shain

LOL, I should not be composing sentences at times when I should be going to sleep Though I might still be missing some historical/cultural reference here 😬

Yes, there's a large pillar behind the man in the first photo, which supports a massive horizontal brunch.

Thanks Credits goes to the Thai people, for having a beautiful and flavorful cuisine that lends itself to being made nearly vegetarian.

Phanaeng curry with tofu skin and peas. Coconut cream, peanut paste, makrut lime leaves, lime zest and juice, ginger, herbs and spices. A quick improvised Thai salad with dressing of fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic and chili.

4th beach of the day, by Ntamouchari. Seems like there are some good swimming spot for good swimmers, the water is quiet, deep but rocky. It was very bright and blue.

Ejjeh frittata. Ejjeh is an omelet rich with herbs. In this take on it I used onion, coriander, parsley, chili, scallions, yogurt, fenugreek, coriander and cumin, tamarind. Fried egg coated eggplant in spiced tomato sauce. Frennah breads (a bit like a fluffy pita, but brushed with oil before baking so that it gets a bit crisp). I added sesame to some, which gives a nice taste. Veggies, pickles, spicy home made zchug, store bought amba, yogurt.

It seems like the area around the tree is raised (see the picture of the downwards path, it's the right wall). It was likely built around the tree to flatten the slopped ground. I'm certain that its roots are going far into nearby streams and underground aquifers.

A break from beach-skipping for the day. A stop at the village of Tsagkarada. Famous for its huge plane tree. A 1000 years old, I've been told, it's one of the oldest trees in Europe. Panoramic view. I could imagine no better place for a mid day coffee and dessert. Frappes and portokalopita. The latter not as intensely orange-flavored as the one we had the other day, neither did it have the toothsome phyllo texture, rather it was more like a basbousa in texture. Still quite good. Followed by a short walk around town.

Yes, thankfully it was

A very good attempt (IMHO) at a vegetarian burger, obviously not trying to make it taste like meat (Impossible/Beyond have better R&D, no point in competing ). Rather, I want it to taste good in a bun and be satisfying. The main ingredient is fire-charred onion, along with smoked cheese for richness, mushrooms for flavor and texture, TVP for more texture (not usually my favorite ingredient, but it works here). Egg for binding, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, MSG. The patties are baked to set, then brushed with mayo and grilled. Brushing things with mayo before grilling is a great technique to get nice browning and a richer grill flavor. It's my favorite way to cook corn. Homemade milk buns (including buttermilk, milk powder, butter), lightly sweet, not as rich as brioche. Regular toppings and a very quick coleslaw with a bit of fennel seeds.

Third beach of the day. Paralia Fakistra. There is a steep path down to the cove. To the back of the beach, there's a small waterfall. Here is a link for a panorama, to let you see the proximity. Tadpoles 🐸 Caper plants.

Vanilla ice cream flavored with rose water. Loukoumi (Greek Turkish delight) in various flavors, toasted pistachio.

Beach #2 for this day was a short distance away from the first. This one includes two coves separated by a rock formation and a connecting arch. There's a coarse sandy shore, deep blue water and a few people sun bathing. A bit too cold for a swim (though it didn't seem to bother the nude middle aged man who was snorkel diving). We entered the shallow water for a short while then sat for a while under the shade of the rock formation.

Beach-skipping day in North Pelion. Beautiful beach #1. I don't feel like the pictures the manage to do it justice, one needs to be able and take in the entire vista.

Sorry for posting so slowly Hotel view and breakfast. Nothing unusual on the menu - thick yogurt with nice store bought jams, fresh OJ, bread, tasty sesame breadsticks of sorts (quite rich and slightly sweetened), a couple types of decent pyhllo pastries, eggs, butter, coffee and some really dry cake

I actually wanted to get the half-and-half kind to begin with, but it's harder to find here, probably because gluten-free products have more demand than otherwise plain "specialty" products.

Shaanxi cold buckwheat noodles with sesame paste and mustard paste. Also chili oil, garlic, soy sauce, black rice vinegar. More context and recipe here:

OK, took me a while, but I made this dish, with some variations. It was much more mild than I expected, and overall gave me quite of a Japanese vibe - maybe because I associate many of those flavors (buckwheat noodles, sesame paste with soy, mustard~=horseradish/wasabi) with said cuisine. It was quite tasty, I'd make it again at some point, even though I still prefer my old go-to Japanese style cold soba with miso and sesame. Recipe: 250g buckwheat or wheat noodles - cook in salted water, wash well and drain (I think that noodles made of 50% buckwheat 50% wheat would work well with a good balance of texture and flavor) - 3-4 tsp mustard seeds, ground and mixed with water to form a paste - Sauce: 2 garlic cloves, minced 2-3 tbsp light soy sauce 3-4 tbsp black rice vinegar 2.5 tsp dark brown sugar 20g light sesame paste (tahini), apx 2 tbsp chili oil to taste (I used plain, without added flavorings, but I thinks that a flavored one would work well) MSG to taste salt to taste cold water as needed for a smooth creamy sauce - 1/4 to 1/3 cup -- 2 cucumbers, julienned 3 eggs, boiled 8 minutes and chilled more chili oil for topping (I used one with douchi, which worked well) In a bowl large enough to hold the noodles, mix together the sauce ingredients, including about 1/2 of the mustard paste, so that you can add more to taste. Add water as needed to form a creamy sauce, reserving some to thin it further if needed. Add the noodles and mix well. Add more water, mustard paste, MSG, salt, sugar, chili oil, vinegar, soy sauce as needed. Place in serving plates and top with cucumbers and eggs (lightly salted). Top with chili oil.

Korean-ish noodles with chili paste based sauce, vegetables, tofu, cheese and toasted sesame. Home made kimchi. Beer.

Shaved mulberry-banana frozen yogurt with granola.

Thanks, I managed to fiund it: I'll keep it bookmarked, maybe I'll feel like making one someday My mother only included vanilla biscuits - no nuts or dried fruits, though I would probably like them this days. I wonder if she used some alcohol, if she did then it'd be either brandy or sweetened wine. I could ask, but she'd tell me it's somewhere in her notebooks, which means I'll never be able to find it (she has a lot).

Sadly. Since century eggs are nowhere to be found...

On our way south, we noticed a lovely looking cove somewhere down the cliff on which we were driving, and decided to check it out on the way back. That ended up a great decision, since the place that is beautiful to begin with was even more charming thanks to the sunset. (This first picture is not of the same cove, but it's the closest one I have taken from above) The way down goes through a grove of old olive trees. We spent a good while watching the sunset and climbing the rocks along the shore. For dinner we opted to have just some snacks and drinks. Red wine, local weiss beer. Zucchini fritters (kolokithokeftedes) with a some feta, dill and spices. With a garlicky tzatziki. Somewhat odd stuffed mushrooms with cheese and vegetables. Chocolate salami, on the house. Apparently it didn't went fully out of fashion in Greece. My mother used to make some killer ones.

@BonVivant You were faster to cook some Greek than I was Delicious looking as always!

After lunch, it was a short drive to the end of the peninsula at Agia Kyriaki. Along the road there are more wild herbs, this time sage and thyme. The thyme, much like the oregano before, fills the air with intense aroma. Agia Kyriaki is a small fisherman town. Gritty and charming as one should be.