Connecting To Greece Through Its Ingredients
chats at the table with lourdes martin of pls do tell
YOU HAVE TRAVELED TO MANY PLACES AROUND THE WORLD, WHAT MAKES GREECE SPECIAL TO YOU?
My husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary with a trip every year and we decided to celebrate our third wedding anniversary in Greece! I’ll always remember Greece as a place where we celebrated such a special moment. We traveled to Athens, Santorini and Folegandros - I can’t wait to go back, there’s so many more Greek islands to discover!
LET’S TALK TERROIR. WHAT DOES THE CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT GIFT TO THE INGREDIENTS THAT GROW THERE?
The climate of the Mediterranean is truly a gift for us all. Due to its mild climate, many of the herbs grow abundantly in bushes and mountains. More specifically, Greece is where some of the highest quality cooking herbs grow. When I went searching for the souvenirs to sell in our shop, the founder of Daphnis and Chloe explained to us that Greek oregano contains up to 30x more essential oils than other types of oregano found on the market. How amazing is that?
WHAT INGREDIENTS DID YOU FIND GROWING WHILE YOU WERE VISITING GREECE?
One of the things that I love about Greek food is its simplicity. The dishes were never complicated but delicious because they are made with high-quality ingredients. From the fresh seasoning on a Greek branzino to the honey produced on the island of Folegandros that we tasted to the wine we enjoyed in Santorini….it was all truly perfect and beautiful.
HOW DID THESE INGREDIENTS TASTE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU FIND IN THE MARKET IN THE USA?
Oh, there’s no comparison! Haha. First of all, when traveling I make sure that we visit places that are more of the “farm to table” and not a chain or popular eateries. Restaurants that are off-the-beaten-path that grow their produce or can easily have access to the ingredients they cook with are gems and I’ve had some of the best meals in these kinds of places. Greece was no different for us and it’s why I chose to partner with Daphnis and Chloe to sell their herbs and spices. They source the products with integrity and are handled with so much care. I also love that the dry herbs are robust and fragrant and are kept whole so that they maintain the essential oils (which are lost when massed-produced companies grind herbs). Trust me, when you use these herbs for the first time you will immediately notice a huge difference in your dishes- they are truly the best!
WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE WAY FOOD IS PREPARED IN GREECE?
What I can tell from traveling to Greece and keeping in touch with the culture from afar is that the food is simple, healthy, and beautiful. Most of the Greek cuisine is baked and not fried - which makes it very healthy plus they cook with a lot of fresh herbs. I think what is also important to note is that what today we recognize as Greek dishes is in many ways the result of culinary influences from other borders - for example, rice, yogurt, and honey are influenced by Persian culture.
YOU CURATE A BEAUTIFUL SHOP BY THE NAME OF RECUERDOS. WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR CITY DWELLERS TO CURATE PANRTY GOODS AS SOUVENIRS FOR THEIR DWELLING?
Recuerdos is an online curated culture shop for daily living. Inspired by my childhood memories of when traveling and learning about faraway places meant escaping through stories. Each product is intentionally selected to represent the culture and craftsmanship of a destination. The truth is that we all can’t just pick up and travel all the time but that shouldn’t limit any of us from discovering a destination or learning about the culture of a place. I believe that now more than ever people want to immerse themselves in the culture of travel at home - to make it part of their daily lives. Curating a global pantry with special ingredients that honor different countries will make cooking exciting and a memorable experience.
HOW DO YOU BRING TRAVEL TO LIFE IN YOUR DWELLING THROUGH THE MEALS YOU PREPARE?
One of the beautiful things about traveling is having the opportunity to appreciate culture through food. Every time I discover a new destination, I bring home a souvenir that allows me to keep enjoying that experience. I’m very intentional about the items in my pantry….and love that all the products I cook with have a travel story.
CAN YOU GIVE US SOME TIPS ON HOW CITY DWELLERS MAY CULTIVATE A SENSE OF EATING IN GREECE THROUGH THE INGREDIENTS IN THEIR PANTRY?
Yes! I would start with these greek herbs and spices that we are selling - we currently have chili flakes, oregano and wild thyme that could be great on roasted veggies or grilled fish with oregano and Greek olive oil.
WHAT MEALS DID YOU EAT IN A DAY WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH GREECE?
We ate beautiful food every single day. From the hole in the wall cafe to the more sophisticated restaurants, every dining experience was wonderful because it was prepared with love.
A day during our trip would typically look like this: Starting each morning with greek kayianas (scramble eggs with feta cheese and fresh tomatoes) and for lunch we would enjoy grilled octopus with a greek salad (usually with feta cheese, cucumbers, onion and olive oil), and for dinner we would eat the catch of the day with a side of grilled vegetables and a chilled greek local wine!
Olive Oil Toasts with Whipped Honey Feta with Lemon Chili Figs
INGREDIENTS
2 slices bread
2 tbs olive oil
6 oz greek yogurt
1 oz sheep’s feta
1 tbs city honey
8 figs, quartered
1 lemon, zest
1 tsp lemon, juice
1/4 tsp smoked chili flakes
salt, to taste
DIRECTIONS
I. heat the olive oil in a skillet and toast both sides of bread until golden brown
II. in a food processor place honey, sheep’s feta, and greek yogurt and blend until whipped and combined completely
III. in a bowl place the figs, lemon juice and zest, smoked chili flakes, and salt to taste, stir gently to combine
IV. to assemble toasts, spread whipped honey feta on top of toasts and top with figs
makes two toasts
