No other city evokes the rich and complex history of Greek cuisine better than Thessaloniki, recently named a UNESCO Food City and Greece's de facto culinary capital. Diane learns the secrets of bougatsa, an airy, creamy phyllo pastry, with a master baker, and boards a mussel boat just off the coast to harvest one of the city's favorite seafood delicacies. From sweet shops to hot peppers to unsurpassed meze plates, Diane savors and shares the flavors of Thessaloniki. In her kitchen she cooks up Mussel Pilaf and Feta-Stuffed Roasted Peppers. Guest: Filippos Bantis.
Diane explores the urbane, bourgeois flavors of Athens of another era in this tasty trip down memory lane, when she visits the home and kitchen of 90-year-old Irini Pournara and her daughter Margarita, a journalist for the city's most respected daily paper. Eirini makes an Athenian classic and the only dish to which this city has lent its name: Athinaiki Mayioneza (poached fish and vegetables with homemade mayonnaise), and Diane cooks up a sophisticated artichoke dish called A la Polita and an unusual Meatloaf Wrapped in Grape Leaves. Guests: Irini Pournara; Margarita Pournara.
Nestled in the dense Pindus mountains along a crystalline lake in the remote northwestern corner of Greece, Ioannina is a crossroads of the meat-and-cheese centric cooking of the mountains as well as the culinary gifts of the lake. It's also home to the most renowned baklava in Greece. Diane focuses on this quaint old city's culinary and cultural lore, and the outcome is a delicious confluence of earth and water: from a unique local version of baklava to hearty Clay-Baked Lamb and a Feta-Cheese Skillet Pie to a truly rare Clay-Tile-Baked Eel, the flavors of Ioannina will pique your curiosity and appetite for this undiscovered corner of the country. Guest: Artemis Kolionasiou.
In this poignant episode of loss, survival and revival, Diane visits the daughter of Holocaust survivors for a tour of Thessaloniki's Jewish past. Hella cooks up a few of her family's Sephardic recipes, including Huevos Haminados (slowly boiled spiced eggs) and Merenza Assada (grilled eggplant with meatballs in tomato sauce). Diane visits a local restaurant for a demo and taste of another old Jewish dish, Keftikas de Nogada (meatballs with walnut sauce) that is part of this fascinating city's cultural and culinary heritage. In the kitchen she makes Chicken with Prunes. Guests: Hella Matalon; Konstantinos Markou.
With Athens as a backdrop, Diane explores the foods that unite us, meaning the foods so many of us have in common regardless of where we are from. Can soba noodles be grecophied? Yes, with a little tahini, shrimp and olive oil! Can Greek filling of a classic spanakopita be repurposed as a filling for an American baked potato? Indeed! Can the idea of a chicken gyro morph into a Greek-style fajita? We're guessing you know the answer! In this playful, informative episode, Diane ventures beyond tradition into the global world, embracing new ingredients, inspired by Athens' vibrant dining scene, and christening a whole bevy of new recipes Greek!
Diane's artist daughter, Kyveli, invites a few gallerists and young artists for dinner in her studio in Exarcheia, a fascinating Athens neighborhood, and Diane cooks up the perfect meal to inspire their insightful conversation. On the menu: Braised Ouzo-Orange Octopus, Zucchini-Herb Phyllo Pie, and a Giant Bean Greek Salad.
Diane's artist daughter, Kyveli, invites a few gallerists and young artists for dinner in her studio in Exarcheia, a fascinating Athens neighborhood, and Diane cooks up the perfect meal to inspire their insightful conversation. On the menu: Braised Ouzo-Orange Octopus, Zucchini-Herb Phyllo Pie, and a Giant Bean Greek Salad.
Densely forested mountains, stone-cobbled villages, sheep and emerald greenery are the stuff of Epirus's lush, mountainous landscape. Diane visits the mountain enclave of a traditional shepherding family and makes a feta cheese pie with layers of crisp homemade pastry that is baked the way it's been done for centuries: over embers. The result is a taste of heaven on earth! Back in her kitchen, Diane makes two of her own savory pies: a Pleated, Buttery Feta Cheese Pie and a delicious Chicken-Phyllo Pie, both inspired by this region's deepest traditions. Guests: Artemis Tsakalou; Yannis Dekolis.
Diane's artist daughter, Kyveli, invites a few gallerists and young artists for dinner in her studio in Exarcheia, a fascinating Athens neighborhood, and Diane cooks up the perfect meal to inspire their insightful conversation. On the menu: Braised Ouzo-Orange Octopus, Zucchini-Herb Phyllo Pie, and a Giant Bean Greek Salad.
Diane's artist daughter, Kyveli, invites a few gallerists and young artists for dinner in her studio in Exarcheia, a fascinating Athens neighborhood, and Diane cooks up the perfect meal to inspire their insightful conversation. On the menu: Braised Ouzo-Orange Octopus, Zucchini-Herb Phyllo Pie, and a Giant Bean Greek Salad.
Diane's artist daughter, Kyveli, invites a few gallerists and young artists for dinner in her studio in Exarcheia, a fascinating Athens neighborhood, and Diane cooks up the perfect meal to inspire their insightful conversation. On the menu: Braised Ouzo-Orange Octopus, Zucchini-Herb Phyllo Pie, and a Giant Bean Greek Salad.
Continuity, innovation and superfoods! Greece, with its rich flora and unique array of natural edible bounty, is a cornucopia of age-old natural superfoods. In this episode, Diane invites a well-known dietician into her kitchen and together they prepare a deliciously healthy meal that is brimming with Greek superfoods. On the menu: a Spiced Carrot Soup Three Ways, a Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Dried Figs, Pomegranate, EVOO and Herbs; and an ancient dessert of wheat kernels, Greek honey, nuts, and dried fruits called Varvara. Guest: Manos Dimitroulis.
Diane prepares a dinner party meal for a handful of her closest friends. Diane provides helpful tips to alleviate the stress that comes with planning a dinner party and provides easy recipes that are healthy and delicious. On the menu: Char-Broiled Cabbage "Steaks" with Pomegranate Seeds and Lemon Zest, Whole Baked Fish with Leeks, and Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta.
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