On a recent trip to Greece it suddenly dawned on me that I’ve never seen a chopping board in my yaya’s house. How is this possible? And then I remembered, she cuts everything in her hand. Holding the vegetable—say, a potato—like a cricket ball towards the body, and deftly cutting wedges. I went on to think about other vegetables, and they’re all done in the hand: grated, sliced or trimmed. It’s such a unique thing that it made me question where this came from, and why. It seems to me to reflect a connection with the origins of the cuisine in the home cook, rather than the professional chef. R ..read more

My grandfather drinking wine with friends Greek wines get a bad rep. Although they’ve been around for thousands of years, they’re considered to be more of an afterthought on the restaurant table (or even an avoidance). While it is true that there is a lot of bad Greek wine out there, things have improved a lot over the past 30 years with many homegrown producers doing a lot to improve the industry. Wine is a central part of Greek life – whether it’s holy wine for church or served at family celebrations, wine has been made in the country for thousands of years. Like many of you, I don’t know m ..read more

History is everywhere in Greece. As well as the ancient ruins that scatter the landscape – some well preserved with EU funding and others almost untouched on the side of the road – the past finds its way into everyday life through customs, rituals and of course food. While this may feel like a heavy weight, that continuity between ancient and modern Greece can be comforting, humbling and reassuring. Like Ariadne’s red thread, so the connection from the past can help us navigate a complex future. “Meat represents celebration and sacrifice” Greek myths are full of symbolism and food is often us ..read more

I always enjoy visiting Stella when I visit my grandparent's village. She’s an old friend of my mum’s and lives in a little villa with a huge back garden filled with vegetables and flowers, cats and two amazing rescue dogs. She also keeps hunting dogs and often goes foraging for herbs and berries in the mountain. She taught me how to make filo pastry, and when she did, she served us fresh corn on the cob and glyko koutaliou made from wild blackberries she’d picked in the mountains. She’s a funny, feisty woman who lives a fairly unconventional rural life in a country that can make being d ..read more

Growing up we pretty much always spent Christmas in the UK – I’m a huge fan of Christmas here, plus I like to save my trips to Greece to Easter and summer (sun tanning and seafood being motivating factors…). But we did spend a few snowy Christmas’s there when I was younger. As with many European countries, the Christmas season begins on 6 December when St Nicolas is celebrated, and ends on 6 January with the Epiphany (‘Theophania’). Going there some customs were familiar – Christmas trees, tinsel, weird tinny versions of Christmas songs dubbed in Greek – but there are a few things unique to G ..read more

Greek yoghurt takes many forms, from sheeps yoghurt, to yoghurt so thick it has a skin and texture like clotted cream. I remember eating a lot of homemade yoghurt and I knew I had to get my yaya’s recipe. To do this, we had to travel to the village. We arrive at 9pm, and see a smattering of people (mostly portly men) in the square chatting and watching the England vs Russia match. There’s a strange atmosphere in the village this time  lonely, nostalgic, isolated. We’re told the village square now has free wifi (incredible to believe!) but that they turn it off evenings and weekends... Th ..read more

image: Lisa Jane Photography Greek eating habits are informed by religion. The Greek Orthodox church has been integral in shaping the political, economic and social life of Greece for many centuries, influencing not only the traditions, rituals and special occasions, but even everyday eating. I remember my yaya would fast three days a week, and would eat certain dishes according to the religious calendar. Even non-religious Greeks are led by these routines. Lent is particularly important to Greeks – Easter is more important than Christmas – and many Greeks will eat only vegetables, and s ..read more

Credit: Lisa Jane Photography When you think of Greek food, what comes to mind? Is it souvlaki, or perhaps moussaka? Although you can get excellent grilled meats in Greece, this isn't everyday eating for most people. Vegetarian and even vegan food is regularly eaten, but isn't labelled as such. Rather it is just something delicious to eat. The history of poverty in the country, plus the influence of religious holidays and fasting, means vegetable based dishes using olive oil ('lathera' dishes, 'lathi' being the word for oil) is prevalent. My Greek Orthodox yaya still fasts to this day, and mo ..read more

I wanted to share one of the recipes from our supper club, and decided on a dish that has featured in many lunches at my yaya's house...  Green peppers have always been my mum's thing, and I never got it as a child. They were too bitter and I always favoured a red pepper or even better, a giant, juicy tomato from my grandparents' allotment or the travelling produce-seller booming out a combination of vegetable prices and political messages out of a megaphone from his beat up truck. But honestly, over time I realised that green peppers were actually one of the best things ever and provide ..read more

A huge thank you to everyone that joined us for our very first supper club on Wednesday 13 July - we can't believe we did it! From the first shots of ouzo to the greek coffee and spoonful of cherry preserve, the night flew by in a blur. We were so honoured to be able to serve our menu to our guests and see them enjoy what was just a vision in our minds until then. A special thank you to Nanna's as well for providing the perfect setting for our evening.  our menu For those of you that weren't there, here's our menu from the night: The menu was inspired by a desire to replicate the e ..read more