Attention travel and holiday lovers!

Are you looking for something fun to do this Sunday?  Do you love holidays and travel?  And the flavours of European cuisines?

The free Holiday & Travel Show is on again this weekend at the Hordern Pavilion, Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, Sydney from 10am to 4:30pm.

I’ll be there on Sunday on the Flavours of the World Cuisine Stage talking about my two critically acclaimed television series: Lyndey & Blair's Taste of Greece and Lyndey Milan's Taste of Ireland (currently screening on 7TWO on Sundays at 12noon).  As well as discussing my travel in these two beautiful countries, I’ll be cooking a couple of my favourite recipes.  Presentation times are:  

11:30am - 12:15pm
Tales and tastes from the historic heart of Greece served with a side of much-loved tzatziki and a nibble of grilled haloumi and flat bread

1:00pm -1:45pm
More than potatoes ... my stories of Ireland's abundant produce, charming characters and majestic scenes.  I'll be cooking Irish classic treat, drop scones with berry compote

After both sessions I’ll be signing copies of my latest cookbooks which will be for sale at special prices:

Lyndey & Blair’s Taste of Greece – book to accompany the series

RRP $50 Special price $40

Lyndey & Blair’s Taste of Greece 7-episode DVD
RRP $30 Special price $25

Just Add Spice

RRP $50 Special price $40

Lyndey Milan The Best Collection

RRP $50 Special price $40

Balance Matching Food and Wine. What Works and Why.

RRP $35 Special price $30

Entry to the show and my sessions are free!

Hope to see you there

Last Taste of Greece

The final episode of Lyndey & Blair’s Taste of Greece will air this Thursday night at 8pm on SBS One. I have been overwhelmed by messages of support and the ratings have been excellent. Many others have commented that they didn’t know how good Greek food could be, or that they now wanted to visit or re-visit Greece. I am also pleased that Blair’s terrific performance as a presenter has been immortalised.

This week we go to Olympia where Blair energetically runs the length of the original ancient Olympic stadium in only 25 seconds! We also visit Mercouri Wine Estate, where this precious photo was taken:

At Mercouri we tasted wine made with Refosco grapes which I also used with trachanas in a stuffing for lamb. Trachanas is a traditional Greek ingredient made by combining soured milk (usually goat’s) with cracked wheat. I used it in my stuffing recipe, but more traditionally it is made into porridge or added to soup. It is rich and nourishing. Comfort food, Greek style.

Next up we diversify from traditional Greek cooking at Aldemar Restaurant where, after learning how to prepare peppers stuffed with feta and graviera and rabbit stifado, we are treated to quite a different menu for our finale dinner: modern Greek food which draws on Greek tradition but creates something more contemporary. This was also my birthday. Don’t miss this last episode.

To other news, SBS are releasing the DVD of Lyndey & Blair’s Taste of Greece series on 3 August. Click here to order.

I’m also busily working on Lyndey & Blair’s Taste of Greece the cookbook, which should be out next year in time for Mothers’ day. The book will contain a mix of traditional and modern recipes as well as beauty shots of the majestic Peloponnese and stills from the series.

Lyndey & Blair’s Taste of Greece media launch at Sydney Studio Kitchen

You may know that the first episode of the television series I shot with my late son, Blair, in Greece aired at 8pm last Thursday night on SBS One. In the week prior, we hosted a dinner at Sydney Studio Kitchen for twenty journalists to launch the series.

For the night our Sydney Studio Kitchen was transformed from a television studio into a glamorous event space, complete with gorgeous little jars of olive branches.

We even decorated the napkins with olive branches and Greek evil eyes (which actually are lucky charms).

The menu was Greek (of course!), some courses from the show, others inspired by it and included: 

Haloumi, about to be grilled until golden brown, and served with a spritz of lemon

Baby prawns which were deep fried until crisp  

Tiny white fish got the same treatment 

 I helped out by preparing the mezethes in the set kitchen 

My fabulous mates Julie Ballard and her son Andrew (pictured) prepared the entree, main course and dessert. We began with an easy Mediterranean fish soup, much easier than the traditional kakavia. My good friend, Greek-born chef Janni Kyritsis proudly told me it was the precursor to the popular French bouillabaisse coming from the Phoenicians, an Ancient Greek people who founded Marseille in 600 BC.

For mains, we feasted on goat two ways – grilled long rib cutlets with rigani and stewed shoulder and leg with eggplant and tomatoes (from episode 2 so don’t miss it!), lemon potatoes, horta (wild greens) and my favourite marouli salad – a fresh mix of cos lettuce and dill. The mains were served ‘family-style’ as is traditional in Greece, in the middle of the table.

Dessert was Greek rice pudding, known as Rizogalo, which we served drizzled with fragrant Greek honey and poached quinces.

Executive Producer, John Caldon with Erik Dwyer, Executive Producer Food & Leisure, SBS 

Yasmin Newman, MasterChef Magazine, Jessica Brook, delicious magazine and Deb McDiarmid, Sydney Studio Kitchen

As well as Greek wine, we also drank ouzo

Feedback on the first episode has been fantastic. The second episode airs at 8pm on Thursday 2 June on SBS One.

Duo of Greek dips

I’m reliving my recent trip to Greece through cooking.

I fell in love with Fava – a bright yellow split pea puree that is usually served as part of mezethes (or mezze). On the menu they were listed as chick peas but on further research I found that fava in fact are split yellow peas. It is delicious scooped up on fresh bread. Look for the split peas at a Greek grocer, Indian market (called yellow dal moong) or your local grocery store. Sprinkle the top with some finely sliced onion (though in Greece they would serve quarters) and some good olives. I am still not sure why in Greece they were bright yellow – perhaps some saffron was added to the cooking water? Does anyone know?

My trip to Greece also reminded me how good home made Tzatziki is, rather than shop bought, especially when made with sheep’s milk yoghurt. For best results you need to strain the yoghurt – I spoon it into a fine strainer (or piece of muslin) placed over a larger bowl and refrigerate overnight to drain. The secret to this dip is an ample slug of your best olive oil.

Here is a link to the recipes on my main site.

Yia sas from Crete

Wild artichokes

Click here to read about my eating and drinking adventures in Crete.