Ivy Liacopoulou

Ivy Liacopoulou grew up in Limassol, Cyprus, a beautiful island in the eastern Mediterranean, where her passion for cooking began as a child, helping her mother in the kitchen. Ivy belongs to a new generation of home cooks who loves to experiment and create new recipes of her own. She is the author of two cookbooks and she owns and manages Cooking Classes, in Nafplio, Peloponnese.

Kalikantzari, which are malevolent goblins, in Greek and Cypriot folklore tradition, get out of the depth of earth during the twelve days of Christmas.

Whenever I go to the supermarket with my husband and I see something that I remember reading in a recipe and I would like to try it, I always add to the cart and worry later how to cook it. This happened when I bought some red kidney beans. In Greece we usually eat the …

This classic Orange flavoured Vassilopita cake pairs well with an orange or Lemon Buttercream.

There are many ways to make this cake, so you can learn all about the tradition behind the cake and another recipe in my last year’s post.

Samousades is the Spartan version of baklavas and is made in a similar way we make “Tsipopita” in Cyprus, the only difference is that they are rolled into a thicker roll and whereas Tsipopita is always made with almonds, in samousades you can also add walnuts, pistachio etc, and more spices.

Tyropita (pr. tee- row -pee-ta) (τυρóπιτα), from tyri (cheese) + pita = pie is a Greek pastry made with different cheese fillings.

Zalatina, as it is called in Cyprus, or pichti in Greece, is a traditional delicacy, served as an appetizer, originally made from the head and trotters of the pig, which create a gel when it sets.

Brining a turkey makes it moistier. You can either brine it in a water solution with salt, water, sugar and spices or dry brine it.

Amygdalota, take their name from amygdala, which mean almonds in Greek and are no bake Greek cookies from the Greek islands made with blanched almonds and sugar. They are dipped in rose water and then coated with icing (confectioners’) sugar.

Melomakarona with Pecans are one of our Christmas traditional cookies which are infused in honey. They have no butter, no eggs, nothing dairy but they are so tasty you cannot just eat one.

These Kourabiedes by Parliaros are Greek Christmas cookies, similar to shortbread cookies which are flavoured with real vanilla pod, filled with toasted almonds and pistachios and when baked they are coated in icing sugar.