Event Archive - The Food Architect - Culinary Manifestations by Karolos Michailidis

Clayful Connections Retreat | Korkodilos edition

karolos — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 12:38:57 +0000

Korkodilos edition

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Clayful Connections Retreat

Korkodilos Retreat: Clayful Connections @Laspi

LASPI, coming from the Greek word for mud, is a boutique getaway near Athens. Located in the unspoiled, quiet area of Amoni, on the road to Ancient Epidaurus, the complex consists of a pair of houses, named “Petres” and “Skoni”. Spread over a total area of 300 sq.m., well integrated into the natural landscape, the complex enjoys magnificent views of the sea, dressed in concrete, wood, and terracotta that dominate its design identity. Designed by a fresh architecture studio called “Askiseis Edafous”, in collaboration with artist Alexandros Douras, each house accommodates up to 6 guests, with a living room, and a private swimming pool on the first floor, and three en-suite bedrooms on the second. Large windows offer panoramic views of the Saronic golf.

For more information visit: https://laspi.life/

KYTHNOS RETREAT:

There are certain locations where nature and human intervention meet in perfect harmony. Structures melt into the landscape and buildings reveal their true purpose: to make us feel at peace with our surroundings.

This is a Cycladic luxury villa with breathtaking view to the Aegean sea laying just an inch above water. From the moment you set foot on the house, its proximity to the water along with its bright colors and natural materials, makes you instantly feel in harmony with yourself and the surrounded nature. The highlights of the house are its seawater infinity pool which feels like swimming in the open sea and a staircase that leads to heaven – a private bay shaped of flat rocks where you can jump straight to the water or just enjoy a private sunbathe session.

As an architect and chef the space that surrounds me is always important to me and the kitchen from all spaces has a special role in my heart. The clayful connections sharing and bonding retreat organized by @korkodilosathens couldn’t be hosted in a better place where the communal spaces are so unique and meaningful enabling the guests to engage over food and nice discussions and sharing of thoughts and personal stories.

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Food Styling & Photography for Wecook

karolos — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 11:54:08 +0000

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Food Styling & Photography for Wecook

It has been almost a year that I have taken on the role of the creative director at Wecook. You can read more about our project here! It has been an interesting year working closely with the chefs, setting up the whole guidebook for the styling and photography of every dish, and gathering props for the photoshoots. Starting from scratch and creating all the content that comes out of the brand is a key element and selling point. The visual representation of the daily dishes and how the brand is communicated to the public is a work in progress and a constant discussion between the team.

Designing the space together with Simone de Nardi but at the same time being a chef gives me a good insight on how to best represent our premises, the dishes as well as the individual chefs.

Keep an eye on the website and join the instagram page to find out about our project, what’s cooking and order the most delicious food from your favorite chefs.

Dishes by the following chefs: Dimitris Papapanagiotou, Giorgos Papathanasiou, Nikolas Zacharopoulos, Giannis Sofikitis, Alexandra Sarigianni, Orestis Koukanopoulos, Chryssa Gerakopoulou, Lia Makrostergioy

Photography and Styling: Karolos Michailidis

About Wecook: Wecook is a community, a space, an app but more importantly an idea of a different way to cook, eat, and live on this planet. More than just what we eat to fill our bellies, Wecook is culture and community, and the daily joy of eating, cooking, conversation & tradition. Wecook is on a mission to provide high quality food to daily eaters in a way that enables positive change in our planet and empowers chefs to imagine a living on their own terms. WeCook is a shared kitchen that liberates chefs-creators from the constraints of restaurant work and transforms them into freelancers. They cook their specialties, and we deliver them right to your door. For us shared kitchen means less waste. By sustainable fooding we aim to commit to local ingredients, reusable returnable packaging, minimum to zero waste and thoughtful delivery either using e-bike or bulk deliveries. We believe it is important for each one of us to start thinking about our planet!

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Cooking Class at Selina Theatrou x The Food Architect

karolos — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 16:55:55 +0000

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Cooking Class at Selina Theatrou x The Food Architect

Food is a very important part of the culture in Greece. A meal with friends or family is a lot more than just food. It is also a way to share the dishes, discuss, socialize and enjoy other people’s company. It’s all about the excellent ingredients, the lengthy procedure involved in preparing the food, and the culture of sharing dishes with others. Let’s cook together in our kitchen and enjoy a great sunset dinner at the rooftop with the most amazing views.

A few months ago Experience managers at Selina _Theatrou Athens, Maria and Voula, contacted me in order to set up a cooking class twice per week for the whole tourist season in their premises. After months of planning and menu revises and tests and orders we held these bi-weekly classes for up to 10-12 people in the hotel´s common kitchen.

The concept behind the class was the Greek Taverna. The menu I created was a traditional 5 course hands on experience and taught participants how to make some authentic Greek dishes. For me it was very important for the participants to make their own dishes and understand the logic behind Greek cooking and the story of every dish. The dishes we made were tzatziki, a well known yogurt sauce, Dakos, a cretan salad, Batzina, a zucchini pie from Northern Greece, Pastitsio, a layered pasta, meat, bechamel dish and an Orange Pie with syrup. I tried to compose recipes from different parts of Greece as well as a combination of different ingredients and seasonal produces.

The class started with a small intro and presentation of myself and Greek gastronomy. After that we did a 2-hour class talking about the ingredients, cooking, and making our own dishes, having the freedom to personalize them based on each person’s preferences. When completing the class the guests enjoyed the meal on the rooftop with a great view of the Acropolis and Athenian urban fabric.

This has been a very interesting experience, meeting people from all over the world, sharing experiences, teaching about our culture and food and learning how to structure an educational class in a fun but also informative way. These past months have helped me understand how important it is for me to transmit knowledge and help people around me.

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WOMB.films for IKOS RESORT ARIA

karolos — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 16:04:10 +0000

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WOMB.films for IKOS RESORT ARIA

Campaign Launch 2022-2023 Ikos Aria

Production Company: @womb.films
Director: @aris_katsigiannis
Head Of Production: @sanelfath
Cinematographer: @giannis_michelopoulos
Advertising Agency: @matterofform
Creative Director: @whywhatif
Assistant Director: @til_katsigiannis
1st Photographer: @jimidrosinos
2nd Photographer: @ariszita
Line Producer: @chriharak
FPV Pilot: @apo.pazvou
Music: Meet me there by @athenamusic
Sound Design: @christopher_nas
Color grading: @andrew.color
VFX: @adreaslam
Edit: @til_katsigiannis
Set Designer: @angelatsakagianni
Stylist: @yiorgos.mesimeris
Beauty Expert: @thaliatzanetislab
Hair Assistant: @zoichristi_
1st AC: @simon_prasinos
2nd AC: @fotis.fkek
Assistant Set Designer: @kkotsiakis
Beauty Assistant: @eleanna_simati
Photographer Assistant: @domi_rad
1st PA: @stassith
2nd PA: @dimithesaint
Food Stylist: @_thefoodarchitect_
Backstage: @aris_argiris
Casting Director: @kal_petra

I had the pleasure to join the WOMB team at IKOS RESORT ARIA at Kos island for their 2022-2023 campaign. My responsibility as a food stylist was to choose the plates and props but also oversee the set up of the dishes we used for the restaurant set and the bar set. We did both stills and a video which was part of the campaign.

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Γιαγια, Time-perfected Recipes from Greece’s Grandmothers

karolos — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:30:23 +0000

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Γιαγια, Time-perfected Recipes from Greece’s Grandmothers

Yiayia: Time-perfected Recipes from Greece’s Grandmothers by Anastasi Miari showcases regional Greek cookery and features sharing and feasting dishes, mainly vegetarian, from the kitchens of grandmothers across Greece.

Think Stuffed Courgettes from Lesvos, a Cycladic Fourtalia, Corfiot spicy Bourdeto Stew, Ionian pasta dishes, Cretan Dakos salad, Watermelon Cake from Milos.Yiayia maps out the diverse dishes of Greece – far beyond the most commonly-known Moussaka, Greek Salad, and Tzatziki dip – through the fascinating recipes and stories of its Yiayiades.

Follow Anastasia’s journey through Greece as each yiayia welcomes you into their home – cook with them in their kitchen, learn their time-perfected techniques and read the memories that season this book. With stunning location photography and heartwarming interviews, you can discover the true food of Greece and the characterful grandmothers behind beaded curtains in white-washed homes.

In 2021 Anastasia contacted me in order to feature my grandmother, Poly, in her new book. Whoever follows me on instagram will know my relationship with my grandma. She is such a character, we share so many similar attributes and I have tried to make the most memories these past few years. So this book was such a great opportunity to have something we were both part of. We spent half a day in her apartment in Athens, cooked her giouvarlakia in tomato sauce, chatted with Anastasia about her life in Athens, and photographed her in her house and kitchen.

For more information visit: https://matriarcheats.com/

Instagram: @anastasia_miari @matriarcheats

Photos: @2yung2care

My note:

Yiayia Poly. It is funny how I had to reach 32 to realize how much I admire my grandmother and how alike we are. She is the epitome of class and elegance. Well-mannered, witty, humorous and independent. Although I cannot reveal her real age, cause if she finds out she would not be happy, we all wish to eventually reach her age and be able to communicate so well and participate in conversations with such passion and opinion. She keeps this notebook since always where she writes down every dinner party, pinnacle or any other cards night. Soshe lists the guests, the menu and nowadays she also writes down the table setting she did and what tableware she used. This helps her to not repeat the same if she has the same guests soon after. Every time she sets a table, always a day or two in advance, she jokily tells me to take a picture of the table so I know, when she is not with us anymore, how to set the table correctly and what plates go with which wine glasses and napkins. It is these past years that I have realized that my aesthetics and passion for cooking and hosting derives from all the influence I have gotten from her through the years.

Although born and raised in central Athens, as her mother too, she has traveled a lot and is a well-informed woman. Even now she cuts out pieces from the newspaper or magazines related to architecture, design or art so she can give them to me to read. We live in the same building and this gives me the opportunity to see her often, few times per week. Sometimes I forget our age difference, I see her as a friend, I kind of see myself in her, all different sides of me even my weaknesses. She got married at a young age, she must have been 18 or 19, and she did not know how to cook a lot of stuff. One recipe she knew how to make was ´fasolada´, a stew or soup with white beans. She thinks she learnt how to make it from this woman from Naxos Island that worked at their house when she was 15. Women that came from islands always knew how to cook well; they had a tradition and deep knowledge of cooking. Whenever her grandfather visited from Germany where he was a professor, he always asked for her ´fasolada´. However, she believes, as we say in Greece, that each person’s hand (their personal touch) makes the difference in a dish.

When she got married with my grandfather they first lived in a house with his aunt. She did not know many recipes so whenever she was asked, she secretly called her mom and asked her how to cook different things so she could give a good impression. She did learn a lot of things from this aunt as well as later on from a cook they had at home whenever they hosted formal dinners. Her name was Harikleia and she knew all these different preparations and dishes. Crepes with prawns and avocados, or crepes with minced meat and tomato sauce which she calls cannelloni, chicken Milanese, and choux with different fillings. Back at the day, they travelled a lot so the Mediterranean Greek cuisine got enhanced by different dishes they tasted abroad. Sometimes home cooks originally from Egypt or France taught the housewives how to make more international dishes to impress their guests. So over the years there has been a mix between the Greek cuisine and all the influences Greece had after the war. As she recalls, before the occupation and evacuation of Smyrna in 1922 Greek cuisine was quite blunt. The people who lived in Smyrna and arrived in Greece brought their culture and influenced the evolution and richness of Greek food as we know today.

For me my yiayia is a person who is cultured, with manners, refined, cultivated and grace.For both of us cooking is a way of giving, showing love and affection, the table is a meeting place, a gathering ground.

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ETHRIO SUPPER CLUB: High Dining Stories

karolos — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 13:41:18 +0000

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ETHRIO SUPPER CLUB: High Dining Stories

In December we organized our second pop-up dinner @ethrio.athens as part of our supper club. When you have men (or women) covered in tattoos you know they take their shit seriously and you can’t go wrong. Great team of people, great food and a unique experience. Cheers to the chef, @stefan_koro !

It was a 30 pre-reserved event with a set menu designed by High Dining Stories. High Dining Stories offers unique gastronomic experiences through a journey into the cannabis world. This was an opportunity for the guests to experience something different and expand their understanding of culinary practices.

Green lights, monsteras and devil’s ivy plants, candle lit tables, and festive decorations where all accommodating the setting and food experience. These are a few captions of the food and the setup from the night.

This could not happen without the help of our friends and the whole team that collaborated to make this happen;

🏠: @ethrio.athens
🍸: @the.bar.in.front.of.the.bar
🥘: @high_dining_stories
🧁: @alexkon_
🍽: @foxy_lady11
🌱: @kannabio
📷: @maskalaris
🫀: @gregory_sss @elli_liel

ĒTHRIO + ATLAS team: @bill_selfer @_thefoodarchitect_ @aris.pappas @apostolosgeorgiadis @alpha.kritikos

[about @ethrio.athens]
ĒTHRIO is the initiative of 4 young people to regenerate an emblematic building of the city in a modern multipurpose hub space – specifically, the atrium space. The aim is to carry out public benefit actions that will contribute to the promotion of sports, artistic and charitable activities – especially at the end of an era of suspension of universal freedom and social reconciliation – while at the same time helping to upgrade Exarcheia, an important area of long historical, political and cultural interest. The garden will host calisthenic exercising, yoga and wellness classes, music events, small screenings, performances, pop-up bazaars and a monthly or bimonthly supper club.

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Fykiada retreat | Kythnos edition

karolos — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 15:58:32 +0000

Kythnos edition

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Fykiada retreat

Fykiada Retreats: THE PURITY OF ISLAND LIVING

Invites you into a new era of wellness travel seeking purer connections & deeper experiences under the Greek sun. Every retreat is a journey where the island spirit meets the purest forms of yoga & selfcare at the most breathtaking settings of the Aegean.

What’s special about our retreats is that each of them is unique. Every place and every season has something different to offer and we love bringing these elements into our schedule. We explore nature, culture and wellness in a way so our guests can find selfcare on every step of their journey.

Highlights: Sailing trips, sea kayaking, hiking, myth storytelling, food tasting & more.

World-class teachers and wellness experts come together on the Greek islands to create a unique yoga experience. Our retreats offer a well-curated program of daily classes, tailored workshops and masterclasses suitable for all levels.

Our yogashalas are semi-open spaces washed in Greek light and lavender smells where every class becomes a ritual.

For more information visit: https:www.fykiada.com/

KYTHNOS RETREAT:

Anna and Margarita contacted me early last year to collaborate on 2 of their retreats in Kythnos. I had the opportunity to cook for a group of 12 in July and a group of 8 in September.

The menu we created was mainly vegetarian, there were vegan options in every meal since we did have some vegan participants. The schedule was quite demanding. We served some coffee and energy balls before the morning yoga class at around 7.30 am. Then there was breakfast/brunch with homemade granola, fresh seasonal fruit, different egg options every day, baked sweet potatoes, and assortment of breads and jams.

Lunch was buffet style with 2-3 options to choose from, mainly greek recipes, with local vegetables and a salad. Participants served themselves so they could have lunch whenever they wanted. Dinner was a bit more formal and was straight after the afternoon yoga class. We set the outside patio table and again the dishes were greek, one day we had stuffed vegetables with rice and herbs, another day a chickpea soup, orzo pasta with vegetables and always with a selection of salad bowls. I tried to make every night a dessert to serve after dinner and it always made the guests happy to end their day with something sweet.

Desserts options :

Ινδικός Χαλβάς

Μους Σοκολάτας – Αβοκάντο

Raw Banana Ice Cream

Vegan Cheesecake

Σορμπε Μέντα Καρπούζι

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Baptista: Living in Grace

karolos — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:20:27 +0000

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Baptista: Living in Grace

Baptista x thefodarchitect

In the beginning of the summer @constantinos_danos and @rodanthi_tavladoraki @baptista_magazine asked me to write something about food based on some of my recipes. Storytelling and retrieving memories through food is a very personal process and quite endearing! I got inspired and every one of these dishes retrieve some of my childhood memories linked to a different family member. Order the new ‘Living in Grace’ issue online

[ABOUT BAPTISTA]

A fresh approach to culture, art, fashion, design and compelling personalities. Inspired, influenced & powered by @dideegr

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Marilia Kol X thefoodarchitect

karolos — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 18:15:09 +0000

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Marilia Kol X thefoodarchitect

When art meets food

A while ago artist and friend Marilia Kolibri texted me with this idea to create some paintings based on my food and photography practice. So she created a limited series of 6 small-scale paintings, 120 x 130, which are available for sale.

Trying to figure out and conceptually organise my photos and ideas in six phases of preparing a meal these pillars occurred: ingredients, mise en place, cooking, mise en scene, serving and the table.

As Marilia says “Food is a basic need that is shaped according to the social and cultural position of each person and the structure of society in which they live”

[ABOUT MARILIA]

Marilia Kolibiri (born in 1993) is a graduate of Athens School of Fine Arts.

Her artistic practices include painting and installations, composing new spaces in which she invites viewers to enter, experientially relate and interact with each other. Kolibiri has participated in various solo and collective exhibitions in Greece and abroad.

Few of them are – 2022 “Under the sun”, 2022 “Basic needs” in collaboration with the large supermarket chain “Okmarkets!”, Athens, 2021 “Presence and pleasures” at Ag18 Gallery, Vienna, 2020 “Tar Pits” at Alibi Gallery, Athens, and more. She is the founder of artist-run space Amphicar Studio, which promotes collaborations between artists and the realization of an artistic center in Athens.

Kolibiri’s projects are significantly influenced by everyday life, the relationship between people and the urban landscape, the architecture of cities, as well as consumerism. With painting as her main practice, she creates ceramic works seeking to capture the themes that surround her art in three dimensions.

The relationship between people and objects is put in quest and researched. Through the objectification of humans, we are led to the core need of consumerism, as society’s contemporary structure seeks it as the only way out of our intense everyday life.

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Food Styling for Jackson’s Burger & MIA Pizza

karolos — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 10:01:23 +0000

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Food Styling for Jackson’s Burger & MIA Pizza

In July, Vitamin Media approached me for a shooting of 2 ghost kitchen brands, Jackson’s Burger and MIA Pizza. The shooting lasted 3 days and the brief was to capture every plate of the menu in a bold and clean look and feel, focusing on the product itself. The concept was similar for both brands but there was a need to be able to differentiate the two by the use of different surfaces and plating. For all products we had a top view, 3/4 birdseye and some close-ups shots. Here are some selected shots from the photoshoot.

The difficulty in this project was the many different shots, approximately 55 in this case, and both protagonist products, burger and pizza, have a small timeframe in which you can capture what you need, before the cheese gets cold or the condiments in the burger drip more than what you want, in which case there is no way back. The good thing was that wwe did not have a cheese pull for the pizza which is one of the most complicated things to do successfully in a food styling sense. We did have some breaking into and pulling of appetizers which came out quite unexpectedly well and easily.

Production: Vitamin Media, responsible for the project was Katerina Kelesidou

Photographer: Aris Rammos

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