main courses recipes

Every season needs its SALAD, according to what’s available and how hot or cold it is out there. It’s autumn so it’ll be some colder and fresher ingredients combined with some warmer, fried or boiled or toasted ingredients on top; and even though my modest version of such a well-known dish, from the southwest of France,...

… 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...

“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...

I’m exhausted. I had one week off and am now launching myself in 5 assignments during the next 5 weeks before my next one week off happens again. I obviously didn’t rest. I’m doing stuff around the house. Not regular everyday cleaning and tidying up but more electrical stuff. “LIGHTING” can be everything,...

The holidays were GREAT, the eating was FANTASTIC and the drinking was AWESOME. The PARTY’s over. Time to pull yourself together and detoxify (yeah, again) ! I can’t decide if it’s fashionable, (or not), to detoxify your system (and admit to it). Even though it isn’t not cool nor sexy (in my world), your body (and mine) are...

It’s something LIGHTER & CLEARER & ZESTIER and more of an autumnal or northern Mediterranean style fish stew or soup, without the tomato base and heavier spices typical of a summery and southern Mediterranean Fisherman’s or Bouillabaisse fish stew, which I also love, especially when its intensity and heat inevitably make me...

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...

It’s WHITE and it’s GREEN . . . because it was WINTER and then it seemed like SPRING, much earlier than usual. And I planted my seeds and they became seedlings. And then it wasn’t spring any longer and it got colder and then it got really, really colder. Winter to spring to winter. And this happened...

I had a craving for a greek dish called “SARMADES” or “LAHANODOLMADES” which is a northern greek version of cabbage leaf rolls, stuffed with a mixture of rice and minced meat, strongly-flavored with lemon and cumin, that are time-consuming in their assembly, each one roll and piled on top of one another,...

This "L-A-S-A-G-N-A" may be ultimately DECADENT & SHAMELESS in its creation, and perhaps INDECENT & SHAMEFUL in its consumption … but for me, the 2-week holiday period begins on December 24th until January 1st and ends on January 7th (my birthday and the Orthodox Christmas). I end the...

It’s a Greek and Turkish version of SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS but the KEFTEDES meatballs are braised in a spicy KOKKINISTO sauce, which means “reddened”; a rich and warming blend of tomatoes, onions, garlic, red wine, oregano, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, allspice and nutmeg and the rice grain-shaped...

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...

Is a meat patty just a piece of ground meat ? Is a slice of blue cheese just cheese ? Is a condiment just a sauce ? Are dressings just extras ? Is a bun just bread ? Is a burger just a hot sandwich ? They all could be just that of course … unless you make a special effort for each separate element and assemble them creatively !  If...

A “USE EVERYTHING & WASTE NOTHING” hearty WINTER MEAL, resembling a lasagna (but there’s no pasta here), with winter vegetables and some chicken. All the ingredients are pre-roasted before assembling them, using only 1 mixing bowl, 1 roasting dish, 1 casserole and 1 baking sheet and nothing else (okay,...

This 50-ingredient holiday recipe is like singing that well-known and quite long “THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS” carolling song, once you begin, you simply have to go on until it’s all sung and you’ve reached the end … It’s never easy convincing anybody (and this includes friends & family) about preparing a...