Diane visits her good friend Peter, an "expert" in the art of living the ultimate "Mediterranean lifestyle." They are in his villa in Messinia, on the southwestern tip of the Peloponnese, near the renowned ancient town of Pylos and the historic Bay of Navarino. There, she discovers the good-life secrets of this rich, giving land, blanketed by olive and citrus trees and blessed with a perfect climate. The region is home to the world's first system of culinary provenance, unearthed in prehistoric clay tablets at Pylos, and fragrant with the delicious recipes of local cooks who still uphold the delicious village food traditions. She cooks with two village ladies, learning to make a luscious local pork and fig dish as well as olive-oil fried bread twists called lalangia. Back in her kitchen, inspired by the cornucopia of olive oil, oranges and other local delicacies, she cooks up a Messinian meal. Hoirino me Syka - Pork Braised with Figs; Tarta Spanaki - Spinach & Kalamata Olive Tart; Protoyiahni - Tomato Chicken Noodle Soup; Lalangia - Pencil-Thin Dough Fritters.
