This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
Artichokes with peas and meat (Αγκινάρες με αρακά και κρέας) or Artichokes with Cretan staka and meat (Αγκινάρες με στάκα και κρέας ) or Mousakka (Μουσακκάς) or Shrimp Saganaki (Σαγανάκι με γαρίδες) or Cretan chicken pie (Τσουλαμά) or Chania vegetable pie (Χανιώτικο μπουρέκι)An Ottoman sweet called kazandibi (Καζαν ντιμπί) Wild green salad (Βραστά χόρτα) or Sauted wild greens (Τσιγαριαστά χόρτα) or Cretan rusk salad (Ντάκος)Pickled artichokes (Αγκινάρες τουρσί) or Marinated sardines (Σαρδέλα Μαρινάτη) or Snails (Χοχλιούς) or Stuffed veggies (Γεμιστά) or Fish with okra (Μπάμιες με ψάρι)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!
"I have visited Özlem's house and tested her very interesting plates, mezedes and main dishes, sweets, all was amazing.
She is from Smirnis and lives in Chania for many years and has a taste of both culinary cultures.
Uses many different ingredients, vegetables and meat (and also seafood).
I am very glad that I had such an experience in Chania.
Thanks a lot Özlem."
"Ozlem provides an amazing Traveling Spoon experience. With her background in both Greek and Turkish cooking, she suggested a sample of six possibilities and we conferred on three. Her cultural and ethnic additions to the conversations during the cooking, deepened my understanding of the Greek countryside, life in Crete and her additional experiences cooking in Turkey. The dishes we worked on were - Boreki (summer Turkish pie without the filo wrapping), avgolemeno- lamb with artichokes, onions, carrots, green almonds and calamari stuffed with prawns.
She was also careful with my request for No Chocolate (I’m allergic) and no dessert. Throughout our working together with the preparation, Ozlem took the time to provide other tips that were wonderful recipe additions: how to prepare and stuff the calamari; fillings for stuffed zucchini flowers; preferred spices and how to correctly use a mezzaluna. It felt like I was cooking with an old friend…"
"Ozlem was an amazing host and teacher. She taught me so many important details that I can use in my daily life, that it migjt take years to search and find through books or internet. We made cery delicious foods and I have never tasted that quality of ingridiens and combinations.. i cannot wait to make those foods by myself and hopefully catch the same level ♥️♥️ thank you Ozlemaki♥️♥️♥️♥️"
"I had an amazing experience with Ozlem. Learning how to make super delicious Cretan
food in an easy way was my dream! While cooking she gave me tons of tips about cooking.
Her knowledge is out of this universe!! I literally cannot wait to apply them in my kitchen!!"
"If you like to cook and would like to learn how to cook Greek food with a wonderful, down-to-earth teacher, then this is simply the course.
It's like standing and cooking with a good friend, where you simultaneously talk about Greek culture, food, ingredients and whatever else you can come up with.
What needs to be done is agreed in advance.
In 3 hours we made 3 tasty main courses and managed to eat. I also got some trays of food with me so my family could taste it too.
When I come to Crete again I will definitely cook with Özlem again. (Google Translated)"
"
If you like to cook and would like to learn how to cook Greek food with a wonderful, down-to-earth teacher, then this is simply the course.
It's like standing and cooking with a good friend, where you simultaneously talk about Greek culture, food, ingredients and whatever else you can come up with.
What needs to be done is agreed in advance.
In 3 hours we made 3 tasty main courses and managed to eat. In addition, I brought some trays of food so my family could taste it too.
When I come to Crete again I will definitely cook with Özlem again."
