Category Archives: Meze

Yianna’s Salad | Lettuce, Pomegranate, Figs & Manouri Some salads are sides.This one is the reason you go back. Yianna’s Salad is the house special we always order at Seychelles in Messinia, my dad’s region. Locals simply call it “Yianna’s,” and once you try it, you understand why it has its own identity. Now, when in Greece, one should always order a village salad, horiatiki is sacred. But I must encourage you… make room for this one. It’s fresh yet indulgent, sweet yet salty, crunchy yet creamy. It captures everything I love about Greek hospitality: generosity, balance, and ingredients that speak for themselves. Crisp romaine lettuce forms the base. Jewels of pomegranate add brightness. Sweet dried figs bring depth. Thin slices of red onion give it bite. Cashews add crunch. And then, the hero, grilled manouri cheese, soft and milky inside, caramelised on the outside, broken generously over the top. […]

Greek Yoghurt Pita Bread Greek yoghurt has a quiet way of transforming bread. When added to pita dough, it brings softness, moisture, and a gentle tang that makes every bite feel balanced and satisfying. It enriches the dough without weighing it down, creating pita that’s tender yet structured, golden on the outside and beautifully soft within. These are the kind of pitas you tear open while still warm. The kind you stack high, fill generously, and pass around the table. Simple. Generous. Meant to be shared. The Perfect Pocket There’s something deeply satisfying about slicing into a warm pita and watching it open into a perfect pocket. That hollow centre isn’t accidental, it’s the result of well-developed dough, proper resting time, and high heat. When the pitas hit the oven, the moisture in the dough turns to steam, causing them to puff and separate inside. That’s your pocket forming. Rolling […]

Carob Dakos Salad, the Cretan Way There are some dishes that don’t shout for attention. They wait. They soften. They become themselves with time.Dakos is one of those dishes. This version begins not just with ingredients, but with a place: Ntourountous, a traditional bakery in Crete that still makes dakos the way it should be made, slowly, deliberately, and with deep respect for grain. Their carob dakos (paximadia) is something special. Darker in colour, earthier in flavour, and gently sweet from the natural carob flour, it carries generations of Cretan wisdom in every bite. Carob has long been part of the Cretan pantry. Once considered humble and everyday, it’s now recognised for what it really is: nourishing, grounding, and quietly complex. When added to paximadia, carob gives dakos a subtle bitterness and depth that pairs beautifully with ripe tomatoes, olive oil, and cheese. It doesn’t overpower, it anchors. This salad […]

Cretan Kalitsounia (Spinach & Feta) I made these kalitsounia in Crete, using locally grown and home-grown ingredients, all sun-kissed by the Cretan sun. Standing in a Cretan kitchen, working with produce that had barely travelled, I understood why food there tastes the way it does: vibrant, honest, and deeply memorable. These pastries are simple, but they carry so much character. The dough is light and crisp, the filling fresh and fragrant, and every bite tastes of the place it comes from. This spinach and feta version is a classic across Crete, often made for gatherings, coffee breaks, or just because good greens are in season. Herbs play a huge role here. Dill is one of my absolute favourite herbs, and I love the softness it brings to savoury fillings. But when I can get my hands on fennel fronds, they’re even more delicious, slightly sweeter, a little more aromatic. And […]

Kolokithopita Horis Fillo – Zucchini Pie Without Pastry, Made the Cretan Way There’s something about cooking outdoors in Crete that slows everything down. The sound of cicadas in the background, the scent of herbs warming in the sun, and the feeling that food doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs to be real. On this day, I cooked under the shade of a grapevine, using beautiful homegrown grey zucchinis, fresh-picked herbs, and one of Crete’s finest cheeses, Graviera. With ingredients like these, you don’t need pastry or fuss. Just a few good things, a bit of time, and the joy of making something simple and delicious. Before I started, I wandered down a little stone path past a tiny church to pick fresh mint from the garden. The air was still, the cicadas were singing, and for that brief moment, there was nothing but the sound of summer. 🍋 […]

Cooking with Heart in Mykonos| Irini’s Onion Pie at Villa Amra Some days stay with you forever, the scent of herbs in the air, the warmth of the island sun, and the laughter that fills a kitchen. One of those days for me was when I had the privilege of cooking alongside Irini Zouganeli, a passionate Mykonian local and chef whose love for her island’s food is contagious. At Villa Amra, surrounded by views of the Aegean, we made a dish that embodies the heart of Mykonian cuisine: a traditional onion pie (kremydopita) using local Mykonos tyrovolia cheese. A Taste of Mykonos As the pie baked, the scent of warm cheese and herbs filled the villa, and Irini shared stories of her Mykonian childhood, how every recipe carries a memory, every ingredient a story. Using local cheese and homegrown herbs, we created something truly Mykonian: food made with love and […]