As I was dusting my bookshelf my attention was focused on a series of 6 huge photo albums. Yes the actual printed pre digital kind. All of these albums are exclusively trips. When I was younger I did a lot of backpacking trips or loner road trips across Europe and North America. I could not help but pick an album up and go down memory lane. It hit me it could be cool to tell you a little bit about these trips and share a recipe from that destination…those are some pretty Ethnic Eatz, Cheap too hi hi. And the recipe for this trip is Boureki. This is a classic Cretan dish made with sliced zucchini, sliced potatoes, mizithra or feta cheese and mint. This may look simple and not too pretty but wow it is ever flavor packed.

So this time around I picked up an album from a Greek island cruise I took back in 2001. I am a fan of archaeological sites and there are plenty in that part of the world. Let’s look today at the Palace of Knossos, a mus destination for your holidays to Crete. I took digital pictures of some prints I have from that trip…check them out. Crete was the center of the Minoan civilization, a sophisticated Bronze Age culture from 2600-1150 BC. The largest archaeological site is the Palace of Knossos home of King Minos. Built very much like a maze, the palace inspired the myth of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, one of the most famous tales from Greek mythology.

The king of Crete, king Minos, refused to sacrifice the beautiful snow-white bull sent to him by Poseidon and had a plain bull sacrificed instead. Poseidon found out about the switch and exacted his revenge by forcing Minos’s wife to fall in love with the bull (oh those liberal Greeks). Their copulation resulted in the birth of the mythical beast, the Minotaur. Minos had a gigantic labyrinth constructed to hold the Minotaur captive. Minos sent seven boys and seven girls every seven years to be sacrificed by the Minotaur. When the third sacrifice approached, Theseus, son of king Aegeus, volunteered to slay the monster. Ariadne, daughter of Minos, fell in love at first sight, and helped him by giving him a sword and a ball of thread, so that he could find his way out of the Minotaur’s labyrinth. Theseus killed the Minotaur. On his return home, Theseus neglected, however, to put up the white sail, indicating his victory. King Aegeus, from his lookout, saw the black-sailed ship approaching and, presuming his son dead, committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea named after him, the Aegean Sea.

Photos from my trip in 2001 to Crete and Knossos Palace

So now you can say you learned something new today. No go make some Boureki while you contemplate!

Ξ Boureki Ξ
adapted from Explore Crete

1.5 zucchini
1 big potato
1 tomato
150gr feta
1/2 bunch mint or 1 tsp dried
8 tablespoons yogurt
1/2 wineglass olive oil
Salt, pepper, oregano
All-purpose flour

Cut zucchini, potatoes and tomatoes into thin rounds then sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Toss potatoes and zucchini with flour in a zip-lock bag. In an oiled medium sized pan, layer half of the potatoes and zucchini. Then spread half of the feta and half of the mint over the top. Repeat the procedure with the remaining potatoes, zucchini and tomato. Spread the remaining feta and mint over the top. Spoon on yogurt and drizzle olive oil. Add enough water to almost cover. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for about two hours. Serve warm.