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182 SEARCH RESULTS FOR: Longevity
13 February 2016
When I was a young bride, we did what almost every Greek couple at the time used to do: head to our parents for Sunday lunch. I was living in Greece, so that inevitably meant heading to my in-laws, since my family was all in New York. Lunch was always centered by some sort of roast, potatoes or pilafi, ...
5 February 2016
What do Ikaria and Fettucine Alfredo have in common? Well, nothing really, except that this version of a creamy fettucine dish is a lot like the classic Alfredo, without the eggs, butter or heavy cream. It's a dish I learned to make from my friend Eleni Karimanli on Ikaria.
28 January 2016
Cabbage is an important part of the longevity diet on Ikaria and one of the healthiest foods you can eat, rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory qualities. Ikarians cook it, of course, in several traditional ways, from braised to rolled in dolmades, but they also use cabbage as the winter salad staple, often tossed with dill and grated carrots. This recipe, ...
13 January 2016
The door to my kitchen on Ikaria opens up onto our little stone terrace and a few years ago Vassili planted an herb bed in a dirt patch he left unpaved right in the middle, under a trellis of grapes and between a few very old almond trees. We’ve planted rosemary, sage, mints, lavender, oregano, thyme, and, every spring, replenish ...
3 January 2016
Lentils have it all: They are one of the world's healthiest foods and also one its most versatile, pairing beautifully with so many dfferent vegetables, herbs and spices. They are a great source of fiber, protein, and a whole range of minerals, especially phosphate, copper and iron. On Ikaria they were and still are a staple food, richly woven ...
29 December 2015
The first time I heard about this version of stuffed cabbage I was literally sitting next to the fireplace in the home where my father grew up and where my 95-year-old Aunt Mary still lived. Until she passed away a few years ago, she was a great source of knowledge about old Ikarian dishes. She told me how when ...
24 December 2015
Xerotigana literally means dry, as in crunchy and fried. This confection, essentially dough strips fried in olive or other oil and drizzled generously with honey and nuts, is one of the classic Christmas sweets on the island. My dad made mountains of them every Christmas in our New York home, perhaps waxing nostalgic if in private about his love of ...
18 October 2015
Elegant, simple, nutritious and inexpensive! This wonderful northern Greek stew makes a great vegan or vegetarian main course as well as a satisfying side dish for roasted meats and the Thanksgiving turkey. To find some of the artisinal Greek products you'll need to make this, visit my online shop here , where you'll discover a host of lovingly curated Greek ...
13 October 2015
“Mom, can you make a lemon cake ?” this is a refrain I hear pretty often in our house, as my son, 14 and hungry just about every 20 minutes, has had a sweet tooth since he first tasted ice cream, still in the stroller, around the age of 1. I never aimed to curb it. Instead, I taught my kids to ...
23 September 2015
Greek pancakes? It seems like a stretch, but truth be told, pancakes exist in many regional variations in the Greek kitchen and are very old, traditional Greek recipes. As a working mom I’ve used these traditional Greek recipes to offer up quick, nutritious meals to my own kids. Greek-style pancakes offer up a relatively healthy alternative to the fat-, sugar-, ...
16 September 2015
“Sage tea with garlic and honey was our penicillin,” explains my friend Yiorgos Stenos, 84, in a conversation about the role that herbs play in the legendary longevity of people on Ikaria. Indeed, one of the great longevity secrets of the Ikarians has to do with the way they use the dozens of herbs that grow wild on the island. ...
18 August 2015
THREE EASY END-OF-SUMMER STUFFED TOMATO DISHES Long before we left for Ikaria, way back in late April, when it was unseasonably cold and wet here, I went to a local nursery to pick up seedlings for the garden we’d need to plant. Our garden is an integral part of the summer experience for us, and we’re lucky to have it. ...
