Guest Feature: Cruisin' Through Greece with Dan and Kim Varano

Dan and Kim Varano aren’t just retired chefs – they’re also avid travelers who have taken four trips with Odysseys since 2019 (with a fifth – Paradores & Pousadas – already on the books for later this year). We featured them in our Fall 2023 newsletter after they returned from our Northern Italy small group tour and wrote about the experience for their newsletter, Cruisin’ in the Kitchen (click here to read that two-part blog). Their travel recaps are always engaging, but it’s their professional adaptations of the authentic meals they enjoy on tour that make these posts a must-read. 

The pair traveled on our Ancient Greece tour last year, chronicling their adventure once again in an article that includes some of their favorite recipes from the trip. Read about their journey through antiquity, and learn how to whip up a genuine Greek chicken souvlaki, in their recap below.

Cruisin' in the Kitchen | Ancient Greece

By Dan and Kim Varano

Yassas “Hello” from Greece!  We have just returned from a wonderful 2-week visit to this beautiful country.  A “world wind” trip that took us to Athens home to the famous Acropolis and Parthenon, to Delphi and the temple of Apollo, situated on the slopes of Mt. Parnassos, home to the Oracle Pythia and referred to in ancient times as the center of the earth.  We left Athens and travelled south across the Corinth Canal to seaside Nafplion on the Argolic Gulf where we visited the city of Corinth, one of Greece’s largest cities in antiquity, and where the Apostle Paul wrote the first and second Corinthian letters to the Church of God.  We spent a day on the idyllic island of Hydra, where cars are banned and donkeys are the main form of transportation.

Dan and Kim on the Island of Hydra

We then traveled to the island of Crete where we toured ancient Knossos, a Bronze Age city considered to be Europe’s oldest.  It is known for the ancient myth of Theseus and the minotaur and his twisted love story with the daughter of the King of Crete. While on Greece’s largest island, we were treated to a visit to an olive farm where we learned how olive oil is produced and had a tasting, then on to a women’s cooperative where we lunched on traditional Greek foods.   We visited the mysterious island of Spinalonga, a Venetian fortress turned leper colony, and learned of its secretive past.  To end our trip we ferried to the Instagram-famous island of Santorini where whitewashed buildings with bright blue domes dot the precarious cliffs surrounding its breathtaking Caldera.  In Santorini, we tasted local wines at an underground winery and visited the 3,500-year-old city of Akrotiri, buried after the eruption of the volcano Krakatoa, which in theory, set the scene for Plato’s story of the Lost City of Atlantis.

We would also like to thank our tour director, Nancy Andritsopoulou, a trained archaeologist who brought us on an amazing journey through Greece.  Her knowledge is unsurpassed and she kept us interested and amused with her light-hearted anecdotes on Greek “Mythology.”  On this tour there are no local guides so Nancy worked night and day to make our trip the wonderful experience that it was.  There wasn’t enough that she could do to keep us healthy and happy, from working with people’s food restrictions to seeing us through two flights and guarding our luggage on the ferry to Santorini. She is truly a gem, and if you decide to take this trip and are lucky enough to have her guide you, you won’t be disappointed.

We couldn’t have asked for a better group of fellow travelers.  The nineteen that we traveled with became instant friends.  We ate, drank, and laughed our way through Greece.  We even have a Snapchat group in which we can keep in touch!

We indulged in every aspect of Greek Cuisine.  From too many renditions of Greek Salad to keep count of to Souvlaki (skewered meat) made of chicken, pork, and lamb.  We ate fish from the Aegean Sea that surrounded us, gyro sandwiches (a popular street food), little fried dumplings filled with spinach and feta, zucchini fritters, eggplant dip, spanakopita, stuffed grape leaves, loukoumades (fried donuts drizzled in honey), baklava, honey cake, and so much more.

Our most memorable meal, though, was a simple outdoor lunch of local Greek food prepared at a women’s cooperative on Crete.  We even took part in making our dessert, a pan-fried pastry filled with soft cheese.

The buffet lunch at the women’s cooperative

In this article, we want to share some of our favorite dishes from our trip. The following recipes are our adaptation of what we tasted as we ate.  We learned that Greek Cuisine is fresh and with vibrant flavor, and their desserts are sweet!  They take pride in their olive oil and honey.  But most importantly they embrace their diverse history.  So, as always…enjoy these recipes and….Happy Cooking!

Greek Chicken Souvlaki (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (approximately 6 oz. each)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 4 wooden skewers soaked in water for 5 minutes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve:

• 8 pita breads
• Olive oil
• Dried oregano
• 1 sliced tomato
• 1 red onion
• Tzatziki sauce

Directions

1. Cut chicken breasts into 1- to 1½-inch pieces, place in a bowl or zip lock bag with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, and refrigerate for 60 minutes. Thread the chicken loosely on the skewers.
2. Preheat grill or griddle pan on high heat. Cook the chicken skewers for approx. 10-12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes until evenly browned and an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
3. Brush each pita bread with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Grill breads approx. 30 seconds on each side.  Place half of each chicken skewer into each grilled pita. Top with sliced tomato, red onion and tzatziki sauce.

Note:  In Greece they also add French fries as an ingredient inside the sandwich.

Feta and Olive Stuffed Eggplant (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• ⅓ cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
• Chopped fresh dill and oregano for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise.  Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the halves, leaving about ½ inch border along the sides and bottom.  Coarsely chop the removed flesh and set aside.
2. Drizzle the insides of the eggplant shells with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place shells cut side up on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast until tender, approx. 25 to 30 minutes.
3. While the eggplant roasts, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened.  Add tomato paste, cumin, and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Add tomatoes bell pepper and reserved chopped eggplant.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is tender, approx. 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, olives, and vinegar.
4. Divide filling evenly among the eggplant shells. Top each with 2 tbsp feta and broil until cheese is melted and golden.  Garnish with fresh chopped oregano and dill.

Spanakopita/Spinach Pie (Serves 8)

Ingredients

• 16 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems trimmed, finely chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 eggs
• 8 oz. block feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tsp dried dill weed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the crust:

• 1 16 oz. package phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl add the well-drained spinach, flat leaf parsley, onion, garlic, olive oil, eggs, feta cheese, dill weed, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
2. Unroll the thawed phyllo sheets and place them between two slightly damp kitchen towels. Prepare a 9.5x13 inch baking dish by brushing the bottom and sides with olive oil.
3. To assemble the pie, line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo dough, letting them cover the sides and about 1 inch above the dish. Brush with olive oil.  Continue to layer the phyllo sheets, two at a time, brushing with olive oil until you have used two thirds of the box.
4. Evenly spread the filling over the phyllo crust. Top with 2 sheets of phyllo, brushing with olive oil and continue to layer the sheets, two at a time, brushing with oil until you have used up all of the sheets.  Sprinkle with a light layer of water.
5. Fold the flaps or excess from the sides onto the top crust and brush well with olive oil. With a sharp knife, score the top crust into 12 pieces.
6. Bake in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 1 hour or until the crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove from oven, let stand for 10 minutes, and finish cutting along the scored lines.

Greek Honey Cake (Serves 8)

Ingredients

For the Syrup:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup honey
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup orange juice

For the Cake:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup honey
• ½ stick butter melted
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 tsp baking powder

Directions

Make the Syrup:

1. Add sugar, juice, and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
2. When sugar dissolves, remove the pot from the heat and add the honey. Stir and set aside to cool.

Make the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and lemon zest.  Set aside.
2. In another large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, butter, honey, vanilla, and almond extract, and whisk them together until smooth. Add the yogurt and continue whisking until incorporated. Add the flour mixture in a few batches until just combined.
3. Bake the cake in a greased 9-inch round pan for 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick that is inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven poke the top several times with a toothpick and pour the cooled syrup onto it.  Let the cake cool for at least 2 hours to soak up the syrup before serving.  Top with ice cream or whipped cream.

Interested in exploring the Greek isles – and trying some of the legendary fare – for yourself? Click here to learn more about this tour, and to view available departure dates.