Sun-kissed, simple, and delicious recipes bursting with the delights of the Mediterranean cooking from award-winning food writer, Georgina Hayden.

Georgina Hayden About - Georgina Hayden

It is unbelievably good served with some Ice Cream but perfectly good on it's own too. Tips/Notes to make the best PortokalopitaWe made this as part of an Easter buffet. I decided to save time and make it the night before (thinking flavors would meld etc.) then gently reheat in time for brunch. Unfortunately, the pasta gets too soft, the dish much drier, and was not as impressive as when it first comes out of the oven. That being said, I would definitely repeat but toss any leftovers. We made with bucatini and equal parts of pork and ground beef.

Taverna by Georgina Hayden - Penguin Books Australia Taverna by Georgina Hayden - Penguin Books Australia

We really enjoyed this pilaf. It includes vermicelli along with rice which give a unique touch. This tasted wonderful with yogurt as Georgina mentioned in the recipe headnote. The cinnamon and saffron spicing was just right but I added some more Urfa pepper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the tahini, carob syrup (if using), sugar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cinnamon. Add a pinch of salt and leave to one side. We loved this recipe. Made for a dinner party and it was a huge hit. Very lightly breaded and a fast fry. Served with a jarred roasted garlic aioli from Stonewall Kitchen. The fennel adds a nice flavor. Definitely a repeat. Definitely addictive. Growing up above her grandparents' Greek Cypriot taverna in Tufnell Park, she developed a love of cooking from the recipes passed down to her. As a teenager she ran a stall at a farmers' market and worked in restaurants, before studying Fine Art at university. Her passion for food landed her a job as a food writer and stylist on various food magazines, until she joined Jamie Oliver's food team where she worked for twelve years. She now writes, develops and styles for magazine, books, television and campaigns. She also writes an online family food blog: georginahayden.com.You want to make sure that the batter coats every bit of filo. So you may want to remove some from the tin and cover in some batter, swirl together and then and more filo and more batter and swirl it all together to make sure every piece is covered in batter. You can also add the filo to the batter and mix it in the bowl before adding to the tin. This is a fantastic cake! Moist and delicious, I know it’s one I’ll make again and again. Although the spices are only in the apple, rather than through the whole cake, they really come through. Beautiful.

Taverna by Georgina Hayden Tahini Cinnamon Swirl Pastry | Taverna by Georgina Hayden

When the aubergines are ready, and cool enough to handle, halve them, then scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Mash until you have a relatively smooth puree. If using ricotta, drain it in a sieve to dry it out a little. Spoon the anari or strained ricotta into a large mixing bowl and pour in the milk. Separate the eggs, adding the yolks to the ricotta and keeping the whites to one side in a clean medium-sized mixing bowl. Finely grate the lemon zest into the ricotta, add the sugar and salt and beat all the ingredients together. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold them in. This spectacular book is filled with comforting, delicious recipes and wonderful writing. Authentic and heart-filled, this masterpiece of a cookbook gives an insight into one of the oldest and greatest cuisines on the planet. Jamie Oliver Categories: Dips, spreads & salsas; Appetizers / starters; Small plates - tapas, meze; Cypriot; VegetarianI used yellow split peas as the recipe suggested. (They are often sold as toor dhal where I live. ) I didn't have quite enough for 300 grams so should have cut down the water slightly (will next time) and I was worried at first that the mixture was too runny. But as it cooled it solidified and was delicious. It went on the table as part of our weekly family dinner and everybody enjoyed it. My Aunts Frosa and Vasso have huge date trees in their gardens, and Frosa’s is so big she had to ask the entire village to come and take the fresh dates last year – there was no way our (enormous) family could get through them all. It got me thinking how you could use the fresh variety in cooking, as they are sweet but not as tooth-achingly sweet as the dried variety found in supermarkets.

Taverna - Georgina Hayden

We made this dish as part of a Greek-inspired Easter buffet. The chops were not as flavorful as we had hoped, even with the salsa (which was good). My husband usually makes a simple marinade for his chops with lots of garlic, rosemary and olive oil that yields more flavor, so we won't repeat this recipe. I used 500 grams of fish (not 600 grams) as I was making a meal for three. But the recipe still made 20 good sized "fish balls" which would feed four very generously and five quite adequately. Everything was delicious and I will be serving this again, especially as the balls could be prepared ahead of time and the actual cooking doesn't take long. And it looked just like the photo! Preheat your oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Peel the potatoes. Slice some of the aubergine skin off in strips. Slice them both into ½cm rounds. Lay them all out on a couple of baking or roasting trays and brush with olive oil. Season and roast in the oven for 35–40 minutes, until golden. Remove and set aside. Trim and finely slice the courgettes and keep to one side. Georgina takes the best of traditional Cypriot cooking and makes it relevant to modern home cooks. From simple vegan fast-day dishes to feasts for the family, there is something delicious for every mood and moment.I have a story for you – bear with me. Before I left university many many moons ago (15 years?) I wrote to Delicious Magazine to see if I could do work experience there. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after uni, but all I knew was that I was obsessed with food, cooking and art. I was studying Fine Art and assumed I’d end up in design. However a 2 week placement on the magazine led me to meeting food stylists, photographers and being on my first ever food shoot. I had my eureka moment and life changed forever. Throughout TAVERNA you'll be treated to the full, delicious melting pot of Greek Cypriot food and flavours, including: If you’re looking for a satisfying, involved weekend cooking session then this is the perfect recipe to try. There are four stages to follow, from preparing the vegetables to assembly. Lots of fun to do, I loved the rich flavours of the meat and covering the whole thing in a delicious white sauce to complete it. I halved all the ingredients and still made a Moussaka that fed 3 very hungry people.