MARIA LOI: Yassou.
Today, we are headed to Corfu-- Kerkyra in Greek-- one of the most multicultural Greek islands.
There is so much to love about it: stunning landscapes, magnificent mountains, miles of beaches, and of course, the incredible Corfiot cuisine that showcases the rich history of Corfu.
Come with me, and let's explore this magical island together.
It's all happening now on The Life Of Loi.
♪ ♪ I am Maria Loi, executive chef of Loi Estiatorio in Manhattan.
When I was growing up in Thermo, a small village in Greece, food was a way of life.
Good for your body, good for your soul.
The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest in the world, and I have seen how it can truly change people's lives, like it changed mine.
And since then, my life has been all about the Mediterranean diet.
Today, we are going to share some of the delicious secrets that you can make part of your own lives at home.
So come with me right now on The Life of Loi.
♪ ♪ Funding for this program is provided by the Behrakis Family, the Greek National Tourism Organization, Enterprise Greece.
Additional funding is provided by: LOI: Corfu-- Kerkyra in Greek-- is one of my favorite islands, as you will see.
I am meeting up with chef Liana Barba, who has surprised me with a great story.
Páme!
♪ ♪ While I was in Corfu, my friend chef Tasos Andriotis took me to a place most tourists don't see: a beautiful lake near the ocean where flamingos feast on fresh, wild shrimp.
(singing in Greek) (singing in Greek) (both singing in Greek) LOI (laughs): I love it here.
It's so beautiful.
And it's a different experience.
So... This is the trap for the shrimps.
LOI: Can you move it, or not?
Not now-- first... (speaking Greek) LOI: Okay!
(speaking Greek): LOI: Oh, wow!
(exclaiming) (speaking Greek): LOI: Yeah, that's good.
(speaking Greek): LOI: We have to give some food to flamingos.
They're so cute.
(speaking Greek): (laughs) But they're, they're... (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: It's the species like that, right?
Yes.
(speaking Greek): LOI: No.
(speaking Greek): LOI: No.
(speaking Greek) LOI: No-- this is food for flamingos, okay?
(speaking Greek): LOI: Like people.
(laughs) Pink... (speaking Greek) Of course.
LOI (laughs): I don't want to go out.
Yes, it's nice here.
LOI: It's so beautiful.
It's so peaceful.
And here's the lake.
On the other side, there's the sea.
Yes.
LOI: This is Corfu.
The wild Corfu.
LOI: Like you.
(both laugh) LOI: I think that we should go, because we should leave all the food for the flamingos, hm?
Of course.
(speaking Greek): LOI (chuckles) (speaking Greek): Páme.
(singing in Greek) (both singing in Greek) (laughs) LOI: You know, I cannot thank you enough for everything.
It's my pleasure, really.
LOI: Corfu is different now.
I see it with a different eye.
(speaking Greek): LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek) LOI: Like a gentleman.
(chuckles) (speaking Greek): LOI (speaking Greek) (speaking Greek) LOI (speaking Greek) (speaking Greek): LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI (speaking Greek): (chuckles): Okay.
Oh, God.
It's full of...
Here is not the sea.
It's the lake, but it smells like the sea.
And you have to make some toursi, and you have to send it to me, okay?
Of course.
LOI (speaking Greek): (speaking Greek): LOI: Páme.
I love Corfu.
I love Tasos.
I love all my new friends.
I'll be back soon.
♪ ♪ One of the best taverns in Corfu is Barbas Tavern.
I have never visited before, but today, we cook with Liana.
The daughter, right?
You're the daughter, yeah.
I have to tell you a secret, though.
LOI: What?
We are cooking with your recipes in this restaurant.
LOI (laughs): What?
Many years ago, my father, we had an accident in the kitchen, so he had to cook without knowing.
So we do all with your books and with your recipes that we could find in magazines and everywhere.
He was teasing them a little bit, though.
LOI: That's good.
But he manage it.
So he would be very proud if he were here and could cook with you.
But he isn't, so I'm going to cook with you tonight.
LOI: (sighs) I cannot speak now.
Thank you very much.
So that was the surprise that Anna was telling me, you know... Yes.
LOI: ...that I will have here.
Okay.
All right.
Before we start crying, both of us, let's go.
What are we doing today?
We're going to cook shrimps pastitsada today.
It's a traditional Corfu tomato sauce, but here, in the restaurant, we are doing it also with shrimps.
LOI: That's good.
So, let's start.
Okay.
LOI: What do we need?
Olive oil?
We need first olive oil, yes.
LOI: Okay.
Thank you.
And then, the garlic, please.
LOI: Garlic.
And the pepper, the spicy pepper.
LOI: Spicy pepper.
Okay.
Do you use spicy pepper in Corfu a lot?
Yes, fresh spicy pepper from our village.
It's my mother-in-law that are growing them.
We're going to give them a little bit of time to sauté, and then, we're going to put the shrimps.
LOI: Okay.
(sizzling) LOI: I used to make the shrimp like this, yes.
I cannot believe that.
That I came to a restaurant that "I help," kind of, you know?
You helped a lot, trust me.
(both chuckling) LOI: So beautiful.
Thank you.
It's an honor for us that we have you here.
Now we're going to use a little bit of the wine.
LOI: Okay.
It's a very special blend of Corfu.
LOI: Okay.
Two types of grape.
LOI: That's enough.
Yes.
LOI: We don't want drunk shrimp.
(laughs): No.
When they are ready, we're gonna remove them in the plate and we're going to continue with the tomato sauce.
LOI: Good.
Okay, let me help you.
Thank you, Maria.
LOI: And we'll have all the goodness.
All the goodness of the fresh shrimps in our tomato sauce.
LOI: Mm-hmm.
Put all the onion.
Yeah, let us put all the onion, yeah.
LOI: Then?
We're going to give just two seconds in the onion, to become one with the rest of the sauce, and then, we would need tomato paste.
Two spoons of this, please.
LOI: Okay.
And then, we're going to use the tomato, fresh tomatoes, peeled.
LOI: You want the whole thing?
The whole thing.
Okay, thank you.
So now, we're going to add some water.
LOI: Water, I have it here for you.
Yeah, the half of it, please.
LOI: Yeah, even less.
Even less.
LOI: You want salt, no?
I need, first, the salt.
LOI: Okay.
No, we don't give salt to each other.
No, because it's a big fight.
LOI: Yes!
I'm not going to fight with you, Liana.
No, I don't want that, also.
And then, the secret of the recipe, it's the famous spetseriko of Corfu.
LOI (sniffs): Oh!
It's a strong blend, including cinnamon.
LOI: I love the cinnamon.
(sniffs): Oh, wow.
How much you put on that?
One small spoon.
It's enough.
LOI: It's enough, right?
Yeah.
LOI: Because it has a strong taste.
Strong taste.
LOI: And also, very strong aroma.
It's going to be amazing.
And that's the real macaroni here, right?
Yes.
(murmuring) LOI: A great day with great surprises.
(both speaking Greek) And now, let's enjoy.
You go back.
Or come to Greece.
♪ ♪ (chuckling) That dish was so delicious.
And even though it's a traditional dish from Corfu, it reminds me of something my giagiá used to make for us when I was a child, and I want to make it with you today: kota krassati, a braised chicken dish with cinnamon and tomato.
Here with me is my new friend James Holman.
(speaks Greek) Welcome.
Thank you.
LOI: We met in Naxos island, James and Kara-- Kara, his beautiful wife.
One day, James came with us when we were filming and he says, "Oh, I love what you're doing."
And then I said, "Why don't you come to film with me in New York?"
And here you are.
Here we are.
LOI: We're going, today, to make chicken.
I marinate the chickens overnight.
Not me-- Felipe, my chef.
Let's be honest, okay?
Look, look how he put everything nice, you know, with the bay leaf on the top.
It was one or two glasses of red wine, and that's why this color now, and then, you have olive oil?
Of course.
LOI: As you know, me and olive oil, we go together.
Yeah, absolutely.
LOI: Do you know how to cut the onion the way I cut it?
Let me show you, here.
And then cut it.
If you use white onion, you should add more.
Okay.
LOI: Because red onion, it has more intense flavor.
Sure.
LOI: So we'll put some bay leaves.
(sniffs) These are from Greece.
They have very, very strong flavor.
Cinnamon.
You know, in Greece, we cook a lot with cinnamon.
One, two, three, it's good.
We put pepper.
Fresh-ground pepper.
And this dish needs a lot of pepper.
Okay.
LOI: Salt.
And my favorite, tomato paste.
That's it-- do you know about tomato paste?
It's good for you.
Oh, I didn't know that.
LOI: And especially for you, men, it's anti-cancer, and especially prostate, for men.
Oh.
LOI: But ask your doctor all the time.
Some water-- this is water in there.
Okay.
LOI: Yeah, go ahead.
Go ahead.
How much?
LOI: That's it.
A little more?
LOI: Yes, yes, a bit more.
I'm going to ask Felipe after that to blend everything.
Okay.
LOI: Thank you.
And to make it, like, saucy.
Okay.
LOI: Some lemon.
Okay.
LOI: Do you know why I'm putting lemon?
I don't.
LOI: Lemon we put because it brightens up the water.
Ah, okay.
LOI: And even more if we add some lemon zest.
Ah-hah.
LOI: I don't think my grandma used to do that, but I add it.
Felipe?
Yes, chef?
LOI: Can you put this in the oven, please?
Yes.
LOI: Do you have the other one ready?
Yes.
LOI: Did you blend the sauce?
Yes, chef, I did.
LOI: Don't you love Felipe?
Which one?
Which kind of plate you want?
Choose one.
Okay.
Felipe, is it ready?
Okay, just be careful.
LOI: It's okay, Felipe.
Don't worry.
(breathes deeply) It smells amazing, right?
Sauce.
It smells so good.
LOI: So, Felipe?
Yes, chef?
LOI: Do we have some pita?
Yes.
LOI: You know, this chicken is organic, you know that?
I do.
LOI: We only use organic things at Loi.
Of course, of course.
LOI: Thank you, Felipe.
You're welcome.
LOI: Okay.
Wonderful.
LOI: And this pita actually is very easy, look at it.
Yeah.
Oh, thank you.
LOI: You go like this, okay?
All right.
LOI: Mm-hmm.
All right.
LOI: And then, you say, "Yassou."
Yassou.
LOI: And you eat it.
Mm.
It's so good.
You can taste the lemon-- really nice.
Chicken's so tender.
♪ ♪ (singing in Greek) LOI: I want to share with you one of the most magical experiences.
(singing in Greek) LOI: It's like I've come back to the olive harvest I knew when I was a little girl, growing up in my village.
(singing) LOI: We sang beautiful songs as we gathered the olives to make our olive oil.
Sharing this experience again was a truly wonderful gift.
♪ ♪ After collecting all the olives, we had a delicious lunch with lots of simple, tasty foods from the land around us.
♪ ♪ (speaking Greek): (laughs) (all speaking Greek) Yamas.
And yassou from Corfu.
Olive oil makes life taste better and healthier.
(speaking Greek) Good morning from Greece, from Angsana.
I have to share this with you, another recipe I'm going to tell you that my friend chef Tasos here made for me, and he says, "Oh, let's have breakfast."
I said, "That's for lunch."
He says, "Whatever you want, we eat it all day here."
And I'm going to show you.
Here, you see?
Isn't it amazing?
(sniffs): And it smells great.
I'm going to show you exactly how he made it, and I will add something more.
So we have the potatoes.
Olive oil.
And I have to confess, I didn't know that Corfu had this amazing olive oil.
I have to bring some to the States.
Salt, not too much.
Always from the top.
Pepper.
I'm not going to cut the onion the way that I cut it usually.
I will cut it his way.
And it's super-healthy, super-easy, super-tasty, and you can have it anytime you want it.
But remember that we have our secret.
One spoon, it's enough.
Let me mix this.
And it's ready to go to the oven.
Preheated oven, 375.
It's only 45 minutes, and it's going to be ready.
More simple than this?
Cannot be.
(sniffs) God.
In a beautiful plate.
You can eat it like this, or you can add some greens.
You can eat it at lunch, you can eat it as a side dish, whatever you want.
But make sure that you add some more olive oil.
I like some more pepper.
This is vegan now, right?
But if someone wants to add some chicken on the top, a piece of meat, a piece of fish, it's a full meal.
Today, I will get my vitamins from feta cheese.
Or you can add another cheese, if you want.
It took five minutes.
It's ready.
It was so easy to make it.
I have to taste it.
I'll get some feta cheese, get some potato.
These wild greens, they're from the surroundings here.
Mm.
The bitterness from the greens goes perfect with the sweetness of the tomato paste and the sharp from the cheese.
Very easy-- make it at home.
And I want you to enjoy it with a glass of red wine, white wine, or pink wine, like my friend Annamira says.
Yassou.
(blows kiss) From Corfu with love.
(drums pounding) Kerkyra!
(drums pounding) After finishing the potato dish, I was able to catch the parade.
This is how Greeks all over the world celebrate Ohi Day, a national holiday commemorating Greece's courage in resisting the Axis forces during World War II.
I was honored to be a part of this celebration.
Bravo!
(speaking Greek): ♪ ♪ That was one of the best experiences, cooking surrounded by water and amazing views.
I loved that potato dish.
But I wanted to make something a little different for you: patatosalata me myrodika, potato salad with fresh herbs.
With me today is my new friend Kara Holman.
We met in Naxos, but I want to show her what Corfu is.
Naxos was so beautiful, so I can't imagine.
LOI: Well, I have to tell you, Naxos is in my heart.
You know that.
But when I went to Corfu, I said, "This is one of the most beautiful islands, not in Greece, in the world."
So let me show you how you can make an easy potato salad.
Do you know how to cut the potatoes?
Probably not the right way.
LOI: Let me show you, let me show you, here.
Like that.
Cut it any way you want it.
Don't be afraid, it's a potato.
(laughs) Well, I feel like you may judge me.
(laughing) LOI: I never judge people.
Okay.
LOI (murmurs): Okay.
Faster-- go faster.
And then I lose a finger.
(laughs) LOI: No, because, you won't lose a finger if you cut it like this-- you see here?
And then, you have the knife looking outside.
Look, here.
Okay.
LOI: Like that.
You did it!
Okay, let's put some more, and then we'll add some herbs.
Bravo.
Easy.
Easy peasy.
LOI: Lemon squeezy.
(both laugh) Since we said, "Lemon squeezy," let's squeeze some lemons.
Okay.
LOI: Here.
Why are you doing it that way?
LOI: More juice.
See?
And just add the lemon here.
And you can add vinegar, if you like.
Okay.
LOI: But I like lemon, because lemon goes perfect with the herbs.
Actually, let me give it to you.
Here.
How should I cut these herbs?
LOI: We're using scissors, because we don't want the essential oils to be over here.
Right?
Do you like dill?
You like parsley?
You like what?
Parsley, definitely.
LOI: Okay, I like dill.
So we have both.
Okay.
LOI: You put parsley.
Take it and cut this with the scissor.
Okay.
How small?
Is that okay?
LOI: Any way you like it.
Okay.
It smells delicious.
LOI: Isn't it?
Oh, the smell.
It's so fresh.
LOI: Fresh and organic.
Should I do all of this?
LOI: Yes.
It's good for you.
And vitamin C-- parsley has a lot of vitamin C. So you mix it.
And now, what do we need?
Hello!
Olive oil.
(both laugh) LOI: Look at this.
One, two, three, four-- that's tablespoons.
Isn't it beautiful, the salad?
It is.
LOI: What else do you think is missing here?
Salt?
A little pepper?
LOI: Salt, yeah.
How much should I put on?
LOI: But not too much.
How about that?
LOI: That's good.
Bravo.
Okay, and just a little bit of... LOI: Pepper.
LOI: Bravo-- anything else that you like with this salad?
What would you like?
Would feta be good on this?
LOI: The best.
Felipe, could I have some feta, please?
Yes, chef.
LOI: Thank you.
Here's the feta.
LOI: Thank you.
And Felipe, let me give you the potatoes.
All right.
LOI: Thanks.
You're welcome.
LOI: Cut it.
Very nice, chunky.
(both laugh) And always, you have to keep your feta in brine.
Otherwise, it dries out and it's not good.
So let's eat, then.
Let's try it.
I love that.
LOI: And some feta.
That is delicious.
I can just taste all the ingredients in this, and it's the lemon, the dill, I mean, the olive oil, and the feta are delicious.
And the potatoes are cooked just right.
LOI: Could we have those glasses there, please?
We're going... LOI: Yassou.
Yassou.
LOI: And yassou to you, too.
Remember, metron ariston.
Everything in moderation except love, olive oil, and good deeds.
Yassou!
♪ ♪ Closed captioning provided by Genetic Networks.
Funding for this program is provided by the Behrakis Family, the Greek National Tourism Organization, Enterprise Greece.
Additional funding is provided by: ♪ ♪
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