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July 14, 2018 Lifestyle

Why Private Holiday Villa Rentals are Great Money Savers?

If you are thinking about where you should stay during your upcoming vacation, then you should check out some of the best private holiday villa rentals in Goa. These are great ways to save yourself some money when you start to plan your vacation, especially since you can rent them by the week rather than the day.

There are numerous reasons that you should consider staying in one of these rather than a hotel and here are a few of the top ones.

Villa Saves Money

When you book one of the private holiday villa rentals in Goa you will be saving yourself money since you can make the booking per week rather than nightly. You need to ensure that you are taking the various amenities into consideration like laundry, swimming pools, full kitchen and more to figure out other spots where you can save money. If you stay in one of these locations, then you will be able to cook your own food, which means that you don’t have to go out for dinner if you don’t want to.

Practical

You no longer have to worry about which rooms you need to book when it comes to a hotel since you can book the entire space. You don’t need to think about the size and types of beds that you want to have since you can enjoy a wide variety of sizes. This is also great if you are going on a vacation as a family since you would be able to split the space based on the needs of each individual. Make sure that you are checking out the various options and choosing the one that works the best for you and the people who are coming with you.

Flexibility

If you are travelling with kids and your family, then you know it isn’t always an easy prospect. When you book a private holiday villa rentals in Goa you don’t need to worry about keeping to a schedule for when the nearby attractions are open. You can think about what you want to do and when you want to do it without having to worry about dragging your kids around, especially if you have travelled a long distance. It is important that you have the ability to change your plans as everything comes up.

Privacy

One of the main things that you can enjoy when you book one of the private holiday villa rentals in Goa is privacy. You won’t find this in most of the hotels since they tend to be crowded with other guests, so if you want to enjoy some peace and quiet, then this is the best way to get it. You can enjoy the private pools that come along with space so that you don’t have to fight with others about using the pool or even space. Make sure that you check out the privacy levels that you would be able to for your next vacation.

Huge Groups

Also, if you have a huge group of people who are going to be travelling when you book your private holiday villa rentals in Goa you don’t have to worry about getting rooms on the same floor or even next to each other. You can simply all stay in the same space without having to worry about anything. This means that the cost is going to be lower for each individual than it would be if you were booking a hotel, especially since you can bring in your own food and eat it whenever you want.

Wide Variety of Choices

Another good reason to pick one of these locations for your upcoming vacation is that there is a huge array of choices. You would be able to check out the options that are listed and find the ideal size for your family or group. You can also choose from different designs, styles and even sizes to find the one that would allow you to have the perfect vacation. Why should you have to worry about staying in a boring hotel where everything is the same when you can stay in a space that is both gorgeous and unique?

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR VACATION RENTAL FROM CONFLICTING GUESTS

You should always make sure that you are prepared for your upcoming vacation, including by choosing one of the locations that are more affordable. You can rent the spaces depending on the time that you are going to be there, which often works out cheaper than a hotel. Also, you would be able to bring your entire family and group of friends and you can all stay in the same house. There is also a huge selection when it comes to choices so you can pick the one that appeals the most to you and is the size that you require for your party.

July 12, 2018 Food, Recipes

Why does Greek food taste better?

In continuation to my earlier article on Greek Cuisine

Greek food is somewhere in between Turkish/Middle Eastern food and Italian food. Most of the meats are grilled or roasted and most of the veggies are cooked in olive oil (fried or stewed).

Two ingredients that are common in Greek food might be perceived by some people as being bitter. Personally I don’t find them bitter, but they are:

Greek It’s a strong robust oregano, often used in generous amounts.

I’ve never understood why some people think of lemon as bitter. Bitter and sour are really opposites with respect to Ph values.

On a dish such as Greek chicken with oregano, olive oil and lemon, the oregano intensifies and becomes a bit more bitter as it bakes. The acidity of the lemon however helps to neutralize the alkaline bitterness. The essential step for this is basting. Greek chicken should be basted twice while cooking and once before serving. If you’ve cooked this and it was bitter, my first guess was that you didn’t baste.
Greek roasted lemon chicken with potatoes, properly basted.

~Jan Soloven, Trained chef, organic gardener, and experienced eater.

You may serve this with Tzatziki Sauce. Tzatziki sauce is an easy and tasty recipe, typical in Greece, and very popular in the neighbouring countries

Here is how to make it?

Greek food combines the freshest of ingredients from land and sea.

What are your favourites in Greek food?

July 9, 2018 Food, Recipes

Pastichio, have you tried a Greek Lasagna or lasagne?

Greek lasagna, called pastitsio, is usually made with a tubular noodle such as penne rather than lasagna noodles. But it’s the white, creamy sauce that really sets this dish apart. The sauce is called béchamel and makes this Greek lasagna impossible to resist.

Pastichio (also spelled “pastitsio”) is like lasagne, but a big difference is using long tubes of macaroni, maccheroncelli, instead of flat layers of pasta, with a milk/cheese sauce.

The ingredients:

-2 pounds ground beef

-1 pound maccheroncelli

-1 small chopped onion,

-1 clove of garlic minced

-3 medium tomatoes chopped

-Chopped parsley

-Whites of two eggs

-About a stick of butter

-3/4 cup white wine (my mom used white zinfandel)

-Grated kefalograviera cheese (substitute parmesan or romano if you don’t have it)

Sauce ingredients:

-More grated kefalograviera cheese (or substitute cheese)

-1/2 cup butter,

-3/4 cup flour

-4 cups heated milk

-1 stick butter

-Salt

-Pepper

-Nutmeg

-2 eggs with 2 additional egg yolks from the egg whites above (for four egg yolks total in this part)

Method–

Chop the ingredients listed above. Separate two egg yokes from the whites. Put the two egg whites in one bowl and the two yokes in another bowl that also has two whole eggs.

Boil a pound of the maccheroncelli pasta and add salt in it. Turn the heat to about medium on a large pot. Melt about half a stick of butter in the pan and add the chopped onions. Stir them and let it cook for a few minutes. Crumble 2 pounds of ground beef and add it to the pan and stir it (Trader Joe’s ground beef is my favorite). Add the minced garlic clove to the pan. Add pepper, salt, and keep stirring.

Drain the maccheroncelli and put it back in the pot. Put about 1/3 of a stick of butter in the pot with the maccheroncelli. Add tomatoes, parsley, and white wine to ground beef once it’s brown and stir. Let it cook for 45 minutes on a medium-low flame. Add a little salt to the pasta if you like and stir.

In a large pan, turn on the heat and melt one stick of butter in it. Gradually add 3/4 cup of flour to the pan and stir it thoroughly. Pour in the 4 cups of milk and stir it until it’s thick, but do not let it boil.

Add pepper, salt, and a little nutmeg to the milk and stir.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees to bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off heat to the ground beef after 45 minutes. Turn off heat to milk sauce when it’s thick.

Put some grated kefalograviera cheese into the milk and stir it. After it’s cooled down a little, beat the 4 eggs and add it to the sauce and stir. Add egg whites to ground beef mixture after it has cooled somewhat and stir it.

Put a layer of the pasta on the bottom of a baking pan like lasagna, then spread grated kefalograviera. Pour all the meat mixture onto the pasta and even it out. Put a layer of pasta on top of the meat and spread more grated kefalograviera cheese evenly. Then pour the milk sauce on the entire thing and spread the cheese evenly on top of the sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour (my mom did one hour). Let it cool for at least 30 minutes. And you’re done!

Source- Flying over Trout

What is Greek cuisine?

Taramasalata (that tasted of nothing) & Greek beer | by Smoobs, Greek cuisine

Greek cuisine is amazing, surprising and tasty.

They have lots of meat dishes, such as the ever-popular gyro or the souvlaki. Other popular dishes include the Greek moussaka as well as seafood. A large part of the country is along the coastline and therefore Greek cuisine offers a rich selection of seafood specialities like calamari, various types of fish, octopus etc.

Their desserts are amazing as well; you can go for extremely sweet options like the loukoumades and bougatsa or stick to lighter desserts like Greek yoghurt and honey.

Of course, you mustn’t forget to order a shot of ouzo or a glass of retsina for a complete Greek dining experience.

Almost any dish, contains either lemon or tomato, but almost never both. This is true for meats, vegetables, legumes, and what we call “Ladera” which means “oily foods” and contains a wide variety of foods from green beans to “gemista”.

Greeks use olive oil for everything. They eat bread with almost anything (especially with the aforementioned “Ladera”, perhaps not with pasta). Greeks eat cheese in almost all our meals, and if the salad contains tomato and oil (like “choriatiki” or the one you call Greek salad) many people will dip the bread in the bottom of the plate to moisten it with oil and tomato juice. This is called a “papara” (which in other contexts can be a swear word) or more rarely “vouta”.

Finding a good souvlaki, a good bougatsa, a good frappe or espresso, a good cheese pie, is a must wherever you go. Greeks refuse to eat in touristy places where quality, especially in these can be lower. Ask the locals for all of these things, and 9 times out of 10, they will show you to the best place in the area. They will be happy to assist you, and even proud. Seriously, they have tasted these things a million times, they know what they are talking about.

It’s incredibly easy to live on a vegetarian diet in Greece. Not so much vegan, but for a vegetarian, it’s infinitely cheaper than most places in Europe. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grain stuff are of incredible quality, and so cheap. I mean it, if a country in Europe has the comparative advantage in incredible quality mass-produced vegetables, grains and fruit, it’s Greece and the margin from the second country is huge.

Tap water is served without charge in all restaurants, with the exception of some small Aegean islands.

Greek and Turkish traditional sweets, are nothing like you’ve ever tasted in Europe. Try them, you must. Whether it’s galaktoboureko, baklavas, kataifi or the more obscure “ravani” and “samali”, they are something completely different from what you have ever tasted in your life.

Greeks cook their meats good, really good.

Greeks don’t drink many sodas. Mainly coca cola, but even that, not so much.

There are some extra things that you should know as well. First, chocolates are a bit milkier compared to other countries. Greeks revere our local hard liquor, like ouzo, tsipouro and raki and local red and white wine. Cocktails are mostly for the summer. Burgers have somewhat of a following as well as hot dogs, but we mostly stay away from them. Greek pizza usually has too much bread. If you want to eat fish, your best bet is to find a trustworthy fish tavern recommended by others or locals, and ask them what is the freshest fish they have right now.

The best food to try when visiting Greece?

Greece is not only known for its rich history, art and famous monuments. It is also known for its unique cuisine. It is a Mediterranean cuisine and makes wide use of vegetables, olive oil, grains, fish, wine, and meat (white and red, including lamb, poultry, rabbit and pork).

Here are some of the best dishes you should try when you visit Greece,

Moussaka

This iconic Greek baked dish is based on layering: sautéed aubergine, minced meat fried pureed tomato, onion, garlic and spices like cinnamon and allspice, a bit of potato, and then a final fluffy topping of cheese and béchamel sauce.

Loukoumades

A Greek delicacy loved by children and adults alike, loukoumades are small fried doughnut-like balls drenched in honey syrup and sprinkled with various toppings such as cinnamon or crushed walnuts. People usually order a large plate of them to share with friends or family.

Souvlaki

Perennially popular all over the world, these grilled meat (usually pork) skewers are often served with tzatziki (a sauce made from yoghurt, cucumber and mint), pita bread, salad or rice.

Taramasalata

This creamy pungent dip is many people’s favourite. Made from smoked fish roe (cod, carp or mullet), blended with olive oil and lemon, homemade taramasalata is indisputably superior to the bright pink industrial version sold in supermarkets.

Greek Salad

You would have had a Greek Salad before, but you probably haven’t had it the prepared the “right” way, which is to say the way the Greek prepare it. A traditional Greek salad (also called Horiatiki) includes tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives and a rather large brick of feta cheese on top. It’s so fresh and light, that it’s hard to resist ordering it.

If you want to discover the top Greek dishes to try to check out this list of amazing Greek dishes.

Yoghurt–

Among all varieties of yoghurt, Greek yoghurt is the healthiest. It has the perfect ratio of protein and carbohydrate and is a brilliant post-workout snack. If you have a bowl of Greek yoghurt within 60 minutes of your workout, it releases amino acids that help repair muscles. Have a glass of water with your yoghurt and it improves the absorption of water by intestines thereby enhancing your hydration and also helps in colon detox.

A bowl of yoghurt is said to have 300 grams of calcium. So, if you are worried about your debilitating bone health, it’s always good to add yoghurt to your diet. It will not only maintain your bone density but also strengthen them. For the elderly who are at risk of osteoporosis, a cup of yoghurt daily after lunch is a healthy option.

People consuming yoghurt proved that if you replace an unhealthy snack in a day with yoghurt, it will help you cut down calories. This also helps burn belly fat.

In conclusion, Greece isn’t the most beautiful country in the world, but a very beautiful one. It doesn’t have the warmest or smartest people, although Greeks are one of the friendliest, creative and hard-working.