ca 200 BC: ” The following wild vegetables should be boiled — beet, mallow, sorrel, nettle, orach, bulbs, truffles and mushrooms. (Diocles Carystius, Health, book I, C. 59) If you’ve ever been to Athens’ Varvakeios Central Market, you’ve seen them…
CHICKEN WRAPPED IN DOUGH
Two years ago, I visited with 4 friends the archaeological site of Eleftherna, at the northern foot of mountain Psiloritis (Rethymno, Crete). The day was very hot and the walk into the history brought us thirst and hunger. At the…
A REFRESHMENT(4) & A GARLIC SAUCE
Here’s what farmers from West Crete and Thrace could do with all those cucumbers in their summer gardens! Cucumber salads, greek salads, tzatziki and a thirst quenching refreshment, a DROSSERIKO. It is delicious and really easy. DROSSERIKO In your…
PANIGHIRI (ΠΑΝΗΓΥΡΙ)
The panighiria (plural: panighiria, sing.: panighiri) are religious festivals honoring the Saint to whom the church is dedicated. In Greece, a festival, either private or public, without food is unthinkable. Thus panighiri continues after the Church service with celebratory meals…
BASIL DOLMADES (ΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΟΝΤΟΛΜΑΔΕΣ)
Basil, Theophrastus‘ and Dioskorides‘ ocimom (ώκιμον), lat. ocimum basilicum. The word basil comes from the Greek word vasileus (βασιλεύς)= king because it was believed to have grown above the spot where Constantine the Great and his mother Helen discovered the…