Easter is a huge celebration in Cyprus and no more so than in Tonia’s family where her Uncle Michael is the village Priest. As the end of Lent approaches, Tonia and the family are starting to prepare special dishes for the Easter celebrations including ‘Flaounes’ – traditional Easter cakes, and a favourite family dish ‘Beef Sofrito’.
Tonia visits the Paphos region of Cyprus where she goes foraging for wild herbs and vegetables with her friend George, before they cook an ancient pork recipe together. She milks a goat and uses the milk to learn how to make Anari, one of her favourite Cypriot cheeses.
Tonia visits Lania in the Troodos Mountains where she is welcomed with an array of traditional local cakes baked by the ladies of this beautiful village, before returning to her villa to cook a tasty chocolate and orange cake. She later meets up with her friend Roddy in Limassol to learn some of his favourite modern Cypriot dishes including red mullet with rose petals.
Tonia visits a produce market in the village of Lefkara in Cyprus where she meets a local herbal tea grower. He invites her to visit his family’s plantation and taste some of their herbal teas. After returning to her villa in Kalavossos, Tonia cooks a favourite wholesome ‘Tahini Soup’ and lamb ‘Youvetsi ‘for her family.
Tonia has loved the sweet taste of carob since her childhood and carob trees are widespread across Cyprus. She discovers how the natural carob honey toffee is made before tasting it in a savoury dish at a local restaurant. She then visits a bee-keeper to collect fresh honeycomb from the hive and uses it to make a sweet pastry dessert to serve at a party.
Tonia meets a family friend to help make lounza, Cypriot smoked pork. After taking her children strawberry-picking, she then combines the fruit and the lounza to make a colourful strawberry salad.
When Tonia is back in Cyprus she loves to spend time with her family. Today she visits her Auntie Zoe who taught her to cook when she was a child. They make one of Zoe’s favourite recipes together – ‘Lamb Fricassee’. Tonia later visits a festival celebrating the cherry harvest and leaves with a jar of cherry Glyko or ‘spoon sweets’ which she then uses in a recipe for Yoghurt, Cherry and Walnut Cake.
Tonia has offered to create the best of Cyprus on a plate as she cooks for local VIPs – a pop singer, a TV presenter and a well-loved actor. She travels the island to gather the best ingredients before serving her three-course dinner to her special guests.