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February 2010

Kalimera!

Cook in Crete – a unique culinary tour of Greece’s southernmost island – is proud to announce a full course vacation served with a hearty helping of adventure and relaxation.

Whether you're a professional chef or a budding gourmand, our tour is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a delicious culinary adventure.

Taste, sip and savour your way through Greece’s southernmost island and learn the secrets of the Mediterranean diet, well-known for promoting longevity.

Enjoy hands-on cooking lessons, visits to local growers and outdoor organic farmers markets and private tours of vineyards and olive groves.

Our small groups of eight persons make for a friendly atmosphere. We promise an opportunity to indulge all your senses.

And this year, treat your taste buds – and your pocket – to the combined pleasures of good food, wine and a discount of 30 percent off for any Cook in Crete culinary tour. Save more than 500 euros per person. This special discount applies to all 2010 tour dates.

We are also getting ready to launch a new retreat for the whole person. We are combining the art of wholesome Mediterranean cooking with yoga and natural living. It’s a chance to escape the world, relax and charge up. Enjoy fresh air, spectacular views, excellent food and creative activity.

Also coming soon… advanced cooking lessons. A week-long food experience geared for the professional chef.

One-day cooking lesson

Don’t have time for a full culinary week? Add a pinch of Cretan cuisine to your vacation with our one-day cooking class option. Enjoy a 100 percent hands-on cooking lesson and a traditional meal with complimentary wine overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Classes are on request, based upon availability, between May and November. Cost for the lesson is 60 euros per person.

Recipe of the month

Phyllo flutes of Lamb

Serves 2

5oz/140g lean chunks of lamb

80g or 2 sheets phyllo pastry

3 shallots, chopped

3.5oz/100g tomatoes (peeled, seeded and chopped)

20ml white wine

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon thyme

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Cut the lamb into small cubes and lightly sauté in olive oil

Add wine, tomatoes, salt and pepper and thyme

Let simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the shallots and continue cooking until sauce thickens

Allow to cool

Spread phyllo sheet and fold in half

Add the lamb (without the sauce) along the top of the phyllo sheet

Fold the edges of the phyllo sheet and then wrap and roll

Fry in olive oil until golden brown on all sides

Suggestion: Serve with Greek tzatziki

Tzatziki

20oz/2 cups of strained yogurt

4 to 10 cloves of garlic, mashed

1/2 cup of cucumber, grated and patted dry

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3 teaspoons of vinegar

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well

Wine suggestions

This lamb dish pairs beautifully with a ripe, rich, earthy Syrah or a Katsifali red – a Cretan variety that is fruity, elegant and well-balanced. White wines are great partners too. Try a Sauvignon Blanc.