Syrian chef serves up slice of home in Greek camp Before braving a 'trip of death' to escape Syria, Talal Rankoussi was a chef in a Damascus restaurant considered the largest in the world. So when 41-year-old Talal was asked by a US benefactor to spice up the meals for several hundred fellow Syrians at the Ritsona camp near Athens, the two-decade culinary veteran did not hesitate. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES