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A Traveller’s Feast, Mediterranean-Style by kc dyer, author of AN ACCIDENTAL ODYSSEY

12th December 2021

To celebrate the publication of kc dyer’s mouth-watering YA rom-com, An Accidental Odyssey, kc has dropped by to tell us all about the delicious dishes inspired by Gia’s adventures around the breathtaking Mediterranean. From Athens signature ouzo lemonade to the perfect Sardinia pasta dish, kc will leave you hungry for adventure!

kc dyerIn the novel An Accidental Odyssey by kc dyer an unexpected phone call derails a young woman’s wedding plans and sparks an epic adventure around the magical, modern-day Mediterranean. Gianna Kostas is on the cusp of a fairy tale life, ready to marry one of New York City’s most eligible bachelors. But on her way to taste wedding cakes, Gia is sidetracked into a wild journey half-way around the world, to Athens, Greece.

This adventure story, published by Berkley Books and arriving on December 14th 2020, inspires an interest in wild adventures – but also in delectable dishes! Gia is a food writer, and each chapter opens with a delicious dish from a different port of call, as she chases her father – and his friend, one equally delicious archeologist – around the Mediterranean. Inspired by Gia’s adventures, here is a selection of scrumptious dining from some of the far-away ports-of-call that we’d all like to visit one day.

Every good adventure starts with a cocktail, and An Accidental Odyssey is no exception. The beginning of Gia’s journey nearly goes off the rails after she enjoys one too many Pink Lemon Ouzos.

© The Spruce Eats

Athens is known for its’ night-life, where there are whole neighborhoods devoted to nightclubs – Exarchia, Gazi and Koukaki to name just three. Where ever you decide to go in Athens, you will have no trouble sourcing the ingredients needed for this refreshing cocktail. Uniquely Greek, ouzo is an anise-flavored spirit that is often distilled with other spices including cardamom and fennel. This Athenian take on spiked pink lemonade has a sweet, licorice-y bite, when served over ice and muddled mint. Just don’t make the mistake Gia did of having one too many, or you too may find yourself dancing the night away to Daft Punk – with a handsome stranger. Want a sample recipe? Here’s a good place to start!

kc dyer

Athens © Lonely Planet

After cleansing your palate with Pink Lemon Ouzo, it’s time for a few nibbles. Let’s travel with Gia away from mainland Greece and across to the island of Capri for a quick and easy taste of Olive Tapenade.

Capri is a tiny gem of a place, floating not too far out in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the west coast of Italy, near Naples. These days, it is known as a party paradise, but the island of Capri has been inhabited since long before Roman times. Even the source of the island’s name is in dispute – the Greeks claim it comes from kapros, meaning ‘wild boar’, and indeed fossilized remains of these creatures have been found there. The Romans, however, called the place Caprae, for ‘goat island’. And even the Etruscans got in on the act, claiming they named the island for its rocky cliffs and shores. Wherever the name came from, Capri is a brilliant jewel in the sea, and home to many a delicious dish, including this perfect appetizer, made with the quintessential Greek olive, the kalamata. Olive tapenade, whether spread as a thick paste on crackers or as a dip for crispy raw vegetables, is the perfect way to whet one’s appetite. While Capri claims this recipe, like many dishes, versions of olive tapenade can be found throughout the Mediterranean region.

kc dyer

Capri © Culture Trip

Olive Tapenade © Dimitra’s Dishes

Crush freshly pitted Kalamata olives with garlic, capers, lemon juice, (with a little added zest, for zing) and your favorite spices – oregano, rosemary or thyme, to your taste. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, and it is ready to serve. You can serve tapenade on its own as a dip or a spread, or layer it under bruschetta to give it a kick. Delicious! A nice recipe of Greek olive paste here.

For the entrée, let’s follow Gia to the island of Sardinia, and have a taste of the local gnocchi, known as Malloreddus.

Sardinia holds a series of shocks for Gia, that challenge and change her very definition of the word ‘family’. Yet for all these life-changing events, she cannot help but appreciate the marvellous food she finds on the island. A true Mediterranean meal cannot be served without seafood, and malloreddus, the most traditional pasta of this region, provides the perfect canvas on which to paint a picture-perfect entrée. This fabulous pasta is simply made from semolina, water and salt – with perhaps a pinch of saffron to add a hint of yellow. It is rolled to form small balls of dough onto a special board that gives it the characteristic look of tiny, ridged gnocchetti sardi. And after cooking, it shines when served bathed in a creamy sauce bursting with salmon and shrimp. Enjoy! A few sample recipes here.

Sardinia © Italy Magazine

And of course this a delicious Mediterranean feast would not be complete without dessert. The final stop on Gia’s journey around the Mediterranean was the place Odysseus was said to have been born: Ithaca. So what better way to finish this Mediterranean meal than with Rovani – a sticky, delicious rice dish that is an Ithacan delicacy. Specially ground rice is carefully simmered with sugar oil, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg, and then baked with cloves and a special syrup to create a luscious decadent treat that is similar in sweetness to honeyed baklava. Here’s a good recipe!

kc dyer

Ithaca © Greece Travel Guide

A perfect ending to a delicious journey!

In An Accidental Odyssey, while Gia adventures – and eats – her way around the Mediterranean, she discovers that confronting epic storms, sea monsters and even ripped surfer dudes might be the easy part. She learns that – like good food – fairy-tale endings might be messy and complicated, but it turns out they can happen anywhere – even far from home.

kc dyer

kc dyer resides in the wilds of British Columbia where she likes to walk in the woods and write books for teens and adults. Before An Accidental Odyssey, her most recent novels for adults were Eighty Days to Elsewhere and Finding Fraser, both romantic comedies published by Berkley. For teens, kc’s most recent work is Facing Fire, a sequel to the acclaimed novel, A Walk Through a Window, published by Doubleday. Learn more online at kcdyer.com and on Twitter @kcdyer.

 

An Accidental Odyssey (An Exlibris Adventure) by kc dyer is published by Berkley Books (an imprint of Penguin Random House), 2020.

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