Autumn in Greece: Discovering Pelio flavors

A really attractive destination especially for locals during the autumn or winter is Pelion.  Located in central Greece, Pelion is a mountain popular for the beautiful slopes, natural landscape and of course its unique cuisine. This place is literally a paradise for someone who wants to enjoy all aspects of nature: mountain, sea, forests and beaches- and of course- is more than recommended for outdoor activities: hiking, climbing, biking (mountain) , swimming and more!

Hiking in Pelio

As a rich agriculturally area, Pelion offers herbs, fruits, honey , home-made jams and other sweets. It is a real source of natural food: olive oil produced by the native olive grooves, wine produced from local red grapes, and the most important? It is the home of “tsipouro”, the most popular Greek drink! For those who don’t know what tsipouro is, it is a strong alcoholic drink, prepared by distillation from grape. In other words, it is made from pieces of grapes and seeds that are left after pressing the grapes for the new wine. Tsipouro makes a perfect combination with small seafood dishes, appetizers, nuts, feta cheese and olives. It can come with anise which gives a unique flavor and aroma or without it..It really depends on your appetite!

The most popular dishes that are served with tsipouro and you can’t miss in Pelio are:

1. “Spetzofai” :   Green peppers and pieces of local sausages into tomato sauce. You can choose as spicy peppers as you want! It is a tasty rustic dish which gives you energy during the cold days of the winter.

“Spetzofai”

2. “gida lemonati” :  Goat stew with lemon sauce, You can also add vegetables, and other herbs.

Stew with vegetables

3. Seafood dishes served with  “kritamo”: In Pelio you will find a great variety of seafood such as shellfish and mollusks garnished with kritamo (pickled rock samphire) or “Tsitsiravla” (preserved in brine or fresh in spring)

Octopus

4.  “Kolokithokorfades” Courgette flowers with rice and minced meat.

fresh vegetables

The superior quality of products and flavors makes Pelion a top choice for a winter escape. The area is very popular for the large number of small fish restaurants and taverns, as well as for the small traditional shops that sell fruit preserves, jams made of fresh seasonal fruits as well as honey. Sounds good stuff?  Feel free to message me if you need more info about your trip to Pelio and Volos.

 

7 Top Greek sandy beaches to visit this summer

It is really difficult to say which beaches are the best in Greece. Each one has its own special beauty offering different things: relaxation,  watersports, partying, swimming, naturism…However, in overall Greek beaches are very popular for their natural landscape, cleanliness , and the range of activities that someone can do when visiting them.  (parasailing, wake boarding, windsurfing, sailing and of course kitesurf.!). Especially those that are more organized, provide advanced watersports facilities that can give  an adrenaline rush that probably all of us need after a long period of working hard under pressure..

Besides, every year, Greece is rated as one of the top countries having the best beaches by the blue flag programme so if you think that this summer you need to avoid work stress and relax in a beutiful beach, then probably Greece is one of the top choices. Below I present the best beaches I have visited so far based on the following criteria: beauty, cleanliness, facilities (beach bar, music), and suitability for watersports:

1.  Εlia, Mykonos: Ideal for relaxing with loung music and nice cocktails!

Elia, Mykonos

2. Agios Ioannis, Sithonia, Chalkidiki, : Enjoy lounge music in a small beautiful bay. There is always a party or an event during the weekends

Agios Ioannis, Chalkidiki

3 . Falassarna, Crete: Suitable for water sports and relaxing-fantastic natural landscape

Falassarna, Crete

4.  Porto Katsiki, Lefkada: Here you can enjoy the natural beauty..and get ready to take the steps!

Porto Katsiki, Lefkada

5.  Balos, Crete: A fantastic beach that can be reached by boat. There are no beach bars here so it is ideal for relaxing. Shallow and warm water ideal for kids.

Balos beach, Crete

6. Red beach, Santorini: The only red beach in the world…Organized but quiet. Local people sell fruits  and juιces from the island.

red beach, Santorini

7. Katergo, Folegandros: A nice  secluded beach for those that really want to relax!  Take food and drink with you as there is nothing on the beach. Also:Don’t swim very far from the beach as there are strong undercurrents.

Katergo

Which of the above beaches  would you most likely visit? You can vote now and see the results. If you have more ideas where to go in the summer please feel free to share it with me!

 

The famous Skopelos cheese pie

The famous “skopelitiki tyropita” is one of the finest specialties that excites even the most demanding gourmets. In the small beautiful island of Skopelos, young ladies who already know all the secrets of making a cheese pie from their grandmothers are very proud of their recipes and the unique flavors. You can’t really miss this fantastic recipe as every corner of the island has a small bakery with lots of cheese and spinach pies…However, even though there are many types and recipes for cheese pie, the Skopelos cheese pie is popular not only for its high quality ingredients but also for its unbeatable taste.

Breakfast in Skopelos. Skopelos cheese pie with cake and omelet

 

The traditional skopelos cheese pie consists of goat feta cheese (pie filling), olive oil, flour, vinegar, water, sugar and salt (dough). Its shape is twisted and the pure Greek ingredients give an amazing taste…. Here, the main the difference is that instead of baking, we fry the pie in sunflower or olive oil. Another secret is that the thinner the crust (dough) is the better!

View from a narrow street in Skopelos

 

Recipe in Brief

What will I need?

For the dough:

About 1kg flour

1 soup spoon of olive oil

1 spoon of vinegar

Salt

Water

 

For the filling:

½ kg goat cheese

Corn flour to roll the pastry sheet

1. Stirring the flour with the other ingredients (salt, sugar, vinegar, olive oil, water) in a bowl, knead the dough very well and cover it with a plastic wrap.
2. Batter a surface with corn flour and roll the filo pastry
3. Pour some oil in the surface, spread the filling and roll it around.
4. Twist the pie in the shape of spiral
5. Fry the pie in olive/sunflower oil.
6. And of course.. Enjoy!

The island is full of goats which farmers take care of and extract their milk. For those that don’t know Skopelos goats belong to the species that produce the largest amount of milk in Greece!

Have you got more ideas/alternatives on how to make cheese pie? Please share it with us!

The perfect Mediterranean starter

It was Saturday afternoon in Manchester city center when we decided to have some pasta in an outdoor seating, Italian Mozzarella bar.  At first glance I thought that it wasn’t a really good place to dine out, as it looked more like a casual cafeteria-although a nice one- rather than a restaurant…

After having a look on the menu I ordered a mozzarella selection as a starter and pasta mare as a main course. When the starter was served at the table I understood I had made the right choice.

There was a variety of mozzarella cheese, stewed mushrooms with delicious olives, tomato sauce, peppers, rocket salad served on a smooth wooden board…The combination was perfect and the ingredients fresh and tasty. And I think these are the essentials that sets a dish apart: Simplicity, Freshness and of course fine taste….

But how much do we really know about mozzarella cheese? and where can we find it? Certainly everyone who loves pizza has tasted this fantastic Southern Italian cheese that melts so easy giving a delicate taste of milk. Fresh mozzarella consists of whole milk, is high in water content and low in fat. It has softer texture than the regular one and it is normally packed in water or whey. The most popular fresh mozzarella is the bufalo mozarella and is made of water buffalo milk and cow’s milk. Of course there are many types of fresh mozzarella such as Ovolini, Bocconcini, and Ciliegine…

Mozzarella board

The main course was pasta mare : spaghetti with baby tomatoes, mussels, prawns in delicious tomato sauce and basel.  Fresh baby tomatoes giving a delicate aroma…!

The dish was stick to the traditional Italian recipe for spaghetti that requires plenty of tomato sauce just for a small amount of pasta. No butter, no creams, maybe a little bit olive oil….Besides, italian cousine is quite popular for the motto: “the less the better”!

Pasta with mixed seafood in tomato sauce

 

Just Mediterranean and simple. Have you got more ideas where to find original Mediterranean tastes in the UK? Just share it with me!

5 original Mediterranean dishes that nobody should miss

I guess everybody has heard about the “Mediterranean diet” or “Mediterranean cuisine” and the massive benefits that has for peoples’ health in overall. As it is widely known Mediterranean diet is based on the large consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil and nuts, medium consumption of dairy products, eggs, fish and poultry, and very low consumption of red meat and fats. But instead of just mentioning ingredients and meal plans, I will present five original Mediterranean dishes that are really worth to try. And I say original because after spending five years in the UK I can hardly find food and stuff that I would call originally Mediterranean!

Photo source http://pixabay.com

1. Penne with roast vegetables including tomatoes, squash, garlic, olive oil and oregano. You can enjoy the dish with a glass of white or red wine…

 

2. Pasta with mussels, shrimps and basil.  Classic but delicious…

Pasta with mussels, shrimps and basil.

 

3. Lentils with bay leaves: the ultimate Greek homemade dish. Of course you can add carrots and potatoes.

Lentils

4. Leek pie: Just make sure that it is the right season for leeks (winter)

5. Aubergines filled with bulgur, feta cheese, onion, garlic and parsley: the most creative one… For those that don’t know what bulgur means: it is cereal made of wheat and has been used in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine for more than 4.000 years…An endless aroma of Mediterranean!

Have you got more Mediterranean dish ideas? Don’t forget to share it with me!

You can now vote below which dish inspired you most!

 

 

 

The popular Greek Souvlaki: just a basic guide

Everyone who has visited Greece even once has surely tried the famous “souvlaki” which is known as the most popular fast food choice across the whole country. You can find it literally everywhere: in a narrow street of a quiet neighborhood, outside a night club, in festivals, next to the beach, or even at stadiums and sports arenas. Souvlaki is very famous in Greek fast food as it is a very delicious, cheap, and convenient option for all ages becoming one of the biggest trademarks of the Greek lifestyle.

For those that never heard of it, souvlaki consists of small pieces of well-done pork, chicken or lamb on small wooden sticks. Traditionally souvlaki is served with fresh sliced tomatoes, onion, tzatziki sauce (yogurt, garlic, cucumbers, dill & olive oil) and it is wrapped in a lightly grilled pita. However, some people prefer other garnishes such as lettuce, fried potatoes, ketchup, and mustard not conforming to the traditional recipe. It is quite easy to understand the quality of the souvlaki served checking how much fat it contains. Remember that the less fat it contains the better quality and taste!

Souvlaki on grill

 

 

 

 

 

“Souvlaki” or “kalamaki”?

In Athens and southern Greece souvlaki is also called “kalamaki” while in Thessaloniki any pita-wrapped souvlaki is referred to as a “sandwich”, so you can easily recognize people coming from North or South just from             these small differences when ordering a souvlaki!

Souvlaki as way of life

In peoples’ minds souvlaki can be associated with lots of occasions. Watching a football match, organizing a barbecue party with friends, eating in the canteen outside a night club after a crazy night, are all typical occasions of having a “souvlaki”. It is really common for Greek people to consume high quantity of meat in the streets when a special event takes place in the city: a carnival, a concert, or a football match.  Every corner of the town has a grill and nobody has ever resisted the smell of a grilled souvlaki. Souvlaki can be also found in villages especially in festivities and special events. Canteens in the streets usually provide any kind of meat on grill (hot dog, “soutzoukaki”) served with any salad of your choice!

wrapped pita souvlaki

5 really good reasons to visit Santorini

Hello everybody and welcome to my blog!

The summer is nearly here and i guess everybody is thinking about where to go….As there are lots of interesting places to visit this decision is not always so easy.

If you can’t compromise with a typical summer holiday plan where you just sunbathe and relax next to the beach, and you look for high aesthetic quality combined with adventure, then the small island in the center of Greece is ready to exceed any expectation. Even though Santorini is not popular for its beaches there are 5 top reasons to visit this fantastic place.

1. Get ready to watch the best sunset in Europe (Especially in Oia and Imerovigli).
2. You will never forget the breathtaking view of Caldera and volcano.
3. If you love wine get ready to try the ecxeptional wines produced in the island.
4. Swimming in the only red beach in the world enjoying the view of the precipitous cliffs.
5. Be prepared to fall in love! Even if you never fall in love the vibes of the island will make you give in!

 

Also…don’t forget to try the top traditional products of the island and especially: white aubergines, cherry tomatoes, the popular fava bean of Santorini and a choriatiki Salad with caper!

Choriatiki salad with feta cheese and oregano Photo by Anastasia Nikitopoulou

 

The best period to go to the island is during spring for those that don’t like the very hot weather and summer for the rest of us who enjoy the endless sunbathing and watersports. However, very often there are breezes making the place ideal for sailors and surfers.

Have you got more ideas what to see (or taste) in Santorini? Do you want to share inspiring photos on the blog? Feel free to do it!

Why did I choose a Digital marketing career?

One of the things that excites me in Marketing is that it actually exists in every aspect of business. From a local restaurant , a hair salon or a self employed professional to a large organization and strong brands, marketing is the cornerstone for successful business. The most fascinating thing is that over the last years a large part of marketing activity takes place online and as digital technologies constantly change, every day is a new challenge for an aspiring marketer.

For this reason, I feel excited about Digital Marketing . Creativity, enthusiasm and team work, are some of the key values that characterizes a successful digital marketer and makes this job really entertaining! A good marketer is resourceful, understands behavioural patterns and can quickly identify peoples’ needs. Behind the figures, the traffic, and the performance, there is a human side of the business: building strong relationships, helping and inform people, providing support maintaining the sense of humor and at the same time built a strong brand community. This journey keeps me inspired and makes me thirsty to learn more every single day.

If you need to have a chat/discussion with me please feel free to e-mail me on: anastasia.nikitopoulou@gmail.com