Born in Kismayu, Somalia and raised in Kenya, Mariam Issa arrived in Australia 11 years ago as a refugee.

Mariam’s experience of integration has nurtured her passion about connecting communities and creating awareness throughout her diverse East African culture.
And now, she brings her repertoire of delicious East African cuisine to us.

Food is the best catalyst to create change and Mariam feels privileged that she can use this power to her advantage.

A love of freshly cooked food coupled with her passion to bridge the gap of difference in her ethnic community and her adopted Australian culture is Mariam’s inspiration and vision in all that she does.

She is a true delight!

Mariam invites you to:

Explore the unknown and introduce new flavours to your palate in a casual, relaxed atmosphere.

Experiment with simple new cooking techniques and ingredients.

Enjoy a creative cooking workshop and leave inspired with a fantastic food experience and an understanding of East African culture.

Classes are conducted in a traditional and relaxed manner to suit experienced and non- experienced cooks.

Recipes are authentic and easy to follow.

The classes are designed to suit anyone interested in an insight to African Cooking and Culture.

Cook With Mariam classes

Tues 13 Mar

Bajia, made from black eye beans and fresh herbs
Anjela, fermented flat bread
Suqaar, finely diced lamb with veggies in a thick stew
East African salad
Sweet potato fritters with honey syrup

 
Thurs 19 Apr

Samosas, fresh handmade pastry with spiced veggie and meat filling
Biriyani Rice
Kashata (Coconut Fudge)
Tues 15 May

Potatoes and chick pea flour fritters
Chapatti and Ugali (African Cake)
Fish in spiced coconut stew
East African Fruit Salad
Thurs 14 Jun

Samosas, fresh handmade pastry with spiced veggie and meat filling
Green bananas in lamb stew
Turmeric basmati rice
Vegetables cooked with African spices
Rich smoothie avocado and pineapple
Tues 17 Jul

Bajia made from black eye beans and fresh herbs
Anjela a fermented flat bread
Finely diced lamb with veggies in a thick stew
East African salad
Sweet potato cup cake with honey syrup

Join Vicki Peppos and learn how to ‘open’ your own fillo to use for the classics – Tiropita (3 cheese pita) & Spanakopita (spinach and feta cheese pita), as well as a selection of other favorites such as Kreatopita (lamb and cheese pita), Prasopita (leek and onion pita), Kolokithopita (zucchini pita), sweet, syrup soaked walnut and cinnamon pita or a beautiful Cypriot Anaropita (sweet cheese pita) with pistachios and rosewater!…we even get daring with stinging nettle (tsouknida), milk thistle (zohous) or vlita (amaranth)!

[nb. All ingredients are subject to seasonality & availability]

Class Dates:

Sun 12 Feb 2012, 10am – 2pm
Sun 6 May 2012, 10am – 2pm SOLD OUT!
Sun 3 June 2012, 10am – 2pm
Sun 1 July 2012, 10am – 2pm

Cost:
$140 (excludes shopping trip)

Click here to join the class.

Best selling cookbook writer, Mary Valle shares her favourite recipes at The Sweet Greek.

Mary was born in Melbourne and grew up in a Greek family.”My fondest memories of growing up in a Greek family are laughter, conversation and good food in a warm loving home.”

Mary studied as a primary school teacher and her passions have always been in cooking, watercolor painting and travel.
Mary lives in Melbourne with her husband and four children. Her parents emigrated from Greece to Australia, bringing their traditional cuisine with them. She often spends time in her family’s home village in Greece, where she learns new techniques and recipes to add to her kitchen.

February 2012

Sun 19, 10am -2pm, $140.
‘My Greek Kitchen’ recipes from Mary Valle’s best selling cookbook

The Summer Kitchen
Fried zucchini with Tzatziki
Green bean casserole
Baked fish (Psari Plaki)
Traditional Greek salad
Roasted red peppers and tomato salad
Watermelon, mint, almond & rosewater salad
Book Here

Easter has never been this much fun!!

There’s more to Easter than just chockie eggs!
Make Easter cupcakes or hand crafted eggs!
Join a class or bring your friends to a workshop.
This Easter is gonna be sweeeeet!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mon 2, 11am -2pm
Eat. Cook. Love. Kids. – The Kids Easter Table, $70.

• Keftethes kotopoulo (chicken meatballs)
• Baked spuds with Hellenic spices
• The famous tzatziki
• Choc chip & mastic cookies

Book here
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Tues 10, 11am -2pm
Eat. Cook. Love. Kids. – The Kids Easter Table, $70.

• The legendary saganaki cheese with spiced fruit
• Taramosalata (white red mullet roe dip) with warm pita bread
• Easter koulourakia (shortbread) with troufa (choc sprinkles)

Book here
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Wed 4, 11am -2pm
Eat. Cook. Love. Kids. – Easter Workshop (Day 1), $150 for two days.

• Learn how to dye traditional red eggs
• Feta & kasseri cheese pastry triangles
• Easter cupcakes with mahlepi (wild cherry spice)
• Part 1 – Decorate your own traditional Easter candle (lambatha)

Book here
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Thurs 12, 11am -2pm
Eat. Cook. Love. Kids. – Easter Workshop (Day 2)

• Zucchini fritters (kolokithokeftethes – “Say that in a hurry!”)
• Melinzanosalata (Eggplant dip) with warm pita bread.
• Halva with semolina and honey tahini paste spread
• Handpaint and laquer your own Easter eggs
• Part 2 – Decorate your own traditional Easter candle (lambatha)

Book here
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Wanna come?

11 – 24 Sept 2012

More details to follow very, very soon!

Expressions of interest

email Vicki @ vicki@thesweetgreek.com.au

The best pressies in the world are the handmade ones!

Nothing else says ‘I care’ like something made from your own hands.

What better way to add a sparkle of Greek to your Christmas baking than a few gorgeous classics from The Sweet Greek kitchen.

So come all ye!

Boycott the gift shops this year and instead, learn how to create

• loukoumi stuffed kourambiethes (sugar dusted shortbread)
• melomakarona (orange honey biscuits)
• loukoumathes (cinnamon honey donuts)
• delicious bougatsa (mastiha scented custard parcels)
• and the festive vasilopita (New Year coin cake).

Enjoy with ample supplies of Greek coffee.

And don’t forget that food container – there will be lots to share!

Cost: $135 per person.

Kala Hristougenna!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Wed 6 July 2011.

Well, it’s official.
This Greek cowgirl is off to the mother-country during Aug/Sept on an ‘Inspiration Trip’.
Returning to the land of my foodie ancestors, I’m planning on bringing back ‘The Goods’ – more ideas, more info, more food experiences.
I’m further sacrificing my girth for the sake of my Hellenic foodies here at home.
Stay tuned…….♥

Tues 12 July 2011.

Miraculously I have managed to book a return flight, Chios/Thessaloniki (direct) for less than $150Au thanks to Astra Airlines. Aegean and Olympic would have preferred I spend twice as much and five times as long travelling there and back…..My mum offered to tag along, provided we could fly there in the time it takes her to figure out her seatbelt (1- 2hrs between glugs of the house red)…….Mastiha, this time I’m coming to YOU, baby!

Thurs 21 July 2011.

International Driving Permit? Check.
Greek TomTom map for iphone? Check.
A ‘sick’ pimped up ride? Uh, nope.
Most likely a beat up 80′s Opel….
…or a donkey.
Anna reckons….

Thurs 11 Aug 2011.

Packed, including 1 Greek Blues Brother.

Sat 13 Aug 2011.

Travelling with Than The Man (my dad)  has once again confirmed to me where my gluttony genes hail from.
The man devoured 4 main meals, 4 muffins and complained about the absence of pork sausages and bacon for brekkie.
I suggested  the flight crew park the food cart next to his seat for all you can eat self-service.

Tues 16 Aug 2011.

Vissoka’s (Ossa’s) Vissinatha.

Landing 700m above sea level off a plane 40,000 clicks in the sky & hitting a wall of 35C, the body cells begin to whinge about acclimation. Like trying to shush a baby, you begin looking for a proverbial dummy. Out comes the Vissinatha of Ossa. Liquid ruby, aromatic & sweet. Northern summer sunshine in a glass. Pressed from the vissina (sour cherries) of the season, simmered with equal parts sugar & water then casually skimmed, 30mins later a ‘jewel juice’ is created. Splash in some icy cold water and bottoms up!…..I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome myself to Greece!

Wed 17 Aug 2011.

Babatzim Organic Winery.

In the south it’s Nemea.
In the north it’s Babatzim.
Literally a stones throw away from our teeny familial plot of land in Ossa begins Anestis Babatzimopoulos’ gazillion acres of grapevines. Driving past the ‘Goodbye from Ossa’ sign towards Thessaloniki, round a bend and through the first Babatzim farmgate, up the dirt track, past a creek then POW, you think you’ve landed in the Yarra Valley (or Provence).

We are immediately greeted by a well-spoken Albanian worker speaking fluent Greek. Making my Ozzie ‘Kitchen Greek’ sound amateur in comparison, she politely tells us that Anesti won’t be long and asks us if don’t mind waiting while she and her co-workers continue to unpack the last of the 2011 grape harvest from giant pickers.

Approaching closer we float into the perfume of the vine.

We are brought back to our purpose by the jovial, welcoming voice of Anesti.

First thing he tells us is that he could tell we hailed from this neck of the woods by my dad’s charismatic walk and stance. My dad laughs knowingly. I write this one off to an “Ossa Thing” between two men who couldn’t really describe what it is they recognise in each other, even if I asked them to further explain.

We sit amongst the kettles and the preternatural storytelling begins.

Anestis’s body of work began with a dare by an Ossa local named Arestithis Haritzanis. “Here’s a handful of acres,” he told him, “go show us what YOU can do!”.
Without any idea about horticulture or agriculture, let alone viticulture, Anesti took the first baby steps towards his 50+ year journey of self-education, trial and error and endless experimentation.
All in the name of turning his romantic notion into a reality.

A batch of fiscally unfruitful almond trees, followed by more flops landed him into the world of grapes. Ossa’s agricultural history is steeped in viticulture, tobacco and fruit orchards, namely cherries. So much that in order for the first batch of Babatzim wine to be traded from these plots, Anesti had to overcome production restrictions (imposed by Italy and France) with the soil and sweat stained trade policy papers from Ossa’s ancestors found buried in the old church archives. Good thing Greeks a generally frugal and never throw much away!

So with tonnes of hard work, good luck and generous funding from the Greek government, this beautiful vineyard now produces gorgeous organic wines and numerous other byproducts such as organic vineleaves for dolmathes (steamed and preserved in brine), pickled vine tendrils (toursi), grapeseed oil for culinary and cosmetic uses, even the best kindling for the Easter lamb spit. Anesti also teases me with the idea of a pita made with local Buffalo butter filo pastry and tender vine stalks & leaves!……ok, ok, enough!……(drool!)

There is an amazing distillery that also churns out some of the best Tsipouro in Greece. Although not a tsipouro drinker myself, I’ve had one sip of this nectar and I seem to be slowly craving it more and more ever since I first tried it. Made only from the juice of grapes and scented extracts of cranberries, sour cherries, local wild pear and other Vissoka wild herbs, it is miles away from any homemade ‘rocket fuel’ you may have previously been forced to ‘appreciate’.

As of Oct 1, 2011 Anesti’s plans are gonna get even greater.

He will be opening the vineyard to those eager to learn, sample and food match his wines, cook in the beautiful kitchen/dining space, wonder through the vines with a picninc basket in hand or even eat a whole suckling pig in the enormous climate controlled local stone-made cellar amongst the aging wine barrels.

I’m not a wine expert, nor have I ever really been able to distinguish between what is great and what is exceptional, but I know what I like.

And I like the Babatzim winery. I like what it stands for. I like what the man has created. And most of all, I like his passion for life.

Dad and I leave the winery with a box of  booze and a big smile on our faces.

For the next day and night, dad won’t stop talking about his village buddy, Anesti.

I can’t stop thinking about the suckling pig and the buffalo butter.

Fri 19 Aug 2011.

The Markets of Thessaloniki.

At first I hadn’t realised that Intrepid Urban Adventures ran local tours of the city. Somehow I stumbled across this while I was checking out trip dates for India. And I’m so pleased that I did.

Walking around Thessaloniki with your own schedule is easy and you’ll see heaps, but having a local guide you on a private tour is a teeny luxury worth paying for. And you also get the opportunity to make another friend. Maria, our local guide, was a gorgeous sweet Greek!

Together she showed us all the teeny tiny alleys and hidden markets that Thessaloniki is famous (and no so famous) for.

Our little adventure went a little like this…..

Learn Healthy Asian Cooking at The Sweet Greek kitchen with the delightful Corona So in her Japanese and Dim Sum making classes.

For more info and booking details click here.

Welcome to Melbourne’s ‘Little Athens‘!!

The Oakleigh Market & shopping precinct comes alive on Saturday mornings!!
Join us for a mouth watering food tour as we unlock ‘secret doors’ to reveal a rich & diverse Hellenic cuisine & culture.
Say ‘Kalimera’ (Good Morning) with a Greek coffee then head off to visit several vibrant family owned Greek food stores. Onto a butcher for the best organic meats and loukanika (greek sausages) then taste and learn about Greek olive oils, cheeses, preserved goods and pantry staples. Step into the Aegean with our delightful fishmonger, have lunch at our favourite cafeteria with a ‘cooked-with-love’ sharing-style lunch and finish with a sweet hit & frappe at a famous Greek zaharoplasteio (cafe).…Opa!

Cost: $99 per person (including lunch)

Next departing:

Sat 24 September 2011, 9.30 to 2pm
(incl. ‘Flavours Of Greece’ coffee making competition)
Sat 29 October 2011, 9.30 to 2pm
Sat 26 November 2011, 9.30 to 2pm

Limited spots! Book Here!