M-eating Restaurant in Mykonos

On our last night in Mykonos, A. and I decided to splurge on dinner.  (As good as the 2.50 gyro sandwiches were, it was nice to have a long, sit-down dinner before the nightly festivities.)  We ended up eating at M-eating Restaurant, right smack in the action.  We made a reservation for 10:30pm, and in true Mykonos fashion, we were right on time.  The bartender was really sweet and sent over shots of mastiq.  It was very woodsy and a nice change from the ouzo and tequila we'd been enjoying on the island.  The setting of this restaurant is just divine- we sat on the back garden patio under the trees.  Soft candles glowed all around us and set the tone for our meal to come.  

I had to order this appetizer once I saw that two of my favorite Greek dishes were included: fava puree and tzatziki.  The tzatziki was one of the best I had on the trip- the texture was thick and creamy and it was loaded with garlic.  

I also enjoyed a sea bass filet with couscous that was cooked perfectly, the citrus-infused juices seeping out when I sliced my knife into it.  We lingered over our dinner, before heading out after midnight.  The night was still young in Mykonos, and it was time to celebrate our final night on the island...

M-eating is located at 10 Kalogera str. in Mykonos (town) 

My Salerno

Salerno will always hold a special place in my heart.  First and foremost, I still have cousins that live there.  It was from this part of Italy that my great-grandfather immigrated to Boston, where he met my great-grandmother from Friuli.  Ever since my first visit to Campania, my relatives have always been the most hospitable, wonderful family.  But aside from my personal attachment to Salerno, this is a beautiful part of Italy.  Salerno is a sizable city not far south of Naples.  That means lots of good pizza as well as a rich culture. It's close enough to the pretty yet touristy towns of Positano and Amalfi, and far enough away that you can return in the evening and walk among Italians dressed in their finest, tasting an ice cream cone, and lingering about during their passeggiata.  

 

Ancient botanical gardens

Gulf of Salerno

Dinner at the cousins!

My favorite part of the trip is every night when we sit down for dinner where we partake in simple food at its best.  They make their tomato sauce once a year and bottle it up to use for the next twelve months.  We enjoy vegetables like green beans, roasted peppers, zucchini, and a simple lettuce salad-everything tastes like it was picked from the garden a few minutes ago.  We'll finish with different cheeses- buffalo mozzarella of course, some parmigiano, and another type perhaps.  And finally, melon, gelato, and cake for whoever still has room.

Gingersnap Ice Cream Sandwiches

This summer I checked out Emily Luchetti's cookbook, A Passion for Ice Cream, and was blown away.  This wasn't just another generic ice cream cookbook.  Not only are the desserts unique and delicious-sounding, each one is beautifully presentable. The first dessert we made were these gingersnap ice cream sandwiches, which are a fun twist on the typical ice cream sandwich.  I highly recommend making the cookies as well, as they are far superior to the store-bought kind. These gingersnaps are moist and chewy and have the perfect ratio of sweet and spicy.  The vanilla ice cream is also another Luchetti hit.  We wrapped them in paper held together with stickers and served them at a dinner party- they are the perfect end to a meal and a real crowd-pleaser. Recipe here.

FRESKO yogurt bar in Athens

Our first morning in Athens, we scrambled to fit as much stuff into the day as possible, before our 6-hour long bus ride to beautiful Lefkada.  That included a breathtaking visit to the Acropolis where despite the crowds, I was left in awe by the ancientness of it all, even more than any ruins I'd encountered in Italy.  I was hungry after the visit, so we stopped at FRESKO yogurt bar, on the backside of the Acropolis (near the New Acropolis Museum).  This cute shop offers several varieties of Greek yogurt (including sheep yogurt), yogurt-blended smoothies, and a plethora of mix-ins. I ended up deciding on a mix of delicious goodies in mine: crumbled biscuit cookies, slivered almonds, and candied bergamot and mandarin.

FRESKO yogurt bar is located at 3 Dionysiou Areopagitou Street in Athens