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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Ozlem

Crete, Greece

USD
$58-$98 per person

Cretan cooking in Chania with a local chef

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Ozlem

Ozlem has Cretan, Turkish and Venetian roots, which has greatly influenced her cooking style. Her passion for food started when she was young, she was always curious and would follow her grandmother around the kitchen with a basket gathering wild greens and herbs. Her grandmother taught her to cook using all her senses – smell, sight, taste, feel. Ozlem eats and cooks with all ingredients but is a bit more passionate about artichokes, wild greens and whatever the sea has to offer. She works as a personal chef, participates in festivals, organizes workshops, is a speaker on panels and seminars, and also writes for newspapers and magazines. Apart from cooking, Ozlem also works as a translator and an interpreter, she has translated 19 books so far!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-3 guests) You can expect traditional Cretan and Turkish plates inspired by memories of family gatherings on huge tables. Ozlem loves cooking with all what the Aegean region has to offer - from its fertile earth to its violet sea. Especially the use of artichokes, wild greens (which they have more than 175 endemic types) and sea food in traditional ways using recipes passed through generations in her Cretan and Turkish family. A few dishes that you can expect to share at Ozlem's dining table are artichokes with Cretan staka and meat or mousakka or shrimp saganaki or Chania vegetable pie, marinated sardines or snails or stuffed vegetables and wild green salad or sautéed wild greens or Cretan rusk salad. End you meal with an Ottoman sweet called kazandibi (Turkish milk pudding).

Cooking experience: (1-3 guests) Join Ozlem in her small kitchen for a hands-on cooking class. In your two hour Cretan cooking class in Chania learn to make artichokes with peas and meat or fish or stuffed vegetables or Cretan chicken pie and a wild green salad. Or you can learn to make handmade pitas with a filling of your choice (greens or Cretan cheese or meat). Please let Ozlem know your preference in advance. She will also share stories behind food that you're cooking and tip and tricks that she learned from her grandmother. After cooking, sit down together to share the meal you helped prepare.

Market visit: (1-3 guests) Meet your host at the Koum Kapi farmers' market on Saturday morning. You will get to meet local producers selling fresh, local and seasonal fruits, vegetables, cheese, edible wild greens and herbs. Enjoy the lively atmosphere, while you wander through the market, browsing through stalls selling fresh fish, meats, cheeses, herbs and spices. Ozlem will explain to you how to pick fresh produce and you might even buy a few ingredients for your cooking class from her favorite vendors. Drink some Greek coffee before heading to Ozlem's apartment for your cooking class and meal experience, a 4-5 minute drive by taxi.

Notes: Ozlem can accommodate lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan diets, on request. Please inform Ozlem in advance your menu preference and if you have any dietary restrictions, while booking your Cretan cooking class in Chania online.

Languages spoken: English, Greek, Turkish

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Artichokes with peas and meat (Αγκινάρες με αρακά και κρέας) or Artichokes with Cretan staka and meat (Αγκινάρες με στάκα και κρέας ) or Mousakka (Μουσακκάς) or Shrimp Saganaki (Σαγανάκι με γαρίδες) or Cretan chicken pie (Τσουλαμά) or Chania vegetable pie (Χανιώτικο μπουρέκι)
  • Pickled artichokes (Αγκινάρες τουρσί) or Marinated sardines (Σαρδέλα Μαρινάτη) or Snails (Χοχλιούς) or Stuffed veggies (Γεμιστά) or Fish with okra (Μπάμιες με ψάρι)
  • Wild green salad (Βραστά χόρτα) or Sauted wild greens (Τσιγαριαστά χόρτα) or Cretan rusk salad (Ντάκος)
  • An Ottoman sweet called kazandibi (Καζαν ντιμπί)
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Ozlem

$58-$98 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • No waiting! Booking confirmed instantly
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $58 $58 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $74 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $98 $98 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $58 $58 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $74 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $98 $98 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 9:00pm-11:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-2:00pm

Meet Ozlem

Ozlem has Cretan, Turkish and Venetian roots, which has greatly influenced her cooking style. Her passion for food started when she was young, she was always curious and would follow her grandmother around the kitchen with a basket gathering wild greens and herbs. Her grandmother taught her to cook using all her senses – smell, sight, taste, feel. Ozlem eats and cooks with all ingredients but is a bit more passionate about artichokes, wild greens and whatever the sea has to offer. She works as a personal chef, participates in festivals, organizes workshops, is a speaker on panels and seminars, and also writes for newspapers and magazines. Apart from cooking, Ozlem also works as a translator and an interpreter, she has translated 19 books so far!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-3 guests) You can expect traditional Cretan and Turkish plates inspired by memories of family gatherings on huge tables. Ozlem loves cooking with all what the Aegean region has to offer - from its fertile earth to its violet sea. Especially the use of artichokes, wild greens (which they have more than 175 endemic types) and sea food in traditional ways using recipes passed through generations in her Cretan and Turkish family. A few dishes that you can expect to share at Ozlem's dining table are artichokes with Cretan staka and meat or mousakka or shrimp saganaki or Chania vegetable pie, marinated sardines or snails or stuffed vegetables and wild green salad or sautéed wild greens or Cretan rusk salad. End you meal with an Ottoman sweet called kazandibi (Turkish milk pudding).

Cooking experience: (1-3 guests) Join Ozlem in her small kitchen for a hands-on cooking class. In your two hour Cretan cooking class in Chania learn to make artichokes with peas and meat or fish or stuffed vegetables or Cretan chicken pie and a wild green salad. Or you can learn to make handmade pitas with a filling of your choice (greens or Cretan cheese or meat). Please let Ozlem know your preference in advance. She will also share stories behind food that you're cooking and tip and tricks that she learned from her grandmother. After cooking, sit down together to share the meal you helped prepare.

Market visit: (1-3 guests) Meet your host at the Koum Kapi farmers' market on Saturday morning. You will get to meet local producers selling fresh, local and seasonal fruits, vegetables, cheese, edible wild greens and herbs. Enjoy the lively atmosphere, while you wander through the market, browsing through stalls selling fresh fish, meats, cheeses, herbs and spices. Ozlem will explain to you how to pick fresh produce and you might even buy a few ingredients for your cooking class from her favorite vendors. Drink some Greek coffee before heading to Ozlem's apartment for your cooking class and meal experience, a 4-5 minute drive by taxi.

Notes: Ozlem can accommodate lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan diets, on request. Please inform Ozlem in advance your menu preference and if you have any dietary restrictions, while booking your Cretan cooking class in Chania online.

Languages spoken: English, Greek, Turkish

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Artichokes with peas and meat (Αγκινάρες με αρακά και κρέας) or Artichokes with Cretan staka and meat (Αγκινάρες με στάκα και κρέας ) or Mousakka (Μουσακκάς) or Shrimp Saganaki (Σαγανάκι με γαρίδες) or Cretan chicken pie (Τσουλαμά) or Chania vegetable pie (Χανιώτικο μπουρέκι)
  • Pickled artichokes (Αγκινάρες τουρσί) or Marinated sardines (Σαρδέλα Μαρινάτη) or Snails (Χοχλιούς) or Stuffed veggies (Γεμιστά) or Fish with okra (Μπάμιες με ψάρι)
  • Wild green salad (Βραστά χόρτα) or Sauted wild greens (Τσιγαριαστά χόρτα) or Cretan rusk salad (Ντάκος)
  • An Ottoman sweet called kazandibi (Καζαν ντιμπί)
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $58 $58 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $74 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $98 $98 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $58 $58 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $74 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $98 $98 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 9:00pm-11:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-2:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

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    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

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