Think Of Greece - Think Of OLIVES!

When you think of olives, you imagine a little bowl on a bar counter, ordering a small bowl to go with your meal at a restaurant, or in your martini . They are also very popular because of the oil that they produce, but what do you really know about where they came from?

Olives are grown on olive trees that are native to the Mediterranean area. They are an evergreen tree or shrub that is very short, usually no taller than 50 feet. These trees are incredibly strong. Olive trees last for many years, but usually don’t start growing the actual fruit until they are about 6 or 7 years old. These trees are grown in abundance in the Mediterranean countries. There are about 18 million tons of trees produced each year with 95% of them being from the Mediterranean area.

Every type of olive comes from a different area, therefore there are not all kinds of different olive trees in one area. The different kinds of olives are Empeltre, Hojiblanca, Lechin, Picual, Cornicabra, Verdial, Arbequina, Picudo and varieties. There are also the most common olives in the United States, which are the black and green olives. Each one of these olives have a different taste depending on where they are grown, inside or outside, the heat, and the soil. These are all factors that change the taste of olives! Olives are harvested at the green stage but can be left to ripen which darkens their color and we get what we know as black olives.

Olives are used in a variety of ways. They can be eaten whole or cultivated into oil. In kitchens all over the world, olive oil is the most common cooking oil. It is also very common to have olive oil salad dressings. Just like traditional mediterranean kitchens, Ziziki’s uses olive oil for cooking too. For example- our calamari is lightly sautéed with olive oil, white wine, and lemon. Another favorite dish with olive oil is our shrimp, it is marinated to perfection with olive oil and herbs. If you are looking for a delicious appetizer that is sure to please your Greek craving the artichoke dip & pita bread should be your number one choice; it is even served with whole kalamata olives. You can also just order a few olives on the side with any of our dishes if you would please.

After all, the Ziziki’s menu would not be so perfect unless it served foods that were full of strong flavors, like olives and garlic. These are the backbone to the every Greek meal, So come on “oliver” and eat a "Big Fat Greek Dinner"!

When in GREECE: Eat Mediterranean Salad

We get more than our fair share of recipe requests here at Ziziki’s. Of course - we can't give away our secrets but we can share a simple one! Still, if you’re looking to impress - this recipe is sure to put a smile on some faces.

Mediterranean Salad: Hearty, robust, and delicious! All the stuff you dream about are in a Greek salad - tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, and sun-dried tomatoes - all glistening from a splash of oil. It takes only ten minutes to make this salad and it’s perfect if you’re looking to entertain a small group since it serves eight people.

INGREDIENTS:
3 cucumbers, seeded and sliced lengthwise
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
3 cups diced roma tomatoes
1/3 cup diced oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, oil reserved
1/2 red onion, sliced

DIRECTIONS:
In a large salad bowl, toss together the cucumbers, feta cheese, olives, roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons reserved sun-dried tomato oil, and red onion. Chill until ready to serve.

OPA!

Slim and Greek - The Mediterranean Diet

How would you like to dine like Zeus and drink fine wines every day? If you're following the Mediterranean Diet - this is you.

Red wine and most of the ingredients in traditional Greek cuisine and Mediterranean dishes are great for the heart, and keep participants happily fed. (satisfied both with filling and taste, OPA!)

Heart attacks are quite rare in the Mediterranean, due to the diet of olive oil, soups and veggies, fresh fish, fruits and low calorie cheeses. Not to mention the heart-healthy and cholesterol benefits of eating beans (and did we mention - we have the biggest beans ever. They're called GIGANTE beans and rightfully so!)

Visit Ziziki's or Ziziki's Taverna for a heaping bowl of Gigante Beans, a healthy helping of Greek salad and some oilive oil & cheese. Oh, and some red, red wine. You'll leave healthy and happy! Opa!

Interesting Facts About Greek Desserts

What makes YaYa's desserts so scrumptious?  It's years of experience and family tradition - coupled with some little-known trivia.

1. Ancient Greeks used Honey instead of sugar because sugar as we know it did not exist in Greece.

2. What sets Greek desserts apart is their eastern influence. Whereas western desserts are more sponge and cream based, the Greek sweets are sugar based. Many include fillo pastry, which is paper thin sheets of pastry, layered upon each other to create a multi-layered effect, as in baklava. With many nuts - such as walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts and almonds being in abundance in Greece, it is no surprise to see these nuts used widely in their desserts. Once the dessert is baked, it is drenched in a sweet aromatic honey syrup, as in walnut cake - Karythopita. Apart from the beautiful flavors it infuses, the syrup helps to preserve the dessert.

3. Although Americans call these 'desserts' - Greeks refer to them as sweets - they are generally not eaten after a meal as we would in other western countries. In Greece dessert is rarely eaten after a meal and if so it is most likely to be whichever fruit is in season. Rather, desserts are kept and brought out during the day, along with a Greek coffee and a glass of iced water, especially when there is a visitor. In this way the sweets can be savored and enjoyed completely on their own, away from the fullness of a meal, which is fitting since they are in themselves very filling and a truly sensational taste.

The next time you’re looking to share a coffee and a sweet with a friend, skip the standard drive through your friend to Ziziki’s.

Ziziki's Named Top 100 Best Greek Restaurants in United States by National Herald

Here in the big D, we take special care to bring Greek cuisine to the states in a very authentic way; with Ya Ya's old recipes and Chef Costa's award-winning culinary skills - Ziziki's delivers a delightful mix of traditionally fine-tuned family favorites. We also work hard to keep a great selection of Greek wines and others in our Dallas Wine Bars for our customers to enjoy with their meals, or otherwise. Opa!

For us, Greek dining is a way of life - to celebrate life, and to celebrate our heritage.  The National Herald (Greek news) took the time to interview restaurant owners, try the wines and mezzes, and then pare down the Top 100 best Greek Restaurants in the country, and list them state by state.

We're thrilled to have been recognized as Top 100 - click here for the full article!

A Day In Ancient Greece

You wake up, then go to work, and then come home where you eat dinner (preferably Mediterranean food...OPA!), and then go to sleep, right? Well, in ancient Greece, they spent their time in a slightly different way, but some of their habits are still relevant for a good majority of people in today’s society.

Most men in ancient Greece were being trained for military purposes, or discussing politics, but if that was not the case then they went to the Theatre, which often involved current politics and gods in some form, so that way they could just watch it instead of talk about it to everyone else.

Women were normally not allowed to watch theatre or perform at the theatre, so male actors played the women roles. The lives of women in Ancient Greece were closely tied to domestic work, spinning, weaving and other domestic duties, so they were not involved in public life or in politics, and their lives were normally quite confined to the house although one public duty was acting as a priestess at a temple.

The children, however, were much like the children of today. Because they could not do domestic chores, or understand politics or theatre, they usually used up their time by playing with toys and games.

In Greece at this time, and even still today, most all people made their living by farming, and what was convenient was that often the citizens would have land around their homes which they could use to provide their income (and to provide us with yummy Greek food today!). The downside, though, is that the Greek landscape was hard to farm.

Grapes were usually picked around September and either kept for eating or made into wine, and olives were either picked by hand or knocked out of the trees with wooden sticks. Olives especially were an important product to the Greeks because it had so many uses including; cooking, lighting, beauty products and it could also be used for athletic purposes (and it also makes olive oil which is used in so many of Zizikis great Dallas Greek dishes!).

The Ancient Greeks usually ate bread and porridge with food such as cheese, vegetables, fish, eggs and fruit. At Zizikis, though, there are so many more options for any person living in the modern day world who wants some great Mediterranean food fit for an ancient Greek himself!

Dine Like Gods This St. Valentine's Day

It's Less than a week until the most romantic night of the year…St. Valentine's Day.

What would Eros (Aphrodite's son, by the way) suggest doing on this special day? What might you do for your special loved one, to enhance the chances that Eros might draw his famous "bow of love": and shoot a magical arrow in to the heart and mind of your sweetie to ensure true love forever?

What are you doing to show your loved one how you feel? A heart-shaped box of delicious chocolates? A beautiful, diamond necklace?  A dozen red roses?

If you want results - go for GREEK FOOD. It's sure to win the heart of your love-target.

All of these other ideas are amazing - and must be done, if you really want to make an impression...start the night off right by visiting Ziziki’s for a special four-course Valentine's Day dinner on Monday, February 14th, or by visiting Ziziki's Taverna in Addison for three-course dinner special. Here's a bit more on this weekend's special offerings:

VALENTINE’S WEEKEND SPECIALS

Ziziki's Valentine's Menu
This four course dinner is only $49 per person (tax and tip not included).

• APPETIZER PLATTER
  A trio platter of our chef’s favorite appetizers
• SALAD
  Our signature ZIZIKI Salad
• ENTREÉ
  Your choice of entreé including our most popular:
  Rack of Lamb, Spanakopita, Greek Island Chicken, Seafood Santorini and much more.
• DESSERT
  Decadent Chocolate Liquor Cake 

We will also be offering this amazing (at our Ziziki's locations only) all weekend to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 2/11, 2/12, and 2/13 as an option along with our regular menu just in case you and your sweetheart want to celebrate early!

Ziziki's Taverna

Begin with your choice of Mezze (yummy Greek appetizers...). Then, you can indulge in a scrumptious Greek Salad. Finally, you'll enjoy your choice of our Specialty Entrees. This exclusive three-course menu is only $30/per person! What's more -  you can add a bottle of wine from a HUGE wine selection for only $20 more! Click here for the full selection special menu.

Join us and feast your way to true love!