Host offerings
Erna and her husband, Thanos, live in a seaside village, Epanomi, outside of Thessaloniki and both share a common passion for food and hospitality. Erna is a native Austrian and has been living in Greece, where she moved after marrying Thanos, for the past 30 years. Erna first learned to cook in school, where cooking classes were part of the curriculum, and she developed a passion that started in the classroom and traveled home, where she fondly remembers recreating dishes learned at school for her family. Erna's in-laws were both professional cooks and she learned traditional Greek cooking from them. She knew she couldn’t compete with their professional cooking skills, so she started to innovate and create her own dishes, which are traditional Greek recipes with an Austrian twist! <br><br>From Erna, “We like to please people through their taste buds which always leads to interesting conversations, sharing a good glass of wine and having a good time.”
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 - 10 guests) Erna and Thanos will welcome you into their beautiful home, which is filled with arts and trinkets from their travels across Europe and beyond! Erna makes everything from scratch, including her delicious freshly-baked bread. Thanos is always in charge of the fish, which is cooked to perfection! They combine flavors from their Greek and Austrian cultures with delicious results.
Your meal will be served at the dining table or in the garden area, depending on the weather. You can expect to eat dishes cooked with fresh and seasonal ingredients such as fava beans, olive bread, fish with herbs and pine nuts, baked lamb, traditional pie with wild leafy herbs (such as amaranth, dock weed and dandelion), and stuffed zucchini flowers with bulgur. For dessert you might be treated to pomegranate gelee or a fig strudel in red wine sauce served with Greek yogurt. After your meal you can enjoy some coffee and homemade loukoumi (traditional sweets made from flour and sugar) while sharing travel stories.
Cooking experience (1 - 10 guests) Join Erna in her home for a Thessaloniki cooking class. Together with Erna, you will prepare all the side dishes for your meal, such as feta or anchovies in wine leaves, fried aubergines stuffed with herbs and fresh cheese, tzatziki with purslane (traditional strained yogurt with garlic, purslane, olive oil and lemon). All these will be made with fresh and seasonal ingredients. You can expect the cooking lesson to last about 1-2 hours and at the end you will enjoy your full meal together at the table, newly-able to recreate a few authentic Greek dishes once back home!
Languages spoken: #<HostLanguage::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy:0x00007ffad946d350>
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.
Erna and her husband Thanos were such excellent hosts, not only with food but history, hospitality and guidance! And wow, what a lunch! They will definitely be a star addition to Travelling Spoon - at least two on the Michelin scale! I was welcomed not only into their home but their hearts as well!
Karen, Traveling Spoon Ambassador
Pricing (per person)*
| 1 person | 4 people | 5+ people | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-Home Meal | $50 | $45 | $40 |
| Cooking Experience + Meal | $65 | $55 | Not offered |
| Alcohol | $10 per person | ||
| Transportation | $30 per car | ||
| *Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. | |||
| Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|
| In-Home Meal | 1:00pm - 04:00pm | 8:00pm - 11:00pm |
| Cooking Experience + Meal | 11:00am - 03:00pm | 6:00pm - 10:00pm |
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.
