From traditional eggplant dishes like imam bayildi and papoutsakia, to hearty stews, baked beans, and slow-cooked pastas, each plate is a journey back to the kitchens of their childhoods—where food wasn’t just sustenance, but comfort, care, and connection.
Because for many of us, the first taste of culinary magic came from our home.
Maggie Tampakaki — Mercato, Four Seasons Athens
Imam Bayildi (Stuffed Eggplants in Olive Oil)
“This recipe is deeply tied to my family—specifically to my grandmother, my mother’s mother, whom I lost many years ago. She was a master in the kitchen, especially when it came to this dish. As a student, I’d often stop by her house after class, and she’d always have a plate of my favorite imam waiting for me, served with fresh warm bread. No one else—no chef—has ever been able to recreate her version. That’s the thing about food: it’s memory. And memory is inseparable from emotion.”
Giannis Parikos — Kedros
Papoutsakia (Stuffed Eggplants with a Twist)
“This was one of my mother’s go-to dishes—especially in summer, when she’d bake them in a wood-fired oven, using eggplants from our garden. Inspired by that memory, I’ve reimagined the recipe by stuffing them with bulgur and anthotyro (a light Greek cheese), giving the dish a fresher, more aromatic touch. It’s a modern take that still carries the flavors of my childhood.”
Eleni Todoulou — Kits Kai S’Efaga
Tzoumbleki from Arta (Lamb and Onion Stew with Egg-Lemon Sauce)
“In my hometown of Arta, this dish has been a tradition for generations. Both my grandmother and mother made it, using finely chopped onions. I prefer to slice the onions into rings so they keep a bit of their bite, and I sometimes add a touch of butter to make it more ‘restaurant-style.’ What really sets this dish apart is the avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce), which we traditionally enrich with a splash of vinegar.”
Dimitris Dimitriadis — FITA
Gigantes (Baked Butter Beans)
“My parents were both cooks—we had a little ouzeri (meze tavern) in Larissa, and I grew up surrounded by that world. Every summer, my mother would make gigantes with wild greens and herbs for the tavern. She topped them with feta and baked them until golden. I’ve taken her recipe and added elements like asparagus from Evros, chanterelle mushrooms, and sometimes wild garlic. Instead of feta, I finish the dish with a graviera cheese sauce from Syros, as a tribute to her.”
Giorgos Tsoulis — TwentyFive
Moussaka
“Moussaka is one of those dishes that brings back the warmest childhood memories. My mother made it often, and despite all my efforts to replicate it, I’ve never come close. Why? Because her version had the one ingredient no one else can add: a mother’s love for her children. That’s the most precious thing you can taste in a dish.”
Michalis Chantzos — Manna Arcadia
Rabbit Stifado (Stew with Onions and Spices)
“Every cook has that one moment when everything changes. For me, it was this dish. As a child, I was a picky eater, always choosing the safe, familiar flavors—until one day, I came home and was struck by the smell of something entirely new. I didn’t yet recognize the spices or the deep aroma of braised rabbit. It was the first time I stepped out of my culinary comfort zone—and it opened up a whole new world. From that day on, my mother’s stifado wasn’t just food. It marked the beginning of my love for cooking. Even now, whenever I visit home, she welcomes me with that dish—our way of saying ‘welcome back’ without words, only with flavor.”
Stefanos Papanikolaou – St. George Lycabettus
Giouvetsi with Beef
“Giouvetsi is a dish deeply connected to my childhood. I grew up in a village, Athikia in Corinthia, where we were lucky enough to raise our own animals—calves, lambs, and goats. We also had a wood-fired oven at home, which my mother used very often. I remember that every Sunday and Thursday there was always a tray of stuffed vegetables or a giouvetsi slowly cooking for hours.
So I took that giouvetsi and enriched it with textures and layers of flavor, while trying to preserve the taste of my mother’s cooking. The result is a giouvetsi made with stifado-style beef cheeks, Taygetos orzo, aged Naxos cheese, and pickled onion. Traditional cuisine is something I truly love, and I always aim—respectfully—to bring it into the present through my dishes.”
Michalis Nourloglou — Nolan
Giouvetsi with Beef (Orzo Casserole with Braised Beef Cheeks)
“Giouvetsi has strong roots in my childhood. I grew up in a village in Corinthia, where we raised our own animals and baked in a wood-fired oven. Every Sunday and Thursday, there would be a tray of stuffed vegetables or giouvetsi slow-cooking for hours. I’ve taken that memory and refined it—using beef cheeks cooked stifado-style, orzo from the Taygetus mountains, aged Naxos cheese, and pickled onions. It’s my way of bringing traditional flavors into the present with respect and care.”
Marina Chrona — Meigma – To Rini
Makaronia me Kima — A Memory Etched in Time
“My favorite dish from my mother’s hands was spaghetti with meat sauce. She was an incredible cook, though she worked a lot. I think this is my first real food memory, partly because it was the only dish she personally fed me. I must’ve been around three, sitting on the kitchen counter, while she hurried to get back to work—but that moment stayed with me.
Even now, no other dish gives me that same sense of comfort and safety. I never liked pastitsio, but when I grew older and tasted oven-baked pastas like lasagna, I felt something similar again. That’s why I’ve taken her meat sauce as a base and added my own touches—like spinach—to carry that warmth forward.”
“I love adding a touch of blue cheese to this classic dish—the contrast between the creamy tang and the rich meat sauce is delicious. It’s a simple twist that makes something familiar feel new again.”
