I was told once by a Greek friend that the reason I cannot donate blood in Greece (long story on the why.) is because that my veins are filled with chilli sauce. I live on spicy food. I LOVE spicy food. And I add chilli sauce (or Tabasco, sliced chillies, dried chilli flakes, chilli oil –…
Category: Cooks
Summer Bean Black-Eyed Peas Soup
Its summer, and you’re having soup? You’d be surprised, this is quite refreshing and its a favourite with George. You can prepare it beforehand, refrigerate and reheat it later, too. (which is what I usually do.) There are winter versions of this soup which is heavily flavoured with celeriac and carrots but this is a…
Lemon Kolios (Atlantic Chub Mackerel)
‘Tis the season for Kolios, sha la la la la la la la. The months of July and August will yield the best catch of this fish, known as the Atlantic Chub Mackerel. It is a rather meaty fish, as all mackerels are, and its healthy too – an oily fish, it is a rich…
Raya Cookies: Kourabiedes-inspired Walnut Butter Snowballs.
It is going to be Raya (Eid) in a few days in Malaysia, and during the fasting month, people bake cookies and elaborate recipes of yore come out. People always have several types of biscuits, cookies, cakes and other festive foods around the house because people are always coming to visit. I have several favourites,…
Miso-Glazed Grilled Kolios (Atlantic Chub Mackerel)
I love Miso. It adds a different sort of taste to the dish, from what I can understand is this ‘5th taste’ called umami. What is Miso, and what is umami? Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning that is made of fermented soybeans. In comes in a paste form, and you can buy them from…
Easy Beef Kokkinisto (Beef in Tomato Stew)
I love kokkinisto (which means ‘reddened’ in Greek). Its so easy to make, extremely tasty and it goes a long way. There is only 2 of us at home and this food always lasts us for 2 days. This stew is usually eaten with a type of pasta rice called kritharaki or hilopites (small squares…
Fried Ikan Bilis (Fried Anchovies)
Ikan bilis are dried anchovies, small ones and fried crisp. In the picture above, I have bought the smallest one I can find, because I like the crunchy texture these give. It’s a versatile fish, you can use it in a variety of ways. They are great as a snack – I rarely fry a…
Kerisik (Fried Coconut Paste)
Kerisik is one of those ingredients that are native to the Malay Archipelago (Nusantara – Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore). Its used in curry stews and rendangs. It’s very fragrant, and its best to use freshly grated coconut. But dried or desiccated coconut can be used too. It’s very easy to make, and a spoonful or…
Potato Salad
This particular recipe of potato salad is one of my favourites. Its originally from my mother-in-law, and I’ve tweaked it by adding less mayonnaise (and a different one at that!) and less lemon juice. Its light with texture – its crunchy yet soft at the same time, and the onions add a sweetness to the…
Bibimbap with Minced Beef
Bibimbap is a Korean rice dish, that literally means Mixed Rice. It is a bowl of rice that has various toppings individually prepared. The toppings are mostly vegetables, a fried egg and a portion of cooked beef and served with a spicy sauce/paste of chilli, typically a paste called gochujang, but since I didn’t have…
"Teh Botol"-inspired Jasmine Iced Tea
This year, and especially the months of July and August has been the warmest I had ever experienced here in Greece. And nothing quenches and refreshes as much as iced tea. And the best sort of milkless iced tea that I love is Teh Botol. What is Teh Botol? Teh Botol literally means Bottled Tea…
Breakfast Avocado Brioche Banh Mi
I love brioche. I am not a big fan of bread in general, but brioche is a god send. The Greeks have a similar brioche-like bread called tsoureki. The first time I had tsoureki was on New Year’s Day 2005 in Thessaloniki, Greece. It was cold, (it snowed a few days after, too!), and…
airinie 
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