Darryl and I just spent seven days sailing the Greek islands with Yachtsailing.com, and somewhere around day six, I looked at the food coming out of that tiny galley kitchen and said, this has to go on the podcast. So I grabbed my mic, sat down with Chef Dimitri and Captain Theo, and we made it happen right there on deck.

I'll tell you what stuck with me most. Dimitri told me his own father -- a chef himself -- told him becoming a chef was “the worst mistake of your life.” Can you imagine hearing that from your own dad? But Dimitri stuck with it, worked his way through restaurants in Switzerland and Mykonos, and ended up finding something he actually loves out here on the water.

“Sometimes, for example, as you Americans, you need maple syrup,” he told me, and I about fell out of my chair. We ran out of maple syrup in the middle of the Greek islands, and the only way to fix it was bringing some over from Athens -- from Vermont, of all places. Darryl and I live right near there. Small world, right out on the open water.

You would not believe the meals this man turns out of a kitchen that I swear is smaller than my pantry at home. We're talking seafood pasta, pastichio, the most incredible mussels I've ever had -- all out of a space that barely fits one person standing up. He told me it's all about how you organize it. Every inch matters.

The moment that really got me was when I asked him what meal he's most proud of making. He didn't talk about anything fancy. He went straight back to his grandmother's stuffed tomatoes -- yemista, he called it -- and told me he actually prefers eating them cold, straight out of the fridge, the next day. That's exactly how his grandmother used to make them. I don't know why, but that one got me a little choked up.

Then I brought in Theo, the captain who got us through all seven days of this trip safely. This man started as a kid in a tiny sea scout dinghy boat -- no sailing family, nothing handed to him. He told me about his very first charter as captain at 22 years old, and how nervous he was on the inside even though he didn't let it show. “I was lost, but only inside,” he said. I loved that.

By the end of our conversation, Dimitri said something that I think sums up this whole trip. He said it's never just about the food -- it's the whole experience, like pieces of a puzzle that have to come together right. The route, the service, the swimming stops, the food. When it all lines up, that's the magic.

This episode is a little different from our usual format, but I wanted to bring you along for this one. We even did a full Greek-island-themed lightning round at the end, so stick around for that.

Thank you to the whole crew at Yachtsailing.com for taking such good care of us all week and for letting us turn part of our trip into an episode. If you're ever thinking about a sailing vacation in Greece, I cannot recommend them enough.

Go watch the full episode, and let me know in the comments -- what's the one thing you'd bring with you if you knew you'd be stuck without it for a week?

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And of course, you know where to find me back home: redarrowdiner.com

-- Carol

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ABOUT CAROL ERICKSON

Carol Erickson has owned Red Arrow Diner since 1987 -- four locations across New Hampshire, open 24/7. She started Beyond the Plate to tell the real stories behind the people who make New England's food and hospitality scene what it is. Not just what's on the menu. What's behind it.

This article is brought to you by Red Arrow Diner -- 4 locations across New Hampshire, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua. Come find us anytime hunger hits.
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