Given the amount of death and darkness lately in this Substack (not to mention the world), I thought I might have a bit of a nostalgic rave about Greek food.
After 6 months in France where restaurants seemed to serve steak frites and not much else, we were desperate for pulses, beans, vegetables. On our first night in Rhodes to visit my husband’s sister, we were taken to a taverna where we fell upon wonderful vegetarian food - chickpeas stewed with tomato, stuffed zucchini and peppers, dusky, bitter olives. Just wonderful!
Yes, chickpeas in tomato! When I took the Cliftie tour group to Kalymnos in April this year, I had chosen a number of excellent tavernas and wonderful menus, but the chickpeas was the dish that many raved about.
Rice -a -riso!!!! Thank you for sharing your personal experiences Nadia. A pleasure to read and most thought provoking in regards to my own experiences of not only Greek Food but the Greek people and places associated with it.
Thanks Nadia, what a great story. I can't help wondering which building was your 16th century mansion. I really know nothing of Greece, but we did spend five days in Chania in 2023, and as I'm now vegan (vegetarian when out, it's too hard otherwise) I did eat some great food there. A sort of stale bread dish, covered in diced fresh tomatoes which soak into the bread and soften it, topped with fresh fetta, herbs and olive oil. Peasant food I'm sure and just astounding.
Thanks, Ann. Too complicated to describe exactly which windows were ours! And there is a Kalymnian salad like the one you describe, called Mirmizeli, with the dried barley rusks that were originally cooked for the sponge diving crews: made to last nine months.
Thank you for the wonderful memories of Greece travel in the 1970s
Wendy and I must have must have crossed paths with you several times
Crete in 1977
Volos in 1971
Peloponnese in 1973
and every year of the 1970s on islands somewhere else
including Kalymnos in 1972
Finally i am reminded of living and working in Soho in the 70s when the best Greek lamb was served in a grimy basement in Frith Street and called "Jimmys"
After 6 months in France where restaurants seemed to serve steak frites and not much else, we were desperate for pulses, beans, vegetables. On our first night in Rhodes to visit my husband’s sister, we were taken to a taverna where we fell upon wonderful vegetarian food - chickpeas stewed with tomato, stuffed zucchini and peppers, dusky, bitter olives. Just wonderful!
Yes, chickpeas in tomato! When I took the Cliftie tour group to Kalymnos in April this year, I had chosen a number of excellent tavernas and wonderful menus, but the chickpeas was the dish that many raved about.
Rice -a -riso!!!! Thank you for sharing your personal experiences Nadia. A pleasure to read and most thought provoking in regards to my own experiences of not only Greek Food but the Greek people and places associated with it.
Thanks, Victoria. Nice to share my personal Greece with you... and to remember the meals we have eaten on Kalymnos together.
Thanks Nadia,
A warm and delicious read on my bus to work.
Hi Mark, glad my memories warmed you up.
Thanks Nadia, what a great story. I can't help wondering which building was your 16th century mansion. I really know nothing of Greece, but we did spend five days in Chania in 2023, and as I'm now vegan (vegetarian when out, it's too hard otherwise) I did eat some great food there. A sort of stale bread dish, covered in diced fresh tomatoes which soak into the bread and soften it, topped with fresh fetta, herbs and olive oil. Peasant food I'm sure and just astounding.
Thanks, Ann. Too complicated to describe exactly which windows were ours! And there is a Kalymnian salad like the one you describe, called Mirmizeli, with the dried barley rusks that were originally cooked for the sponge diving crews: made to last nine months.
Nadia
Thank you for the wonderful memories of Greece travel in the 1970s
Wendy and I must have must have crossed paths with you several times
Crete in 1977
Volos in 1971
Peloponnese in 1973
and every year of the 1970s on islands somewhere else
including Kalymnos in 1972
Finally i am reminded of living and working in Soho in the 70s when the best Greek lamb was served in a grimy basement in Frith Street and called "Jimmys"
Now that another story..!
Mike Ranger
Thanks, Mike. Yes, amazing it took so long for us to catch up.
My mouth is watering Nadia!
Yes, well mine was too, all the time I was writing the piece.