Greek cookery workshops

Workshop "Culinary Greece"

Generosity and hospitality: Two important themes in Greek life which are, among other things, expressed with food. In Greece eating and drinking is a social happening, something to be shared with friends and strangers, at every hour of the day. Meals offer the possibility of being together, enjoying the parea, the good company you‘re in, and having fun. At a Greek table the atmosphere is clamorous, cheerful and there is lots of laughing and talking. „The more the merrier“ more than applies, and there is always food in abundance.

Wherever you come as a guest you‘re offered something to eat. It could just be some mezzedes- small starters, like black olives, sprinkled with cold pressed olive oil and fresh oregano or warm feta cheese with crispy pepper slices. But each meeting may just as well end up as a party, with colourful salads, pilaf and flagrant meat dishes. Big or small, a Greek trapezi, the richly laid table, is always full of variation and surprises.

It is therefore a pity that the real Greek cuisine is hardly known. The menus offered in the typical tourists restaurants do not have much in common with the genuine Greek kitchen, which is rich, varied and, in spite of the apparent simplicity, refined.

Greeks cook with what the season offers. Depending on the time of the year you may see women in the mountains with a small knife cutting wild vegetables for stuffing pitas, the wonderful cakes. Or you see them after the rain, collecting snails in straw baskets. Only fresh ingredients of the best quality are good enough. The result ensures that each dish is a hymn to taste.

In spite of what is generally believed, meat is not of primary importance in the authentic Greek kitchen. On the contrary, due to the rules of orthodox Lent and because of scarcity – for a long time meat was unobtainable and for many people their animals where too precious – it encompasses a wide variety of vegetarian dishes. A great deal of creativity has been applied to the stuffing of vegetables: peppers, tomatoes, onions, courgettes and even courgette flowers. Or take, for instance, croquettes made with tomatoes, cheese, bulgur or chickpeas. Each one of them delicious.
Added to that, Greek food is very healthy. Nutritionists confirm that in particular the Cretan diet and lifestyle are among the healthiest in the world. The directives given in the so called „Mediterranean Diet” are to a great extent based on the dietary traditions of Crete.

The best and nicest way to discover the treasures of the real Greek cuisine is by cooking yourself. And where better could you find the Greek atmosphere and the right ingredients than in Greece? During the cooking workshop „Culinary Greece“ you will prepare authentic Greek dishes with the original ingredients, part of which are collected directly in Sougia: fresh young vine leaves and scenting herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano. We use goat- and sheep cheese with its special strong aroma, made in the Cretan mountains, and of course only cold pressed olive oil.

During the workshop you can try different kinds of olives, cheese, Cretan wines and tsikoudia, the Cretan grappa. While cooking you will be provided with detailed background information on Greek food as well as general information about the Mediterranean Diet.
Additionally we will examine many aspects of Greece, the inhabitants, their culinary traditions, their feasts and their daily life. At the end of the course you will receive several recipes with clear instructions for more Greek dishes you can try at home. After all, a Greek trapezi can be made anywhere in the world.

We work in small groups, with ample attention to individual requirements and plenty of time for questions, ensuring both beginners and more experienced cooks to get a taste of Greek cooking.
We end the workshop enjoying the dishes we‘ve made in the typical Greek combination of good company, a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and – of course- good food. Kali orexi!

Duration:     About 4 hours .
Time:           April-November - by appointment.
Price:           € 40 per person, (minimum 3 participants).
                    Included are: a meal, all ingredients needed for           
                    cooking, food and drinks during the workshop and   
                    recipes.                                     
.                                    

Workshop "Greek cooking for children"

Many children like discovering new things, especially during their holidays. You, too? Well, then watch out:

In summer 2008 there is again a workshop just for children:

GREEK COOKING FOR CHILDREN 

You learn to prepare various genuine Greek dishes, which we eat together at the end of the workshop.
During the cooking workshop you can taste different kinds of olives and cheese. And if that does not (yet) belong to your most favourite food, there will be plenty of Greek sweets to try as well…

You will get lots of information about Greece and about Greek food. For example why Greek food is so healthy, how tomatoes are stuffed, how olives are picked and many more.
Maybe you are as well interested to know what Greeks themselves eat and drink, why they like going out for dinner in groups or what the songs are about they sometimes sing during the meal.
And you may have lots of other questions.

At the end you‘ll get the recipes for the dishes we‘ve made that day. So you can try them again back home.

Have a nice meal, which in Greek is: kali orexi!

Duration:  About 3 hours – by appointment.
Price:        € 35 per person (minimum 3 participants)
                 Included are: a meal, all ingredients needed for  
                 cooking, food and drinks during the workshop and some  
                 recipes.

Workshop leader

The cooking workshops are given by Corinne Falagaris. Born in the Netherlands she studied Dutch Language and Literature, German and Art History in Utrecht (NL), Berlin, Munich and Cologne (Germany). Since 1996 she has lived on Crete, where she taught for 6 years at the Dutch School in Chania. Since 1998 she organizes various workshops and language courses in Sougia.

The workshops are given in a quiet environment, in a cool, bright place, at ten minutes walk from the village of Sougia.

Information and application

Corinne Falagaris, tel (0030) 28230 51485
Email: corinne.falagaris@gmail.com