Getting together: The Recipe for a Long and Happy Life.

She’s got her dad’s old pan, her mom’s trusted recipes, and a love for all the good things the earth has to offer. Fotini stands behind the stove with confidence and ease.

Right next to her: a huge bottle of olive oil and a spice rack packed with flavour. In her cosy kitchen, we quickly get talking about taste, the importance of fresh, local ingredients, and eating with the seasons. Stories and memories come bubbling up – it’s amazing how cooking together instantly brings people closer.

On the menu today: dakos salad and fava – simple, healthy dishes that really pack a punch. It feels like magic watching dried yellow split peas turn into silky-smooth puree, full of flavour. The juicy chondrokatsari tomatoes soak into the rock-hard paximadia until they’re just right. Everything you need is in there. A bit of happiness, a bit of healing — Fotini swears it’s the secret to a long life. Just ask her mother-in-law, who pops in with arms full of bread and a sparkle in her eyes to check how things are going.

Since they were in season, and matched the pastitsio perfectly, we also made a fresh rocket salad and some steamed green beans. Making pastitsio is slow cooking at its best — the smells of all those gently simmering, spice-filled sauces made us seriously hungry. And the béchamel? Light and creamy, ‘just one egg, Mom,’ — now we know the secret. ‘This is a dish for special days,’ Fotini tells us. ’To share with friends and family at a full table. Stories and home-cooked food – those are the things that really make people happy.’
This cooking class was one of those golden days. Fotini’s warm welcome, the laid-back vibe, the incredible food — an experience we’ll never forget.