Latest news with #IreneMatys
CBC
10-08-2025
- General
- CBC
This showstopping spanakopita is golden, flaky and surprisingly easy to make
This spanakopita recipe from Irene Matys's new cookbook, My Cypriot Table, is a showstopper with its enticing layers of spinach, cheese and flaky phyllo. If you've never worked with this paper-thin pastry before, it's not as intimidating as it seems, and the layers will hide any small tears. "Don't panic about perfection," Matys said. "Phyllo is very forgiving once baked." Her tips for working with the frozen dough? Thaw it in the fridge and only unroll it when it's time to use it. And keep in mind the pastry dries out quickly, so it's best to cover it with a damp tea towel while you're working with it. Matys suggests serving the baked pie with talatouri — a sauce that's similar to tzatziki and made with Greek yogurt, grated cucumber and fresh mint — and a simple salad of spring greens, red onion and a lemon vinaigrette. For brunch, you could serve it with a fried egg. Read on for how to make Matys's family recipe and her mom's cumin-scented version with ground lamb too. The following has been reprinted, with permission, from My Cypriot Table: Mediterranean Recipes for Gathering, Sharing, and Savoring. Spanakopita (Phyllo Spinach Pie) By Irene Matys Spanakopita has got to be one of the most-loved pies in Greek and Cypriot culture. What's not to love: layers and layers of buttery, crispy phyllo all wrapped around a delicious, savory spinach-cheese filling. The traditional Greek version uses fresh dill and feta cheese. My family recipe uses a blend of halloumi (as in many of our savory pies) and feta, and substitutes the dill with fresh parsley. My mama served this to us for breakfast growing up. No mere Cheerios for us! We also enjoyed it for lunch and even dinner with a simple green side salad. Our family served it mostly vegetarian style, but for special occasions, mama would add cumin-scented ground lamb. Spanakopita is traditionally made in a rectangular pan or into individual triangles, but baking it in a springform pan showcases the layers beautifully. It'll be a showstopper with its crispy, flaky, golden phyllo crust and warm cheesy spinach filling. Tips: This is a perfect make-ahead dish. Just place the prepared, unbaked pie in the refrigerator, covered, and bake cold within 24 hours. If for some reason you have leftovers—which never seems to happen in my household—place it on a baking sheet and bake in a 375°F preheated oven until warm and the phyllo has crisped up again. If you want to try the lamb version, brown 1 lb (450 g) ground lamb with the sautéed onions and mix in 2 tsp ground cumin. Ingredients 2 Tbsp + ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 cup finely diced cooking onions (1 medium onion) 9 oz (250 g) Cypriot halloumi 6 cups packed fresh baby spinach 2 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ½ cup thinly sliced green onions, including green parts 1½ cups crumbled sheep's feta 9 oz (250 g) fresh ricotta, strained 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tsp kosher salt ½ tsp freshly ground pepper ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted 1 lb (450 g) phyllo sheets, thawed following package directions 2 Tbsp white sesame seeds Preparation Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch-round by 3-inch-deep springform pan and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until translucent and tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool slightly. Rinse the halloumi under cold water for 3 to 4 seconds and pat dry. This process is important, as you need to remove the salty brine from the halloumi. Grate the halloumi. Add the spinach, parsley, green onions, feta, ricotta, halloumi, and beaten eggs to the bowl with the cooked onions. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently until well mixed. Set aside. In a bowl, stir the melted butter with the remaining ¼ cup oil. Place the phyllo between a damp tea towel (so it doesn't dry out). Lay a sheet of phyllo on a dry, clean work surface. Using a pastry brush, brush one sheet with the melted butter mixture, then place it in the pan. (Each sheet should be brushed with butter on the work surface first and then transferred individually to the pan and stacked.) Continue brushing seven more sheets of phyllo with butter and layering them in the pan with the edges draping over the sides. Fill with the spinach mixture and fold the edges over. Layer eight more sheets of phyllo on top, brushing each with melted butter. Ensure the sides of the phyllo are tucked into the pan. Brush any leftover butter mixture on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the pie is a dark golden color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the springform pan and serving warm.
Vancouver Sun
23-05-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Cook This: 3 recipes from My Cypriot Table, including tossed potatoes with olives, lemon and coriander
Our cookbook of the week is My Cypriot Table by Oakville, Ont.-based author Irene Matys. Jump to the recipes: elies tsakistes (cracked green olives with coriander, garlic and lemon), keftedes (Cypriot meatballs) and patates antinaxtes (tossed potatoes with olives, lemon and coriander). In some ways, the seed for Irene Matys 's culinary calling was planted in Sarnia, Ont., building boxes at her father Nick's pizza place. 'He would pay me 10 cents,' says Matys, laughing. 'That's how I started my career in the restaurant.' In others, it goes back even further — to Famagusta, Cyprus, where she was born. Her paternal grandfather, Christopher, tended olive trees in the north, and her mother, Zoe, comes from a long line of vegetable farmers. Now based in Oakville, Ont., Matys is a farm-to-table advocate, recipe developer, food stylist and photographer. Alongside more than 100 recipes, Matys charts her family's story in her cookbook debut, My Cypriot Table (Appetite by Random House, 2025), from leaving Cyprus as refugees during the 1974 Turkish invasion to creating a new home in Ontario. Discover the best of B.C.'s recipes, restaurants and wine. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of West Coast Table will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'We're very grateful to Canada for the life they've given us. So, a lot of my recipes are a marriage of my two homelands. I wanted to pay tribute (in) some of the recipes.' Take kremopita, for instance. The Cypriot version of Greek bougatsa typically features rosewater-scented custard. In a decidedly Canadian twist, Matys uses pumpkin pie filling. When she first served it to her father, he was skeptical. 'He's my biggest advocate, and he's my biggest critic,' she says. After one bite, Nick's tune changed from, 'You ruined our cream pie,' to, 'This is the best.' The bounty of the Canadian fall harvest and signature Cypriot flavours come together in her apple, tahini and carob cinnamon rolls. She merges two classic desserts in her baklava butter tarts, and, in her strawberry, spinach, arugula and feta salad, uses tahini in the perennially popular poppy seed dressing and combines local produce with crumbled pastelaki (sesame honey nut snaps) playing the part of croutons. 'I wanted people to relate and feel comfortable trying a different cuisine. Who doesn't love a Canadian butter tart — why not try something different? Or cinnamon buns with tahini. Tahini is such a huge staple in a Cypriot kitchen, and there are so many creative ways to use it. Why not put it with apples and cinnamon in a cinnamon bun with tahini? The cultures just wove together so deliciously and beautifully. And (I wanted to) introduce people to a different pantry. To be a little bit more creative and bring more world culture into their kitchens.' Matys always had a passion for cooking. As a teenager, she aspired to own her father's restaurant. But he dissuaded her, pushing for a nine-to-five job instead. 'My dad just didn't want us to work seven days a week,' recalls Matys. '(He had) such a deep passion for his business and quality, and loyalty to his customers, that my dad had to be there seven days a week.' After a career in finance, with her three daughters in school, Matys decided it was time for a change. In 2014, she got her break as a food stylist and on-air expert on The Marilyn Denis Show. Looking for a way to give back, she started volunteering at Plan B Organic Farms in Flamborough, Ont., a year later. Despite initially being against Matys leaving a career in finance for food, her father recognized she had found her place. Watching her first TV segment, Nick said, 'This is what you're meant to do.' Matys's work in the intervening decade has brought her back to her roots. 'My dad's restaurant was a community, and I think that's where a lot of my values come from now — feeding people and gathering people around my table. It's part of my upbringing,' she says. 'Now, with all my expertise and all the years behind me, I was able to photograph and style my own book.' Writing a cookbook had long been a dream of hers, in large part to leave a legacy for her daughters, grandchildren and the generations to come. 'They need to know our story: Where we were. Where we came from. Gratitude. And also, I want them to continue to celebrate our heritage — not only our Canadian but our Cypriot — and how Canada gives us that privilege,' says Matys. 'And the other thing is, I've realized here in Canada, people don't know about Cyprus. When I talk to them about it, they say, 'Oh, we love Greece. What Greek island is that?' It's like, 'No, no, no, no!' We love our Greeks. We love our Greece, but (it's different.)' While writing My Cypriot Table, Matys compiled a list of places, foods and experiences she wanted to capture during a research trip. Then, she 'called in the army' (her family in Cyprus) and assigned each person a task. From making halloumi on a sheep farm in the village of Dali to reuniting her dad with a long-lost childhood friend while seeking 'the best' rainbow trout in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains, Matys travelled from one end of the island to the other. 'What better way to give my readers the actual experience of Cyprus in Canada,' she says. 'I saw Cyprus in a different light. I got to experience Cyprus as a tourist.' The Mediterranean island nation is one of the world's most ancient wine-producing regions and home to the oldest named and recorded style, the 3,000-year-old Commandaria . It's where halloumi cheese was created, which the European Commission registered as a protected designation of origin in 2021. At the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe, Matys describes Cypriot cuisine as 'a marriage of countries,' with influences from the Arab world, Turkey, Greece, France and Italy. Cyprus has much to offer, says Matys — from its agriculture and wineries to beaches and mountains. 'These are things that a lot of people don't know. People don't even know it's its own island. That it's a country of its own,' she adds. 'This book is to bring light to a beautiful country that I think more people need to explore.' Cracked Green Olives with Coriander, Garlic and Lemon Serves: 6-8 2 cups cracked green olives (see Tip) 3 garlic cloves, crushed with skins on 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 medium lemon), squeezed lemon reserved 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp cracked coriander seeds 1/2 tsp sea salt In a medium bowl, mix the olives, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, coriander and salt. Quarter the reserved lemon halves and mix into the olives. Marinate in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight. Serve at room temperature. Olives can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. The longer they marinate, the more flavourful they become. Tips: Use the leftover marinade in salad dressings or for sautéing your potatoes. You can find already cracked green olives in jars at your local grocer in the Middle Eastern or Mediterranean section. If you can't find these, using a pestle and mortar, gently pound small green olives until slightly cracked. Cypriot Meatballs Serves: 6-8 1 cup finely chopped stale eliopita (Cypriot olive bread) or other bread or 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1/4 cup 2 per cent milk 1 lb (450 g) ground pork 1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef 1 1/2 cups grated russet potato (1 large potato, skin on, scrubbed well) 1 cup grated cooking onions (1 medium) 1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems 2 tbsp dried mint or 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint 2 large eggs, beaten 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp fresh ground pepper 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice Light olive oil or sunflower oil, for frying In a large bowl, mix the bread and milk. Add the pork, beef and potato to the bread mixture. Mix until well combined. Mix in the onions, parsley, mint, eggs, salt and pepper. Brush the top of the meat mixture with lemon juice to keep the meat from browning. Cover with a tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes on the counter. Bringing meatballs to room temperature before cooking will result in a fluffy meatball. Fill a deep pot about a quarter full with oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 350F (177C). Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture and roll into a ball. Deep-fry meatballs in batches, turning with a fork for even cooking, until medium dark brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan. It's always good to fry one and test it before frying a whole batch. With a slotted spoon, remove meatballs from the oil and place on a platter. Tossed Potatoes with Olives, Lemon and Coriander Serves: 4-6 3 lb (1.4 kg) mini yellow potatoes, skin on, washed 2 tbsp coriander seeds 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 10 garlic cloves, crushed with back of knife 1 cup large green olives, pitted 1 large lemon, peeled in wide ribbons and juiced (about 1/4 cup juice) 1 tsp flaky sea salt Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. Crack the coriander with a mortar and pestle. If you don't have one, place the coriander between two pieces of parchment and press down with the bottom of a water glass to crack. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Remove garlic from oil and set aside. Add the potatoes to the hot oil and fry for 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the coriander, garlic, olives and lemon peel ribbons and fry for an additional 5 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp and golden. Turn off the heat and toss the potatoes with the lemon juice and salt. Tip: You can substitute the olives, garlic and coriander with a cup of the Elies Tsakistes ( see recipe ). Recipes and images excerpted from My Cypriot Table by Irene Matys. Copyright ©2025 Irene Matys. Photographs by Irene Matys. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our cookbook and recipe newsletter, Cook This, here .
