About

Hi my name is Maria Benardis. I am the founder of Greekalicious. At Greekalicious its our philosophy to teach people to cook simple dishes using ingredients that are grown using sustainable and respectable ways. We also teach you how to live a long and healthy life by adopting Ancient wisdoms. Greekalicious also offers cooking classes, catering, culinary tours to Greece and more. Look out for my Gourmand Award winning (Best Mediterranean cook book in Australia 2009) cook book “My Greek Family Table” now selling in Australia, New Zealand, UK and online on Amazon and other web-sites.

I have spent years studying ancient Greek cuisine and travelling throughout Greece to explore the cuisine, ingredients, recipes, people, and culture. These include Kalamata and the Peloponnesus region, Macedonia (including Thessaloniki), the Attica region (Athens) and the islands of Crete, Rhodes, Psara, Chios, Aegina, Symi, Tinos, Mykonos, Delos and Santorini.

I love discovering new ingredients and dishes and the little restaurants tucked away in the back streets. But most of all, during my travels, I enjoy cooking with old friends and people I meet along the way to see what ‘real’ Greeks eat. Combining the elements of Greek mainland, regional and island cuisine turns traditional dishes into modern masterpieces.

Greekalicious offers an introduction to traditional and modern Greek cookery, the secret ingredients, the stories, the journeys, the culture and the history behind each dish. Food is one of the most intimate ways to delight the senses, escape the everyday and bring far away places alive.

After working in the kitchen at the Neil Perry restaurant XO, I quickly realised that I wanted to share my recipes and stories of Greekalicious cooking with others.

I spent many of my childhood years growing up on the Greek island of Psara. This provided me with many of the basic fundamentals and the kitchen lore of Greek cooking. I would help my grandmother make our bread, cheese, yoghurt and meals on a daily basis. The produce was organically grown and the freshest ingredients were always used. It’s no wonder I am still passionate about cooking with fresh and organic ingredients whenever possible!

My mother was born in Kalamata, the famous home of the best olives in the world, as well as figs, pastelli (sesame and honey sweet), lalagia (sweet bread twists that are deep fried), sfela cheese and balsamic vinegar with tones of figs, and my father was born on the island of Psara, known for its lobster, sea urchin and thyme infused honey. My mother’s side of the family and especially my aunt, Stavroula have been my biggest influence in terms of my fascination and love for cooking. When I cook I sense their spirit and energy is with me and guiding me to produce dishes that capture cultural traditions, family secrets and something different.

Although many of my recipes may vary or modify traditionally Greek recipes there is still a Greek food is healthy, good for you and simply scrumptious. I invite you to enjoy the journey.

You can visit me at: www.greekalicious.com.au