The Greek Star

CHICAGO---A couple of summers ago, we introduced readers to the world of Greek food blogs, highlighting several, including Kalofagas, by Peter Minakis of Toronto. Since then, Peter has left his day job as a financial advisor, and made the celebration of Greek cooking not only his passion, but his vocation. Today, the Kalofagas enterprise has evolved into more than just a food blog. Peter has become a veritable ambassador of Greek cuisine, and will soon release his first cookbook.

With the days getting longer and temperatures creeping back up, we’re beginning to crave the foods of the season ahead. A staple dish in Greece, Boureki is typically made in the summertime when there is an abundance of garden vegetables and fresh herbs, but can easily be enjoyed year-round. Different versions of this recipe can be found throughout Greece and this particular recipe is commonly prepared in the mountain villages of Crete, prepared with local Koroneiki olive oil.

Combine Eco Tourism with first-hand experience in a famed “Blue Zone” – an area of the world reknowned for the healthy and happy longevity of residents – and you have a stay at the Ikarian Wine Club on the sunny and verdant Greek island of Ikaria.

The trouble with spring is that we get eager to grill, but we can’t always count on the weather to cooperate. Admittedly, I am a fair weather griller. I know some people who gleefully brave blizzards for the joy of putting meat to searing grate. I simply am not so hardy a man. A bit of a chill or dampness in in the air is enough to scuttle my grill plans and send me back indoors. Of course, that can make planning a challenge. Coming up with a whole new menu just because I don’t want to get wet doesn’t quite work for my life. So this time of year I tend to gravitate to recipes that won’t complain if I need to move them indoors. This lemon-pepper lamb with bell pepper couscous is just such a recipe.

Internet retailer’s “Amoris” brand will feature Greek variety and more.

NEW YORK—OliveOilLovers.com, an internet retailer featuring premium-quality extra virgin olive oils from around the world, announced the release of “Amoris”, their new line of regional olive oils.

Amoris, to be sold exclusively through OliveOilLovers.com, will include a Greek olive oil harvested from Koroneiki olives of Western Crete.

“We are very excited to launch the Amoris line as we feel these are some of the best olive oils each production area has to offer,” said Joanne Lacina, President of OliveOilLovers.com. “In particular, the Greek olive oil represents a long history of first-class olive oil production in the Mediterranean.”

Opened in October 2012, OliveOilLovers.com features over 20 olive oil brands, including five Greek-specific brands, and ships anywhere in the United States. The company plans to continue its expansion to promote more of the world’s best olive oils and to provide consumer education throughout 2013.

About OliveOilLovers.com
OliveOilLovers.com is an internet retailer selling premium-quality olive oils from the world’s top producers. With organic, infused and flavored oils as well as olive oil gift sets, the website sells a wide selection of high-quality oils at competitive prices.

Anna Fotakis is one of thousands who applied for the position of Taste Master, one of the six "best jobs of the world" an offer by Tourism Australia. This competition saw applicants from around the world submitting a 30 second video explaining why they should be selected to have one of the best jobs in the world. The position of Taste Master requires one lucky winner to travel across Western Australia for six months, eating and drinking their way around the state and seeking out the best produce and culinary secrets, whilst at the same time sharing their discoveries with the world. Tourism Australia received over 500,000 applications, out of which they narrowed it down to 25 finalists for each job. Anna was one of them, and now she has to compete with the other 24 hopeful Taste Masters to make it through to the next stage.

Anna was raised in Crete, Greece and has always showed a keen interest in food. As a child she would often fall asleep at the taverna table until the lamb chops were placed in front of her and the first job she ever wanted to do was to be a professional chocolate taster. Surrounded by olive groves and vineyards, where oil and wine are still customary produced from family plots, Anna grew up appreciating how food and drink can be created with pride and love. She often seeks out the best of local eateries whenever she goes travelling, trusting that things off the beaten path will often bring the most pleasant surprises. Over the years she has attended several wine and whisky festivals and traveled across the US, Europe, and forays in Australia and the Middle East seeking the best to satisfy her taste buds.

Anna moved to Scotland to pursue studies at the University of Edinburgh in Reproductive Biology. It was here she discovered the culinary delights of the Scottish capital with great zeal and she was hired by Yelp Ltd, which was just starting out in the UK at the time. As a Yelp Scout she reviewed hundreds of eateries across Edinburgh and is still an active member today. It was also here that she became an active member of the Mediterranean Gastronomy Society, a student run society for those who love the diverse and delicious Mediterranean cuisine. In her final year she was elected President of this society and organised society events, secured funding and promoted the society and Mediterranean cuisine to young people who in some instances had never dared to try cooking a healthy meal.

   Later, Anna moved to York to complete a Masters in Bioarchaeology. It was here she was fortunate enough to be hired by the Whisky Shop, and in the space of a very short time she came to appreciate and learn a lot about whiskies, particularly Scotch, and was soon qualified to advise customers for their best purchases and attend numerous whisky tastings.

In the meantime, Anna still greatly enjoys cooking, sourcing out the best produce and going out to discover the best places to eat and drink. Now she is given the opportunity of a lifetime: to discover the culinary delights of Western Australia and to share them with the world. It goes without saying that Australia has grown a substantial food and wine industry and has gained world wide reputation for its wineries, micro-breweries and high quality food produce. Anna hopes that as a Taste Master she can share her passion and interest as well as promote West Australia and bring a new perspective and inspire a new generation from around the world to come out and discover the best Western Australia has!

In order to progress through to the next stage Anna needs as many references/ endorsements as possible, particularly from individuals related to the food and drinks industry. This can be done either by Tweeting @Australia with the tags #Anna4TasteMaster #bestjobs and short line of support, or by directly mailing your references to Anna (as long as you are happy they go public).

Anna would greatly appreciate any support for her chance to become Taste Master for West Australia.

It doesn't matter how skilled—or not— your kids are in the kitchen. This easy, fruity mousse parfait is a great Mother's Day project they can help with.

To keep it simple, we use vanilla Greek yogurt as the base for our mousse, and fold whipped cream into it for a light, airy texture. Then we layer the mixture with lightly sweetened fruit for a pretty and tasty contrast. We opted for peaches and blueberries, but any berry or diced fruit would work fine. Strawberries and bananas or raspberries and orange segments would be great combinations.

Not feeling fruity? Try a sprinkling of chopped toasted pecans and a touch of prepared caramel sauce between the layers.

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EASY BLUEBERRY-PEACH MOUSSE PARFAITS

Start to finish: 15 minutes

Servings: 6

1 cup fresh or thawed sliced peaches, diced

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Pinch of salt

1 pint heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt

In a small bowl, combine the peaches, blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Mix gently.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream and powdered sugar until it holds medium peaks. Fold the yogurt into the whipped cream until combined.

Spoon a small amount of the fruit mixture into 6 tall parfait glasses, then top with a spoonful of the yogurt mousse. Repeat layering the fruit and mousse until all of the mixtures are used up. Serve immediately.

Nutrition information per serving: 320 calories; 270 calories from fat (84 percent of total calories); 30 g fat (18 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 110 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 4 g protein; 60 mg sodium.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Alison Ladman is a recipe developer for the AP. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/CrustAndCrumbCo

Dragées Hatziyiannakis, a family business founded in Piraeus in 1950, participated at the ISM 2013, the world’s biggest confectionery trade fair in Cologne, Germany, earlier this year.

WASHINGTON - The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), a leading membership-based association for the nation’s millions of American citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes, will launch a program that will feed the needy people of Greece and benefit the local Greek economy called “The Demeter Initiative,” announced Supreme President Dr. John Grossomanides.