To say meatballs are one of my favorite comfort foods would be an understatement. I love them with any type of ground meat, served alone, or Keftedes served with tzatziki on a mezze spread. I make them all the time for my Los Angeles personal chef clients because they are so versatile, delicious, and freeze well. But one of my favorite ways to eat them is in tomato sauce full of savory spices like in this Soutzoukakia recipe.
There are few things more comforting to me than a dish of slowly braised chicken stew with a richly spiced sauce. That’s why this traditional recipe for Chicken Kapama — slowly braised chicken in tomato sauce with spices — is one of my all-time favorites. Chicken Kapama perfectly utilizes the classic Greek flavor combination of meat, tomato, and cinnamon. Greek cuisine incorporates this with all types of meat in a variety of iconic dishes like stews, pasta sauces, and other meat sauces like the one used in Moussaka or Pastitsio.
At it’s most basic, Star Bread is a delicious solution when you want to make a pull-apart bread, but elevate it to the next level. Its star shape has three layers and eight points. And you stuff each layer with a sweet or savory filling. It is perfect for the holidays or if you just need a show stopping centerpiece for your table.
One of the tastiest desserts in the Greek pastry menagerie — and one of my favorites — is Pasta Flora. Despite its name, Pasta Flora doesn’t have anything to do with “pasta.” It’s actually a traditional Greek jam-filled tart with a sweet flaky crust.
This Southwestern Spiced Chicken Soup recipe is delicious and satisfying. It’s based off tortilla soup, but bumps up the flavors and vegetables in the soup instead of using tortillas as a filler to create a healthier outcome.
Avgolemono Soup is the most famous of all the Greek soups. Learn how to make the Greek egg lemon chicken soup with this easy recipe.
Melopita is a traditional honey pie/cake from the island of Sifnos in the Southern Aegean. The base is anthotyro or ricotta cheese that you mix with honey.
I’m currently getting ready to head off to Greece, and one thing I always look forward to when I’m there is indulging in Astakomakaronada: Greek lobster pasta. You can find the dish all over the islands in the summer, and when it’s done well it’s worth the hefty price tag. Read on to find out how I make this delicious recipe.
Sunday is our market day in Los Angeles, and the inspiration for this Mediterranean salmon baked in parchment recipe. Strolling to the farmers market on Sundays is my incentive to wake up a littler earlier in anticipation of what the week’s harvest will bring. Right now, summer is swinging into high gear and all the farmers tents are stocked with plenty of squash, heirloom tomatoes, stone fruits, and eggplants are just beginning to arrive. It’s my favorite time of year with so much available.
These sliders are a riff on a classic Greek keftedes meatball recipe. You can use any meat you want — turkey (pictured), lamb, beef, chicken, etc. — and then make it super flavorful with fresh herbs like mint and parsley, and aromatics like onion and garlic.
