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Souvlaki For The Soul
A light hearted look covering the world of food. Greek food a specialty. Get your aprons ready and join me in the kitchen now.
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New Surroundings
2007-03-03 11:49:16
Hello again.....I know its been a while. I have had a lot on lately, including finding a new stylish environment for Souvlaki For The Soul. I now have it!!! It's a little on the cool side but I think I like it. I just need more opinions from everyone else.This blog was never going to be set in stone about how it was going to operate. It was always going to evolve and change. I have been examining a few ideas. Soon you will see a recipe section. A lot of readers want to contribute and I am asking for recipe ideas and contributions. God any food ideas will do. I want it to be a lot more interactive. I will also be including a Biteclub recipe portion where the people involved on Biteclub share their favourite recipes.Just bear with me. I had no idea about websites up until a few months ago. Now that I have explored I want to go further.Thanks everyone. Just look out for the forthcoming changes on this fabulous food blog.Pete
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IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME...IN BONDI
2007-02-18 11:55:50
Aaah!! the beautiful vista of Bondi Beach. What a great view and what a fantastic environment to hold another Biteclub. This time it was Ryan and Arthur's turn to host. Arthur gave up his computer skills for the day and Ryan stopped rooting canals to lay out a feast in true typical Greek fashion. Having been inspired by my previous articles on Greek food they decided to up the ante. Did they ever!!! Now, yours truly wasn't privvy to this gastronomical feast. I was busy in the city of Angels having a post Grammy food affair of my own. (More on that in another post). I was, as the official Biteclub blogger given an account of the evening. So forgive me in this jetlagged haze if it all sounds too brief. Biteclub is beginning to get competitive!!! The stakes are high to produce delicious and flavoursome food. Hmmm...I'm already sweating at what I'm going to make. I digress...So the boys started off with spanakopita. For all of you who don't watch SBS or didn't grow up in Mel ...
Bondi
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IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME...IN BONDI
2007-02-18 11:55:50
Aaah!! the beautiful vista of Bondi Beach. What a great view and what a fantastic environment to hold another Biteclub. This time it was Ryan and Arthur's turn to host. Arthur gave up his computer skills for the day and Ryan stopped rooting canals to lay out a feast in true typical Greek fashion. Having been inspired by my previous articles on Greek food they decided to up the ante. Did they ever!!! Now, yours truly wasn't privvy to this gastronomical feast. I was busy in the city of Angels having a post Grammy food affair of my own. (More on that in another post). I was, as the official Biteclub blogger given an account of the evening. So forgive me in this jetlagged haze if it all sounds too brief. Biteclub is beginning to get competitive!!! The stakes are high to produce delicious and flavoursome food. Hmmm...I'm already sweating at what I'm going to make. I digress...So the boys started off with spanakopita. For all of you who don't watch SBS or didn't grow up ...
Bondi
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THE HOLY TRINITY
2007-02-10 11:45:54
What you are seeing above is the Holy Trinity. Well, not in a religious sense of course. This is the Holy Trinity of Greek cooking and food. These 3 ingredients make a very huge impact on the way Greek food is prepared. Lemon juice, olive oil and oregano. Or "rigani" as is it is pronounced in Greek. This oregano by the way, is not some pre packaged ingredient you will find in your local multi chain supermarket. Its a mountain oregano. Picked fresh and left out in the summer months to dry. It is then crumbled and stored for use in the later part of the year. Aah!!! the memories with my grandma. I can almost here the bouzouki playing again...The olive oil is of a very superior quality. Extra virgin of course. Thought to be life giving by the ancient greek gods. I was reading the other day that alot of the Italian olive oil producers buy the oil from Greece and re package it as Italian....hmmmm. I'm not even going to touch that one! Let's not forget the lemons. Plentiful ...
Trinity
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THE HOLY TRINITY
2007-02-10 11:45:54
What you are seeing above is the Holy Trinity. Well, not in a religious sense of course. This is the Holy Trinity of Greek cooking and food. These 3 ingredients make a very huge impact on the way Greek food is prepared. Lemon juice, olive oil and oregano. Or "rigani" as is it is pronounced in Greek. This oregano by the way, is not some pre packaged ingredient you will find in your local multi chain supermarket. Its a mountain oregano. Picked fresh and left out in the summer months to dry. It is then crumbled and stored for use in the later part of the year. Aah!!! the memories with my grandma. I can almost here the bouzouki playing again...The olive oil is of a very superior quality. Extra virgin of course. Thought to be life giving by the ancient greek gods. I was reading the other day that alot of the Italian olive oil producers buy the oil from Greece and re package it as Italian....hmmmm. I'm not even going to touch that one! Let's not forget the lemons. Plentif ...
Trinity
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SAY CHEESE
2007-02-07 11:14:37
I'm back and it feels great!!!As I promised yesterday I'm itching to get back into the kitchen. After a busy week that included Biteclub I feel like cooking greek food. Or maybe "greek style food". Let's not get too involved with what constitutes "greek food". When I head into a greek restaurant on the odd occassion, I certainly don't see my mother and father's cooking on display. It's similar but not the same. Moving on...As I returned form the Fox Studios Farmers Markets with a whole bunch of goodies, my mind was racing about what I was going to prepare. I remembered the halloumi cheese I had bought the other day at Broadway. I looked at my banana chilles, and I thought voila!!! A marriage made in heaven. Halloumi cheese originates from Cyprus and is traditionally made from a mixture of goats and sheeps milk. Naturally its hard and quite salty and has very similar characteristics to mozzarella. It has Jekyll and Hyde characteristics though!!! Cook it and it goes soft!!!.. ...
Cheese
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SAY CHEESE
2007-02-07 11:14:37
I'm back and it feels great!!!As I promised yesterday I'm itching to get back into the kitchen. After a busy week that included Biteclub I feel like cooking greek food. Or maybe "greek style food". Let's not get too involved with what constitutes "greek food". When I head into a greek restaurant on the odd occassion, I certainly don't see my mother and father's cooking on display. It's similar but not the same. Moving on...As I returned form the Fox Studios Farmers Markets with a whole bunch of goodies, my mind was racing about what I was going to prepare. I remembered the halloumi cheese I had bought the other day at Broadway. I looked at my banana chilles, and I thought voila!!! A marriage made in heaven. Halloumi cheese originates from Cyprus and is traditionally made from a mixture of goats and sheeps milk. Naturally its hard and quite salty and has very similar characteristics to mozzarella. It has Jekyll and Hyde characteristics though!!! Cook it and it goes sof ...
Cheese
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BACK ON TRACK
2007-02-06 10:31:08
I've been a little busy this last week and haven't had the opportunity to get cooking. That will all change by tomorrow.I have some fantastic recipes lined up that I'm planning on trying. Firstly I will be hightlighting some greek food. Otherwise known as soul food cooking for me!!! Of course these will be free recipes and I hope you get a chance to put them into action. Also, even though the weather is a little humid at the moment I plan on doing some baking.Food, glorious food!!!Pete ...
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BACK ON TRACK
2007-02-06 10:31:08
I've been a little busy this last week and haven't had the opportunity to get cooking. That will all change by tomorrow.I have some fantastic recipes lined up that I'm planning on trying. Firstly I will be hightlighting some greek food. Otherwise known as soul food cooking for me!!! Of course these will be free recipes and I hope you get a chance to put them into action. Also, even though the weather is a little humid at the moment I plan on doing some baking.Food, glorious food!!!Pete
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"CAN YOU GET COLCANNON IN CALABRIA?"
2007-01-30 17:46:22
A sense of routine is returning to Sydney. Stores are fully opened pegging their wares for Valentine's Day, kids are returning to school and Biteclub is on again tonight. Our self appointed secretary, Jason had also returned from a three week vacation in South America. So I was looking forward to hearing some great holiday stories. Tonight's Biteclub was being hosted by Noel and Sarina. Sarina is of Italian descent and Noel hails from Ireland. They had hosted two before this one with great success. I was dying to know what they had planned or more importantly what they were cooking. As I entered their stylish inner city premises, I was greeted by Darcy (their lovely dog) and the sounds of a busy stove. Mmmm...was that tomato I could smell or garlic? As I sipped my first beer and got my camera ready I thought to myself, "can you get colcannon in Calabria?"....hmmm. As the rest of the biteclubbers arrived and the sun set on a sultry Sydney evening (try saying that a few times i ...
Calabria
Colcannon
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"CAN YOU GET COLCANNON IN CALABRIA?"
2007-01-30 17:46:22
A sense of routine is returning to Sydney. Stores are fully opened pegging their wares for Valentine's Day, kids are returning to school and Biteclub is on again tonight. Our self appointed secretary, Jason had also returned from a three week vacation in South America. So I was looking forward to hearing some great holiday stories. Tonight's Biteclub was being hosted by Noel and Sarina. Sarina is of Italian descent and Noel hails from Ireland. They had hosted two before this one with great success. I was dying to know what they had planned or more importantly what they were cooking. As I entered their stylish inner city premises, I was greeted by Darcy (their lovely dog) and the sounds of a busy stove. Mmmm...was that tomato I could smell or garlic? As I sipped my first beer and got my camera ready I thought to myself, "can you get colcannon in Calabria?"....hmmm. As the rest of the biteclubbers arrived and the sun set on a sultry Sydney evening (try saying that a few times ...
Calabria
Colcannon
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EGGS...ELLENT
2007-01-28 15:22:00
Aaaahh!!! The humble egg. The controversy that surrounds this food item is amazing. I like to think of it as the "Paris Hilton" of the food world. One week loved, another week vilified. Lots of special appearances in many countries' recipes around the globe. Nutritionists and food experts love talking about it. One week it is being blamed for the cause of high cholesterol, yet speak to any athlete or bodybuilder and they will all talk about its superior protein prowess.I neither love eggs or hate them. They are definitely essential in any kitchen and most recipes use them. The gourmet and cooking world would feel naked without them. I like their versatility. Crack 'em add a little milk, heat up a pan and voila! An omelette! Or you can scramble them. Or boil them. Bake them...you get the drift. The Australian Egg Corporation has a wonderful website promoting many uses and recipes for it. Check it out!!! Even I was surprised.I personally like to use eggs to make omelettes ...
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EGGS...ELLENT
2007-01-28 15:22:00
Aaaahh!!! The humble egg. The controversy that surrounds this food item is amazing. I like to think of it as the "Paris Hilton" of the food world. One week loved, another week vilified. Lots of special appearances in many countries' recipes around the globe. Nutritionists and food experts love talking about it. One week it is being blamed for the cause of high cholesterol, yet speak to any athlete or bodybuilder and they will all talk about its superior protein prowess.I neither love eggs or hate them. They are definitely essential in any kitchen and most recipes use them. The gourmet and cooking world would feel naked without them. I like their versatility. Crack 'em add a little milk, heat up a pan and voila! An omelette! Or you can scramble them. Or boil them. Bake them...you get the drift. The Australian Egg Corporation has a wonderful website promoting many uses and recipes for it. Check it out!!! Even I was surprised.I personally like to use eggs to make omelett ...
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WHAT CAME FIRST? THE CHICKEN OR THE RICE?...
2007-01-26 07:24:06
I had a smile on my face as I prepared the above dish. Here I was, an Australian of Greek descent, cooking Singapore Chicken Rice. On Australia Day!!! While everyone was out having barbecues, I awoke from a jetlagged slumber craving comfort food. My comfort food cravings or CFC for short, always depend on the weather. In winter think of casseroles and mash. During Sydney's sub tropical summer, I prefer South East Asian food. Having spent a number of years on and off in Singapore and Bangkok, I developed a love for a certain number of dishes. One in particular is the classic Singapore Chicken Rice. This dish needs its own bodyguard when it appears on a menu. Yes, it's that famous!!! Recipes and cooking methods have been passed down through years, each one bearing its own signature. Trying to get a "standard" recipe for this is impossible. However, through my sleuthing at various outdoor hawker venues in Singapore and a bit of internet searching I've come up with this. It in ...
Chicken
Rice
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WHAT CAME FIRST? THE CHICKEN OR THE RICE?...
2007-01-26 07:24:06
I had a smile on my face as I prepared the above dish. Here I was, an Australian of Greek descent, cooking Singapore Chicken Rice. On Australia Day!!! While everyone was out having barbecues, I awoke from a jetlagged slumber craving comfort food. My comfort food cravings or CFC for short, always depend on the weather. In winter think of casseroles and mash. During Sydney's sub tropical summer, I prefer South East Asian food. Having spent a number of years on and off in Singapore and Bangkok, I developed a love for a certain number of dishes. One in particular is the classic Singapore Chicken Rice. This dish needs its own bodyguard when it appears on a menu. Yes, it's that famous!!! Recipes and cooking methods have been passed down through years, each one bearing its own signature. Trying to get a "standard" recipe for this is impossible. However, through my sleuthing at various outdoor hawker venues in Singapore and a bit of internet searching I've come up with this. It ...
Chicken
Rice
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HEIDELBERG
2007-01-25 11:42:24
This is what greeted me the moment we arrived in Heidelberg. Rich, moist succulent cakes and dainty sweets and chocolates. Move over Willy Wonka!! A sugar fix was needed and they were perfect for that craving. Those big white 'cricket balls" you see in the window display are actually long strips of biscuit pastry that are formed into a ball and deep fried. They are then dipped or rolled into a variety of chocolates and covered in nuts or coconut. Some are even filled with a hazelnut nougat. There are Cointreau flavoured ones, marzipan ones, custard ones but no low fat ones!!!...but I digress readers.An hour south of Frankfurt (well it's supposed to be an hour but after travelling on the autobahn at 180 kmh..it was a lot quicker!!!!) this quaint university town was buzzing with people walking up the main shopping drag. The temperature was hovering around eight degrees, winter woollies being the order of the day. Lots of cafe's, pubs and bakeries open. Regular shops are not all ...
Heidelberg
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HEIDELBERG
2007-01-25 11:42:24
This is what greeted me the moment we arrived in Heidelberg. Rich, moist succulent cakes and dainty sweets and chocolates. Move over Willy Wonka!! A sugar fix was needed and they were perfect for that craving. Those big white 'cricket balls" you see in the window display are actually long strips of biscuit pastry that are formed into a ball and deep fried. They are then dipped or rolled into a variety of chocolates and covered in nuts or coconut. Some are even filled with a hazelnut nougat. There are Cointreau flavoured ones, marzipan ones, custard ones but no low fat ones!!!...but I digress readers.An hour south of Frankfurt (well it's supposed to be an hour but after travelling on the autobahn at 180 kmh..it was a lot quicker!!!!) this quaint university town was buzzing with people walking up the main shopping drag. The temperature was hovering around eight degrees, winter woollies being the order of the day. Lots of cafe's, pubs and bakeries open. Regular shops are not ...
Heidelberg
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FOR BETTER OR FOR "WURST"
2007-01-24 03:11:12
Apart from bread, beer and sausages are featured strongly in the German culinary world. Sausages, or "wurst" as they are known here also come in an array of flavours. Bratwurst probably being the most popular one. But there is more to life than bratwurst, There is weiswurst, currywurst (sausages flavoured with curry) and a meatloaf type of sausage that is cut into square portions and served between a baguette roll and smothered with mustard. In fact, when you order sausages form the many outlets throughout the city, they are usually served in a crusty roll and topped with mustard. That's it. No ketchup, pickles, cheese and other peculiarities. Simple and oh so tasty!!!I managed to get to a restaurant that actually had a number of options on the menu, apart from the usual suspects of schnitzel etc...I started off with a "weis" beer. Or a wheat beer as was tanslated to me by friends. Aaaah the beer!!! This needs its own place of discussion in cyberspace. The choice here is da ...
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FOR BETTER OR FOR "WURST"
2007-01-24 03:11:12
Apart from bread, beer and sausages are featured strongly in the German culinary world. Sausages, or "wurst" as they are known here also come in an array of flavours. Bratwurst probably being the most popular one. But there is more to life than bratwurst, There is weiswurst, currywurst (sausages flavoured with curry) and a meatloaf type of sausage that is cut into square portions and served between a baguette roll and smothered with mustard. In fact, when you order sausages form the many outlets throughout the city, they are usually served in a crusty roll and topped with mustard. That's it. No ketchup, pickles, cheese and other peculiarities. Simple and oh so tasty!!!I managed to get to a restaurant that actually had a number of options on the menu, apart from the usual suspects of schnitzel etc...I started off with a "weis" beer. Or a wheat beer as was tanslated to me by friends. Aaaah the beer!!! This needs its own place of discussion in cyberspace. The choice here is d ...
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WELL BREAD
2007-01-21 16:12:57
Hi again.Today's blog entry finds me in Europe. Frankfurt, Germany to be exact. I had to dash over with work for a few days and I thought I would catch up with my friend Nick while I was in town.Now, before I continue, I must apologise in advance. My camera had issues and wasn't working properly. So therefore I missed a few food photo opps, except for my day trip to Heidelberg. You will have to rely on my descriptins for a couple of posts. Sorry!!!Now I'm not going to bore you with details about where Frankfurt is, the population etc...Watch "Getaway" or another travel show if you like. I can tell you though that Frankfurt is a very busy city. The financial heart of Europe. The Euro is a very busy boy in this town. I have visited here many times before but it had actually been about 5 years since my last visit. I was surprised. It seems the city has undergone a mini facelift. Lots of cafes and a thriving cultural centre. There is an "edge" to it, that never existed before ...
Bread
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WELL BREAD
2007-01-21 16:12:57
Hi again.Today's blog entry finds me in Europe. Frankfurt, Germany to be exact. I had to dash over with work for a few days and I thought I would catch up with my friend Nick while I was in town.Now, before I continue, I must apologise in advance. My camera had issues and wasn't working properly. So therefore I missed a few food photo opps, except for my day trip to Heidelberg. You will have to rely on my descriptins for a couple of posts. Sorry!!!Now I'm not going to bore you with details about where Frankfurt is, the population etc...Watch "Getaway" or another travel show if you like. I can tell you though that Frankfurt is a very busy city. The financial heart of Europe. The Euro is a very busy boy in this town. I have visited here many times before but it had actually been about 5 years since my last visit. I was surprised. It seems the city has undergone a mini facelift. Lots of cafes and a thriving cultural centre. There is an "edge" to it, that never existed bef ...
Bread
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BEAUTY AND THE FEAST
2007-01-16 15:15:47
BiteClub was on again tonight and I could hardly wait to see what Michael and Tony were organising. Summer in Sydney is a fantastic time of the year. This year, its taken a while for it to get going. But finally, you can feel and smell it in the air!!! Some might wonder about the strange title for this blog entry. You see Michael and Tony have this cactus in their backyard that has actually sprouted some flowers. And one of our friends who joined BiteClub as a special guest, Mark, who actually works with plants, explained that it's rare when a cactus blooms. Apparently the flowwers don't last long. So of course everyone who arrived was immediately drawn to this beauty. And we got ready for a feast. Al fresco dining was the order of the evening. We started with plates of home made artichoke heart and lemon dip, prosciutto, mortadella and fresh figs and Michael's secret home made chicken liver pate. All accompanied with lavosh and grissini. After a quick break, we were ready ...
Beauty
Feast
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BEAUTY AND THE FEAST
2007-01-16 15:15:47
BiteClub was on again tonight and I could hardly wait to see what Michael and Tony were organising. Summer in Sydney is a fantastic time of the year. This year, its taken a while for it to get going. But finally, you can feel and smell it in the air!!! Some might wonder about the strange title for this blog entry. You see Michael and Tony have this cactus in their backyard that has actually sprouted some flowers. And one of our friends who joined BiteClub as a special guest, Mark, who actually works with plants, explained that it's rare when a cactus blooms. Apparently the flowwers don't last long. So of course everyone who arrived was immediately drawn to this beauty. And we got ready for a feast. Al fresco dining was the order of the evening. We started with plates of home made artichoke heart and lemon dip, prosciutto, mortadella and fresh figs and Michael's secret home made chicken liver pate. All accompanied with lavosh and grissini. After a quick break, we were re ...
Beauty
Feast
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WHAT A DAY!!!
2007-01-15 15:06:25
Phew!!!....It's been a hell of a day!!!! I was up quite early this morning trying to put the final touches to this blog and website in general. I had to cook some souvlaki and then set it up for a photography session. I think its come up well though. Not bad for a first timer, I say. Thank god I'm using advanced software that comes with easy instructions. I credit the lovely people at Rapidweaver for that. The Information Age nearly aged me today!!!Its quite late/early, whatever your preference is and the effects of staring at my beautiful Apple keyboard are starting to take its toll. I have to blog on another BiteClub tonight. Should be fun and am looking forward to see what Tony and Michael have got planned.See you tomorrow. ...
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WHAT A DAY!!!
2007-01-15 15:06:25
Phew!!!....It's been a hell of a day!!!! I was up quite early this morning trying to put the final touches to this blog and website in general. I had to cook some souvlaki and then set it up for a photography session. I think its come up well though. Not bad for a first timer, I say. Thank god I'm using advanced software that comes with easy instructions. I credit the lovely people at Rapidweaver for that. The Information Age nearly aged me today!!!Its quite late/early, whatever your preference is and the effects of staring at my beautiful Apple keyboard are starting to take its toll. I have to blog on another BiteClub tonight. Should be fun and am looking forward to see what Tony and Michael have got planned.See you tomorrow.
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HELLO AND G'DAY
2007-01-15 03:11:12
Welcome to Souvlaki For The Soul. I hope you can join me on this wonderful journey of food, recipes, cooking and travel. I'm not sure where this web adventure will take me but I hope it will be enjoyable for you as it will be for me.I've wanted to participate in the Information Age for a while now. I just wasn't sure how to enter this arena. You see, I love food and I love technology. Somehow I thought I could marry those two very opposite perspectives of me and turn it into this project. I love to cook and I love to eat. I also love computers. Specifically Apple Macs. (I only learnt about them a year ago!!! Where had I been? I should have guessed. They are named after a food item!!!).So lets have some fun. Part cooking, part recipes, part restaurant reviews, part food styling/photography and the occasional foray into the world of computers. Sometimes, I'll even let you in on what's going on in other parts of my life. I will also attempt to blog about the setup of a busi ...
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HELLO AND G'DAY
2007-01-15 03:11:12
Welcome to Souvlaki For The Soul. I hope you can join me on this wonderful journey of food, recipes, cooking and travel. I'm not sure where this web adventure will take me but I hope it will be enjoyable for you as it will be for me.I've wanted to participate in the Information Age for a while now. I just wasn't sure how to enter this arena. You see, I love food and I love technology. Somehow I thought I could marry those two very opposite perspectives of me and turn it into this project. I love to cook and I love to eat. I also love computers. Specifically Apple Macs. (I only learnt about them a year ago!!! Where had I been? I should have guessed. They are named after a food item!!!).So lets have some fun. Part cooking, part recipes, part restaurant reviews, part food styling/photography and the occasional foray into the world of computers. Sometimes, I'll even let you in on what's going on in other parts of my life. I will also attempt to blog about the setup of a ...
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