Greek Cooking Workshop
June 30-July 7, 2013
Greek cuisine is renowned for its fresh, healthy ingredients and simple preparation. Learn to prepare dozens of Greek dishes during a week filled with cooking classes, visits to cheese and honey producers, wine tasting, olive oil tasting and sightseeing.
Greek-Canadian chef Peter Minakis, author of the much-visited blog Kalofagas Greek Food and Beyond, will be our head chef during the course of the week. Local chefs will assist Peter and divulge some of their favorite recipes.
Daily Itinerary
Sunday, June 30 – Afternoon arrival in Mesochori by taxi from Athens or airport. Wine tasting of local varietals. Meet our workshop’s head chef, Peter Minaki, get acquainted with each other and go over the week’s schedule. Dinner at host Virginia Korounao’s home.
Monday, July 1 – Breakfast at Virginia’s. Time to walk through town of Mesochori, while Peter sets up cooking class. Cooking class is phyllo dough and what to do with it: tzaiti are local specialty, spanakopita, tiropita are popular throughout Greece. Prepare dough from scratch, learn how to “open” it. Eat what we have prepared for lunch. Time to rest. Five p.m. taxi departure for Neapolis to swim or walk through town. Dinner at 8 p.m. at Oasis restaurant on the waterfront. Taxis back to Virginia’s after dinner.
Tuesday, July 2 – Breakfast at Virginia’s. 9:30 a.m. taxi departure for Neapolis and cooking class at Panayiotis’ Mone Mone. Peter will teach us how to prepare a local dish of salt cod, vegetables and green. He will give an introduction to various ways of preparing octopus and Panayiotis will teach us how to prepare two of his favorite octopus recipes: octopus in red wine sauce and octopus with green olives. Eat what we have prepared for lunch, with optional ouzo. After lunch swim or walk on beach. 5 p.m. taxi to Virginia’s. Light supper at 8 p.m. at Virginia’s.
Wednesday, July 3 – Breakfast at Virginia’s. 9:30 a.m. taxi departure for Baktis family goat farm and cheese factory outside Aghio Nikola. Tour cheese factory and have coffee and sample cheeses with Baktis family. Taxi to beach for walking or swimming. 1:30 departure from beach to Neraida. Peter and Neraida’s owner Pantalis will give a cooking class in the restaurant kitchen, including fasolakis ladera and other dishes. We will eat what we have prepared for lunch. After lunch, back to Mesochori. Peter will teach how to bake cheese bread using cheese from Baktis farm and will eat it as part of our light supper at 8 p.m. at Virginia’s.
Thursday, July 4 – Breakfast at Virginia’s. 9:30 a.m. taxi departure for Neapolis to shop at laiki (weekly open market). Back to Meschori to cook vegetable dishes with fresh produce from laiki, including papuzaki (stuffed baked eggplant), anthus (stuffed zucchini blossoms) and dolmadas. Lunch at Virginia’s, eating what we have prepared. Afternoon free. Optional taxi to Neapolis for swimming. Light dinner at Virginia’s.
Friday, July 5 – Breakfast at Virginia’s. 9:30 a.m. taxi departure for Paraskeva’s honey bees. After visiting his hives, we will go to his honey production facility. Visit facility and talk about honey products: gyri (pollen), mead, creams. Taxi back to Virginia’s house where Peter will teach how to create sweets using honey: loukoumades and pasteli. 8:00 p.m. taxi departure from Virginia’s for Limanaki Fish Taverna for dinner. After dinner, taxi back to Virginia’s.
Saturday, July 6 – Breakfast at Virginia’s. 9:30 a.m. taxi or walk downhill to Barbara’s olive farm. Touring farm, Barbara will explain olive production and we will taste a selection of olive oils. If possible, we will visit a local oil press. Afternoon barbeque at Pasaki. Peter will teach his techniques for grilling fish and meat. Our host Taso will teach us how to prepare his barbeque sauce and other dishes that accompany Greek barbeque: grilled vegetables, tzatziki, toasted pita and more. Walk through Sylvia’s kitchen garden. After afternoon meal, which may include dancing, back to Virginia’s.
Sunday, July 7 – Breakfast at Virginia’s. Review of cooking classes, hand out notes and recipes. Departure for Athens 11:00 a.m.
Workshop Cost Includes:
Double occupancy rooms in Virginia’s home and guest house. (Single room supplement is $230.)
All meals: breakfasts, lunches and dinners, including wine
Taxi Athens/Neapolis round trip
Taxi rides during workshop to our various destinations
All cooking supplies and classes with several local chefs
Excursions to goat farm, Aghio Nikola, honey facility, oil press, vineyards
Cost: U.S. $2450 or 1850 euros or 1500 British pounds
Deposit/Cancellation Policy: A deposit of $750 U.S. must be paid at the time of registration to hold your reservation. $375 is non-refundable. A balance of $1700 must be paid in full six weeks prior to the start of the workshop, no later than May 19, 2013. Do not make travel reservations until workshop is confirmed. The minimum number of participants is 5 and the maximum is 10.
Transportation to and from Greece and any additional expenses are the participant’s responsibility.
Information and Payment Options: contact Barbara Euser at bjeuser@yahoo.com or mail your deposit check made out to Barbara Euser at 3465 County Road 23, Fort Lupton, CO, USA 80621.
Further Reading: Venturing in Southern Greece: The Vatika Odysseys, available through www.amazon.com in soft cover or e-book.
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Join Me For a Cooking Workshop In Greece was first posted on March 13, 2013 at 11:44 am.
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