'Dirty Food Spice Mix' Range

 

'Vromika' aka 'Dirty' is the term used to describe charcoal bbq street food that is served on grease proof paper in tavernas and kantinas scattered all over Greece.  In homage to them I have created the 'Dirty Food Spice Mix' range.

As a foodie, I associate all my travels with food.  For over 20 years now Greece to me is meeting up with my cousins and friends at one of the many beaches in Alexandroupolis, sipping on frappe, beer and even cocktails, going for a quick dip to cool ourselves down and then as the sun sets migrating to the nearest kantina for a bit of dirty food...or you might know it as souvlaki, keftethes, chips, dips and greek salad.. All washed down with retsina and sprite of course. 

Pilgrimage from Ai Giorgi beach to the kantina

My cousin Maria waiting on the gang while I do the touristy thing and take photos.

Mmm....Kantina vromika!

Another favourite in Alexandroupolis is a narrow cobble stone street lined with little tavernas.  This is where I first heard of the term 'vromika'.  Each tavern has the same menu that consists of...salad, fried potatoes, fried zucchini, various dips, bread and charcoal bbq soutzoukakia/kebab, pork an chicken souvlaki, pancetta/pork belly, loukanika/greek sausages. It is a carnivore's food heaven.  Lee and I have renamed this 'Dirty Food'..

One of the many tavernas...this one was my favourite

My 'Dirty Food Spice Mix' inspiration

DIRTY BIRD

I have been fine tuning my 'Dirty Bird' spice mix for years...  I have labelled the main ingredients but like the Colonel it is my secret recipe... with not 11 but 15 ingredients.

I use it when we are cooking up a charcoal rotisserie chicken.  I sprinkle it with just the spices inside and out.

Finger lickin' good!!

Chicken souvlaki - I mix in about 1/2 to 1 tbs of Dirty Bird to cubed chicken thigh fillets (approx 1 kilo), a splash of lemon and a large tbs of greek yoghurt and 1/3 cup sunflower oil.  Mix it, let it marinade for a few hours and bbq.

Chicken Wings - 1 tbs or so of spices, lemon juice, soy sauce a splash of sunflower oil...marinade and bbq...serve with hot sauce!

Another favourite of mine is to use it on is Greek lemon chicken with potatoes.... The list goes on..

POLITIKI KOUZINA

One close to my heart as a Greek of Asia Minor heritage.  Politiki Kouzina describes the cuisine of the Greeks of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey).  Politiki refers to The City (poli) which to us Greeks 'The City' can only mean Constantinople.  My favourite foodie city in the world hands down!

I'll be posting more recipes over the next few weeks on how I use it in kebabs, keftethes, soutzoukakia and even with eggplant..So stay tuned.

Here is one recipe inspired by a bbq tavern institution 'O Thanasis'  in another great foodie city Athens.

Click on this link for an Athens experience. Kebab 'O Thanasis' style  

KALAMAKI

This term is one of great contention between Athenians and Northern Greeks.  Kalami is basically a reed or a plant with a hollow stem.  We greeks always end a word with aki when we want to describe it as smaller...hence kalamaki is a straw.  Athenians refer to meat on a stick as kalamaki....us Northerners refer to it as souvlaki...Souvla being a big skewer and souvl-aki meaning a small one...  

As a proud Northern Greek girl I refer to meat on a stick as souvlaki however as a lover of Athens I named this seasoned salt condiment after the city I love so much.

At the Acropolis

Monastiraki

This condiment is a seasoned salt used for sprinkling on your cooked souvlaki as the Greeks do, wth the obligatory squeeze of lemon to complete the experience.   It is based on my dad's lamb on the spit salt rub. 

You can use sparingly on any cooked skewers and also on slow cooked greek lamb, gyro etc...

Dirty Food....pork souvlaki with 'Kalamaki' seasoning, squeeze of lemon, dollop of mustard and sauce, greek salad and wine.....Nothing else needed!

My new website will be up in the next week or so...If you can't wait that long to order email me at kalliroy72@gmail.com or DM me on my grecofoododyssey instagram page.  If you are already using these spice mixes and want recipe ideas just go to Greek Food Odyssey recipe blog and type in Dirty Food   Spice Mix in the search field.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

Kali Orexi!!

Carol aka Kalliroy xx