Authentic Cretan cooking in Panormos, Crete

A self-taught cook, Mary is a strong promoter of the virtues of Cretan cuisine, one of the healthiest and richest cuisines in the world. Through the discovery of local cuisine and sharing culinary traditions, Mary feels strongly connected with her Cretan roots. She was born in Crete and worked as a producer in TV and radio. When she was young, her mother always tried to teach Mary how to cook, but all in vain, as her only interest then was to eat! Though Mary obeyed her mother when it came to the family’s organic product business (olives, vineyard, vegetables, herbs, wild greens), developing an interest for history, environment and healthy life. Much later in life, she bought a book about Cretan cuisine - it's history and traditional recipes, and that is how she started to cook. She then became one of the pioneers for tourism in the area and held professional seminars on Cretan cuisine, which was focused on simple, healthy, organic meals. Mary became a Traveling Spoon host because she believes that sharing local home-cooked food is the best way to remember a city that you're visiting and to experience the real culture of the place!