nikko

Don't worry about anise - you can't really taste anise in it. Both brandy and ouzo versions are good. I remember someone commenting on ouzo version 'has somewhat smoky flavour'. Tip: Use almonds with skin and chop them very, very roughly.

My favourite is Greek brand called 'Attiki'. It's quite mild and everyone seem to like this. I like loukoumades (yeast doughnuts) with plenty of honey & cinnamon on top. I also make Marcella Hazan's 'carciofi sott'olio with honey' when artichokes are in season.

It seems best way to find out the name of that restaurant is to ask the locals once your daughter gets there. Maybe I've been to that restaurant too, though I can't remember the name or location.

Thessaloniki is renowned for its Politiki kouzina (Constantinople-style cooking) and there are many restaurants specializing it. "To Peran" (Politiki kouzina) 22 Iktinou tel: 2310-252977 opening hours: 13:00-01:00 (Mon-Sat) price: 10-15euro excl. wine According to the magazine article, they serve 30 different souzoukakia (Smyrna sausage. similar to meatballs) and 25 pilafs. Other dishes include: - gavro politiko (fresh anchovy Contantinople-style) - pita kesarias (spiced&dried beef with cheese and tomato in phyllo) - dolmadakia yalanji me lahano (meatless stuffed cabbage) - sikotakia Peran pano se pita (liver served on pitta) - sardela dolma me amberophylla (sardines wrapped in vine leaves) - keftedes me prigouri ke karidi (meatballs with bulgur & walnuts) - kavourma politiko (kind of beef confit?) - Simit kebab (with pistachio) - Beyti kebab (in phyllo? & grilled) For dessert, there are syrupy cakes & pastries as well as homemade grika koutariou (fruits preserved in syrup). House wine (organic Mesimbrias) is good, and there are about 70 Greek wines. You can also try Turkish raki. "Sotiris Adalakis" (Ouzeri) 1 Hapsa & Karatasou tel: 2310-544844 opening hours: 13:00-20.00??? (Mon-Sat) price: 24-35euro incl. wine This place seems to serve some interesting dishes as well as good basic stuff: - fried zucchini served with tzatziki - grilled eggplant - kolokithokeftedes (zucchini patties) - patzarosalata (beetroot salad) - soupies gemistes me spanaki (cuttlefish stuffed with spinach) - psari me lemonata prasa (fish with lemony leek) - kalamari gemisto me tyri (squid stuffed with cheese) - midia me kritharaki (mussels with orzo) - khtapodi se kokhli me kokkinisto kritharaki (octopus in shell? with orzo in tomato sauce) - peskandritsa yakhni (fish stew) - grilled fish with onions & olive oil Try tsipouro (it's like grappa) or choose from large selection of Greek wines. For dessert, there's syrupy pastry with kaimaki ice cream. BTW "kaimaki" in Greece is not a kind of cream; it's mastic flavored ice cream which often has stretchy texture similar to Turkish ice cream. In northern Greece, it's called dondourma. I read that kaimaki and dondourma are different, but found they are the same, at least the ones I've tried. ******************************************************************* I wonder if above mentioned "Sotiris" is the "Sotiri's Place" Paula Wolfert wrote about in her wonderful book "The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean"? Ms.Wolfert wrote recipe for eggplants slowly grilled over hot coals. During my first visit to Thessaloniki, I had to have one sweet bougatsa a day. Bougatsa is a pie with custard, cheese, or meat filling. I like it better than garaktoboureko (syrupy milk pie) because it's made without syrup, and they are always served warm. When you buy, they cut it into bite-sized pieces & sprinkle cinnamon on top.

We used to have chickens in our yard: they were for eggs but, occasionally grandma killed one of them to make sukiyaki. I didn't like it much. Maybe it was the texture? Chicken was killed in the afternoon & served several hours later. BTW all the chicken parts were put in that sukiyaki - including immature eggs which I liked.

It may not be an ingredient per se that creates such a unique flavor of chocolate. It could be the milk from Japanese? cows. That's assuming the milk is from cows living in Japan. I know the source of milk creates a different flavor of chocolate. Cadburys, a British candy manufacturer manufactures in different countries and the same product can taste different. e.g. Cadburys Dairy Milk made in Ireland, made in the UK. Not sure about Cadburys chocs made in Australia. I've not eaten any yet. Maybe the way cocoa bean is processed ??? Milk theory sounds interesting though... Japanese chocolates taste so delicate and yummy.

I used to go to Thessaloniki every summer. Unfortunately, I never had enough time to search great restaurants or explore local market. It's been 2-3years since my last visit, though I hope to return soon & am trying to gather some information. I have since collected some Thessaloniki restaurant reviews from Greek magazine. I'll post some good-sounding ones. kerriar, what did you eat at the fish restaurant ? I don't think I know that restaurant, but am curious.

I believe good takoyaki should contain lots of tenkasu (tiny balls of tempura batter). Some takoyaki places in Kyoto makes very good takoyaki - crispy and rich. The secret to good Osaka-style okonomiyaki is yamaimo (yam?). Since I almost never go to okonomiyaki restaurant, I can't tell which place is good. I went to Botejyu in Osaka long ago; their okonomiyaki was juicy and rich with plenty of yamaimo. I found Bisquick is good substitute for okonomiyaki-ko.

I make "kleftiko" (meat cooked in paper) with vine leaves. I got the idea from Athens restaurant. Small pieces of pork, feta, some vegetables (such as leeks & carrots) are wrapped in vine leaves and paper. This package is baked slowly in the oven until meat becomes tender. I'm not sure if this is less time consuming than dolma, but it takes much less work. You can use vine leaves just for flavour or, you can eat the leaves as well if tender young leaves are used.

Hi, I live in Athens and go there quite often. It's official name is "Souvlakia Kiffisias" (aka Gourounakia). Unlike other souvlaki places, they offer wide variety of dishes. My favourites are: -kondosouvli (pieces of marinated pork, roasted slowly until tender) -chicken gyros (comes with mustard mayo, the best so far) Both seem to taste better wrapped in pita rather than 'merida' (plate).

I've heard it's very hard to find yuzu in the States. Maybe you can add dried yuzu rind (which you should grind)?