Since the 5th century B.C., bread was made from barley here in Greece since the morphology of the land discouraged any cultivation. From 5th century B.C. and forward, thanks to trade with Egypt, the cultivation of wheat begins to expand in Greece. Bread was a basic and very important element of the Greek diet from...
Atalanta was the daughter of Iasus (or Mainalos or Schoeneus, according to Hyginus), a Boeotian, or an Arcadian princess. Her childhood was pretty dramatic according to myth. When she was born, her father was so disappointed for having a girl instead of a boy, that took the infant and left it in the woods. One...
In Greece, it used to be a custom, children to take the names of their paternal grandparents. For example, my name is Katerina just like my father’s mother and my brother’s name is John just like my father’s father. They did it mostly to keep the generation’s name alive and out of respect for the...
Greek pastries were very limited before 1922 when the Greeks of Asia Minor came as refugees in Greece. The country was very poor and the sweets people had, were based on simple ingredients they could find in nature. Some pastry shops that existed in big cities had French inspired sweets that could be enjoyed only...
Back in the old days families used to go to church every Sunday morning. In those days, there was no television or computers or smart phones or tablets. Even telephone was a luxury that few families were able to acquire. The place, where all neighborhood was gathering to see each other and socialize, was the...
One of the things I really enjoyed while I was living in the US was Boston Cream Doughnuts. Before I headed to my class, I had done two things; unbury my car from the snow and stop by my closest Dunkin Donuts to buy two Boston creams to enjoy during my day. I was living...
Cronus father of Zeus and some of the other gods, in order to save his throne from his descendants, devoured his children the moment they were born. His wife Rhea after taking the advice of Gaia and Uranus decided to give birth to Zeus away from his cannibal fathers, so as to avoid the fate...
As a child I was a very picky and difficult to please person. My mother spent hours and hours trying to feed me and make sure that I took all the necessary vitamins and elements for my right upbringing. The range of meals I ate was as limited as counting to ten. Two of the...
Mesopotamia was a vast area that extended from the Tigris river to the Euphrates and beyond up to the Mediterranean Sea. That part included modern countries of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. This area is called Fertile Crescent because if its shape. The first settlers in the region were the Sumerians and they...
Santorini is basically what remained from a huge volcanic eruption that destroyed the earliest settlements on a formerly single island, and created the current geological caldera. Because of its volcanic soil, the island’s produce has a unique flavor. It is famous for its wines, cherry tomatoes and white eggplants. The origins of Santorini cherry tomatoes...
