I was the only one enjoying the cool and rainy July weather in Oxford, such a welcome change from sizzling, sun-scorched Kea. Understandably, though, many non-islanders were disappointed by the persistent and at times hard rain, which delayed the beginning of the much-anticipated Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, honoring Alice in Wonderland’s centenary year at Merton College’s cricket Pavilion.

Watch the SLIDESHOW

The pre-conference fundraising event, organized by Richard Stevens and the American Friends of the Symposium, featured the most colorful and imaginative buffet which included delicious hedgehog rolls with Parma ham and parmesan, jellyfish jelly with goji berries, savory dormice pastries, pinwheel salmon sandwiches, rainbow scones with an amazing clotted cream, and a green Victoria cake ‘that had sprouted magical red mushrooms’ –according to Jake Tilson‘s imaginative printed menu.

Cupcakes and lots of other delicacies were beautifully displayed on elaborate paper stands, platters. and doilies from Talking Tables, while the tea served was grown in England! Of the fifty or more participants, few were brave enough to dress in full costume, or at least wear decorative hats; so, unfortunately, there were only a few interesting creations. The talented young actor Henryk Roberts performed an amusing Mad Hatter monologue, while professor Martin Mac Con Iomaire, with his imposing baritone voice, recited the ‘Jabberwocky.’ As we were getting ready to leave two young Danish chefs from the Nordic Food Lab – established by Noma’s Rene Redzepi – served the most incredible dulse ice cream drizzled with beet and woodruff syrup.

* Read Roger Hale’s full account of the Symposium. MORE notes and slideshows from me will follow.

Read More

I am at a loss describing how I felt this morning reading about the terrible loss of a very dear friend.
Here is the letter I got…

By Ari Weinzweig

On Tuesday July 3rd, the food community lost one of its finest, Daphne Zepos, founder of Essex Street Cheese Company and co-owner of The Cheese School of San Francisco. For the past two decades, Daphne Zepos became known as a teacher, cheese monger, importer, writer, world traveler and extraordinary educator. She was one of the most outspoken, insightful and dynamic advocates for traditional cheese in the U.S. and around the world. The daughter of a Greek diplomat, Daphne grew up in living in Athens, London, Geneva, and Brussels. As a young adult, she studied Medieval History at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, and Architecture at the Architectural Association in London. In 1987 she moved to New York and enrolled in Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School. In 1990, while traveling in Greece, she met the American artist, Brad Brown. The two were married in 1994 at the San Francisco City Hall. For the next 18 years, they split their time between New York and San Francisco.  They were living in San Francisco’s Mission District when Daphne passed away, quietly at home, surrounded by her family.  The cause was cancer.  She was 52 years old.

Daphne is survived by her husband, the artist Brad Brown, as well as her parents, Costa and Greta Zepos, her sister, Amalia Zepou, and thousands of friends and fans in the world’s cheese community. (more…)

Read More

Our visitors who braved the graphic descriptions of our country’s situation and came to Kea in May enjoyed a wonderful time! Spring was late, so the weather was nicely cool. For our six-day program we had a small and intimate group. The island was still green and calm, almost untouched and far from the biting crisis. For our second group we had students from the University of Wisconsin, guided by Liz Fakazis. It was invigorating to host 21 young people eager to learn, who gave us the opportunity to share our knowledge, cook and enjoy the island together.

With our guests we dug out the new potatoes, rolled phyllo and stuffed grape leaves, savored exquisite sea-bass baked in salt crust at Magazes, roasted lamb and kid in mastelo –the traditional clay bucket from the island of Sifnos— and used our fragrant antique rose petals in a light yogurt-and-pistachio mousse. We feasted under the mulberry tree, we walked to the ‘smiling’ lion, we hiked and enjoyed the sunset on the beach.  And, as always, tasted about 31 different Greek wines and nearly 15 artisanal cheeses! (more…)

Read More

I have just photographed the purple thyme in the back of our garden. We found them growing wild when we bought the property and we never seize to be amazed by their glorious bloom, early in June. I also took some pictures of the za’tar plant that our friend Lina Tabara brought us last year from Lebanon, in a pot. It is thriving in our garden and the butterflies love it!

I was wondering for many years about za’tar (or zaatar) the mysterious aromatic shrub –often called hyssop or wild thyme– and only now that we grow it in the garden I can safely tell you that it is much closer to the kind of oregano that grows on the island, or the marjoram, than with the wild thyme of Greece. Its aroma is totally different, and I agree with Jihad Noun, an expert in Lebanese plant species, who in a wonderful article about the herb said that za’tar “is a taste more than a species.” He claims that in the Middle East there are about 22 herbs that are called za’tar. (more…)

Read More

As the mass slaughtering of Easter lamb reaches its peak this week for Greek Easter (April 15), not just vegetarians but even meat-loving Americans and northern Europeans express shock at the site of whole, head-on carcasses of young animals spit-roasted over charcoal fire. They are even more appalled seeing the animal’s entrails – the liver, lung, and sweetbreads – meticulously threaded and enclosed in the cowl fatwrapped tightly with the intestines in order to make kokoretsi, the most sought after Greek Easter delicacy.

Slide Show: Making Kokoretsi

Perhaps there should have been an editor’s note or parental advisory rating at the beginning of this piece, given the somewhat graphic nature of the material, but I hope you’ve made it this far and will continue a bit further. Some might find these Easter rituals barbaric, but they are also deeply engrained in our culture as the central rite of one of, if not the most important, celebration of the year. (more…)

Read More