Who actually made the first wine? And where? Several Middle Eastern and Caucasus countries have been competing for the oldest traces of winemaking, even China is among the top five. But let's start from the beginning: Answering the question of the cradle of winemaking depends on how you define wine. A 9,000 year old residue... Continue Reading →
What shall we do with lots and lots of apricots? Apart from the obvious jam and dried apricots (here drying on an old bed frame), we are making fruit rolls. After a few hours of pruning, I blend all the fruits with a mixer, add nothing at all, spread the pulp out on trays and... Continue Reading →
The sour cherries are starting to mature. Time to make rice with chicken and sour cherries! After pitting the tiny fruits and leaving my surroundings stained red, I boil some basmati rice in slightly salted water until almost done. I grease oven-proof pot and line the bottom with flatbread, fill one layer of rice, add... Continue Reading →
Verjuice (French „verjus“, Italian „agresto“, Persian „ab-ghureh“) is the juice of green, unripe grapes, hence its name „vert jus“ = green juice. It is acidic and astringent and is a perfect substitute for vinegar and lemon juice. Actually, I totally prefer it to vinegar. We even make ceviche with it, instead of lemon juice. Verjuice... Continue Reading →
It is time to say thank you to our feathery ladies, chicken and quails, who kindly provide us with tasty eggs. Eggs are such a diverse ingredient! Have you ever tried steamed egg in a glass? An easy way to improvise a snack, a first course or a small dinner. Take a normal water glass... Continue Reading →
Early summer is the time to gather vine leaves for stuffing. Stuffing vine leaves involves no complicated processing, no pickling or other treatments. Simply blanch the leaves with boiling water and they are ready to use. During this season, I collect leaves for the whole year, blanch and freeze them in carefully layered portions. For... Continue Reading →
We grow and press our own white wine from local grape species: Verdeca, Malvasia and Bianco d'Alessano. The result is a clear and crisp, yet fruity white wine which can be drank without regret. Cheers!
As an archaeologist and food historian, I offer workshops about historic cuisine, featuring the history of Mediterranean and European cuisines. Ancient recipes surprise with their - for us - unusual combination of tastes and aromas, blending the salty, the sweet, the sour and the spicy into astounding combinations.
