Authentic home cooking class in Crete with a passionate local

Meet Ozlem

Ozlem has Cretan, Turkish and Venetian roots, which has greatly influenced her cooking style. Her passion for food started when she was young, she was always curious and would follow her grandmother around the kitchen with a basket gathering wild greens and herbs. Her grandmother taught her to cook using all her senses – smell, sight, taste, feel. Ozlem eats and cooks with all ingredients but is a bit more passionate about artichokes, wild greens and whatever the sea has to offer. She works as a personal chef, participates in festivals, organizes workshops, is a speaker on panels and seminars, and also writes for newspapers and magazines. Apart from cooking, Ozlem also works as a translator and an interpreter, she has translated 19 books so far!

What to expect

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 - 7 guests) You can expect traditional Cretan and Turkish plates inspired by memories of family gatherings on huge tables. Ozlem loves cooking with all what the Aegean region has to offer - from its fertile earth to its violet sea. Especially the use of artichokes, wild greens (which they have more than 175 endemic types) and sea food in traditional ways using recipes passed through generations in her Cretan and Turkish family. A few dishes that you can expect to share at Ozlem's dining table are artichokes with Cretan staka and meat or mousakka or shrimp saganaki or Chania vegetable pie, marinated sardines or snails or stuffed vegetables and wild green salad or sautéed wild greens or Cretan rusk salad. End you meal with an Ottoman sweet called kazandibi (Turkish milk pudding).

Cooking experience (1 - 7 guests) Join Ozlem for a hands-on cooking class in her home kitchen in Roustika, a charming village in central Rethimnon, Crete, with rich Venetian history and stunning architecture. In your two hour Cretan cooking class learn to make artichokes with peas and meat or fish or stuffed vegetables or Cretan chicken pie and a wild green salad. Or you can learn to make handmade pitas with a filling of your choice (greens or Cretan cheese or meat). Please let Ozlem know your preference in advance. She will also share stories behind food that you're cooking and tip and tricks that she learned from her grandmother. After cooking, sit down together to share the meal you helped prepare.

This home cooking class in Crete is perfect for anyone interested in learning traditional Greek cooking techniques, discovering local ingredients, and enjoying an intimate dining experience with a local in their home.

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