travelling for food

mmm, if I were to travel to a place just for the food I would choose Greece. I visited Greece on a school trip ( as a teacher) two years a go. I had a ball!!

Greek people are quite friendly and their food is fantastic. I am a big fan of olives and bread, dips , pork, lamb and fresh salads. However my heart truly belongs to the baklava. What can I say to convince you of its magnificence.

A baklava is a very sweet dessert. It is made of filo pastry brushed with butter or olive oil. between the crisp layers of filo there is a nutty filling. My personal favorite is pistachio but walnut and almond are also very common. After the baklava has been cooked it is steeped in a thick sugary syrup made with honey. You eat this dessert after dinner or lets face it any time of the day with strong coffee. It is a diabetics wet dream... mmm my pancreas hurts just thinking about them. In the west they can be very small maybe the width of two fingers... but in Greece then could be as big as your hand!

An article about Greece would be incomplete without a reference to dips. Tzatziki dip. A lovely combination of garlic, greek yogurt and grated strained cucumber. This is best served with warmed pita bread that is drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. a great snack or start to a meal. Egg plant dip or baba ganoush is another thrilling dip. So soft and silky. To start you need to roast the eggplant. then scoop out its innards into a bowl. Then add lemon juice salt and pepper and a little olive oil and voila... a delicious dip to serve with warmed pita.

In Greece people are obsessed with the quality of their olive oil. I am obsessed by their Kalamata olives. They are truly the king of olives. So salty and with the merest hint of bitterness. They are best when marinated with garlic and chili. Olive oil is one of natures good oils containing a lot less saturated fat then other oils and containing heart healthy ingredients. Use it in salad dressings to bring out the best in your ingredients.