A Tour of Greek Cuisine: First Stop Demeter's Pantry

On the island of Mykonos at Atlantida restaurant, an elderly man prepared Greek salads with the ripest tomatoes I'd seen since Italy. Our host graciously served my friends and me with his broken English and Island charm. Each evening ended with a complimentary glass of ouzo which I unfortunately never developed a taste for because it tasted like an anise flavored poison. Bravely I gulped it like cold medicine each night as my stomach began to churn. By the end of my trip, I always managed to stealthily pour it into my accompanying water glass without anyone noticing. Despite my aversion to ouzo, the gesture was a paragon of the hospitality and warmth you find in a Greek kitchen and in the country itself. While in Greece, I became immured with the blue and white buildings of the island, the culture, the people, and most of all the cuisine.

There is a purity and antiquity to Greek cuisine that has made it one of my most savored ethnic foods. When I heard about Demeter's Pantry, specializing in artisanal Greek food and run by Maria Kardamaki Robertson and Esther Luongo Psarakis, I simply had to try some of their authentic products which combine a plethora of flavors with the freshest ingredients. I made a declaration for a day of Greek cuisine. I invited friends who were eager to sample my chosen menu.

For breakfast, I prepared peach and cheese crêpes to use the various natural, unheated honeys as spreads. The Greek Fir of Vytina Honey danced on my palette with its creamy texture and delicate taste, complementing the cheese in the crêpe superbly. The Greek Heather Honey from Sterea Hellas in Central Greece was the sweetest and most pungent; subtle at first, but a wow materialized slowly in the aftertaste. Our favorite in texture, taste, and aroma was certainly The Greek Wildflower Honey from Greek Macedonia. This amber-colored honey was moderately sweet and luxuriously textured with a buttery finish. It was perfect with the crepes as well as The Writer Indian Chai tea from SALONTEA that I sipped alongside.

Our mid-day meal was comprised of an array of Greek items. Anxious to sample the honeys once more, I dipped slices of miniature lady apples (tiny, sour apples likened to the taste of Granny Smiths) into each jar. The Greek Wildflower was once again the preferred honey of the three, but they all tasted as equally delicious as they did that morning.

A traditional Greek salad with feta cheese, tomato, and cucumber (minus the olives) served as the satellite dish on the menu. I dressed the salad with the Red Wine Vinegar with Fresh Rosemary and Chilies I had discovered in Demeter's Pantry. The initial taste was light and smooth, but the flavor of the chilies strengthened bite after bite, working nicely with the chill of the cucumber. If you prefer mild cuisine, don't shy away from this dynamite dressing; the spice is refreshing and subtle. Simply Greek.

The Hot Roasted Pepper and Smoked Eggplant Paste made a great addition to two distinct dishes: warm pita dressed with feta cheese and garlic melba toast topped with a four pepper goat cheese. The paste had a deep smoky aroma from the eggplant coupled with a punch from the roasted pepper. The briny flavor of the goat cheese was rounded off with the combination of spice and smoke; by far the choice dish of the afternoon. This versatile spread can also be used to heat up a simple sandwich or crudités.

A dish of penne pasta with a roasted red pepper sauce and goat cheese, ouzo, and tomato was prepared for dinner, a welcome change of pace from typical pesto and red sauces. The dish had complex taste, initially sweet, but finished with a hint of ouzo. It was perhaps the first time I've ever actually enjoyed ouzo, as there was not a morsel remaining on my plate.

I wasn't able to incorporate all of the products from Demeter's Pantry, including countless varieties of Greek olives, spices, fruity three-layer jams, Olive Oil Cookies, and other selections. However, the recipies I sampled were complex, flavorsome and most of all impressive. Demeter's Pantry takes its name from the Greek goddess of agriculture, Dimitra. Rest assured that everything at Demeter's Pantry tastes divine.

Bring home a taste of Greece by opening Demeter's Pantry for yourself and enjoy a 15% discount when you visit our Featured Promotions.

— Written by Christina Licata

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