Designer Products at ‘Octopus’ in Rethymnon

It goes without saying that by and large, Rethymnon is a shopaholic’s paradise. Souvenirs, ceramics, jewellery, local produce, beachwear…. you name it, you will be able to find it here. And the vast majority of visitors go home with more baggage than they started out with….Message to those who haven’t yet boarded the plane to Crete: ‘Pack light!’ (or, better still, ‘If in doubt, don’t pack it at all, you’ll be able to buy it in Rethymnon’).

However, up until recently, finding good quality innovative designer products for the home has not been as straightforward here as in some other parts of the world. So the Bugle crew were happy to welcome ‘Octopus’ as a new addition to the shopping scene.

At Octopus you will find unusual gadgets, gifts and household items. The designs (many of which have been exclusively commissioned) are fresh, fun and quirky. If you are looking for ‘something for someone who has everything’ this is a great shop to try (it is also a great shop to visit if you are in the mood to reward yourself too)! You’ll find Octopus at Tsouderon 13, for further details, see the advertisement on our Back Page

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Chicken Risotto, Cretan Style

This is yet another of our ‘recipes for displacement therapy’, as you will want to take several hours to make this dish (For those of you who are saying ‘but I thought risotto was quick to make’ we direct your attention to the title and the words ‘Cretan Style’). So a good one for a day when you should really be filing your tax return instead. Ingredients For the stock: A large chicken (that’s the only size our butcher does), onions, carrots, garlic, suitable herbs and seasoning, water. For the risotto: Chicken (now in bits), mushrooms, tomatoes (decent tinned plum tomatoes in juice actually work quite well), garlic, onions, red wine, stock, risotto rice (the Carolina rice you find in supermarkets here is fine), herbs and seasoning, olive oil and butter.

Make the stock with the whole chicken etc. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot, leave to cool then strip (THE CHICKEN!)…. You can add the carcass back to the pot to make a richer stock. When it is actually time to make the risotto itself chop some onions and garlic and sweat them in some oil and butter, along with herbs and seasoning. Add lots more butter and oil and then the rice. Swizzle the rice around for about five minutes before adding a little of the liquid from the stockpot. Add liquid (wine and stock) bit by bit along with the other ingredients—tomatoes, mushrooms and chicken. The general idea is not to let the rice stick to the bottom of the pan, but not to drown it either. But as long as the rice is cooked, don’t worry if the end result is a bit gloopy. Delicious hot or cold!

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Beating the Heat

Sun, sea, sand etc. For many tourists that’s what it’s all about in August. But as far as heat goes there can be too much of a good thing. The usual advice applies of course (water, hats, shade etc). From the Bugle Hammock we bring you some alternative ‘heat-busting’ strategies.

Cover your naked body with slices of cucumber. This remedy will also go some way to help out those gardeners who are currently experiencing a bumper gherkin crop and have run out of recipe ideas (there is a limit to the amount of dill pickles and gazpacho one person can make)….

Go to a Travel Agent and pick up brochures for skiing holidays. Look, you don’t actually have to go skiing, but all those pictures of Alpine winter scenes should help you to cool down….

Get hooked on the Olympics. With all that sport on TV day and night, you can lie in a dark room doing nothing more energetic than pressing buttons on the remote control - and avoid the outside world for weeks….

Find an excuse to hang out in a bank for the day. Any moderately unusual international transaction should do the trick and keep you sitting there for hours. Banks in Rethymnon generally have very good air conditioning….

If all else fails, start writing Christmas cards. Yes, we know Christmas is months away but we bet any money that some outlet is already selling cards online. The psychological impact is similar to booking a skiing holiday (pictures of snowmen and robins etc.) but has the added dimension that the prospect of ‘Christmas is coming’ may have you heading for the nearest beach in a state of denial….

Cocktail of the Month: Olympic Memories

This month we bring you a drink with which to toast those happy days in Athens in 2004. As for Beijing — well we’ll just have to wait and see.

Anyway, after a few of these you should feel able to break a couple of sprint records and to pole vault yourself into oblivion. Usual Bugle disclaimer: We are not responsible for any sporting injuries received as a result of drinking this cocktail.

Ingredients: 3 parts Bombay Gin to 1 part Cointreau, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, Pineapple Slices, Ice.

Mix the spirits in a long glass, top up with juice and ice, garnish with pineapple slices. Start humming the theme tune to ‘Chariots of Fire’ and enjoy!