The Story Behind the RecipeI had not made tomato-braised chicken for a long time and had really been craving it. It is a familiar, much-loved dish, and this is my version: plenty of peppers, mushrooms and the spices I enjoy in the sauce. I brown the ingredients separately before bringing them together in the pot, keeping all their flavour. White wine is the main cooking liquid, and the sauce comes together around the chicken as it simm…

The Story Behind the RecipeOne day I wanted to cook pork shank a little differently, so I tried this version with white wine, vegetables and thyme. Browning the meat first builds the flavour, then the covered roasting dish takes over. The pork slowly becomes tender while the vegetables combine with its juices. At the end, you can blend them into a smooth sauce that is every bit as enjoyable as the shanks themselves.The TechniqueBrown t…

The Story Behind the RecipeThis is how my father always made stuffed schnitzel. He covered one half with cheese, bacon and another slice of cheese, almost like making a toasted sandwich. Then he folded the remaining meat over the filling and breaded it. It is one of those dishes I remember exactly as we ate it at home: crisp outside, juicy inside, with cheese melting as you cut through it. Here, I made two schnitzels, one for each serv…

The Story Behind the RecipeFor two or three years, I had noticed tender vine leaves growing near a beach I visit often. I kept meaning to pick some, but always forgot. This time I remembered, gathered them and decided to make dolmadakia. My father passed on the recipe as my grandmother used to make it. I had always thought of stuffed vine leaves as a stovetop dish, but he told me Grandma baked them in the oven. I used a covered roastin…

The Story Behind the RecipeThese croquettes were an improvised way to use ingredients I had at home before they expired. Potatoes, carrots, cheeses and herbs all went into the same bowl and became a delicious mixture for frying.There is no need to start with a strict amount of flour. Add it gradually and judge the consistency: the mixture should hold its shape so you can form the croquettes before coating them in breadcrumbs.I made app…

The Story Behind the RecipeIt was Easter, and I had already prepared two lamb dishes: tsigariasto and gamopilafo. I wanted to make a third, so I decided on lamb fricassee.The beef fricassee recipe I have shared is one I learned from my mother. Here, I took a different approach, richer and heavier but full of flavour: thoroughly browned lamb, plenty of wine and lettuce cooked with the meat before adding the avgolemono.Using a different …

The Story Behind the RecipePork tigania was one of the dishes I enjoyed eating out and wanted to recreate at home. I tried recipes online, but for some reason the result did not always have the flavour I was looking for.Through experimenting, I realised that much of the savoury saltiness and lingering flavour I enjoyed came from the crumbled stock cube. When it goes into the pan with the meat and its juices, it adds a lot of flavour. M…

The Story Behind the RecipeAfter falling in love with tsigariasto, I started exploring other Cretan recipes that I wanted to try at home. Gamopilafo was one I definitely wanted to make.The idea is simple: good meat, flavourful stock and rice cooked in that stock until creamy. I used lamb shoulder for my version, though older lamb, known as zygouri in Greece, also works.Stakovoutiro, a rich Cretan butter, is optional. The stock already …

The Story Behind the RecipeRizogalo is one of the most familiar desserts in Greek cooking. It is a simple, affordable pudding made with easily available ingredients, and for many people it brings back childhood memories.It does not need complicated preparation to taste good. Rice, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon are enough. My main preference concerns the texture: I like it thick and creamy but still soft and moist. I do not want it …

The Story Behind the RecipeMy family roots are in Chania, but unfortunately I did not have a family village in Crete to visit while growing up. Even so, I have wonderful memories of my trips to the island.On one of my first visits, when I was little, we went to Argyroupoli in Rethymno. I remember the plane trees, their leafy branches almost covering the roads, the streams and the small waterfalls. We sat at a taverna surrounded by this…

The Story Behind the RecipeThis is the kind of crab stick salad you often find served as a meze in Greek fish tavernas. I enjoyed it and wanted to make it at home, where it costs much less and takes very little effort.My version uses surimi and follows a simple approach. Add olive oil and vinegar, mix, taste and adjust until you like the balance. There is no need for a strict ratio, because some people prefer a sharper salad and others…

The Story Behind the RecipeThese croquettes started with leftovers. We had some cod and vegetables that I wanted to use, so I combined them with a beer batter and fried the mixture.The result was delicious. I also tried cooking them with less oil, but I personally preferred the crispier version. This is one of those recipes that begins as a way to use what is in the fridge and ends up deserving a place at the table in its own right.For…

The Story Behind the RecipeAt home, we usually cook lamb offal in a pan with oil and oregano. Sometimes, though, we take a different approach and prepare it like our other fried dishes: coat it in flour and fry it until the outside becomes crisp.It is a delicious alternative, even if it might seem unusual to someone who has never tried offal this way. The technique is similar to the one I use for fried calamari: flour everything inside…

A simple dough mixed with a spoon and baked in an uncovered roasting dish. Parchment separates the loaves and supports their shape.The Story Behind the RecipeI missed the fresh bread I remembered enjoying and wanted to make something satisfying at home without a mixer or a complicated process.While looking for an easy lagana method, I found a dough that only needed stirring. After it worked well as flatbread, I tried using the same bas…

Juicy prawns meet garlic, chilli flakes and smoked paprika in flavorful olive oil.The Story Behind the RecipeDuring a trip around several Andalusian cities, I tasted many wonderful dishes. Gambas pil pil became one of my favorites.I loved how a few ingredients could produce so much flavor: prawns, garlic, aromatic oil, paprika and a little heat. I wanted to recreate the taste I had enjoyed in Spain.The result made me very happy. This i…

A small whole tuna cooks in a sealed parcel with lemon, olive oil, garlic and rosemary, then finishes under the grill for color.The Story Behind the RecipeA fisherman friend gave me a small tuna from his island, and I wanted to prepare something easy, fairly quick and uncomplicated.Garlic, rosemary, olive oil and lemon seemed ideal. Cooking the fish in a parcel helps retain its juices, followed by a short grilled finish.This written re…

Marinated prawns are grilled with tomatoes, served over bulgur cooked in shell stock and finished with a mango-citrus sauce.The Story Behind the RecipeAfter finishing my master’s degree, I lived in central London for a while. One of my jobs was photographing weddings and christenings, including celebrations held by Indian, Pakistani and Caribbean families.At one wedding, the bride was Pakistani and the groom was Caribbean. They held tw…

Tender pork belly cooks with soy sauces, Shaoxing wine and star anise, then fills steamed bao with sweet-sour pickles and coriander.The Story Behind the RecipeBao was one of the Asian foods I had wanted to try making at home. I love eating it, but buying it regularly can become expensive.I am still new to exploring bao fillings, and this is the version I have tried so far. The pork cooks until tender, then returns to the reduced sauce …

Grated mozzarella, egg, flour and chopped pastirma become small fried croquettes with a crisp coating and melted cheese inside.The Story Behind the RecipeI had pastirma left over from making pastries and wanted an easy way to use it. I was craving similar flavors, but had no pastry sheets left.Cheese croquettes seemed like a good solution. Instead of leaving them plain, I added finely chopped pastirma to the mixture.That is how these b…

Make approximately 14 soft steamed buns with a mixer dough, ready to fill and serve.The Story Behind the RecipeI love Asian food, and bao buns are no exception. I had wanted to make them at home for a long time, especially because buying them regularly can become expensive.Making my own buns and choosing the filling sounded very appealing. So far, I have tried pork belly gua bao, and I loved the result.I am still exploring bao and want…

All-purpose flour and short frying give these calamari a crisp coating without a complicated preparation.The Story Behind the RecipeThis is how both my parents prepared calamari at home, and it is the method I have kept.There is no need for a fixed number of squid or an exact flour quantity. Add only enough flour to coat the pieces and keep them separate, avoiding unnecessary waste.The important part is brief frying. Do not wait for a …

Mix the dough with a spoon, let it rise and shape four Greek flatbreads with your fingers. Add sesame seeds or leave them plain.The Story Behind the RecipeWe always had homemade lagana on Clean Monday. My grandmother made it, and it was part of the day’s family table.After she passed away, we stopped making it. The process felt like too much work, and the tradition was put aside for a while.Finding this simple no-knead method helped us…

A refreshing Japanese pickle served as a side dish or topping, with crunchy daikon and carrot in a sweet-sour marinade.The Story Behind the RecipeI love pickles, and this Japanese version is one of my favorites. It has the sweetness, acidity and crunch I enjoy, making it a wonderful addition to richer dishes.I used it in my Pork Belly Gua Bao with fresh coriander. The fresh, sweet-sour vegetables worked beautifully with the pork and it…

Make five spice, turn part of it into a curry blend and cook a concentrated paste. Use the paste in a dish or dilute it into a dipping sauce.The Story Behind the RecipeI fell in love with this sauce while studying for my master’s degree in Sunderland. Chip shops offered gravy or curry sauce with fish and chips, and the curry sauce became a favorite.A British friend and fellow student helped me recreate it. First came the dipping sauce,…