Help! Need Greek themed items for adult hamper

[recklessgran]

Just that really. I want to make a hamper for DH. He is obsessed with the Greek Islands [as am I] and we holiday there as often as we can. Hoping to cheer him up in the dreary winter months after Christmas with this. I have found a beautiful wooden jigsaw called Greek Vacation at Wentworth puzzles for a starter. I'm looking for a good Greek cookbook so any recommendations most welcome. Ditto any Greek based novels? [ He's read Captain Corelli's Mandolin.] Also any other suggestions ? I will add some food and sweets -items he likes such as baclava, olives etc. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[sashh]

Lidl do occasional 'greek week' events where you can stock up on olives.

Something I've made for presents is feta in oil.

1 piece of fet
1 jam jar
1 pack dried mixed herbs
olive oil
optional garlic

pour the herbs onto a worktop of a chopping board and press the feta into it, cut the feta and press the 'new' sides in so you end up with chunks of feta with herbs on all sides.

Put them in to he jar and fill with oil. If you like garlic then put a peeled clove in as well.

What about a Greek phrasebook or 'learn Greek' course?

I have this book - it's quite old but about the size of a paperback so it would fit into a hamper

www.amazon.co.uk/Cooking-Greece-Turkey-Sainsbury-Cookbook/dp/0859414876?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

A Greek coffee pot? Maybe some glasses for tea / coffee?

[I8toys]

Mythos by Stephen Fry.

Look on Amazon
Gigantes beans - yum
Greek Honey
Souvlaki seasoning mix
Greek salts
Kourabie biscuits

[recklessgran]

@sashh great suggestions there that I hadn't though of. Thank you so
much for your help.

[WinterAndRoughWeather]

A copy of The Odyssey? It’s actually quite a fun read - Greek island hopping with lots of sex, drugs and sea monsters.

[AnnaMagnani]

Rosemary Barron's Flavours of Greece. A classic. My copy is v battered and I've never had a recipe from it that isn't a winner.

Has he already read Patrick Leigh Fermor?

[Nowisthemonthofmaying]

The Dark Labyrinth - Lawrence Durrell
My Family & Other Animals - Gerald Durrell
The Island - Victoria Hislop

A great (and very comprehensive!) Greek cookbook is Greece: The Cookbook by Vefa Alexiadou, who is sort of the Delia of Greece. Has literally every Greek recipe you can think of. www.amazon.co.uk/Greece-Cookbook-Vefa-Alexiadou/dp/0714873802?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

You could also buy him an online Greek cookery lesson? I got one from Traveling Spoon for my DH for his birthday, which we did on Skype with a lady in Athens. They do lessons for moussaka or for meatballs and a baked aubergine dish (so delicious!) meatballs

Also check out Oliveology for the best oil & honey, and Odysea for other Greek products, including and more obscure ones - you can buy the rusks for making dakos, for example.

[xtinak]

Some Korrres products? Lots of lovely scented shower gels with quite unusual Greek inspired scents.

[recklessgran]

Wow you lot are good at this - really great ideas - so excited now as I know he's going to love it all.

[xtinak]

I stumbled on this which has a lot of my favourites www.ohmygreek.co.uk

[Jeremyironseverything]

Was going to say The Island by Victoria hislop, but someone beat me to it.

What about a Greek flag? £3.20 is the cheapest on Amazon for a 5x3ft one. Could use it as a tablecloth for your Greek picnic foods.

[Jeremyironseverything]

A book on Greek myths
Greek beach towel
My big fat Greek wedding dvd

[Jeremyironseverything]

And obviously mama mia dvd

[sashh]

@recklessgran

NP I used to love making hampers and 5 course dinners but my arthritis limits me quite a lot these days so I live vicariously through MN.

[AriettyHomily]

Retsina, ouzo, metaxa.

Kalmata olives.

You've got a great night in right there!

[Mynameisntkaren]

Nothing to add as some amazing ideas here but if my daughter is reading this.......can I have a hamper please???
Unfortunately don't know her username or her mine but little clue we had our Oct holiday cancelled to Rhodes😉

[FadedRed]

You can buy Mythos lager in Tesco.

[recklessgran]

Thank you so much everyone. @sashh so sorry - I know what you mean about the arthritis. I pass on the big dinners now as I'm so afraid of dropping heavy stuff out of the oven and my hands just don't work how they used to so I really can sympathise. However, we are a big, big family - 5 adult DD's and I do themed hampers and stockings for them all every year still. It's such a lot of fun. Really trying to make this year extra special as it's been so rubbish for everyone. I too adore mumsnet and spend a lot of time here getting help and trying to give it back where I can.

[MrsHaroldRobbins]

What a fab idea, OP. I just came on to recommend The Magus by John Fowles, it's set on a Greek island. I'm sure your DH will love his hamper!

[AuntieMarys]

Grace gin....made in Greece.

[Ormally]

Tinned dolmas (got some in the 'emergency cheer-up' stash). Not as great as fresh but we already had a tin and after being chilled, they were fine.

I was wondering about Irini's (masterchef winner) cookbook 'Home', brand new, which is all I want on my own Christmas list.

[Ormally]

Sorry, ignore title - it's actually called Under The Olive Tree which makes much more sense, I have brain fog today.

[BlueChampagne]

Anything by Kazantzakis. Zorba the Greek is the most famous, but not my favourite.

The King must Die - Mary Renault's retelling of the Theseus myth.

[delilahbucket]

Ouzo or Limoncello. Sainsbury's do Greek flatbreads which are fairly close to the real thing, round, thick ones. Get a tapenade to go with and a really good quality extra virgin olive oil.

[afaloren]

There’s a fun little board game called Santorini that he might like. Even if not hugely into board games it’s more like Connect 4 than Risk

[xtinak]

Etsy is quite a good place to look - you can filter down to shops based in Greece. Lots of stuff from food to art.