“Can’t we just do something that a Greek person in TODAY’S world would do?”
And with that challenge, my 19 year old got me thinking out of the box for a family trip! A little backstory:
We decided to take the kids on a trip to Greece: Touring ALL the historical sites throughout Athens, seeing the beautiful, white buildings and blue waters of Greek Island – with two teenage girls, in the summer, taking them away from their friends for 10 days. A recipe for Family Awesomeness, right?! (Those of you with teenagers are probably laughing right now at my blessed ignorance!)
SIMPLE VACATION TIP: The trip WAS actually awesome because we included activities the girls wanted to do!
So back to the challenge my 19 year old gave me. My daughter wanted to experience something culturally relevant to the modern, Greek citizen. It was a brilliant idea! I suggested a cooking class, which was greeted with much enthusiasm. Working with our travel agent, we settled on a private cooking class with Teta, owner of Mykonian Spiti, on the island of Mykonos.
Held in Teta’s kitchen in her traditional, Mykonian home, we had a FANTASTIC experience! We spent the whole day making Tzatziki Sauce, Spinach Pie, Stuffed Peppers & Tomatoes, and Beef With Orzo. The entire family was involved in the class.
Here is Teta’s Recipe for Tzatziki Sauce – a sauce perfect for grilled meats, or as a dip for pita and fresh veggies. I am including a link to her recipes page of her website. (FYI – I’ve translated the measurements into U.S. measurements. PLUS, she forgot to add dill to her written tzatziki sauce recipe – trust me, it is supposed to be in there!)
- 1 Cup Greek Yogurt - I used Fage Greek Yogurt, recommended by my friend in Greece!
- 1 large cucumber, grated, with water squeezed out as much as possible!
- 1 Tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 clove fresh garlic, finely minced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- Salt to taste
- Mix all ingredients together and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Serve with grilled meats or as an appetizer served with pita and fresh veggies! Store, covered, in the fridge for up to one week.
Note About Mykonian Spiti: Teta is a one woman dynamo and I couldn’t be more impressed with her. Between her family’s two businesses, Teta and her husband employ about 35-45 Mykonians and house approximately 25 during the summer months. (Amazing, when you consider the economic upheaval Greece is currently experiencing!) Check out her website, Mykonian Spiti – there you can read all about her business, her efforts to give visitors a true cultural experience. PLUS, she has some of her recipes posted – you will love the way she writes in English!!
