5-Apr-2007 - The Lagoudera has re-opened under new management. "FACK Entertainment", as christened last year by HydraDirect, welcomed the public to dance and drink all night long! Opening their doors briefly for the Easter/Paska festivities, Kostas and the team will close again for a short spell so further developments can be made during the next month or so.

8-Mar-2007 Pigadi Hydra opened just 3 days ago. You will find it in the market square opposite the post office. It’s typical for it’s mezes, ouzo, coffee and light refreshments. Very welcoming. Vagelis Sideris is the owner and can be contacted on +(30) 6946 687 991.

17-May-2007 After a lot of hard work and effort, Koulis and Eleni Maragos opened their new coffee shop/bar named Bandera, yesterday 17th May ’07. A very pleasant and friendly atmosphere with extremely plush and comfortable chairs inside. They are situated exactly in the middle of the harbour and I wish them all the best in their new adventure. Contact number is +(30) 22980 54100.

10-Apr-2006 Errr.. I hear you mutter, but yes you did read correctly! The dynamic trio Kostas, Aleko and Fannis of Enalion and Amalour fame, have been joined by a new partner Chrisostomos - I'll leave you to rearrange the initials. Also, I take no responsibility for christening their partnership as it was Kostas who slipped it into a conversation with me the other evening and he never lets anything slip out unless he wants it broadcasted!

AlekoHalf the fun of the gossip on Hydra is the speculation and FACK Entertainment certainly give everyone something to get their teeth into. Not only do the boys run the highly successful Amalour Bar in Hydra town and for some years have also run the Enalion Restaurant in Vlichos but posters went up during the summer announcing the opening of their Amalour Restaurant in Athens as well, hence Chrisostomos joining the partnership.

Fassolakia Ready To EatFassolakia is a meal that’s made pretty often in Greek families, one because it’s so easy to make and two, all the family enjoy it! Here in Greece you can find either the fatter looking runner beans or the skinny ones, my preference being the latter.

Ingredients:
1 kilo green runner beans
1 large onion
3 medium sized potatoes
1 clove of garlic
1 cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 spoon of tomato paste
2 stock cubes

Given that lemons and oranges abound on Hydra, it amazes me that so many people have been missing out on this delicious treat. Making lemon curd is so easy that a child could do it with their eyes closed. Neranja oranges from the streets and squares planted around the island can also be used, here's how.

Ingredients:
1 large juicy lemon (washed)
2 large eggs
75g (3oz) fine white sugar
50g (2oz) butter, preferably unsalted.

Since I have just picked and cured a batch of black olives, I remembered an old poem I wrote about buying the tree, which is five years old now. If you are interested in gardening and bringing up an olive tree...

I am somewhat pleased with myself after preparing the six litres of olives that I picked yesterday, spending a couple of hours up on a ladder under the large olive tree. Some investigation showed that the best method for these kind of olives is the salt and water mix, no vinegar and no slicing, just mix ten litres of water with one kilo of salt.

This is a favourite with my children and is so easy to make. The people on the island make it with different herbs, so the recipe isn’t standard in my books. Trying every which way over the years getting the taste just right, I finally found a good recipe that’s simple and really delicious.

Ingredients:
1 kilo of minced meat
1 medium onion
1 clove of garlic
Fresh parsley
½ cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Breadcrumbs (1/2 of a packet)

07-Aug-08 Remembering as a child picking fruit and vegetables from my parent’s vegetable patch was always the thrill of summer holidays. My mother would then make raspberry, gooseberry and plum pies. What a treat.

Having just finished building a home in Hydra but not having yet fixed the garden, we made space for a small veggie garden to begin with. Getting my children involved by throwing seeds in rows and teaching them to leave enough space in between so things wouldn’t suffocate each other, was a real pleasure.

09-Jul-07 - Jannis and Iffigenia opened the doors of their new "... Kai Kremmethi" souvlaki cafe yesterday and I for one give it an appreciative thumbs up. This is hardly a greasy spoon type of cafe - more a creme de la creme establishment for fast food Greek style!

And (drum roll), apart from the usual traditional souvlaki fare you will find sausages on the menu - yep - thin skins, charcoal striped, lightly herbed, succulent meat with no horrid gristly bits, real honest to goodness bangers - a delicious treat. Now I'm sorry to harp on here but I have been presented before with what the Greeks fondly imagine to be sausages but being English and somewhat of a connoisseur, I have to say I have been sadly let down in the past, but the Kremmethi sausages are definitely up there with the best. You need to ask (I think) for "loukaniko" with stress on the "a".