Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Sorry...


I didn't intend for that last blog to be such a downer. I had an absolutely amazing time in Crete, and was (am) going through withdrawal. Also, I was reading through my last post and realized that although I kept talking about how good everything was, I never gave any specifics as to why it was so good.

So, here are a few things I have taken home with me:

-Feta on everything. Kinda used like butter- on your bread, your potatoes, etc...It's in everything, as well. The feta there was usually all sheep, as far as I could tell, and very mild. Not the sharp, tangy taste that you imagine.

-Yogurt thicker than anything I've ever experienced. I just don't know if there's anywhere to get it here. I have been buying "Fage" for years, but apparently in Greece that's the cheap, crappy stuff.

-Simple dishes. Straight meats and vegetables, nothing extremely fancy, but everything extremely fresh and perfect. Except, I guess, the lasagna and moussaka, which are more labor intensive.

-Something I'm very excited to try is baking salmon on a bed of rock salt. It draws the fat out, and leaves just the pure salmon flavor. The taste is similar to when it is smoked.

-Celery leaves for flavor. I am always trying to find ways to use everything I buy, rather than throwing stems and greens away (although, I've already admitted I often do...)

-They use a lot of bell peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Those vegetables are definitely what I saw the most of. It makes sense, but not at all what I pictured.

-No hummus! It's not Greek! Not to mention the tatziki was just greek yogurt and a bunch of garlic. I never ate a pita or a falafel. They did serve dolmas, though.

Unfortunately, what I could not take with me was the 40 Euro worth of Cretan honey that I bought. I had to carry on my suitcase so I wouldn't miss my connecting flight and had to throw three jars of it away at the airport. So sad.

Ps. Remember the Disney movie Moon Spinners with Hayley Mills? Well, apparently it was supposed to take place in Crete. I used to watch it when I was little, and I just bought it on Amazon to watch again!

2 comments:

The Saunders said...

ahhh moon spinners! My mom bought it for Elinor :) good memories...

Unknown said...

Why don't I read this more often?