Ethos Culinary Year in 2024

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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This year at Ethos Culinary Year in 2024, was full of wonderful happenings and events including many collaborations with local companies and farmers. My goal was to engage the community with cooking classes and culinary events unique to our community here in San Diego. I was excited to work with new clients in bringing them successful team-building parties. The demands of each and every company I worked with was a challenge and it help grow my business. I’m very thankful for their support. You can find us on Instagram at Ethos Culinary. 

One of many Cooking Classes at Ethos

Ethos students dinner event.

Our Greek Wine Tasting Event

I developed a Harvest Market that became so successful, I now have them on a regular basis every other month. My theme was to bring in local creative minds such as artists and local farmer’s market owners sharing their products and skills.

Ethos Market House

Mary and her local honey.

Ela Olive Oil

Along with the activities this year, I presented my community with hands-on classes, that then became my fondest memories in my kitchen. The laughter alone that the students experienced during cooking their dishes, was worth the many hours of prep in making the classes successful.

Hands on Greek Cooking

Ethos Hands on Cooking

A hands-on Greek cooking class at Ethos

And lastly, the one day Pop-Up events couldn’t have been more enjoyable by all who attended.  A few hours of visiting and a hands- on experience, using a cooking technique was all that was needed. Meeting new friends was met by all.

An Ethos Pop-up

A class in salted basil

I’m so thankful to all my students, companies and farmers for their support in making my year complete!

You can find our website at ethosculinary.com

Or email me at ethosculinary@gmail.com

With fond memories,

Mary Papoulias-Platis

 

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Christmas Market Invite

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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The holidays are a busy time with family and home, but also a time to bring friends together to celebrate the holidays for a day. You are invited to attend my Christmas Market in December at Ethos Culinary.

In the past, I enjoyed for years attending a local community event, that stands out for me as my favorite. It was located in a model home with a collection of foods and gifts by talented ladies from our community. I attended this special day for several years and bought incredible eats and gifts. I decided when I opened our culinary school to try and duplicate that same feeling of excitement.

This is not my first Market House event. We had several events that have drawn a large crowd. The events are free with a small lunch included as you shop and visit with our special guests. This month’s Christmas Market is all about the season with food gifts, tastings, and many holiday ideas to take home and create.

A few of my favorite local products we sell are:

Ela Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Local Honey from the Milkovich Family

Local Preserves and Jams from Stephanie Sibley

Here are a few photos of our past events:

Wonderful local foods to take home and enjoy!

We love to support local and California companies!

Swing by Ethos for the Christmas Market.

Here are are special friends helping out to serve and help our guests with their purchases.

Table tasting at Ethos Culinary.

One of our many stations of food samples and fresh delights to try. So, I hope you join us for our holiday Christmas Market in December.

Drop a message below to let me know you are coming!

See you there!

Chef Mary 

 

 

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Greek Wine Tasting At Ethos Culinary

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Greek Wine Tasting has always been on my mind to teach at Ethos, from the day I opened. I wasn’t quite ready until I added it as an auction item for a non-profit we support. This pushed me in the direction needed, to dive in and start learning all about Greek wines.

I called my support team and Jade Thacker my wine expert, stepped forward to assist me.  She presented the wines at our first event, and I cooked all the appetizers to match. In fact, I was so inspired to dig in, we produced a terrific event. My biggest take-a away, was to ask for help, and be willing to trust a partner to learn from. If are  interested in a private wine tasting with your group please email me at ethosculinary@gmail.com

Here are a few pictures from the evening. And a big thank you to Jade Thacker from Alluvial Wines.

 

Setting up out classes for our Greek wine tasting. Dinner is provided afterwards.

Jade sharing her favorite tip sand information about her wines.

One of our pairings was enjoyed by all! Greek Roasted Vegetables.

Asking questions is my favorite part of the classes, as we take questions from our guests.

Grilling up Lamb Ribs for dinner guests.

Going over the dinner entrees that are soon to be served.

A buffet of Greek specialties and our favorite Greek salad.

Our guests enjoying time with one another as they enjoy our Greek dinner and wines.

Our events are all custom for your group or company in mind. We teach hands-on classes, as well as presentations such as this event. Contact Chef Mary Papoulias -Platis for private parties and team-building at ethosculinary@gmail.com. Or visit our website at ethosculinary.com to see our location and facilities.

See You Soon,

Chef Mary 

 

 

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Basil Pop-Up Event at Ethos Culinary

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Our Basil Pop-Up all started from a phone call from my farmer Joseph from D’Acquisto Farms.  He calls when he has special fruits or vegetables I might be interested in, such as his fresh basil this week. I grabbed a box and started planning a pop-up using basil as a theme to my recipes. It’s not that often you can get such a large amount of freshly picked basil from your local farmer. It was a challenge for me to decide how to use this herb, my head was spinning with so many recipes that I could use. But, I kept is simple so everyone could take home their samples. So I decided on basil baking salt with baked potatoes, basil vinaigrette with fresh tomatoes. The event was successful and quite fun as we sat down for a nice melon feta basil salad and basil lemonade. And a take home bag of fresh basil to boot!

I picked up an entire case and I’m happy I did, we had a large group.

Baked salt and fresh basil is a great addition to any roasted vegetable. We used small white and red potatoes.

Everyone grabbed an apron and we got to work with our recipes.

A delicious and refreshing basil lemonade for all!

I just love seeing my interested group and my repeating customers. It’s a great way to exchange ideas and have a few moments to visit with friends.

They enjoyed the tomatoes and were gobbled up before I could take a picture of the basil vinaigrette I dressed them with.

We always take time to relax and enjoy a day together. It was a perfect excuse for a Basil Pop-Up event.

Eat Well!

Chef Mary 

 

 

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Greek Tomato Fritters

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Being a avid gardener and being Greek go hand in hand with our summer cooking! Why? Because everything is around the tomato! We actually wait until summer for the perfect summer dish. A few of my favorite dishes are,  Greek Tomato Fritters, Greek Feta  Salad, and our Tomato Egg Scramble for breakfast. They can be made and  served with other small bites called “Meze”, traditional Greek family favorites. It’s as simple as this, garden tomatoes have a deep rich flavor to enhance the notes in your dish, but of course supermarket tomatoes can be used. When shopping for tomatoes look for heirloom, or organic locally grown varieties, such as the plum tomatoes with a thick flesh.

My garden tomatoes from my home.

Besides Greek Tomato Fritters, one other dish we enjoy is the zucchini fritter. A summer favorite of ours as they both give us an abundant of produce from our summer garden. Zucchini is a staple in our diet. It can also be stuffed for a main dish or served also as a fritter.

Feta Zucchini Patties

 

This recipe comes from The Foods of Greece, by author Aglaia Kremezi. An Athens born cookbook writer and photographer. She has taught in culinary institutions and featured in many publications here in America.

Greek Tomato Fritters

This is one of my favorite summer dishes to whip up with a cool Greek yogurt tzatziki sauce. This can be served alone as an appetizer or side dish, or with BBQ Lamb Ribs, Greek Chicken or Lemony Pork Chops. This is meant to be a summer dish that can be served with several other Greek "Meze" on a hot summer day.

Course Appetizer/Side Dish
Cuisine Greek
Keyword CaliforniaGreek, fritters, summer, tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 2 -2½ cups seeded and diced tomatoes (about 3-4), drained. I prefer a plum tomato with more flesh.
  • 1 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped scallions
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour (1 cup for fritters) 1/2 if more is needed.
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • extra virgin olive oil for frying
  • 3/4 cups chopped onions
  • 1 garlic clove - minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl add the fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, scallions, mint and oregano. Stir until combined.

  2. Add 1 cup flour with the baking soda. Stir gently into the batter. Add a little more flour if necessary for a thickened batter.

  3. In a large skillet heat the olive oil on medium heat, add the onions and garlic and saute until softened. Let cool slightly. Add to the tomato batter and stir together.

  4. Place the cleaned skillet on medium heat, and add new olive oil. Form patties with your hands, and place in the oil to fry 2-3 minutes until golden on both sides and cooked thoroughly.

  5. Remove and place on paper towel lined plate.

  6. Cool and serve with Greek Yogurt Tzatziti. My recipe for sauce can be found on my blog.

You may also enjoy these tomato recipes.

Happy Summer Days!

Mary 

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Potatoes and Olives

Tomatoes Al Greco

Fresh Tomato Risotto

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Ethos Market House, Sunday August 11th

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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We are back with another Ethos Market House! We took a small break as family settled here at the house, for their summer vacation. We were busy everyday, from the beach to the zoo, and sometimes just at home visiting with friends.

This month’s focus at Ethos Market House is on tomatoes! Hopefully, many of you grow them in your boxes, garden or pots. They are everyone’s favorite summer vegetable. As always, I will be presenting you with Special Guests, you can learn from and enjoy their company while shopping. Tasty organic bites will also be presented for all to enjoy, including berries, melons, and a pickling demo!

Pickling is a great way to preserve your berries! Drop by and see our demo and grab a recipe to take home! Add them to your salads, drinks or summer cold desserts.

Basil is easily grown in a pot or in garden boxes.

Preserving Herbs has always been a struggle with my garden , but here are a few tips. Swing by Ethos Market House for a fresh basil bite!

  • Freeze pesto! Chop fresh herbs in a food processor. Gradually add olive oil to form a sauce or thicker pesto. Spoon onto an ice cube tray and freeze. Remove once frozen and place in a freezer bag for storing. Add cubes to soups, pasta, and vegetable dishes.
  • Separate and spread leaves (sage, basil, or other herbs) on a baking sheet. Set the tray in the freezer. When the leaves are frozen, place them in an airtight container and return to freezer.

 

For more information on our Ethos Culinary Events, drop me a note below with your email, or head on over to our website at ethosculinary.com and send me a message!

You can also find us on Facebook, and IG.

Don’t come alone and bring a friend or two!

See you on Sunday, 

Mary 

 

 

 

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Tips for Grilling Outdoors 101

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Summer is here and it’s time to get outdoors and start grilling. Weather you grill indoors, on a portable grill, or in your favorite cast iron pan you can get the same results by having a few tips to help with your final results. Of course grilling outside can be exciting by adding hardwood flavor chips, basting sauces or dry rubs that can add wonderful additional flavors. But, there are common steps to take to insure you get the perfect results. Learning to grill takes time to learn. So, if it is your first time grilling, pick something easy as burgers and hot dogs. When you have mastered the skill of grilling, have fun selecting new flavors, fish, meats, and vegetables to add to your BBQ menu.

Basic Grilling Tips

  • Thoroughly  clean and preheat grill or broiler.
  • Season the grill with a light coating of oil.
  • Season the main item and marinate or brush it with oil if necessary to prevent it from sticking.
  • Place the main item on  the grill or broiler; use a hand grill for delicate foods such as fish.
  • Turn the item to 90 degrees to get cross hatch marks.
  • Turn your food to complete cooking to the desired doneness.

Seasonings

  • They include salt, pepper, or marinades.
  • You can add a rub, glaze or BBQ sauce.
  • Adding compound butter, brown sauces, vegetable coulis or salsas are a good choice for toppings after cooking.
  • Excess marinades should be wiped off before grilling to prevent flare ups.
  • Spice Rubs /presalting  should be massaged or rub into the food.
  • Allow it to set overnight and then rinsed thoroughly and dry before grilling.

Additional Flavors

  • Add items to the grill fire to create an aromatic smoke.
  • For example: hardwood chips, herb stems such as rosemary, grapevine trimmings.

Steps to Begin Grilling

  • Turn on the grill or broiler ahead of time to burn away old pieces from the BBQ rods.
  • Clean the grill with a cloth dipped in  oil.
  • Soak wooden skewers in water to prevent burning. Clean and oil metal skewers before use.
  • Keep all utensils near-by such as tongs, brushes along with platters, glazes, marinades and BBQ sauce.
  • A grill brush is necessary for  clean up.

How to Grill Foods

  • Always place the better looking side of your food down for a better presentation.
  • Place the seasoned  food on the preheated grill to start cooking.
  • Let the food cook undisturbed. (no turning until it can easily be lifted.)
  • Once ready to lift, turn 90 degrees if marks are desired.
  • Add sauce when meat is partially cooked, the sauce can burn easily.
  • Turn the food over and cook, to desired doneness. Most food are done with only one turn. Thicker cuts made more. Thicker cuts can also be finished in the oven.

Tips:

  • When preparing food all meat, fish, they should be cut in the same thickness.
  • Butterflying thicker pieces can help with a shorter cooking time.
  • Meats should be trimmed of all extra fats, silverskin and gristle.
  • The food itself should be seasoned and in some cases lightly oiled.
  • Divide you grill in three zones of heat. A high-heat area for fast searing and cooking foods to rare. Moderate heat for cooking foods to medium-well or well. A low heat can also be used for keeping foods warm.

Ideas for Grilling

Meat: Grilled Steak with Mushrooms, Beef Teriyaki, BBQ Steak with Herb Crust, Skewered Beef Kabobs with Scallions, Grilled Lamb Chops with wilted Greens,
Pork: Pork Chops with Sherry Vinegar, Pork Kabobs with Peppers
Chicken : Chicken Breasts with Fennel, Grilled Pallards with Tarragon, BBQ Chicken with Beans
Fish: Fillet of Mahi Mahi with Jicama Salad, Shrimp Kabobs with Rice, Fish Kabobs with Mint Sauce.

You may enjoy my grilling recipes:

Greek Grilled Whole Fish with Greens and Lemons

Grilled Lamb Ribs with Greens and Beets

 

Grilled Halloumi Cheese with Strawberries

 

Start Grilling for Summer!

Mary 

 

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March Market House for March 10th

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Welcome to my new Ethos Market House Event. We are so excited to present to you a new concept for our culinary school. The event started with a few business woman in our local area, gathering for International Women’s Day last year. We discovered we have many talented ladies that would like to showcase their products, art and designs. So I created Ethos Market House. Here, we set up 4-5 new projects for each market. A theme is produced and the market features local foods, kitchen products, cooking tips and small bites.

You can learn more about us at our website: Ethos Culinary. 

We offer not only culinary classes, but we provide private events, team building parties, and personalized celebrations. Ethos is a private chef’s home, with a 900 square foot kitchen and outdoor facilities. We can be reached at ethosculinary@gmail.com.

Here is a peek into the first Market House we held in January at Ethos.

Ladies at March Market

March Market Bone Broth

March Market Teas

March Market Assistants

March Market Food

March Market Ladies

March Market Display

March Market Friends

March Market Vendors

NEW for this Month, will be the following talented women!

Katie Stokes Editor of San Diego Edible
Dr. Sonia Gupte – Book Signing
Cindy House – Organic Body Butter
Debra Tadman – Left and Right Brain Art Classes

March Market Information

FYI: A “ladies only” event, please.

See you there!

Mary 

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Greek Afternoon Tea and Meze

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Ethos Culinary presents our first Greek Afternoon Tea presented in Chef Mary’s Kitchen. We will begin with an appetizer and introduction to the world of teas. Following with basic tea tips and serving ideas.
Chef Mary will introduce the menu with a cooking demo for all to enjoy. Greek small bites will compliment each serving of tea.  The class is limited to 12 people for a small and intimate experience.

The Health Benefits in Chamomile Tea are many, here are a few.

  1. It contains apigenin, an antioxidant that binds to certain receptors in your brain that may promote sleepiness. Reduce insomnia, the chronic inability to sleep.
  2. Chamomile tea may protect against diarrhea, stomach ulcers, nausea and gas, likely due to its anti-inflammatory effects.
  3. Chamomile tea contains the antioxidant apigenin, which may help lower inflammation and reduce the risk of several types of cancer.
  4. The anti-inflammatory effects of chamomile tea may promote blood sugar control, especially when it’s consumed with a meal.
  5.  Chamomile is a great source of flavone antioxidants that may play a role in improving heart health.
    For more information, see Healthline.

Program
Introduction and Demo of Greek Teas
How -To Brew and Serve Tea
Meze Demonstration

Teas Served
Greek Chamomile Tea
Greek Mountain Tea
Greek Thyme Tea

Meze will be served with all three teas.

Purchase Tickets – Closed

Three Greek Teas

Pictured here is Chamomile, Thyme and Mountain tea from Seven Senses Organic.

I hope you can join us as we explore the world of tea,

Mary 

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