Host offerings
Christina grew up in a farming family in a small village in western Greece, where she still gets her local eggs, cheese, organic extra virgin olive oil, dried herbs, and hand-collected sea salts. Christina is passionate about baking traditional phyllo pies made with hand-made dough, a technique she first learned from her grandmother. After attending culinary school, Christina perfected the phyllo technique by working in a local bakery where she expertly created a wide variety of phyllo pies from scratch. Christina is also a licensed tour guide, so if you need any help planning your trip, she is the right person to speak to! She joined Traveling Spoon with the mission to share her knowledge of Greece’s phyllo traditions with as many people as possible in order to help preserve these age-old cooking methods. <br><br>Christina lives in a simple apartment in Pangrati, a central yet quiet neighborhood, located about 20 minutes by subway from the historic center of Athens and easily reached by taxi. Her apartment is located on the 5th floor of her building and is accessible by elevator.
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
In-home meal (1 - 5 guests) Christina serves an authentic Greek meal that showcases seasonal produce with inventive preparations. Your meal might start with an appetizer of locally produced cheese, cold cuts and spreads and then you'll sample her specialty phyllo pies. The meal will continue with dishes like pistachio-crusted chicken served with a savory molasses sauce, seasonal salads of anthotyro (fresh cheese), cherry tomatoes and toasted bread or wild greens collected in the countryside, small fish marinated with fresh herbs, olive-crusted lamb with yogurt sauce, or strapatsada (scrambled eggs with feta and tomatoes).
Cooking experience (1 - 5 guests) Learn to prepare authentic Greek phyllo dough from scratch in Christina's kitchen in this Athens cooking class. She will teach you to make the ubiquitous flaky Greek dough - starting with flour and water! - and together you will prepare a traditional pie. She will teach you, step by step, how to make the pie filling using seasonal ingredients like wild spinach and other greens and a variety of fresh cheeses (you might mix the filling in the sink since it is her biggest receptacle!). You mix the dough, learn to roll it into paper-thin sheets on her dining table, and layer the pie with the filling. She will show you how to carefully lay the delicate sheets of phyllo in the pan, which results in a light, crispy pie. Christina will share printed recipes with you so you can recreate the dishes at home.
You can expect the cooking portion of your experience to last about 90 minutes before you sit down to enjoy the meal you helped to prepare.
Languages spoken: #<HostLanguage::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy:0x00007ffaf29e6ea8>
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.
Christina was an excellent hostess with expert knowledge of traditional Greek cuisine. Her lesson on making phyllo dough from scratch was so thorough and inspiring it compelled my wife to seek out a phyllo rolling pin to try to recreate the pastry at home. In short, A++++. Would cook with again.
Craig, Traveling Spoon Ambassador
Pricing (per person)*
| 1 person | 4 people | 5+ people | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking Experience + Meal | $200 | $120 | $80 |
| Alcohol | $10 per person | ||
| *Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. | |||
| Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking Experience + Meal | 11:00am - 03:00pm | 5:30pm - 09:30pm |
Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.
