Myconian Spiti cooking classes

When we travel, I always try to go out of my way to take a cooking class with a local chef. This is because I truly believe that the best way to relate to new cultures is by learning about their food traditions, family structure, and often agriculture and markets. We chose Mykonos for this because it is end of season in october, much more quiet, so it is easier to schedule and the instructors feel less stressed. Kristiana and her beautiful family home was beyond perfect for this experience. We joined a mom/daughter duo and sisters for a small group class. The weather was perfect so we were able to see the terrace and courtyard and have a nice breeze as well. Tim liked this the best because he was referred to as the King being the only man in the class. dudes. I won’t spill all the secrets taught in this class because our chef was happy to give grandmas tips away and I’m keeping them to myself. We made spanikopita, stuffed tomatoes, beef and orzo, risotto, tzatziki all the while drinking Kristianas family winery selections. We had a tzatziki tasting contest where our instructor sampled all our bowls blindly, declaring who’s was too salty. mine was perfection of course. Things I will say: Greek yogurt in the US is not real with the exception of Fage. Feta also isn’t done correctly because of the brine and acid choices. citric acid and sea salt is key. Mixing milks is also key. Phyllo is very different at home and harder to work with because it’s so thin. That stainless steel soap bar will literally get rid of garlic hands in an instant. Also, I need to invest in a better garlic press 😂

I highly recommend this class to anyone visiting, or just a class in general if you’re on another island. https://mykonianspiti.com/

we chose to lay low for the evening after a rest on the balcony. Apparently our hotel had one of the nicest restaurants on the island so why not? Noa had a lovely menu, from local specialty to very fancy. We had some of the local far with a deconstructed moussaka, grilled octopus, and more.

About 1/2 way through the meal however, the suspicious ATV incident occurred. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but apparently near the end of the season, there’s a huge spike in ‘damages’ so the hotels and rentals can get newer vehicles for the next season. Super shady and quite frankly, wastes a lot of tourist time when you don’t have a lot of time to waste.

final tips: if you like beer, fall is not the time to go. No one stays on Mykonos over the winter because it is apparently miserable. Which includes the local craft industry. Their goal is to sell or export everything by October so tough luck for us. Wine is imported to Mykonos as well from other areas in Greece. Pretty much nothing can grow in Mykonos except bougainvilleas .