MY GREEK TABLE WITH DIANE KOCHILAS Season 2


#201 - Aegean Cuisine
In this episode, Diane introduces viewers to the rich and varied cuisine of the two main island groups in the Aegean: the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. A visual introduction highlights the region’s most stunning vistas and seminal foods. In the kitchen, Diane cooks from her basket of Greek island goodies, sharing recipes from Syros, Amorgos, Rhodes and Santorini, while she weaves the aromatic story of one of Greece’s most delicious food destinations.

Syros Chopped Parsley Salad
Yellow Split Pea and Herb Keftedes over “Married” Capers
Fish Wrapped in Grape Leaves


#202 - You Say Tomato, I Say Domata
Can anyone imagine Greek cuisine without the tomato? When this relative newcomer arrived in Greece it was at first disparaged and feared. It took a curious Capuchin monk living on one of the oldest streets in the world, in the Plaka section of Athens, to first plant this new-world vegetable in the 18th century. From there, the tomato spread to Santorini, where it has been a staple crop ever since. And the rest is history. Diane follows the path of this most basic food, all the while cooking up some of Greece’s most delectable tomato-based dishes.

Tomatoes & Bread 3 Ways; Bruschetta, Ladenia and Pizza
My Son’s Favorite Beef Stew - Kokkinisto
Green Bean Yiahni


#203 - Beans for Humanity
Beans and legumes are among the most ancient foods in Greece, a mainstay of the Greek-Mediterranean Diet. But they also provide a kind of edible philanthropy, as Diane discovers in a visit with the founder and volunteers of a humanitarian group that sets up a street side pot of bean soup for anyone in need. They delve into the subject of the soup itself and the role of beans and pulses in Greek culinary history. As a humble food, pulses have sustained Greeks from prehistoric times to the present. We discover the varieties of different Greek beans and pulses as Diane strolls through the market, then heads to her own kitchen to cook up three delectable Greek bean dishes.

Classic Fasolada (bean soup)
Baked Giant Beans with Honey and Dill
Braised Chickpeas with Pork Shanks


#204 - Ancient Greece for Modern Cooks
Honey. Figs. Olives. Olive Oil. Cheeses. Nuts. Snails. Spices. These are just a few of the foods that mark one of the most characteristic aspects of Greek cuisine: the continuity of ingredients from as far back as Neolithic times antiquity to the present. In a magical tour of Athens that stretches from a walk with Diane through the bustling modern market to the Ancient Agora with Dr. John Camp, one of the rock stars of archeology, this episode explores the history of this ancient cuisine, making it delightfully relevant to our needs and tastes today. Back in the kitchen, Diane prepares an ancient feast for modern cooks, based on ingredients that have been part of this diet for thousands of years. She even cooks in an earthenware pot whose design has stood the test of time.

Phyllo Wrapped Feta with Poppy Seeds and Honey
Roasted Chicken Stuffed with Olives and Figs
Clay- baked Lentils with Spices, Honey and Vinegar


#205 - Greek Yogurt for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
At a local yogurt purveyor in Athens, Diane enjoys a true Greek classic: thick, tart Greek yogurt with honey, great for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Delving into this simple pleasure leads her on an excursion to a small artisanal producer of Greek yogurt in the mountains of the Peloponnese. He follows the whole process of making yogurt and learns the secrets of setting then straining this iconic Greek food. Back in the kitchen, Diane prepares scrumptious dishes that illustrate the versatility of Greek yogurt for every meal of the day.

Zucchini-Yogurt Savory Pie
Lamb Baked in Greek Yogurt
Greek Yogurt Cheesecake


#206 - Taste the Music: The Aromatic Cuisine of the Asian Minor Greeks
Almost 100 years ago, Greeks from the shores of Asia Minor, present-day Turkey, emigrated en masse into Greece, inundating areas, among them the port of Piraeus and environs, forever changing both the flavors and music of their adopted homeland. Amid the riffs of their rebetika music, in one of the oldest tavernas in Greece, Diane tells the story of how their exodus and arrival on Greek shores brought the likes of exotic spices, luscious urbane recipes and soulful music to Greece.
Back in her kitchen, she cooks up a selection of the most famous dishes these Greeks have brought to the mainland and which have become an indelible part of the culinary tapestry.

Pita Kaisarias (phyllo cups with pasturma and kaseri cheese)
Soutzoukakia Smyrneika (cumin-scented meatball sausages In tomato sauce)
Eggplant Stuffed with Onions, Raisins and Grape Molasses



#207 - Kalimera! Breakfast and Brunch
Kalimera! That’s Greek for Good Morning, and in this episode, Diane explores the varied ways to start the day with Greek-style breakfast and brunch. From Greece’s unique coffee culture to the gentle herbal teas that are at once soothing and therapeutic, Diane explores the day’s first sips then delves into sweet and savory regional breakfast and brunch specialties, from the islands and mainland. Finally, in a nod to modern times, she whips up a brunch cocktail classic, a Mimosa made with traditional Greek ingredients.

Herbal Tea
Froutalia with Potatoes and Sausages
Greek Yogurt Pancakes with Currants and Honey
Sweet Milk Pie with Phyllo
Greek Mimosa


#208 - Chewing the Sea
Nothing speaks more to Greek cuisine and to Greece itself than the image of traditional fishing boats plying the waters of a crystal-clear blue sea. In this episode, Diane visits a local fisherman and fish taverna to learn the secrets of sustainable fish cookery. Along the way, she discovers some of the local fish and seafood that thrive as well as those that are endangered. On the dock, she makes a traditional fish soup, kakavia, with the captain. Back in her own kitchen, she cooks up a stormy sea of treats, all environmentally sound and sustainable, sharing with her American audience some of the practices we can all abide by in order to preserve our natural bounty.

Taramosalata
Fish a la Spetsiota
Seafood Kritharoto (orzo risotto)


#209 - Lemon, Oregano & Smoke - The Greek Grill
In Greece, they say you can learn to cook, but you’re born to grill. For sure, cooking over fire is one of the most ancient ways to enjoy a whole variety of meats, fish, even vegetables. Today, we’re focusing on the traditions of grilling in Greece, a hero’s feast, so to speak. Even battle-hardened warriors savored the succulent smoky flavors of grilled meats to celebrate victory. In this episode, Diane visits one of the best-known Greek grill chefs to learn the secrets of cooking over fire. We will see him butchering and Diane will talk about the difference between Greek and US cuts of meat.

Arugula Salad with Grilled Pears and Grilled Haloumi
Grilled Chicken Legs with Tomato-Olive Paste Barbecue Sauce
Greek Burgers


#210 - Greek Comforts
Greek food is by nature the ultimate comfort food thanks to the wealth of rustic home cooking that defines the cuisine. In this episode, Diane explores specialties from the Ionian island of Zakynthos to the Aegean island of Tinos, adding her own twist with some modern comforts, too. Back in the kitchen, she makes a juicy chicken casserole, a vegetarian moussaka, whips up feta mashed potatoes, and waxes poetic about the ultimate grilled cheese -- it’s Greek, of course!

Zakynthos Chicken Sartsa
Artichoke Moussaka
Feta Mashed Potatoes
Spanakopita Grilled Cheese


#211 - Tears of Joy! - Retsina
At a seaside tavern along the Attica Coast, Diane is enjoying a typical summer meal: an array of vibrant, robust mezedes and the wine most appropriate to pair with them, retsina. Greece’s most famous wine has evolved from the piney, overwhelming quaff of yore to a sleek, contemporary, light, aromatic white wine made from the Savatiano grape. Diane follows the last resin tapper in Attica to the Kouvara pine forest to see how the resin that gives retsina its characteristic flavor is extracted, and delves into the ancient history of this fascinating wine. Back in the kitchen, Diane uses retsina as an ingredient in her recipes and also prepares recipes that pair well with this iconic Greek classic.

Skordalia, Garlicky Dip with Potatoes and Walnuts
Beet Salad with Garlic
Shrimp Marinated with Retsina
Batter-Fried Cod for Skordalia


#212 - The Athens Vibe
In this love song to her adopted city, Diane explores the hip side of Athens, which tourists seldom get to see, and invites a friend and local foodie into her kitchen for a taste and talk of fascinating Athens. Under Diane’s insightful guidance, we catch an insider’s glimpse of everything from street art to street food, galleries to hipster bars, and life the way the locals live it in this city on the cusp of reinventing itself as one of the most exciting capitals in Europe. Nowhere is the Athens vibe more evident than in the modern but deeply rooted cuisine that defines this city’s food culture today. In the kitchen, Diane pays homage to modern traditions by reinventing a few classics. She makes an easy pastitsio with wonton wrappers, gives cauliflower and feta a makeover, and, enjoys the contemporary Greek dessert that she and her friend Carolina make together.

Bohemian Pastitsio
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Feta and Honey
Mosaico, Carolina’s Rocky Road No-Bake Cake


#213 - Hercules Table
Every region of Greece has its own unique character and cuisine, and today Diane visits Nemea and Argos, in the Eastern Peloponnese, home to some of Greece’s most famous wines as well as some of its most delectable dishes. Together with a village cook in the town square, she learns to make an amazing homemade local pasta dish and an irresistible cheesy skillet pie. Back in the kitchen, she prepares an easy sautéed spinach and orange recipe, tender braised pork with cabbage, and special cookies made with olive oil.

Spinach Cooked with Oranges and Garlic
Hoirino Me Mapa (pork and cabbage stew)
Melomakarona (olive oil-walnut cookies)