Croatia Day 15

Day 15: Cooking Class

I woke up this morning feeling kind of crappy, We weren't getting picked up until 11:30 for a cooking class so we decided to sit out by the pool after breakfast and relax.

The drive to our hosts' home was quite an ordeal.  Once off the main road, we took a steep, windy, very bumpy gravel road to get to their home. Mario (another Mario) and Haja were very gracious and opened their lovely home to us.

They called their property Olive Garden (definitely no relation).  They are totally off the grid with solar power and food out of their garden.  They have both grapes and olives from which they produce wine and grappa, and olive oil.

Mario was a trained chef, but in addition, he built the entire hose, placing every one of about 1 million stones by hand. A whole variety of herbs grow around the house, and they have a very inviting pool.

The interior was quite cool even though outside is was about 90. Mario was also quite a carpenter, making the dining room table.  Quite the Renaissance man.

After the reqqired grappa to start, 

Mario began teaching us his bruschetta technique (which is almost identical to Jeri's). There were add-ons on the table for those who wanted them including delicious homemade anchovies (very simple, lemon juice and anchovies), thin sliced zucchini (also with lemon and olive oil), and hard boiled eggs.

Next camne the main course, Hvarska Greada, a fish stew. Jeri, Dave, and Carole  helped chop onions. Onions were placed in olive oil, wine added, and then a boat load of fish.

Monk fish, sea bass, prawns, and mussels and to this was added poatoes boiled in water and olive oil.  Whle this cooked, we ghot a lesson in olive oil from Haja.

Just about at this time, I started going downhill fast. Shades of our Amalfi cooking class.  I wound up lying down in Mario and Haja'sw living room while the rest ate. Bummer.

There was a custard with fresh fruit for dessert.

We said goodbye to our new freinds (with invitations to visit in NH and FL, and got back into the sprinter for the long bumpy ride back down the hill . 

By now I was really feeling awful.  When we got back to the hotel, I lay down while everyone else went to the pool. I started to feel quite a bit better, and considered dinner with the rest of the group. Given my symptoms, dry cough, fever, nasal congestion, nausea and headache, I thought it best to take a Covid test which Suzy had with her.  I got the nasty double line in less than 1 minute.Jeri and I stayed back at the hotel while everyone else went out.  I'm hoping the vaccine does as promised and minimizes symptoms and course.