No wonder. As importers of Aralia Olive Oils, the couple uses oil instead of butter in most of their culinary creations.

    ``It's delicious and makes everything taste better,'' said Andrea, as she and Emmanuel prepared for a recent dinner party at their Back Bay townhouse. On the menu: a traditional Greek meal of crown roast of lamb, Greek salad, lima beans, caponata and taramasalata.

    The couple's adventure in importing began eight years ago, when Emmanuel, an architect, visited his boyhood home in Crete, where his extended family owns and runs an olive grove. While walking among the gnarled trees, Emmanuel was overcome by a sense of belonging.

     ``These trees, they were touched by my ancestors hundreds of years ago,'' he remembered, ``and there I was, touching them, too.

    ``It occurred to me that I was in the presence of living creatures that were alive when my great-great-grandfather was alive. It felt right and good and when I got home, I said `enough of architecture, let's get into the olive oil business'.''

     Today, Aralia is a leading olive oil importer, with two family labels, ARIA and ALA. Aralia oils are used by the best chefs (including Todd English, Bobby Flay and Wolfgang Puck) and served in some of the finest restaurants in the country, as well as in the Daskalakises' kitchen.

    ``Seriously, I didn't know how to cook until I married Emmanuel,'' said Andrea, a banker, as she plated the lamb for each of her 12 guests. ``But now it's a creative outlet for me. I try something new every time I have a party.''

    The Daskalakises love to entertain with old friends; in fact, the night's dinner guests include three couples they met at Syracuse University, where Emmanuel studied architecture and Andrea recieved her bachelor of arts degree.

    ``Our friends are real foodies,'' she said. ``They appreciate great meals.''

    The couple has two grown daughters, both musicians, and two grandchildren. Their younger daughter, Amalia, is also the company's representative in the New York market.

    ``It's a family busines,'' Emmanuel said. And one that incorporates friends, too, who reap the benefits of the family's groves and Andrea's cooking.

    ``I love to do it,' she said. ``And you know, I have the best ingredients - especially the oil.''