5

Appetisers are my favourite thing to prep for a dinner party; they can be as simple as the hummus featured here- or even a little different, such as this fragrant quince paste, perfectly paired with cheese. You don’t have to go all out on appetisers; make sure there’s enough for your guests to nibble on while enjoying some drinks and get in the mood for dinner and plate them in a simple, yet appealing way to set the tone for the rest of the night. [READ MORE]

More chickpea love: veggie burgers with quinoa, kale & red pepper

in Savoury, Taste -

VeggieBurger-620-4

Even though I eat meat quite rarely, I’m always up for a good burger (as I’ve previously and inappropriately mentioned). I’m not as devoted as M, who’s tried almost every good burger joint in town and has described and rated his experiences in excruciating detail, but whenever I’m given the opportunity to dig in a juicy, medium-rare burger, I’ll take it- nay, I’ll grab it! [READ MORE]

Chickpea, fennel & chorizo chunky soup

in Savoury, Taste -

ChickpearFennelChorizoSoup-1

I’ve been on a major fennel kick lately (evidently). I buy a fennel bulb almost every time I do my groceries shopping- and last time I was at the supermarket and could not find any, I was almost devastated (seriously; I must have asked at least three members of the staff- I looked so desperate and annoying, one of them even employed two of his co-workers to go look if there was any left at the back, while consolidating me and suggesting other vegetables instead. I swear, no person has ever waved at me so enthusiastically when I was leaving the store.) [READ MORE]

Peanut butter & cream cheese chocolate balls

in Desserts, Taste -

ChocPeanutButterBalls-620-6

I think everyone will agree that a day which includes chocolate is a better day (I should know- most of my days do). I’m not a snob when it comes to chocolate, although I do prefer the darker varieties, especially the ones with sea salt (damn, even thinking about it, my day gets better). I’m even less of a snob when it comes to cooking with it: I often go classic and just add it in cakes and cookies, I’ve dunked fruit in there, I’ve mixed it with nuts and spread it on brioches and croissants. There’s also a pretty cool beef stew I like to make, with just a touch of cocoa in the sauce, which always makes me want to eat meat more often. [READ MORE]