Frozen Vegetables at Home: Simple, Practical & Always Ready

Freezing your own vegetables is an easy way to save time, reduce waste, and always have healthy ingredients on hand. 

Done properly, they’re often fresher and more flavorful than store-bought.

💡 Want more tips like this? Check my Tips page of the blog — small ideas that make everyday cooking easier and faster.

Sugar in Our Diet

Sugar often has a bad reputation, but its role in the body is actually simple: it provides energy.

Glucose (from sugar and carbohydrates) is:

• The main fuel for the brain
• A quick energy source for muscles
• Useful during physical effort

So in that sense, sugar is not “bad”, it is part of how our body functions.

However, most people today consume more added sugar than needed. The issue is not natural sugars found in fruits or dairy, but excess sugar from processed foods, sweets, and drinks.

As a side note, I am currently working on a new cookbook focused on baking and desserts (Vivian Is Baking). It’s a reminder that sweets absolutely belong in our lives, but as moments of pleasure, best enjoyed in moderation within a balanced diet.

What to Eat During the Day to Support Weight Loss (Especially After 50)

As we get older, losing weight can become more challenging. Metabolism slows down, and the body responds differently to food. Still, with simple and consistent habits, balance is absolutely possible.

Despite working on a second cookbook dedicated to baking and desserts (Vivian Is Baking), it’s important to remember that sweets are life’s pleasures, but best enjoyed in moderation. So my first cookbook, Vivian is Cooking GREEK, seems the perfect companion towards this goal.

I used AI to help structure these ideas, useful as inspiration, but always check with your physician or a nutritionist for personal advice.

👉 Photo: Example of a balanced plate: sea bass with vegetables and a small tyropitaki—protein, fiber, and a small portion of comfort food in one meal.

Vivian is Baking – Final Table of Contents Revealed!

After months of testing, refining, and organizing, I’m so happy to finally share the full table of contents of my upcoming cookbook: Vivian is Cooking: Baking At Home.

This book is a true sweet journey, bringing together my Greek roots, European classics, and everyday baking. All in all, 50 recipes I truly love making again and again 💛

With so many recipes online today and even AI-generated ones, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure what actually works. With this book, I wanted to create a trusted, curated collection: recipes that are tested, simplified, and consistent, so you can bake with confidence. No noise, no uncertainty — just real recipes that deliver real results.

Now I’m entering the refinement phase, working on all the final details and the publishing process, which I’m doing entirely on my own.

I hope this will be the final version… although I might still make a few small changes along the way 😉

Steamed Asparagus Salad

Steamed asparagus is one of the simplest ways to enjoy this delicate spring vegetable. Light, fresh, and naturally elegant, it becomes even more interesting when served as a warm or room-temperature salad with a few Mediterranean touches.

This recipe also works beautifully with white asparagus, which has a more delicate and slightly sweeter flavor.

Beetroot & Yogurt Salad – A Simple Mediterranean Favorite

This beetroot and yogurt salad is one of those simple dishes that feels both light and comforting. It combines the natural sweetness of beetroot with the creaminess of yogurt, creating a balanced and refreshing side dish.

It’s perfect as part of a Mediterranean meal, served alongside grilled meats, fish, or simply with bread and olives.

A Gourmet Twist: Cooking with Gelled Balsamic Vinegar

I recently discovered gelled balsamic vinegar thanks to a thoughtful gift from a dear friend, and it has quickly found its place in my kitchen.

With its soft, jelly-like texture, it adds small, precise touches of acidity without watering down dishes. It’s perfect as a finishing ingredient in simple Mediterranean recipes: 

Print Your Favorite Recipes at Home – My Etsy Shop

If you enjoy my recipes, you can download and print them at home from my Etsy shop ✨

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🍰 What’s Available

• Individual printable recipes
• Recipe bundles at a better price

Each recipe is simple, well-structured, and designed in a clean, elegant format — perfect for your kitchen or a recipe binder 💛

💡 Why Print? Cook more easily without screens and keep your favorite recipes organized in one place. 

👉 Real recipes, real photos, made in my own kitchen.

Vivian is Baking – A New Sweet Project Coming Soon!

After Vivian is Cooking GREEK, I’m excited to share that I’m now working on my second book:

✨ Vivian is Cooking Baking ✨

This new book will be dedicated to desserts — from comforting classics to elegant celebration cakes.

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💛 First Reveal: Signature Cakes & Special Occasions

Today, I’m sharing the first category of the book: signature cakes and desserts for special moments...

Greek Easter Red Eggs (Kokkina Avga) – Naturally Dyed

Red eggs, or kokkina avga, are a beautiful tradition of Greek Easter, symbolizing life, renewal, and celebration. I’ve already shared my classic method (also included in my cookbook Vivian is Cooking GREEK), and this year I tried something a little different - natural dyes - using red onion skins and beetroot for a softer, earthy red tone.

To decorate them, I used flowers and leaves from the garden, placing them on the eggs and tying them with small pieces of stocking to create delicate, stencil-like patterns. Each egg turned out unique, simple, natural, and beautiful (check for yourselves).

Wild Garlic pesto: A Seasonal Trend Worth Trying

Wild garlic is one of the joys of spring, with its fresh, mild flavor and vibrant green leaves—perfect for simple, seasonal cooking.

A few days ago, I met my new friend Aurora and her lovely dog, and she mentioned she was going to look for wild garlic. I told her how trendy it seems lately; everyone is talking about it! Curious, I joined her to learn how to recognize it. It turned into a lovely walk in nature, and a few days later she surprised me with a jar of pesto made from what we found. Such a thoughtful gift!

Wild garlic is so popular because it’s seasonal, easy to forage, and full of fresh flavor, perfectly matching today’s love for simple, homemade cooking. It’s ideal for pesto (see my Basil Peso / Pesto alla Genovese, but also works beautifully in butter, spreads, salads, soups, omelets, and savory bakes—Aurora even used it to cook fish in the oven. 

13 Years of Cooking, Sharing, and Creating

Today, April 8, marks 13 years since I started this blog - 13 years of recipes, tips, experiments, and sometimes quite unique culinary adventures! From simple weekday meals to festive Greek and international classics, this space has grown into a treasure trove of ideas for anyone who loves cooking (312 posts, majority recipes).

Over the years, these recipes have been tested, improved, and cooked again and again, so you can trust they truly work in a real home kitchen.

Thanks to the blog, this year I published my first cookbook Vivian is Cooking GREEK, available in two languages and several formats, making it easy for readers everywhere to cook Greek favorites at home.

Looking ahead, I’m thrilled to give you a sneak peek of my next book, focused on baking staples:

• Cover reveal: [see photo]
• Around 48 classic and essential recipes, from cakes and cookies to pastries every home baker should know.

If you’ve enjoyed my recipes and tips over the years, I’d love to hear from you in the comments - and your support for my books means the world to me!

Thank you for being part of this journey. Here’s to many more years of sharing food, stories, and flavors!

With love,
Vivian

Greek Easter recipes

If you are interested in traditional recipes done during the Greek Easter period, check my

Greek Easter recipes

Happy Easter!

Want more authentic Greek recipes? 📘 Discover my new CookBook here!

Greek Easter Recipes: Traditional Dishes for a Festive Table

Greek Easter is one of the most important celebrations of the year, marked by rich traditions, joyful gatherings, and of course, incredible food. From the midnight feast after the Resurrection to the full Easter Sunday table, Greek cuisine shines with comforting, flavorful dishes made to bring everyone together. Whether you're celebrating with family or curious to try something new, these classic Greek Easter recipes will bring a taste of tradition to your table.

Click on "Read more..." that follows to see the full of recipes ... and as always any comments/ideas are more than welcomed.

Want more authentic Greek recipes? 📘 Discover my eBook here!

Hero Ingredients for Healthy Cooking (Mediterranean-Inspired)

Today I’m opening my kitchen cupboards… and honestly, this is where healthy cooking really begins. Not with complicated recipes, but with a few well-chosen, everyday ingredients—my hero ingredients.

These are simple, everyday staples that bring both flavor and nutrition, that I use all the time, and they are at the heart of Mediterranean cooking. You’ll find them in many recipes on my blog and throughout my book Vivian is Cooking GREEK, available worldwide on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover.

Here are my heroes:

Spanish Tortilla Recipe (Easy Potato Omelette)

This Spanish tortilla recipe, or tortilla de patatas, is a simple and well-known classic—but with the warmer days coming and gatherings starting again ☀️, it’s exactly the kind of dish people love to prepare and share.

Inspired by my Spanish friends, who make it so effortlessly, this easy Spanish recipe was clearly missing from my blog. It’s also perfect for students or beginner cooks, using just a few basic ingredients for a delicious and affordable meal.

👉 “For more easy meals, take a look at my recipes for students, and if you’re planning a gathering, don’t miss my Greek-inspired aperitif guide for simple ideas to share.”

Greek-Inspired Aperitif Guide: Finger Bites, Cheese, Dips, and Desserts

Planning a Greek-inspired aperitif is all about combining easy-to-serve bites, flavorful cheeses, dips, and simple desserts that your guests can enjoy while mingling. This guide brings together the best of Greek classics and versatile small plates, plus desserts, drinks, and organization tips, all sourced from my favorite recipes. 

Don’t forget you can also find more of my Greek recipes in my new book Vivian is Cooking GREEK, available worldwide on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover.

Essential Tools Every Baker Needs

Baking is both an art and a science. While you don’t need a kitchen full of gadgets to create delicious cakes, cookies, and pastries, having the right tools can make your baking smoother, more precise, and much more enjoyable. Here’s a guide to the basics every baker should have.

1. Mixing Tools

• Stand Mixer / Hand Mixer – Whip cream, beat egg whites, mix doughs. (I use the Kmix from Kenwood - kichenaid is the most popular)
• Mixing Bowls – Combine ingredients, rest dough, melt chocolate.
• Whisk – Beat eggs, mix dry ingredients, smooth batters.
• Spatulas – Scrape bowls, fold in batter, smooth into pans.
• Wooden Spoon – Stir heavy mixtures and doughs.

Celebrate Greek National Day with Bakaliaros Skordalia!

As Greece’s National Day approaches on March 25th, it's the perfect time to revisit one of the country's most beloved dishes—Crispy Greek Cod (Bakaliaros Skordalia). This traditional combination of fried cod (bakaliaros) served with  Skordalia (a creamy garlic-potato puree) is a must-have on this special day.

Skordalia is made with potatoes, garlic, olive oil, and a touch of vinegar or lemon juice for a tangy kick. It's rich, smooth, and full of flavor, making it the ideal accompaniment to the crispy, golden fried cod. A true comfort food that brings the spirit of Greece right to your table!

Whether you're celebrating Greek Independence Day with family or simply enjoying a hearty Mediterranean meal, Bakaliaros Skordalia is the perfect dish to honor this historical occasion.

Check out my recipes for both Bakaliaros and Skordalia on the blog and make sure to add this delicious duo to your March 25th menu!

Stay tuned, as I am working on my first eBook with authentic greek recipes that I will release soon.

Do not forget to leave me your comments!

What Makes a Recipe Successful? My Best Cooking Tips & Kitchen Essentials

Over the years (homecooking for 30 years!), I’ve realized that a successful recipe is not only about following steps—it’s about combining quality ingredients, reliable tools, efficiency, and intention.

Here’s what truly makes the difference in my kitchen (Click on read more for more details).