A while ago, I was reading Greek Cookery from the Hellenic Heart by George Calombaris which, by the way, is a good cookbook. I define a cookbook as a ‘good cookbook’ if I have made a recipe in it more than once and Greek Cookery falls within that category in more than one instance.
Anyway, I was reading (as you do) Greek Cookery and I noticed that everytime George mentioned feta as an ingredient, he would write: I use Dodoni.
We use a lot of feta so I decided to give it a go.
The next time we were in Kakulas Sister in Nollamara (for non Perth people – a fantastic shop that sells, unpackaged, just about every vaguely Mediterranean ingredient you can think of) and noticed Dodoni feta in the deli section. We bought some and haven’t looked back. It is so much better than any other ‘Greek style’ feta that I have tasted. It’s not cheap but if you work out the per kilo cost of pre-packaged feta, the difference is negligible. It is creamy, yet crumbles perfectly and actually has a taste which is more than you can say for a lot of other ‘feta’. It is made from a combination of sheep and goats’ milk which, according to the definition of feta, it should be. Feta has been made from that combination for over 5,000 years. It is the oldest European cheese.
You can buy it in a one kilo tub preserved in brine (as in the picture) or in 200g gram slices in the deli sections of our 2 major supermarkets. The tub advises that Dodoni is the number 1 selling feta brand in Greece which should tell us something.
You will also notice on the tub that it is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product. Will Studd, in his book Cheese Slices, notes that in 2002, feta was finally granted PDO status and now, in Europe, the use of the name Feta has been limited to feta made according to strict product specifications in 7 regions of Greece, namely the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, mainland Greece, Macedonia, Thrace and Lesbos. Dodoni is made in Epirus. It must contain 70% ewes’ milk.
So next time you are looking for feta, do yourself a favour and check it out.
Passion Fruit Garden 
I love Feta, unfortunately my son refuse to eat Feta. Here is one of my husband’s favorite recipe, I still cook it for my son, but I omit Feta for him. I use the President’s variety.
Again, I never measure, so, here it goes.
I shell and devein my shrimp, reserve the shells , bake them in the oven till fragrance is rendered, about 10-15minutes in a 300 degree oven, add the shells to a pot of water , come to a boil , simmer it, reserve the juice rendered for future pasta use, a little bit to deglaze the wok after the shrimp portion is cooked. Cook the rice in the meantime so it will be ready when the shrimp dish is cooked!
Cut medium size tomato into quarters, enough tomatoes (about 9 – 12) for a 9 by 12 pan Emile Henry baking pan, and a smaller personal Emile Henry for left over the next day ( Always want left over the next day) cover the tomatoes with olive oil, season with fresh herbs ( basil, oregano, thyme, garlic , rosemary or even dried Italian seasoning if fresh herbs are not available) Place the tomatoes in the 9 by 12 and small lasagna personal size Emile Henry pan, into a 350 degree preheated oven until the tomatoes are soft, juice rendered, add crumbled feta cheese all over. It will take about 20 minutes , turn oven off, leave in oven while the rice is cooking as well as when you prepare shrimp.
I cook my shrimp in my All Clad Flat bottom french wok, add olive oil, lots and lots of garlic,( 2 full head for the 2 pounds of shrimp) and before the garlic burns, add a tin of anchovies in olive oil to stop the garlic from burning and immediately , 2 pounds of wild gulf shrimp ( 12-15 count), or patagonia red shrimp. This takes just a few minutes of sautéing , add chipotle and adobo sauce, extra diced smoked chipotle that comes in a tin, some of the herbs used in the tomatoes, 2 lime juice and the grated lime skin. DO NOT OVERCOOK THE SHRIMP. Add the shrimp to the tomatoes with the feta, deglaze the wok with a little bit of the shrimp shell broth, add to the tomato mixture, add small amount of parsley, serve it over rice.
NO NEED TO ADD SALT AS THE ANCHOVIES THAT COMES IN OLIVE OIL ARE REALLY SALTY ENOUGH, IF YOUR TINS ARE NOT SALTY AS MNE,, YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD THE SALT WHEN IT IS BEING SERVED! I BUY MY ANCHOVIES FRM COSTO.
Hope you like this recipe. My husband often request that I enter it in a contest. I have given this recipe to a lot of my friends, but theirs never turn out as good. The reason? They do not use as much garlic, omit the anchovies and do not use lime!!! as well as chipotle and adobo sauce and smoked chipotle! Those are pitfalls to success! if y 0u do not like spicy food, then, please do not use this recipe!
Hi Cristina, I do like spicy food. 🙂 People often make the mistake of omitting anchovies- it is a big mistake they really enrich a dish.