The same ingredients the ancient Greeks used still fill our markets today—we’ve just lost much of what the ancients knew about them. But in her kitchen, Maria Benardis draws upon that forgotten knowledge to craft her own healing recipes.
She prepares her take on a healing carrot soup created by Hippocrates, meant to be fed to anyone feeling unwell. Carrots (a key ingredient for curing fevers), celery (beneficial for bone strength), leeks (an aphrodisiac), and parsley (a great digestive) come together into a vibrant soup, warmed by an invigorating punch of cumin. It’s simple, but deeply nourishing.
Oven-baked salmon with a fragrant dill and pistachio crust pays tribute to Aegina, home to an abundance of fresh seafood and the best pistachios in Greece. Use the freshest wild-caught salmon you can find—Benardis always does, and it makes for a sweet and buttery-tender dish with no trace of unpleasant fishiness.
