Like most Greek women of her generation, Sofia cooks with her heart, eyes and a well used copy of the famous Greek cookbook Tselementes. Over the decades, Sofia has been guided by Tselementes but crafted her own recipes based on two things: the memories of dishes cooked by her own Yiayia and Sofia’s own highly developed ‘Ionian’ palette. Sofia’s skill in the kitchen is a testament to the fact that cooking is so much more than just learning to follow a recipe. These are her tips.
Plan ahead. Throughout her decades in the kitchen, Sofia has fallen into a natural routine of planning ahead. Sofia often creates her dishes over two days: shopping in the morning, while preparing and cleaning ingredients in the afternoon, The next day, the slow cooking process starts early in the morning and the the finished dish is then ready for the main meal of the day – lunch!
Cook and eat with the seasons. Sofia only cooks food in season. She knows what produce is available locally and the time of year it is at its best. More the better if you grow your own. Eating and cooking with the seasons provides your body with the particular nutrients you need at a specific time of the year, Just think vitamin C pack citrus that peaks at its best during the winter flu season! Sofia also cooks and eats in accordance with the Greek orthodox calendar, observing regular periods of fasting (and eating simply) and the occasionally celebratory feast throughout the year.
Grow your own and shop at the farmer’s market. Sofia is connected to the changing seasons thorough my father in law’s abundant garden. There is nothing better than eating food you have grown in your own garden and the delight is always evident on Arthur’s face when he provides me with a beautiful bouquet of greens and herbs, a basket of citrus – or his Australian favourites, avocados and mangoes. For those things you don’t grow, shop at the farmer’s market. In Greece, Sofia would always shop at her twice weekly neighbourhood farmers market (called Laiki agora). On my very first day in Athens, Sofia took me to her local market and talked me through the huge bunches of wild greens available, which we later took home and cooked in a warm salad with lots of olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
Go slow. No great dish was created in a hurry. Many classic Greek dishes require a long, slow cook. Sofia warns against the temptations of using the biggest burner on your stove top to speed up the process. Always use the smallest burner for slow cooked dishes. This will ensure the base of your pot does not burn and then spoil your dish.
Homemade only. With the exception of the rare packet of Greek branded pasta or a barley rusks, you won’t find any packaged or processed foods in Sofia’s kitchen. Sofia advises that you should never buy any product your yiayia wouldn’t recognise. Before buying anything, always read the labels and avoid any products with listed ingredients you don’t know.
Tomatoes. The absolute essential in Sofia’s kitchen. Never kept in the fridge there is always a kilo or two of ripe tomatoes spread out on a platter in a single layer, a constant still life display on Sofia’s kitchen bench. Sofia advises to always use fresh tomatoes and there is many a time I have walked into the kitchen and seen her elegant, small hands grating fresh, super ripe tomatoes on a box grater. In winter, when the tomatoes are less ripe, Sofia blanches halved tomatoes in boiling water and then pushes them through a metal sieve with an olive wood pestle. When making a sauce with tomatoes, Sofia recommends always letting the mixture boil rapidly until all of the liquid evaporates. While tinned tomatoes don’t have a place in Sofia’s kitchen, tomato paste is a staple – especially the Greek brands that have minimal salt added.
Fish and seafood. Being an islander, Sofia’s most favourite things are the very freshest fish and seafood. Sofia advises to always interrogate your fishmonger on the origins of your seafood and how it was caught. In particular, seek out line caught fish. Once the fish is in her kitchen, Sofia will always scrupulously clean it. Her favourite cleaning weapon is a (frequently replaced) toothbrush. This is used to clean the inside of whole fish. Sofia says fish should be cleaned to the point where, when it is placed under a running tap, the water runs clear and is not cloudy. When it comes to seafood particularly kalamari or octopus, Sofia’s cleaning weapon of choice is a knitting needle. It is used to carefully turn the hoods of these sea creatures inside out to remove any grit, sand or anything else. Again, run under water until it becomes clear.
Wine. Sofia only ever uses dry white wine for cooking. When added to a dish, Sofia will bring the wine to the boil to ensure all of all of the alcohol vapour is cooked off before moving onto the next step in a recipe.
Olive oil. The only oil that should be in your kitchen and the only one you should ever use is extra virgin olive oil (Greek if possible). Extra virgin olive oil is used in everything from Sofia’s phyllo to her simple tomato sauce. Sofia loves her olive oil as it comes from her home island, Zakynthos. This oil from the shores of the Ionian Sea is very low in acid, smooth and buttery. Conversely, my father in law likes his olive oil as it comes from his Peloponnesian mountain home: a yellow-green, peppery punch. If you skimp on the olive oil in any of Sofia’s recipes, their basic and most characteristic flavour will be lost.
Artichokes. Spring is the cause of great delight in Sofia’s kitchen, none more so than when the first tender artichokes of the season arrive. Sofia says always look for plump, firm stems and tight leaves. The inner circle of leaves should form a small, tight hole in the center of the vegetable. Hold the artichoke in the palm of your hand – a heavy artichoke means it’s moist and fresh. When artichokes are fresh, the leaves make a squeaking noise when squeezed together. In Australia, Sofia recommends mid September as peak artichoke season.
Walnuts. Another staple in Sofia’s kitchen. They are always bought in the shell as they are much fresher than the pre-shelled variety that you can buy in a packet.
Almonds. Sofia always soaks almonds overnight and then allows to dry, before eating.
Onions. Sofia distinguishes between “fresh” (the white bulb of spring onions) and “dry” onions – white, brown and red onions. While in Australia we can’t get the super sweet “nerokremdia” or water onions of Sofia’s native Zakynthos, you can add slices of red onion to chilled water for 10-15 minutes to remove their “bite” when adding to salads.
Cheese. Along with good quality feta, Sofia always has a ‘hard’ cheese on the ready in her kitchen. In Greece, Sofia uses ‘ladotyri’ a sheep milk cheese preserved and cured in olive oil, which is native to Zakynthos. In Australia, Sofia substitutes ladotyri for a very good quality sheep milk pecorino cheese.
Salt and pepper. Sofia always uses a good quality sea salt for cooking and at the table. Pepper is always the freshly ground variety, with the exception of a little white pepper which is used judiciously in white sauce.
