Join Us on the Blue Zone Greek Island of Longevity, IKARIA, “Where People Forget to Die,” for a week of cooking and immersion in village life, island culture, and the secrets to these islanders’ longevity, joy, and peacefulness
2018 DATES: JUNE 16 – 22 / JUNE 23 – 29 / JULY 5 – 11 / JULY 12 – 18
Here’s a great little video of what some of our guests
have to say about their experience from our Ikaria cooking classes.
For several weeks each year, my husband and I open our country home, kitchen and garden in the ancient village of Aghios Dimitris to a limited number of guests for a very personalized experience cooking and learning about life and longevity on Ikaria, the Blue Zone Greek island where “people forget to die.”
Our goal is to teach much more than mere recipes and cooking tips. It is to share the magic of Ikaria with others, to teach about food, life and longevity in a way that is both practical and intuitive. Interacting with local villagers, cooking with and tasting amazingly fresh, seasonal ingredients, drinking the wine that Odysseus is said to have drunk, learning about the culinary and medicinal value of herbs and other wild plants, making cheese with fresh milk from our neighbor’s goats, dipping in the therapeutic hot springs that the father of medicine, Hippocrates himself, recommended, visiting traditional beekeepers and tasting local wild honey, and dancing to the riffs of Ikarian violins are all part of our week together. We aim to share with our guests the secrets of these islanders’ legendary longevity and to give our guests unforgettable memories in one of the most untrammeled, stress-free, beautiful places in Greece.
Highlights include:
* Enjoying the beauties and fruits of Nature’s bounty.
* Interacting with local villagers for a real sense of island life.
* Cooking with and tasting amazingly fresh, seasonal ingredients.
* Drinking the wine that Odysseus is said to have drunk and experiencing firsthand how wine enhances life and joy!
* Learning about the culinary and medicinal value of herbs and other wild plants.
* Milking goats in an untrammeled country setting and making cheese at home.
* Dipping in the therapeutic hot springs that the father of medicine, Hippocrates himself, recommended (optional excursion).
* Visiting traditional beekeepers and tasting local wild honey.
* Dancing, when possible, to the riffs of Ikarian violins, during the local village feasts.
We aim to share with our guests the secrets of these islanders’ legendary longevity and to give our guests unforgettable memories in one of the most pristine, stress-free, beautiful places in Greece.
Classes are hands-on and each session is organized around a full meal and menu, accompanied by Greek wines and spirits. Every meal is chock full of delicious and healthy Ikarian and Greek recipes, selected both because they are delicious, healthy, authentic but also because they are all dishes you can replicate back home in your own kitchen.
We dine outside in our garden, under a trellis where 150-year-old wild vines provide shade, overlooking a rugged, lush valley and the northern coast of Ikaria. We cook five hands-on classes together during the week, during which we go through the techniques of Ikaria’s longevity cuisine, learning about the rich and varied use of vegetables, greens, herbs, and other plant-based foods, making phyllo pastry for savory wild greens pies, working with Greek yogurt and much more.
Our Ikaria Cooking & Life Experience is much more than a cooking class. It’s a true cultural immersion in one of the most relaxed, pure, naturally beautiful places on earth.
– Daily 3-4 hour hands-on cooking session and meal with award-winning Greek chef, cookbook author and TV host Diane Kochilas and her husband and partner Vasilis Stenos. Together, they create an environment where guests can really enjoy the laid-back spirit of Ikaria.
– Visits with a local artisans, including goatherds, beekeepers, and winemakers, where we participate in or watch them at their craft.
– Herb and foraging walks and hikes with one of the most knowledgeable herbalists on the island, where we learn the natural secrets of Ikarians’ legendary longevity, the herbs that are used i n cooking and as teas, the medicinal value of almost all the plants around us as we walk along the old goat paths through Ikaria’s lush forests.
– Cheese, honey, wine, and olive oil tastings. Throughout the week, we taste a variety of Greek cheeses, different honeys and olive oils from several parts of the country.
– Our visit high up in the forested interior of the island with one of Ikaria’s most accomplished beekeepers in action, to see the whole process from hive to extraction.
– A dip in the unique, therapeutic waters of Ikaria’s mineral springs at Therma (optional).
– A night (date permitting) to one of the unforgettable local village feasts, to dance, wine, and dine.
What is the easiest way to get to Ikaria?
The fastest route is to fly into Athens and to catch a connecting flight to the island.
How long is the Athens-Ikaria flight?
35 minutes.
Which airlines fly to the island?
Olympic/Aegean, Sky Express, and Astra Airlines all fly to Ikaria
How do I get from the airport to the hotel?
We will arrange the transfer.
How long is the ride from the airport to the hotel?
1 hour and 15 minutes.
What is the name of the hotel and where is it?
We usually house people at the Erofili Beach Hotel in Armenistis. We also work with the Cavos Bay, also in Armenistis.
What is the dress code for the classes and excursions?
Dress code is casual and comfortable. Bring layers, as the weather can get chilly at night. Make sure to have one pair of closed walking and/or hiking shoes, long socks, and one pair of long pants, preferably light colored.
What is the tipping policy?
Most people tip the kitchen assistants and hotel personnel, i.e. cleaning person. Taxi drivers are generally not tipped. It is customary to leave a 10% – 15% tip in restaurants.
How many people are in each class?
Our maximum capacity is 15. Most classes are 12 people or less.
Is it common to travel solo?
Absolutely. We have many single guests and everyone feels at home and very comfortable.
Are children welcome?
We’ve had lots of young adults and a few children who like to cook accompany their parents. So, yes, kids over 12 are welcome to participate.
COST: $3,250 per person; 10% discount if you book in full by Sept. 15, 2017
CLICK HERE to see a sample of daily and week-long programs.
