all the recipes

braised & shredded meats pita sandwich (with fresh vegetable toppings & tzatziki)
braised & shredded meats pita sandwich (with fresh vegetable toppings & tzatziki)

… But please understand that one man’s DONER KEBAB, is another man’s SOUVLAKI, is another man’s GYRO, is another man’s SHAWARMA, is another man’s SHASHLIK, is another man’s CHUANR, is another man’s KATI ROLL, is another man’s TACO, etc. (and when I...

24.08.2019
chilled & tangy potato salad with preserved lemon & yogurt dressing
chilled & tangy potato salad with preserved lemon & yogurt dressing

Everybody’s got their favorite version of a SUMMER POTATO SALAD and here’s mine ! Move aside mayonnaise (because you’re too fragile when it’s hot out there) and hello to a yogurt and olive oil and lemon juice dressing with a special guest star appearance of a...

03.08.2019
whole-wheat savory pie crust (for a deep-dish quiche)
whole-wheat savory pie crust (for a deep-dish quiche)

It’s going to be a DOUBLE RECIPE POST weekend, divided into 2 PARTS: PART 1 is for the PIE CRUST (or the exterior casing of a huge and high and deep-dish quiche, that could feed 6-8 people) and PART 2 is all about the FILLINGS that go inside that deep-dish quiche but in a new way, with less eggs and cream...

13.07.2019
triple-layered «croque monsieur & madame» quadruple club-sandwich cake (with a mushroom & bacon & arugula heart)
triple-layered «croque monsieur & madame» quadruple club-sandwich cake (with a mushroom & bacon & arugula heart)

It all began with 4 SLICES of SANDWICH BREAD, aPERFECTLY-SIZED SQUARE BAKING DISH& MOVING DAY ! Not mine of course but some neighbors who moved 2 doors down to my building complex. With many arms carrying boxes and bags and disassembled furniture and many legs going up and down stairs and elevators, it seems like the best...

15.06.2019
little savory cakes (with leftover sourdough-starter batter)
little savory cakes (with leftover sourdough-starter batter)

For all of you ECOLOGICALLY-MINDED & ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY BRAVE KITCHEN WARRIORS & WIZARDS & WHATNOTSwho wondered what to do with leftover sourdough starter batter (because for 150 grams of created sourdough starter, you’re supposed to discard over 1 kg of flour and water mixture), well here’s how to avoid tossing...

25.05.2019
a better traditional tzatziki : thicker & chunkier & tastier
a better traditional tzatziki : thicker & chunkier & tastier

A 'traditional' TZATZIKI should be denser, drier (thus less wet and runny, so-to-speak) and more concentrated in texture (thus chunkier) and in flavor (especially if made with goat’s milk and/or sheep’s milk yogurt too) and the ultimate texture test is that a spoon placed upright in its center, should be able to remain...

17.08.2019
gently-baked & delicately-spiced custard & filo breakfast tartlets
gently-baked & delicately-spiced custard & filo breakfast tartlets

It’s an early morning reward, a breakfast pastry just for you. You’ve gotten up and readied yourself to brave the new day. It’s a sweetened milk & egg dish in its own crispy carrying case, still slightly warm and ever-so-gently spiced, to rock your heart and soul and body as you walk yourself to work or maybe a stroll...

20.07.2019
strawberry & ricotta & almond & filo shreds mini-cakes
strawberry & ricotta & almond & filo shreds mini-cakes

That sneaky and fickle and ever so demanding FILO / PHYLLO, always letting itself dry out in under 10-15 minutes, and crumbling to pieces if exposed to the hot summer air and if not meticulously covered up with another sheet of baking paper and also a damp cloth, when you unroll it and lay it out. And sometimes it’s just ripped here and...

06.07.2019
«ravani» lime & geranium & mastic syrup-soaked semolina cake
«ravani» lime & geranium & mastic syrup-soaked semolina cake

RAVANI or REVANI or both ?! And why not RAEVANI then ?! This is one of those old-fashioned and traditional Greek and Turkish cakes, that has practically disappeared from circulation and almost stopped gracing our tables for decades. Why ? Because creamier and more complicated, layered and somewhat more sophisticated creations took their place. It...

08.06.2019
1-2-3 sourdough bread (foolproof & demystified)
1-2-3 sourdough bread (foolproof & demystified)

WHY 1-2-3 ?! Because this sequence of numbers represents the proportions or ratios of the ingredients. 1 part fed & active sourdough starter (at 100% hydration, which mean half flour & half water), plus 2 parts water plus 3 parts flour. It’s easy, mathematically speaking. It may not be a total success at the 1stattempt...

18.05.2019
icy & sparkling watermelon granita & gin cocktail
icy & sparkling watermelon granita & gin cocktail

… with ginger ale too of course, for the bubbles and to lighten it up somewhat “decently”. And if you make the granita now before noon, it’ll be ready for cocktail hour tonight ! So 2 weekends ago, my friends from Montreal dropped in for a short trip to Paris, via CANNES, followed by a trip to CRETE...

10.08.2019
deep-dish mediterranean roasted vegetables quiche
deep-dish mediterranean roasted vegetables quiche

And here’s PART 2 or the FILLINGS that go inside the savory pie-crust shell we prepared or will soon be motivated to prepare (see recipe here) ! But like I said in part 1, it’s a bit different because instead of just combining the fillings of roasted vegetables (no frying here) and perhaps too many eggs, heavy cream and grated...

13.07.2019
flaked sea salt & cracked black pepper rolled grissini breadsticks
flaked sea salt & cracked black pepper rolled grissini breadsticks

When it comes to organizing PICNICS, “rumor” has it that some people pretend to be too busy to organize them and yet always agree to attend them when organized by others and as long as they don’t have to do any of the heavy lifting (carrying, transporting, delivering) and then they’ll bring a little something of course as a...

22.06.2019
3-meat & spicy «pastitsio» greek pasta bake (with cinnamon, allspice, clove & nutmeg)
3-meat & spicy «pastitsio» greek pasta bake (with cinnamon, allspice, clove & nutmeg)

“PASTITSIO” … such a very Greek dish (as well as Cypriot, Turkish, Egyptian & Maltese) because it’s just so Mediterranean. But the original word “pasticcio” is Italian and signifies a baked pasta & meat dish. It’s not a lasagna nor a beefy macaroni & cheese dish, but something in between...

01.06.2019
14-day wholewheat & rye & buckwheat sourdough-starter (longer but foolproof)
14-day wholewheat & rye & buckwheat sourdough-starter (longer but foolproof)

This SOURDOUGH series is in 3 parts : the 1st is for making the sourdough starter, the 2nd is for making the actual sourdough bread with the sourdough starter and the 3rd is for how to use the daily leftovers that you accumulate and usually discard but that you should save, while preparing the sourdough starter, to make some...

10.05.2019