How obsessed our group is with food has been the running joke of the semester. It’s funny to think back to the beginning of the semester when relationships were new. Instead of two or three pieces of bread with lunch and dinner, we ate one. Instead of cereal with a side of pastries for breakfast, we chose one or the other.
The more comfortable we grew with one another, the more uncomfortable our jeans became. Soon, there was no judgment at the dinner table if I ate more than one dessert because HEAVEN FORBID I call you out for the TWO gyros you just ate.
There became an unspoken agreement of sorts. Eat what you want and I won’t say anything, as long as you don’t say anything to me. In fact, let’s encourage each other! (That’s what Christian brothers and sisters are for, right??)
If I had a penny for every time I heard, “You’re only in Greece once!” in reference to food, well, I would have eaten even more.
Now we all have the hope of starvation while on free travel (backpacking for two weeks). The HUG Chub, as we affectionately named it, has got.to.go.
But so I’ll never forget, I present to you our groups
Top Food Choices of Spring 2012:
Gyros. Pronounced (h)year-oh. So what is it? Pork or chicken, tomatoes, tzatziki sauce (or a different sauce, called Sauce), lettuce (in some), onions, and the best part: french fries. All wrapped up in a warm pita. I order mine like this: “Pork gyro, no onions, extra Sauce.” And it’s fabulous every time. I’m a little worried that I’ll never find a good gyro place at home because I’ve been spoiled to real Greek ones. Lord help me if I never have another good gyro. May I rest in peace. (Hint: If ever in Athens, go to Sabbas in the Plaka. Don’t sit, just go to the side door and order one from the counter. It’s cheaper. Wahhh, I already miss Sabbas!!!!!)
Ice-cream. Conveniently across the street from a gyro place called Dimitri’s in Porto Rafti (where campus is) is a cheap ice-cream and dessert shop. One of their best flavors is strawberry. It’s frothy and smooth and too good to be true! One day, I had just gotten out of the shower and I heard a knock at my door. Still wrapped up in a towel, I opened the door and Tori (sweet thang) handed me two scoops of strawberry ice-cream. For no reason at all. Her generosity was sweeter than the ice-cream, but just barely. If you’re ever in P.Rafti, give it a try!
Waffles. A couple of weeks into the semester, a small group ventured down to the beach and found a waffle place right on the water. They came back proclaiming the good news to all at the Artemis: Nutella drizzed waffles with an ice cream flavor of your choice, topped with dollops of whipped cream and syrup. We all but practically ran. They cost a pretty penny, about 6 euro, but sharing it splits the calories and the cost. It’s a bonding experience, really. Guys, I really don’t think I can explain to you how good these wafs are. We decided that Heaven’s streets were made of these. So get excited.
Taz pizza. Every week we get money to go out to eat on, because food truly is culture. One night in Porto Rafti we found a restaurant called Taz—specializing in pizza and crepes. You might have to sit in a place that has Tasmanian devils adorning the walls, but the cheese pizza is worth it! (!!!!) I think it’s the crack cocaine they put put in it that makes it so good. That’s the only explanation. (Emily, one more Taz pizza before we leave?)
Falafel & Schwarma. Good ole’ Israeli food. What are they? Falafel is fried chick peas (sounds gross, tastes good) stuffed into a pita with some sort of sauce and lettuce. Schwarma is shredded chicken (or pork) in a pita with sauce, lettuce, and onions. Schwarma was my favorittttte. It was seasoned and tasty and what we ate every single day for lunch while in Israel. So uh, where do I get these in ‘Merica?
Palmie Bistro: Crepes. I’m sad to say that we didn’t find Palmie Bistro until late February, but we have certainly made up for it. They have the best dessert menu of any restaurant in any country in any universe. Celeste and I usually split the Banana Caramel Nutella Crepe. (I hope your mouth dropped open when you read that.) OR we get the Hot Chocolate Pie, which is pretty much warm brownie batter in a bowl. Both were definitely favorites this semester. The plus side? How hard could it be to make Hot Chocolate Pie? I can not cook some brownie batter any day.
Cookie Cake. Here at the Arty, we celebrate every birthday. Our director, Mama B, makes the birthday boy/girl their favorite cake. Once she made her famous cookie cake, it became everyone’s request! We can dominate some cookie cake, that is for sure. I hope we have another birthday party before we leave.
Baklava. We got our first baklava in Bethlehem (cool, I know) and it did not disappoint. It’s nutty, flaky, oily deliciousness. This dessert was all over Israel, Turkey, AND Greece. So I ate it a lot. I’m not ashamed, no I am not.
Teropita, or τεροπιτα. Cheese pie. Yes, you heard me. It’s a buttery croissant with melted cheese inside. These bad boys are at the breakfast table every morning, and if you have a hankering for one in the afternoon, you can find them easily at the THREE pastry shops across the street from the Artemis.
Last but not least, Fitness Yogurt and Master Crumble cereal. Love it. Surviving off of it for free travel. I’ll add pictures of these find items tomorrow!
Amen.
