Greek cuisine

[kerriar]

Can anybody recommend a good serious food/cookery book on Greece?

Ideally I'm looking for something equivalent to what Marcella Hazan does for Italy - lots of photos are not really a priority, rather someone who writes authoritatively and clearly about ingredients, recipes and the general philosophy of Greek food.

Any suggestions welcome.

[KatieLoeb]

The Complete Book of Greek Cooking is my go to book for all things Greek. Written by the mommies and yiayias of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Authentic recipes with excellent directions. Lots of recipes that I've never seen in other Greek cookbooks.

[marlena spieler]

There are lots of good books about greek cooking. there is one whose title i forget, by sophie laz-something or other, i'm so sorry i have her name wrong and title missing cause i LOVE THIS BOOK! she has/had a restaurant in LA.

diane kochilas, of course, is excellent, both in enthusiasm and knowledge and general tastiness. any of her....maybe three, maybe more......books would be excellent in your kitchen, but i'm thinking that her big complete book is the one you want. and i would just goggle diane....she lives in athens, originally from new york, is very influential in the athens/greek food world.

Greek food is wonderful, and i think underestimated outside of greece...possibly because of indifferent restaurants both abroad and in greece itself. but athens is undergoing such a foodie rennaissance, very exciting. lots of regional things from the islands etc, being redicovered and delighted in.....

[esowchek]

I would like to second the recommendations made above. Here are some specifics:

The Art of Greek Cookery, by The Women of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church, which was their first recipe collection published in 1963 by Doubleday. This is a basic introduction to Greek food, and is still my favorite Greek cookbook. Shortly after it came out, Craig Claiborne featured it in an article in the New York Times, which resulted in excellent sales for the book.

The Regional Cuisines of Greece, by The Recipe Club of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church, published by in 1981. This book, by the women of the same church (which is located in Hempstead, NY), was published almost twenty years after the previous bookin. It includes more recipes and expands its coverage to include dishes from all parts of Greece.

The Glorious Foods of Greece: Traditional Recipes from the Islands, Cities and Villages, by Diane Kochilas. I have all of her books but this one, published in 2001 by William Morrow/Harper Collins, is arranged by region, making it extremely useful if you are looking to explore the food of a specific area. Unlike the first two books, which have virtually no narrative accompanying the recipes, this one provides excellent historical and cultural information on all of the regions, as seen through their food. Not only are the recipes good, but it is also a good read!

I think what I like best about all of these books is the real love for their cuisine that these authors, all Greek women, express through their recipes. And now that more of the ingredients - specifically some of the regional cheeses - are available here in the US, it is great to be able to try out many of these dishes at home.

Whatever book(s) you decide to get, I hope that once you have them you will enjoy cooking from them!

Ellen

[Jennifer Brizzi]

My very favorite of all my Greek cookbooks is The Food of Greece by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles. It has no photos, just black and white illustrations, but a lot of good writing that really gives you a feel for Greek life and culture. The recipes are clear and well-written, too. Also great for in-depth regional information is The Glorious Foods of Greece by Diane Kochilias.

[emilyr]

I'd like to add an estra request to this. My dad works with a man who also cooks at a Greek restaurant. They're going to be going out to lunch this week, and my dad doesn't want to go in totally ignorant. What websites might have a good overview of the types of foods he should be on the look out for. I tried explaining some of the Greek dishes I know, but he's a visual learner.

Thanks in advance,

Emily

[esowchek]

Emily,

I would suggest checking out the following website: www.pylosrestaurant.com.

Pylos is a Greek restaurant in New York City and Diane Kochilas is their consulting chef. Click on either the lunch or dinner menu, and there is a short but descriptive explanation of each of the dishes listed. This should give your dad a good idea of the kinds of thing to expect.

Ellen

[BuzzDraft]

Can anybody recommend a good serious food/cookery book on Greece?

←

I say keep it simple.

I bought a homemade cookbook with recipes donated by all the local grandmothers and moms at the Greek Festival at our local Atlanta Greek Orthodox Cathedral, proceeds went to the church's charities.

It doesn't have all the marketing muscle of Madison Ave. publishers behind it, and the fancy photography, but THIS is the REAL stuff!

I suggest you check out your local event calendar. As a matter of fact, our Greek Festival is only a couple weeks away. Thanks for the reminder!

Edited September 18, 2006 by BuzzDraft (log)