Dinner with Mary

Dine with Mary and Dimitris in their beautiful home, located in the leafy Dionysos neighborhood, an upscale suburb about 20 minutes from the center of Athens. Chat with them in their living room over appetizers such as spanakopita (spinach pie), gauro xidato (European anchovies baked with vinegar), soutzoukakia (spicy pork meatballs in tomato sauce) and gigantes (giant beans cooked with vegetables) as you try local Greek red and white wine. Then share a homemade Greek dinner with your hosts at their dining table. Dishes may include greek salad, tzatziki dip, octopus served with minestrone pasta, mpakaliaros skordalia (fried fresh cod served with a garlic and potato dip) followed by ekmek kataifi (bread pudding) and seasonal fruit for dessert. Mary is originally from Athens, a rarity in Greece. She used to work for a Greek bank in the commercial and residential loans department and is now retired. Mary cooks traditional Greek dishes she learned from her grandmother, recipes that are typical of the Greek table. She prides herself on using only traditional, fresh, seasonal ingredients. Dimitris, her husband is a businessman and operates in the textile industry. He enjoys hiking and constantly renovating and improving their home in Athens. While Mary does all the cooking, Dimitris does the supervising and tasting!