Should you ever find yourself exploring a Greek island or walking through the streets of Athens, treat yourself by visiting a local bookstore to pick up a Greek cookbook. Although the major bookstores in the capital offer the widest selection, the smaller island shops may have fewer options or lack translated copies. However, don't worry, I've got you covered! Here are three fabulous Greek cookbooks by top Greek chefs and bloggers that are translated and you can find them abroad (or on Amazon). As a genuine Greek food enthusiast and cookbook collector, I highly recommend these for your collection or as a gift for someone you know who truly appreciates Greek cuisine!
Vefa Alexiadou is like the godmother of Greek cooking. For anyone who grew up in Greece, Vefa’s recipes are like family; she’s been guiding Greek kitchens since the late days of Nikos Tselementes, who published Greece’s first commercial cookbooks in the early 1900s. Her book Greece: The Cookbook is published by Phaidon which means -for those who collect cookbooks- exceptional quality (and a big parcel). It is essentially the Bible of Greek cuisine, overflowing with classic recipes from all corners of Greece and Cyprus. Whether you’re craving spanakopita, gemista, kleftiko, moussaka, or the various famous Greek desserts, this book is the 101 of Greek cooking. Plus, its good looks make it a beautiful coffee table book and a great kitchen companion for traditional Greek fare.
The second Greek must-have cookbook is from an Athenian chef and food journalist, Carolina Doriti, the Salt of the Earth. This book is a relatively fresh entry into the Greek culinary scene and I found it an absolute joy to read. Carolina delves into the fascinating history of Greek food from ancient times to today, explaining how centuries of influence from the Ottomans, Venetians, and others have shaped Greece’s iconic flavours. I think she is the only Greek chef who has combined a book about the history of Greek food with delicious recipes in one (see my black-eyed peas salad recipe post from this book). She finishes up with a well-curated selection of Greek ingredients (easily accessible abroad) and recipes to make the most out of them. It’s a gem of a book, with eye-catching photography and a kick-ass narrative that kept me hooked for hours-long reading.
The third book comes from Greek-American chef Diane Kochilas, born to Ikarian immigrants, who is splitting her time between Greece and the US. Ikaria, a magical island with a history tied to the mythical Icarus (who, legend has it, fell into the sea near the island during his ill-fated flight), is also known for the remarkable longevity of its people. The locals here live well into their 100s, which has earned Ikaria a place among the top five blue zones worldwide.
In her Ikaria Cookbook, Kochila brings the flavours and traditions of this extraordinary island right to your kitchen. You will find no fancy salmons or hispter avocados here. For those who've had the pleasure of visiting the island, you’ll recognize favourites like courgette fritters with oregano and mint, Ikarian cabbage slaw, hearty fish soups, sage-infused lentil dishes, and those drool-worthy pies and koulouri bread, including her gorgeous Ikarian cheese bagels which I have posted here. For those who haven’t been to Ikaria, the book offers a window into the island’s culinary secrets to health and longevity, with recipes as delicious as they are nourishing, beautifully captured through lush photography that transports you right to the island’s doorstep.
Check Diane's website for some cool recipes of book in one of the cooking classes she runs at Ikaria island every summer: https://www.dianekochilas.com/
Other Greek Cookbooks
Of course, there are plenty more fantastic Greek cookbooks out there that I like a lot, and I already have a few of them in my collection like Akis Petretzikis (a renowned celebrity chef in Greece right now - yet his books are only published in Greek), Irini's Tzortzoglou Under the Olive Tree (UK's Greek origin MasterChef winner) or the Aegean by Marianna Livaditaki, the London-based chef and restaurateur. But for this post, I wanted to focus on these three to showcase the traditional cooking from the legend of the Greek culinary scene, the history of Greek food through the eyes of Carolina Doriti and a book with recipes from an island where people live in their 100s.
Cookbook Stand
Along with these books I recommend getting this folding wooden recipe book stand which has proved quite handy for holding even the most bulky books when I cook and looks good in my kitchen; check it out (click the photos to buy):
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