Having come back from a 2-week long vacation in Greece, I can tell you that the food on the islands is fabulous. A combination of fresh seafood, meats, produce, herbs, spices and simple home cooking produces the most amazing flavours. You can tell which restaurants take pride in their fare and which are those just out to make a quick buck – the quality of food is as far apart as heaven and earth. Here are some examples of the fabulous fare I had the pleasure of trying:

Fall-off-the-bone Lamb stew commonly served in the taverns in Athens

One of the best grilled lamb I had was in Lassithi

Gyros – an economical meal commonly found on the streets of Athens

Giant platter of seafood fried to perfection

Tomato & Feta Cheese Mussels on Santorini

I had a friend’s birthday coming up over the weekend, and she loves Greece. It’s been years since she was there and so, inspired by my travels, I decided to throw a Grecian party in her honor. Looking back at my notes, I decided that there were a few key staples that every Greek party needs:

1. Greek salad made up of tomatos, onions, cucumber, feta cheese, olive oil, salt & herbs – what could be simpler and more refreshing in this heat.
2. Pita bread – homemade of course. And to accompany it, we need a Tapenade, a dip made of olives, sundried tomatoes, olive oil & feta cheese; and Hummus, a dip made of chickpeas, salt, lemon, garlic & parsley.
3. Fresh Mussels cooked in its juice and simply seasoned with salt, pepper, onions & white wine.
4. Chicken Souvlaki a.k.a. chicken on a stick – season the chicken simply with salt, pepper, lemon, oregano & olive oil. Accompanied by a homemade Tzatziki made of strained greek yogurt mixed with shredded cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and dill.
5. Moussaka, an eggplant & potato layered beef & cheese casserole.
6. Baklava, a sticky sweet dessert made of layers of butter, nuts, honey, rosewater & filo pastry

The best part about this was that every dish is fresh & made from scratch so I know exactly what goes into each plate and into the stomach. No store-bought ready made dips with a ton of preservatives.

Tapenade

Hummus

Baklava

Tzatziki

Moussaka

Chicken Souvlaki

Greek Salad

It was all round great fun, with the guests coming in Greek-inspired outfits. Everyone had a chance to try some of the Greek fare, together with the Santorini Vinsanto wine that I brought back from my travels. I believe we just added a whole new dimension to armchair travelling – If you can’t go to Greece, bring a taste of Greece to your home.

If you’ll like to experience the flavours of Greece in your home too, contact us for a discussion.