Béchamel, The Mother Sauce
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes France, Greece, Italy
I first encountered béchamel sauce, or besciamella in Italian, when I lived in Italy during my university days and was taught by my Italian boyfriend's mother to make lasagna, or "pasta al forno" as it is called there. Yes, lasagna! In Italy lasagna (or lasagne, adopting the plural form), is not piled with ricotta and mozzarella, it is, rather, a delightful concoction of thinly rolled, flat egg noodles sandwiched between… Read
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A Middle Eastern Dinner: Culinary Travels with TIK
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History Greece, Israel, Turkey
I found myself craving Middle-Eastern food over the weekend, so I did what I usually do: I decided to make a Middle Eastern dinner! But when my kids asked me what that meant, I found I had trouble answering. "Can it be Middle Eastern food if there is no falafel?" was one question. "I thought that was Greek!" was another comment. So what exactly is "Middle Eastern food"? If the… Read
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Spanakopita from a Greek Cooking Vacation
Filed Under Food History, Recipes Greece
As one of the iconic dishes of Greek cuisine, most people have seen, and even tried, spanakopita at some point in their lives. This tasty savory pie is served at weddings, parties, and banquets throughout the world, and it's easy to see why: they are delicious, easy to prepare as a hand-hand pie, and able to prepared ahead of time, as they tasty eaten either hot or at room temperature.… Read
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3 Reasons to Try our New Farm-to-Beach Gourmet Getaway in Greece: Plus a Recipe
Filed Under Destination Features, Recipes, Travel Videos Greece
One of our favorite Greek cooking vacations is our Greek Cooking Odyssey, and as part of that trip our culinary travelers head to the nearby farm of Chef Katerina, your hostess. It is a wonderful chance to experience real farm-to-table Greek cuisine including the olives and olives oil they make there. See our classic Greek Cooking Odyssey culinary vacation. Now you have the chance to spend a week at the… Read
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What is Baklava?
Filed Under Food History, Recipes Greece, Turkey
What is Baklava? Baklava is a traditional dessert from the eastern Mediterranean basin, and is especially prevalent in Greece and Turkey, but also the Caucuses and the Middle East. There is no consensus about where or when it originated, but some date it back almost 3000 years! The ingredients can change slightly, but they always include phyllo (or filo) sheets, chopped nuts, some type of sweet syrup, and some type… Read
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Iconic Desserts from Europe
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History France, Greece, Portugal, Turkey
This week we're featuring some iconic desserts that you can learn to make on our cooking vacations in Europe. These are some of the tastiest of the dishes you'll eat, preferably paired with a delicious local wine that can balance out the sweetness of these dessert recipes. Of course, there are far too many to feature in only one blog, so check back later this week for more! France The… Read
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