Despidoodle

the digital alias of Despina Panagakos Yeargin

  • Give Thanks & Take Stock

    Give Thanks & Take Stock

    Gratitude. Today I give thanks for all who take time to check in here periodically. I am grateful for your interest and your support. It is very important to me to share my Greek culture through recipes and to provide you with enough everyday cooking options to inspire you to cook more in your own…

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  • A Hint of Summertime

    A Hint of Summertime

    Fresh basil has an aroma that seems to lift the spirits. We love it in pesto, in so many salads, stewed vegetables and in my creamy basil dip. At this time of the year, we are fortunate to find basil in grocery stores. Using it in a dip brings a bit of sunshiny summertime to…

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  • Hilton Head In My Head

    Hilton Head In My Head

    Hilton Head. Have you heard of it? The island on the coast of South Carolina? Dewey and I have been visiting Hilton Head for 31 years, first spending a long weekend there after our wedding. We have returned every November to celebrate our anniversary and often during the summer for an easy and unhurried time on…

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  • The Last of the Vegetables

    The Last of the Vegetables

    When the temperatures drop, I think of soup. First comes my Greek lentil soup. Easy, inexpensive to make, filled with nutrition, so delicious and great for healing any ailments–colds, cranky mood, lost love. Next comes a bean and root vegetable stew with a story. You can find that recipe here. And then there are times when…

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  • No Fuss Apple Cake

    No Fuss Apple Cake

    I live in South Carolina. We’re just getting back to normal following the cleanup of yard debris from Hurricane Helene. We were emotionally challenged during the 6 to 12-plus days without power. We want to get back to our routines. We’re moving forward with caution. We need to live life with ease for a while.…

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  • Purple Rain–Purple Potato Salad

    Purple Rain–Purple Potato Salad

    I’m the one! Yes, the one who loves everything purple. (Imagine Prince singing Purple Rain here.) I wear purple. I love purple irises–they make me happy. I could stare lovingly at a beautiful amethyst stone for hours (while drinking red wine, of course, which is actually purplish, not red). I’m always drawn to purple when…

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  • Eggplant Fries With Savory Yogurt Sauce

    Eggplant Fries With Savory Yogurt Sauce

    You can’t get more Mediterranean and less complicated than this dish. Surely, even eggplant haters would look at this dish and think, why am I salivating? Of course they would. This is just beautiful to behold and so satisfying to scoop up onto a piece of toasted sourdough bread and call it lunch! Or dinner.…

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  • Sablefish Mediterranean Style

    Sablefish Mediterranean Style

    A delicate filet of fish simply seasoned and cooked over Mediterranean-style vegetables. How does that sound? Difficult? Delicious? Flavorful? Too fancy to prepare at home? Difficult? No! Delicious? Yes! Too fancy to prepare at home? Absolutely not! Flavorful? Yes! Loaded with flavors and nutrition. Ready for the recipe? Click here. This is one of the…

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  • Supplements Salad

    Supplements Salad

    The easiest and tastiest and crunchiest salad. Really! Fiber, fabulous flavors, and loads of nutrition–all in an easy, make-ahead salad that’s great for a snack, quick lunch or dinner side. Here’s the recipe. Highly customizable and easily assembled, if you’re looking for great flavor and lots of nutrition, then this is your salad.  Often, when…

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  • Greens & Okra Gumbo

    Greens & Okra Gumbo

    Can a Greek living in the South and married to a Southerner create an authentic gumbo recipe? Well, it all depends on what you define as authentic.  For me, this is an authentic expression of a gumbo in my family. It’s my GrecoSoCo way of doing things, and it’s a culmination of a few events.…

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