This is the meat version of the "Gemista", the stuffed tomatoes and peppers I presented to you in the past. Here the quantity of rice is less and the main ingredient is the ground beef. It is very tasty dish and as popular as the classic vegetarian version all year round
This is a dish based on a traditional recipe which we, actually, share with the Turkish cuisine and this culinary miracle happened thanks to the Greeks from Asia Minor. That's why the recipe is, mainly, a speciality in areas of Greece where a lot of these people had to settle down after "immigrating" from Constantinople (Istanbul), Smyrna (Izmir), or other parts of Anatolia (Asia Minor). The actual name of the dish (in Turkish) is "Hünkar Beğendi" and it can be translated in a few different ways like : "the Sultan’s Delight", "the Sultan’s Pleasure", "the Sultan liked It", "the Sultan approved", "Her Majesty’s Delight" and "Her Majesty’s Favourite". This "Her Majesty" has its explanation and it is related to how this dish, according to a legend, might got its name. Although nobody really can be sure about the beginning of the recipe, there are a couple of stories (legends) around it but nobody ever managed definitely to establish its origin. The first legend about the recipe is from the early 17th century concerning the Sultan Murad IV (who was half-Greek by the way...). The story says that the dish was created for the first time for him in the Palace kitchens and he fell in love with it. Simple as that! The other legend says that the dish was offered to a French empress in the late 19th century (1869) and it goes like this (according to a 1969 book about the art of turkish cooking): Apparently the Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon the III, was in Istanbul as a guest of the Ottoman Emperor, the Sultan Abdulaziz. She madly loved the aubergines purée they offered her as a dish, which was a specialty of the Topkapi Palace. She asked the Emperor if he would allow his cook to teach her chef from France how to cook it so to take the recipe back with them. The sultan was happy with that. The next day the Empress's chef having with him his recipe book and his scales (for a detailed description of the recipe to be written down) went to the kitchens but the Palace chef threw him out and, the legend has it, he said to the Frenchman "An Imperial chef cooks using his feelings, his eyes, his nose!!"... After that the Empress didn't insist and she returned to France without the recipe of her favourite dish. The same story is also mentioned in a historic book of 1998 regarding the History of the Ottoman Empire. Regardless of the story behind this recipe the fact remains that it is a super delicious dish and nothing else really matters!!! This version today is slightly different from the traditional one but don't miss the chance to try it out. If you don't like lamb feel free to substitute with beef
Mastic is a divine ingredient and nowadays more and more often you find it included in various sweet and savoury dishes. This is a classic version of home made biscuits
This is one of many different doughs we use in Greece for home made little pastries (but also to use for large pies). It's good to have a recipe like this because it is simple and not much time is needed. A home made dough always gives the opportunity to use our imagination for various types of filling. It is very tasty and with a nice texture
Yoghurt in Greek cuisine has been used for ages and in many different ways. Here is a traditional recipe with very simple ingredients and a very simple way of cooking but with a delicious result. A recipe that mainly comes from up North Greece but, with a few variations, it can be found in other areas as well. In some areas we find the recipe cooked with "Hylopites", the Greek "egg noodles" . Others though insist that the recipe goes better with any type of tubular pasta (like macaroni, penne etc)
This is a delicious meze for all seasons but during the Summer months is even more enjoyable since you can share it with friends having a nice cold beer or ouzo! The key ingredient here is the good quality of feta cheese. It is an easy recipe to make and you could cook the peppers in the oven or shallow fry them. The result in both cases is mouth watering...
