Anniversary Cake full of chocolate!

🌟 Difficulty	⏱️ Time	🍽️ Serves	🔪 Skill level
★★★ Intermediate	1 hr + chilling	8–10	Intermediate

Looking for the perfect cake for a big anniversary full of chocolate and charm? Look no further, I got it up for you! For the 18 or 20 year of your child, your wedding anniversary, or any other big event of your life that you prefer baking by yourself instead of ordering something here's all you need (apart from tons of love for the celebrating person)...

PS: Special credits to my daughter and her friend that I gave them my kitchen and made this gorgeous cake. Having done all the cleaning, I deserve some credits too, no? ;) 

Easy and light version of moussaka

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

Summer is the perfect time to bake greek moussaka, as eggplants are at their best, so I highly recommend it! The caveat is that it is not an easy task and usually in summer we want to rest and recharge. In addition, frying too is not the best summer task either.

So, here's an update to my Authentic, traditional recipe of Moussaka!!!: Follow the exact recipe apart from the way of cooking the vegetables. For them, I suggest instead:

1. you cut them in small cubes, 
2. empty them in a big oven tray, 
3. pour some olive oil all over, add, salt, pepper and thyme or oregano
4. mix well
5. bake at 200 degrees of Celsius for about 30min or until softened 

My son even said that he prefers this version better :) Enjoy!

Feta cheese balls

Remember the recipe of feta cheese pies (tyropitakia)?
It's one of our favorite salty starters and if you have never tried it before this is the moment to do it!

I am giving you an alternative that is pretty simple, much simpler than the original recipe.

👉Check also 2 variations using an Air fryer:

• Greek Tyropitakia with Fyllo in the Ninja Crispi Air Fryer
• Easy Kourou Tyropitakia (Feta Balls) in the Ninja Crispi Air Fryer

Stuffed mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms!

Here's a nice idea for a starter to serve with some nice wine next to the fireplace. Just replace the wine with some softer non-alcoholic version for me :) like a scented water where you have let infused several citrus fruits (nice idea for a new recipe btw). 

Dolmadakia me Kima (Stuffed Vine Leaves with Meat)

Dolmadakia me kima are a classic Greek comfort dish: tender vine leaves filled with meat, rice, and fresh herbs, gently cooked until soft and fragrant. I usually prepare them with a veal & pork mince and cook them in a pressure cooker, which makes the process easy and very reliable — but other options work just as well.

👉 For the meatless version, see my dolmadakia without kima 

Greek Stuffed Vine Leaves (Dolmadakia)

recipe on the blog. The rolling technique is exactly the same (check photos there).

Love this recipe? Get a printable version in my Etsy shop, explore other Greek recipes, or enjoy the full recipe book on Amazon (Kindle, paperback, or hardcover)!

Fresh (not fried) Spring Rolls

Easy, healthy, colorful fresh spring rolls from my daughter.

Just right for the Tet Nguyen Dan, the Vietnamese New Year that is on 10 of February this year. 

Adapt it to your prefernces and Enjoy! 

Greek Meatballs (Keftedakia) in the Air Fryer

After testing the homemade fries, I couldn’t resist trying keftedakia in the Ninja Crispi  so that I can have a complete menu. Meatballs are a great test because they can easily dry out in an oven—but the air fryer kept them juicy while giving a nice light crust outside.

Ingredients:

• 500 g ground veal (or veal + pork mix)
• 1 small onion, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• 2–3 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• A little mint (fresh or dried)
• Salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl (don’t overmix).
2. Shape into small meatballs.
3. Lightly brush or spray with olive oil.
4. Place in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
5. Cook on Air Fry at 180°C (360°F) for 10–12 minutes, shaking halfway.

Juicy, aromatic, and super easy.

Peach & Nectarine Upside-Down Cake — A Summer Twist on My Apple Cake

I had a little too many peaches and nectarines waiting to be used, so I decided to turn them into cake! 

This peach and nectarine upside-down cake is inspired by my apple reversed cake, but it’s similar rather than the same. The idea is the same: beautiful caramelised fruit baked underneath a soft, buttery cake and then flipped over to reveal the fruit on top, but the peaches and nectarines give this version a completely different character...

14 Complete Greek Menus for Every Season

Looking for inspiration to turn the recipes from my Greek Cookbook into full meals? These 14 menus show you how to combine starters, mains, and desserts from my cookbook naturally and seasonally. Perfect for holidays, family lunches, or dinner parties!

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1. Christmas Dinner 🎄: Tyropitakia Kourou – Giouvetsi me Kritharaki – Melomakarona & Kourambiedes
2. New Year’s Eve ✨: Tzatziki & Kolokythokeftedes – Mosxari me Melitzanes – Vivian’s Pudding
3. Easter Sunday 🐣: Kokkina Avga – Souvlakia – Spanakotyropita – Ravani
4. Family Lunch 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦: Rolo Kima or Arakas me Anitho or Gemista – Galatopita 
5. Winter Comfort ❄️: Kotosoupa or Fakes Soupa or Youvarlakia Avgolemono – Halvas
6. Village Winter Table 🏡: Fasolada or Spetzofai – Portokalopita
7. Friends Dinner 🍷: Kolokythokeftedes – Soutzoukakia – Ekmek Kadaifi
8. Dinner Party 🥂: Dolmadakia – Moussaka – Galatopita
9. Pasta Night 🍝: Horiatiki – Pastitsio – Ravani
10. Fisherman’s Menu 🌊: Skordalia – Bakaliaros Skordalia – Pites tis Satziis
11. Summer Seaside Dinner ☀️: Horiatiki – Psari Plaki – Mosaic Dessert / Kormos
12. Island Pasta Night 🏖️: Tzatziki – Garidomakaronada – Portokalopita
13. Cozy Autumn Dinner 🍁: Keftedakia – Kotopoulo Kokkinisto – Halvas
14. Home Dinner 🏠:  Hirino Prasoselino or Kotopoulo Me Bamies – Mosaic Dessert / Kormos
15. Seafood Feast 🐙: Htapo̱di me Kofto Makaronaki – Skordalia – Pites tis Satziis
16. Casual Dinner 🍔: Biftekia – Fasolakia or Spanakoryzo – Galatopita
17. Summer Vegetarian ☀️: Briam – Spanakoryzo – Portokalopita

Salmon & Egg Asian Rice Bowl

Some of the best recipes are the ones made by someone dear. ❤️

Today, my daughter made this colourful Asian-inspired rice bowl for us. I loved how simple yet satisfying it is and thought to share and save it here to certainly, try it again. Pan-fried salmon, fluffy scrambled eggs and savoury fried rice are mixed together with soy sauce, then topped with creamy avocado and crisp green beans.

It has the feel of a poke bowl, but everything is cooked and warm — making it perfect for an easy family lunch or dinner.

Vivian Is Cooking Diary – Week of 29 August 2026

A little late with this week’s diary — life has been rather busy! But that certainly didn’t stop me from cooking and baking. ❤️

The week of 29 August was another full one in my kitchen, with lots of comforting food, family favourites and a few special treats.

🍽️ What I cooked & baked...

My First CookBook Is Here 🎉

Just came back from holidays in Greece and want to make them last a bit longer or share beloved dishes with dears? 

After 13 years of sharing recipes on this blog, I’m excited to introduce my first CookBook that will help you easily recreate the most authentic greek recipes:

👉Vivian Is Cooking GREEK – 48 Authentic Recipes to Try at Home

📘 Available worldwide in Amazon 

From starters and meze to classic mains and desserts like moussaka, spanakotyropita, and portokalopita — all recipes are simple, flavorful, and easy to follow.
Includes a Greek pantry essentials list.

Thank you for supporting my cooking journey.

Kali orexi!
— Vivian

📖 A little shortcut for your kitchen

And if you’re tired of searching through thousands of recipes online every time you want to cook something, my cookbooks are made to be simple, reliable and delicious recipes you can actually use; printed on paper and right there next to your countertop when you need them. ❤️

You can find Vivian is Cooking GREEK and Vivian is Cooking BAKING and bring a little of my kitchen into yours!

Authentic greek Moussaka (Greek Baked layered eggplants)

>>>>This recipe is part of my book « Vivian Is Cooking GREEK » <<<<

Moussaka, the king of Greek dishes, is a rich, layered casserole with eggplant, ground meat in tomato sauce, and creamy béchamel. The procedure is similar to the pasticcio, only that you replace pasta with vegetables, mostly eggplants.

It’s not the quickest recipe, but it’s soooo worth it! Set aside time or plan ahead—you’ll need to prepare the meat sauce, veggies, and béchamel.

Alternatively, cut the vegetables in small cubes like in my Easy and light version of Moussaka. Discover also my delicious recipe of Greek Stuffed Eggplants (Papoutsakia). 

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