Although my focus is on Mediterranean cuisine, I am passionately interested in the food of any culture that believes in simple seasonal cooking. That said, I’m definitely not a fan of the meaty, carb-loaded cuisine of Eastern Europe from whence I have just returned. HOWEVER, in Bratislava, I can see a truly exciting change in the way…
Tag: Dill
Greek White Beans with Coriander and Lemon-baked Feta
This is the kind of dish I like to make when I’m tired and I want something that’s easy to prepare and which has the super power to instantly take me to my happy place – basically a two up two down shack with a summer kitchen anywhere along the coast of the Mediterranean (I’m easy to please). This version of Greek…
Turkish-style Baked Eggs with Biber Salçası
Here’s a very quick one for you. I’m dashing about all over the place right now so, for supper last night, I threw together these Turkish-style eggs. It’s another perfect dish for these cooler autumnal evenings or brunch. Ingredients 1 tsp cumin seeds A splash of extra-virgin olive oil 450g jar of roasted red peppers, drained…
Turkish Smashed Cucumber Salad with Late Summer Berries & Herbs
Just behind our home there is a wild country path that connects the river Ouse to the historic centre of York. Hardly anyone knows about it so nature rules and has created a paradise for city foragers. Right now, we have flowering baby nettles – the old ones were cut down after the heatwave and…
Greek Island Feta and Tomato Saganaki
Last week, it was so hot I could barely face going into the kitchen let alone cooking in it so our evening meals had to be supper simple and quick to make such as this Greek feta and tomato saganaki (a term used to describe a variety of small dishes made in a frying pan) finished with a roasted…
Greek Island Tzatziki with Dill & Mint
Originating from the Ottoman Empire, this is my version of the popular Greek dish, tzatziki (known as cacık in Turkey). It’s simply a bowl of great quality Greek yoghurt getting it on with little cubes of crunchy cucumber, lots of finely chopped garlic, briny sea salt, a glug of grassy Kalamata olive oil, a generous…
Greek Kritharaki with Feta, Tomatoes and Wild Oregano
‘Each day had a tranquility a timelessness about it so that you wished it would never end. But then the dark skin of the night would peel off and there would be a fresh day waiting for us glossy and colorful as a child’s transfer and with the same tinge of unreality’ – Gerald Durrell. I…
Greek Goddess Herb & Olive Oil Hummus
Here’s a lovely thing, it’s a super green version of my classic hummus which delivers an explosion of flavour due to the addition of traditional Greek herbs including fresh oregano, thyme and mint highlighted with a feisty punch of garlic and lemon juice. It’s a cute deviation from the norm that I first tried on the…
Sami’s Koosa Mahshi, Stuffed Peppers with Sultanas, Pine Kernels and Seven Spices
Over dinner last Monday evening, my parents and I leafed through a pile of quietly ageing scrap books full of memories of their trip to Syria over 25 years ago. Our conversation focused on tickets to dusty archeological museums; faded postcards of antiquities long gone; photographs of groups of happy children curious to discover more…
Greek School House Spinach, Feta & Herb Spanakopita
With my residency at the The School House Gallery in full swing, my life has changed completely as I transition from a branding professional to a full-time cook – big news, I’ve actually given myself permission to use that moniker now – and, it’s so true what they say, if you have the courage to…
