Who's a lucky little boy?

In the interests of veracity I would like to point out that I am neither little, in any sense of the word, nor a boy; rather, I am a sizeable middle-aged or older, depending on your definition, man. It was felt, however, that 'Who's a lucky fat old bloke?' made for a rather unattractive title, possibly off-putting even to a reader as dedicated as mine, so poetic licence intervened and the rest is ... well, as you see it! But on with the story.

Not that long ago a friend  (someone I met in the last couple of years through an old friend) issued a casual invitation to Sunday lunch at her flat in a western part of Athens. As for various practical and personal reasons I was still knocking about the general vicinity of Athens I chose to graciously accept, and earlier today made my way there together with three other invitees. Having heard that the host was a pretty good cook I was quietly looking forward to a pleasant, light lunch.

Well, I was blown away, both by the quality and the quantity of the dishes available, all tweaked and improved versions of traditional recipes, namely:

- A superb, crisp seasonal green salad, delicately seasoned
- A cheese pie made with 7 cheeses in homemade wholemeal pastry
- Roast Naxos goat with potatoes
- Beef cooked in a rich tomato sauce

Everything was properly and beautifully prepared and was set upon by the hungry hordes - there were seven of us, perhaps to match the cheese selection in the cheese pie! Our attack was characterised by controlled energy and we refused to stop until fully sated, groans of satisfaction being echoing around the table as, one after the other, we were defeated by the mounds of tasty nosh. To wash everything down we were provided with organic white and red greek wines (from the Manolakis winery near Corinth and Nemea) that were clean, honest, juicy and went well with the food; they were not - and were not intended as - show stoppers but were great gluggers and a match for the strong tastes of the food. In my role as your chief taster I felt obligated to try both, repeatedly, and enjoyed their vibrant fruit and lively taste!

It gives me great pleasure to also report that the company lived up to the food and drink, so that the afternoon was a great success. Alas the quantities ingested by yours truly, purely as research on behalf of my reader, mean that I am now unable to face eating anything further tonight. But, in the immortal words of someone or other - write in if you know the answer - ' Tomorrow IS Another Day!- and I can resume my selfless dedication on your behalf then, like the little boy that I am.