Grilling or smoking for me is by far the most preferred way to cook fish. There’s something utterly primal in the combination of fish and fire, since, mind you, this is just the way our great great ancestors used to cook it, right after pulling the fish out of the waters… The sea was the taste, the smoke was the spice and the fire was the soul.
Salmon is one of the most noble creatures of the sea and it deserves the noble and most traditional treatment – open fire!
Hi there!
When I posted this photo on my Facebook page I wrote “burgers and kabobs”. However, since I got quite a few complaints from my Greek speaking friends (and working in a company with a big branch in Cyprus, I have a bunch of those 🙂 ), I decided to give this post a Greek spirit. So, today we are grilling mpiftekia – Greek burgers, and souvlaki – chicken thigh fillet skewers. And yeah, you’ll get extra points if you’re able to actually pronounce those names 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi mates!
Those of you who follow my posts probably remember my origins, roots, if you like, are from Eastern Europe. Generally speaking, Russian, I would say, but being more specific, I was born in Bessarabia, a relatively small piece of land in between Moldova, Ukraine and the Black Sea. Throughout its whole history Bessarabia was a very desired trophy – it’s been conquered by Turks, Romanians, Russians and a handful of others who ruled the land for shorter periods of time… Such a mixture of cultures created a very interesting culinary fusion as well, and Bessarabia’ cooking is heavily influenced by that of the conquerors – Turkey and Romania mainly, but also Russia and Ukraine. So, today I want to show you my take on a traditional Romanian “mititei” – grilled ground meat rolls, as I remember them from my childhood.
So, the chicken breasts… One of the cheapest cuts you can get, and one might think, quite simple to cook. But here’s the catch – this cut is one of the leanest ones as well, so, to keep it succulent and tender, you will find all kinds of marinating, brining and wrapping techniques suggested in the recipes. No, I am not saying these methods won’t work… On a contrary, they will, and you’ll most probably love the results, but… what if I told you there’s a way to grill an ultimately juicy and tender chicken breast completely fuss-free and ridiculously simple? Do I have your attention now? Good! Let’s go!
To the most of us grilling is directly associated with meat… Fish, in the best case. But hey, here’s one proud carnivore who loves grilling veggies! And I must admit, I have a confession to make – I love grilling veggies. Be it an eggplant, a capiscum or asparagus – flame charred they all taste much better. Mushrooms, however, are a story of its own. Just grilled they are more of a meaty texture, but you can really take it any way your imagination goes. So here’s what I called “pizza without a dough”, and  trust me, this does taste like a pizza with mushrooms.
Unless you are a vegetarian, vegan or anything like that, you probably do like a good burger… I mean, what’s there not to like?! A nice beef patty, topped with some good cheese, veggies and a toasted bun, dressed with barbecue sauce and aioli… So here’s my take on the all times classics – beef & lamb cheeseburgers, recipe I’ve been making for the past two years, mainly because my boys simply won’t give up on it every weekend 🙂
Pork loin is one of my favorite cuts. It is equally great for steaks, kabobs or, butterflied, as a wrap for stuffing it with anything you can think of. But today I am sharing a whole pork loin roast, a classic indirect grilling made simple.
Kebab is the most popular fire-roasted dish in the Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean and South Asia. There are hundreds of ways to prepare kebabs, as well as quite a few names for it, but essentially, they all mean the same – fire roasted meat on a skewer. So here’s the way they make it in Armenia – Lulah Kebab!
This is one of the most tasty versions of stuffed chicken breasts I’ve tried. There is something in the combination of the chicken breast meat with cheese and bacon, that takes this dish one extra level higher. What’s even better – it is one of the simplest dishes as well!
Steak is the most primal thing I know… It was the first thing the caveman made when he learned roasted meat is tastier than raw one. This time I grilled it the simplest way, and I want to share with you my four essential rules for a great steak!
Blood, Fire and the Pillars of Smoke 