Tallis Vacations – Greek Culinary Tour

You’ve probably visited Greece, sampled delicious Greek cuisine, returned home, and had a go at recreating your favourite Greek dish, right?

Unless you happen to be a five star Michelin chef, it wasn’t the same was it?

Of course, the sparkling Aegean Sea wasn’t lapping at your feet, or the hot Mediterranean sun warming your skin, but, also, you didn’t have those little secrets and tips which make Greek food not only good, but great.

You can watch videos, study Greek cookery books, but nothing beats a hands-on cooking lesson, given by an experienced Greek chef, right here, in Greece, in the land of the Greek Gods, to help you accomplish the perfect Greek dish.

Why not enjoy glorious Greece, while, at the same time, learning to cook like a Greek, from a Greek, in Greece, on a Greek culinary tour, then, once home, amaze your family and friends with your new-found cooking skills?

If you like the idea of becoming a star at Greek cooking (And who wouldn’t?), try “Tallis Mediterranean Cooking Vacations”

Let me tempt you with a glimpse of the mouthwatering delights you’ll be reproducing while having fun at Tallis Vacations.

Avgolemeno chicken soup, chicken soup with egg/lemon sauce, just like the Greek “Mamas” make it!

Ingredients

1 chicken (1-1.2kg / 2.2-2.5 lbs.)

1 onion, peeled

5 cups of water

150-200g (6-7 oz.) short-grain rice

2 large eggs

Juice of 1 lemon

2 carrots (optional)

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method

Wash the chicken thoroughly and place in a deep pan.

 Push the chicken down to the bottom of the pan, add the onion, whole (and the carrot), pour in the water (the water should cover the chicken) and season.

 Place on high heat, put the lid on and bring to a boil; turn the heat down and boil the chicken for about 75 minutes (the chicken is ready, when the meat can be removed easily from the bones).

 While the chicken boils, some white foam will probably surface on the water. Remove that foam with a slotted spoon.

Remove the chicken from the broth and strain the broth.

Add the hot broth in a pan, add the rice and season with salt and pepper and boil, until done.

In the meantime, if the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Dice the meat into bite size.

To prepare the egg lemon sauce: crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk, until foamy; add the lemon juice and whisk again. Add into the bowl a ladle of hot soup and whisk quickly.

 Add one more ladle and whisk again, so that the eggs get warm.

 Pour the egg mixture back into the pot, whilst constantly stirring, put the lid on and leave for 3-4 minutes.

Tzatziki, Garlic yogurt dip, the very essence of Greece!

Ingredients

500 g strained Greek yogurt

4 cloves garlic

1 cucumber

1 Tbsp. vinegar

Salt & pepper, to taste

Method

Grate the cucumber and the garlic.

Put the yogurt, cucumber, and garlic with the vinegar into a bowl.

Mix together well and season with salt & pepper.

Put in refrigerator to chill.

Dolmades, stuffed vine leaves, can’t get much “Greeker” than this!

Ingredients

60 vine leaves, washed

250g (0.5 lbs.) rice

1 cup olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 cups warm water

Juice of 2 lemons

2 Tbsp. dill, chopped

1/2 cup (8 Tbsp.) parsley, chopped

Salt & pepper, to taste

Method

Wash vine leaves thoroughly, remove the stems and blanch them in boiling hot water.

 Remove the leaves from boiling water and place in a colander to cool down completely.

Prepare the filling:

Place the rice in a colander and rinse with running water.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add 1/3 of the olive oil and the chopped onions.

Sauté the onions, add the rice and sauté for 1 more minute.

Pour in 2 cups of warm water and half lemon juice and simmer for about 7 minutes, until the rice absorbs all the water and is parboiled.

Season with salt & pepper and stir in the herbs

 Remove from heat and set aside to cool down.

Layer the bottom of a large pot with some vine leaves and start rolling the dolmades.

 Place one vine leaf (shiny side down) on a flat surface and add 1 tsp. of the filling at the bottom end (stem). Be careful not to overfill the dolmades, as the rice will expand during cooking.

 Fold the lower section of the leaf over the filling towards the center; bring the two sides in towards the center and roll them up tightly.

 Place the stuffed vine leaves (fold side down) on the bottom of the pot and top in snugly layers.

 Be careful not to leave any gaps between the dolmades to prevent them from cracking open when cooking.

Drizzle the stuffed vine leaves with the rest of the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt & pepper.

 Place an inverted plate on top to hold them down when cooking and pour in enough water just to cover them.

 Place the lid on and simmer the dolmades for about 30-40 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the dolmades remain only with the oil.

Remove the pot from the heat, remove the lid and plate and let the dolmades cool for at least 30 minutes.

Tallis Vacations; “The Great Culinary Tour of Greece”, came to fruition, through Dr. Avital Stein’s (Founder and CEO) love of Greece and Greek food, and the desire to share her passion with others.

Most of us, by now, thanks to The Internet and social media, have heard that the Mediterranean Diet, which originated in Greece, is the healthiest way to eat.

The tasty, simple, food; fruit straight from the trees, fish fresh from the sea, homemade Greek yogurt, traditional Greek dishes seasoned with freshly gathered herbs, all promote longevity.

With Tallis Vacations, you will learn to cook like a Greek, from experienced, outstanding Greek chefs, (Traditional Greek taverna and restaurant owners), in small, friendly groups, who will reveal to you their secrets, handed down from generation to generation.

Discover what it needs to make Greek yogurt set, how that extra pinch of salt makes feta cheese taste “Greeker”, and yes, you can make authentic moussaka, and excellent Sour cherry spoon sweet, a Greek specialty.

You’ll just love the merry trip to the wineries of Nemea, which produce some of the best wines of The Peloponnese, and, hopefully, after sampling them, you’ll return to your luxury accommodation, even merrier!

Remember I mentioned that The Mediterranean Diet promotes longevity?

Well, Tallis Vacations has teamed up with “Goddess of Greek Cooking”;

Diane Kochilas, also known as, “The Greek Food Guru” giving you the chance to visit Ikaria, the Aegean Island where people forget to die!

Diane Kochilas, is a consulting chef at popular Greek restaurants in the US, an author of 18 books on Greek cuisine including the IACP-awarded “Glorious Foods of Greece” and “Country Cooking of Greece”.

Diane appears regularly on American television, including “Throw down with Bobby Flay,” “Bizarre Foods,” “Foodography,” “PBS News Hour,” and “360° with Anderson Cooper.”

Diane Kochilas will show you her beloved Greek island, Ikaria, said, in Greek mythology to be named after Icarus, son of Daedalus, who fell into the sea nearby, she will teach you all there is to know about traditional Greek cuisine, and explain to you the benefits of The Mediterranean Diet, said to be the secret of long life.

Learn more about Ikaria from this interesting article from The Guardian Newspaper.

The Guardian; The island of long life

This is a not to be missed trip, taking in the mythical island of Ikaria, Athens, the cradle of civilization, and The Peloponnese, home to some of the world’s best olive oil, olives and archaeological sites.

Let’s see, what’s left? We’ve learnt to cook like Greeks, we’ve got to know the wonderful, friendly, hospitable Greek people, and we’ve bathed in the deep blue sea.

We’ve become merry with Greek wine, we’ve seen the wonders of ancient Greece and the Island of Ikaria, ah yes; of course, we couldn’t leave magical Greece without partying like a Greek could we?

Tallis Vacations gives you the opportunity to indulge in some real Greek spirit, a chance to try your hand, or should I say feet, at Greek dancing, accompanied by authentic Greek bouzouki music, ever heard the phrase “Go wild in Greece”?

Need more convincing? This should do it; have a look at Tallis YouTube channel, pure “Greekness”!

TALLIS VACATIONS YOUTUBE