TEAM MEMBERS

1. Rafel Serra (Spain)

2. Argyro Chatzimarinaki (Greece)

3. Katsiavara Meny (Greece)

4. Eleni Mazloumidou (Greece)

5. Gianni Lottino, Lucia Garufi (Italy)

6. Marika Preziosi (Italy)

7. Merve Gurbuz (Turkey)

Once upon a time there were two children whose names were Grace and Jack. They both really liked to cook food like cakes, pizzas and the traditional food of their town, Sa Pobla. The food they liked to cook most is called espinagada. Espinagada is a pastry made with eel, cabbage, onion, spices and raisins.

The espinagada is made for the Saint Anthony’s festival that takes place on January 16th and 17th every year. Bigheads dance in the main square and demons chase the children in the street.

Grace and Jack made a very large amount of espinagada; they smelled delicious and gave them out to the local bars and restaurants of Sa Pobla. The people were very happy and said it tasted very good! 

Grace and Jack were very happy and decided to go to Greece to share their recipe. 

Grace and Jack traveled to Greece and specifically to Chania, Crete. They were walking around the city when suddenly they saw a lot of people eating.They saw two boys, Manolis and Giannis. "What are you eating?" they asked!"We're eating souvlaki, the best Greek food!" the children replied!.

Souvlaki is a Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegatables grilled on a skewer. It can be served with or inside a rolled pita, with vegetable such as sliced tomato and onion, and fried potatoes as a side.

Souvlaki was first introduced in Ancient Greece, where it was known as 'obelisk'. It appears, in the works of Aristophanes, Xenophon, Aristotle and Omiros.

Grace and Jack tried souvlaki, it was very tasty and they shared 

their recipe of espinagada. Manolis and Giannis were very happy.

The next day Grace and Jack continued their journey to Greece. Next stop the city of Athens...

Thus the time passed and it was time to leave. They thanked Konstantinos, Stella and Grandma Eleni for their hospitality and left. They would travell to Thessaloniki...

Grace and Jack arrived in Thessaloniki, a city full of life and history. There they were welcomed by their friends, Vagia and Paris. After walking on the beach and admiring the famous White Tower, they decided to try one of the most famous traditional dishes of Greece: the Greek salad.They explained that the Greek salad is one of the most popular dishes in Greece, especially in summer. It is made with fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, olives, feta cheese, and flavored with oregano and olive oil.

Grace and Jack were delighted with the freshness and flavor of the Greek salad and asked  to show them how to make it. Paris took them into the kitchen and showed them how to cut the vegetables into large chunks, 

how to add the feta and olives, and how to toss in the aromatic olive oil and oregano. As they prepared the salad, Vagia told them stories from her childhood, when her grandmother taught her to make Greek salad with vegetables from their garden. Grace and Jack also shared their own stories from Sa Pobla and the flavors of espinagada. After a wonderful day of cooking and tasting, Grace and Jack thanked Vagia and Paris for their hospitality and continued their 

journey to Italy!

Grace and Jack arrived by plane in the south of Italy. They landed in Naples and, they found  Ciro and Gennaro at the airport, two old pen friends. Together they visited the city and during the afternoon, loving mountains places, they decided to reach the town of Avellino to continue the visit of Campania region. During the way, they were very hungry and so they stopped in the little town of  Montoro to eat something. They discovered that the Saint Anthony' festival was not finished and following the procession they found some ladies who offered some typical dishes.

So they tried the Pastiere with meatball. The Pastiere is a kind of omelette done with spaghettis, eggs, ricotta cheese and sausage.

As cake, ladies offered them the Tronco di castagne. 

Grace and Jack loved the food in Montoro so much that they decided to stay for another delicious dinner. During their trip, they met Giuseppe, who organized a lovely dinner with his classmates. Giuseppe’s father prepared typical dishes from the Montorese tradition: pasta e patate con provola al tegamino, o’ mallone e pizza di grano, and caldarroste.

The first dish is made with a delicious mixed pasta, diced potatoes, and melted provola cheese. Everything is cooked together and then served in a small baking pan. The pan is placed in the oven to make the top crispy.

O' mallone is a side dish made with mashed potatoes and turnip greens, served with a wheat-based pizza.

The caldarroste are chestnuts roasted in the oven or over an open fire.

They had an amazing last evening in Montoro!

Grace and Jack had just arrived in Turkey from Spain. They had no idea that this journey would turn into a taste discovery for them, thanks to their interest in food. As soon as they set foot in Istanbul, they decided to try the unique flavors of Turkish cuisine.

Their first stop was a local restaurant in Taksim. They ordered a hot bowl of Ezogelin soup upon the waiter’s suggestion. The soup, which smelled wonderful when squeezed with lemon and stirred, warmed them up with its spices. Jack smiled, “This soup is like getting under a blanket on a winter day!” (Ezogelin soup is made with bulgur, red lentils, rice and various spices, this soup is especially flavored with lemon and mint.)

Bilfen Flroya Primary School

Then came the Mantı. Grace’s eyes lit up when she saw the tiny dough bundles decorated with yogurt and garlic sauce. “These are like little magical packages!” she said. (Manti is a dish prepared by putting minced meat inside small pieces of dough and boiling it. It is served with garlic yogurt and red pepper sauce heated in butter. Manti is especially identified with Kayseri and is famous for the saying "40 pieces should fit in a spoon".)

Next came the Yaprak sarma which is stuffed vine leaves. This thinly wrapped, lemon and olive oil flavor fascinated them both. Jack asked, “How do they wrap the leaves so thinly, like a tiny work of art?” (Yaprak sarma is a traditional Turkish dish made by wrapping vine leaves with a mixture of rice, onion, olive oil and various spices.)

Also there was Çiğ köfte on the table. (Çiğ köfte is a traditional Turkish and Middle Eastern delicacy prepared by kneading bulgur, tomato and pepper paste, onion, garlic, spices, pomegranate syrup and olive oil, usually served with lettuce or lavash. In the past, it was made with meat, but today it is mostly consumed without meat due to hygiene rules.)

Baklava came for dessert. The pistachios and golden glaze of the syrup poured on top whetted Grace’s appetite. At first bite, there was a sweet feeling like honey between the layers of crispy yufka. “I want to take this dessert home!” she laughed. (Baklava is a traditional Turkish dessert made by layering thin sheets of yufka with plenty of walnuts, hazelnuts or pistachios and pouring syrup over it to sweeten it. 

The next day, they were invited to a classic Turkish breakfast. When they sat down at the table, there was a colorful feast in front of them: Cheese varieties, olives, honey, jams, butter, menemen and warm simits… Jack took a sip of tea and said, “This tea goes so well with everything!” (Turkish breakfast is an indispensable part of long and enjoyable tables with its rich flavors such as cheese varieties, olives, honey-cream, jams, fresh vegetables, eggs, bagels and bread varieties, sausage, pastry and strong tea.)

Grace and Jack knew they would never forget the delicious days they spent in the countries they visited. 

They felt that the food satisfied not only the stomach but also the heart. 

Now they had great stories to tell their families when they returned home!

THE END. :)