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Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life, and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die: A Mediterranean Diet Cookbook
Part cookbook, part travelogue, Ikaria is an introduction to the food-as-life philosophy of the Greek island "blue zone" and a culinary journey through luscious recipes, gorgeous photography, and captivating stories from locals.
The remote and lush island of Ikaria in the northeastern Aegean is home to one of the longest-living populations on the planet, making it a "blue zone." Much of this has been attributed to Ikaria's stress-free lifestyle and Mediterranean daily naps, frequent sex, a little fish and meat, free-flowing wine, mindful exercise like walking and gardening, hyper-local food, strong friendships, and a deep-rooted disregard for the clock.
No one knows the Ikarian lifestyle better than Chef Diane Kochilas, who has spent much of her life there. Capturing the true spirit of the island, Kochilas explains the importance of shared food, the health benefits of raw and cooked salads, the bean dishes that are passed down through generations, the greens and herbal teas that are used in the kitchen and in the teapot as "medicine," and the nutritional wisdom inherent in the ingredients and recipes that have kept Ikarians healthy for so long.
Ikaria is more than a cookbook. It's a portrait of the people who have achieved what so many of us yearn a fuller, more meaningful and joyful life, lived simply and nourished on real, delicious, seasonal foods that you can access anywhere.
The remote and lush island of Ikaria in the northeastern Aegean is home to one of the longest-living populations on the planet, making it a "blue zone." Much of this has been attributed to Ikaria's stress-free lifestyle and Mediterranean daily naps, frequent sex, a little fish and meat, free-flowing wine, mindful exercise like walking and gardening, hyper-local food, strong friendships, and a deep-rooted disregard for the clock.
No one knows the Ikarian lifestyle better than Chef Diane Kochilas, who has spent much of her life there. Capturing the true spirit of the island, Kochilas explains the importance of shared food, the health benefits of raw and cooked salads, the bean dishes that are passed down through generations, the greens and herbal teas that are used in the kitchen and in the teapot as "medicine," and the nutritional wisdom inherent in the ingredients and recipes that have kept Ikarians healthy for so long.
Ikaria is more than a cookbook. It's a portrait of the people who have achieved what so many of us yearn a fuller, more meaningful and joyful life, lived simply and nourished on real, delicious, seasonal foods that you can access anywhere.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2014
258 people are currently reading
824 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 27, 2023
As others have said in previous reviews; lovely photography and interesting articles, but not too many exciting recipes.
Edit: I would like to make Fakes me Faskomilo kai Kafteri Piperia, a sage and chilies soup.
Edit: I would like to make Fakes me Faskomilo kai Kafteri Piperia, a sage and chilies soup.
October 12, 2015
3.5 stars
I love to cook, that's no secret. Since my dad's a chef, I grew up learning and appreciating all sorts of different types of cuisine. That being said, I will always have a soft spot for Greek cooking. It is my absolute favorite to eat, and I read as many cookbooks as I can on the subject. This book makes a pretty good addition to my collection.
What makes this book cool is the voice that it's written with. There's a lot of personal connections and stories that make the book more personal, which makes the recipes feel like they were handed to you by someone dear to you. There's also a lot of cool history and facts about what life in Ikaria is like, as well as tips and hints that are scattered throughout, and a bibliography at the end for more reading. You've got to love a book that encourages more reading.
The recipes are divided into sections: Small bites, salads, soups, savory pies and breads, vegetables as a main course, beans and legumes, pasta and rice, sea life, meat, and sweets. I like this style of organization, since it's easy to find the recipe that you're in the mood for.
The skill level for this book is really varied. Some of the recipes are really complex, with lots of ingredients and techniques and time management skills. Other dishes are much more simple, like roasted onions. I think that's good, because that makes it approachable to any cook, no matter of what their skill level in the kitchen is.
I am bummed that there's not many pictures, since I generally take that into large consideration when I'm buying a cookbook.
The steps are short and to the point, and they include variations to the recipes when applicable. There are some pretty uncommon ingredients in here, which I can anticipate being a problem depending on where you live. I did like, though, that each dish name was given both in English and in Greek, giving it more authenticity. Some of the recipes are traditional Greek foods I know and love, such as lemon rice soup and dolmades, others are dishes I've never even heard of before.
Whether I've heard of them or not though, they all sound so rustic and wholesome. The soup and seafood chapters all sound delicious, and there's nice variation on rabbit and goat dishes. These are both proteins I enjoy, but don't get to eat very often. That said, this book is very vegetarian friendly. There's a whole chapter just on vegetable main courses, and other dishes give variations to make them more adaptable.
Some of the recipes that I'm most excited to try include Wine-Cooked Rooster and Rooster Broth Soup with Rice, Ikarian Milk Soup, and Grape Molasses-Chocolate Cake.
I recommend this book to those looking to add more Greek spice to their home kitchen. I just wish there were more pictures.
I received my copy in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
I love to cook, that's no secret. Since my dad's a chef, I grew up learning and appreciating all sorts of different types of cuisine. That being said, I will always have a soft spot for Greek cooking. It is my absolute favorite to eat, and I read as many cookbooks as I can on the subject. This book makes a pretty good addition to my collection.
What makes this book cool is the voice that it's written with. There's a lot of personal connections and stories that make the book more personal, which makes the recipes feel like they were handed to you by someone dear to you. There's also a lot of cool history and facts about what life in Ikaria is like, as well as tips and hints that are scattered throughout, and a bibliography at the end for more reading. You've got to love a book that encourages more reading.
The recipes are divided into sections: Small bites, salads, soups, savory pies and breads, vegetables as a main course, beans and legumes, pasta and rice, sea life, meat, and sweets. I like this style of organization, since it's easy to find the recipe that you're in the mood for.
The skill level for this book is really varied. Some of the recipes are really complex, with lots of ingredients and techniques and time management skills. Other dishes are much more simple, like roasted onions. I think that's good, because that makes it approachable to any cook, no matter of what their skill level in the kitchen is.
I am bummed that there's not many pictures, since I generally take that into large consideration when I'm buying a cookbook.
The steps are short and to the point, and they include variations to the recipes when applicable. There are some pretty uncommon ingredients in here, which I can anticipate being a problem depending on where you live. I did like, though, that each dish name was given both in English and in Greek, giving it more authenticity. Some of the recipes are traditional Greek foods I know and love, such as lemon rice soup and dolmades, others are dishes I've never even heard of before.
Whether I've heard of them or not though, they all sound so rustic and wholesome. The soup and seafood chapters all sound delicious, and there's nice variation on rabbit and goat dishes. These are both proteins I enjoy, but don't get to eat very often. That said, this book is very vegetarian friendly. There's a whole chapter just on vegetable main courses, and other dishes give variations to make them more adaptable.
Some of the recipes that I'm most excited to try include Wine-Cooked Rooster and Rooster Broth Soup with Rice, Ikarian Milk Soup, and Grape Molasses-Chocolate Cake.
I recommend this book to those looking to add more Greek spice to their home kitchen. I just wish there were more pictures.
I received my copy in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
November 22, 2014
*I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
An aesthetically beautiful volume with a too-long title and recipes that fail to excite. 1.5 Stars
Read this review and more on The Library Lass Book Talk Blog.
An aesthetically beautiful volume with a too-long title and recipes that fail to excite. 1.5 Stars
Read this review and more on The Library Lass Book Talk Blog.
November 15, 2015
Beautifully printed. Lovely photographs. Not one recipe I would even consider trying to make.
March 6, 2019
The writing is fairly good in this one and I wanted to make a lot of the recipes. HOWEVER. I seemed to always be unable to locate at least one of the ingredients. How will I live forever now?
March 1, 2019
Kochilas uses her experience and some research to draw some conclusions about the healthy eating of people on the Greek Island of Ikaria. Make what you will of these assumptions about healthy eating, but the recipes themselves emphasize the local foods which are strong on veggies and olive oil and highlight Greek flavors.
Recipes are organized around courses. And the book has lots of color pictures of prepared dishes.
Some recipes will be out of most people’s reach-unless you have access to unpasteurized goats milk, cured goat, kefalotyri, sea fennel, or taro root for example. And she includes some prep techniques that are a bit unusual like drying potatoes. . . But in terms of difficulty, generally the recipes are simple often will only five or six ingredients.
There are lots of essays on foodways in ikaria including their high alcohol wines, wide range of herbs (many of which I’ve never heard of like leontodon taraxacum)and unique mushrooms.
If you are interested in the what and how the long living Ikarian population eats, then this book can function as a cultural artifact.
Recipes are organized around courses. And the book has lots of color pictures of prepared dishes.
Some recipes will be out of most people’s reach-unless you have access to unpasteurized goats milk, cured goat, kefalotyri, sea fennel, or taro root for example. And she includes some prep techniques that are a bit unusual like drying potatoes. . . But in terms of difficulty, generally the recipes are simple often will only five or six ingredients.
There are lots of essays on foodways in ikaria including their high alcohol wines, wide range of herbs (many of which I’ve never heard of like leontodon taraxacum)and unique mushrooms.
If you are interested in the what and how the long living Ikarian population eats, then this book can function as a cultural artifact.
June 1, 2022
This is a lovely cookbook that provides the reader with interesting recipes, most using simple ingredients along with some unusual ingredients, however the unusual ingredients are only unusual to me because I'm not from Ikaria, if I were, then pretty much all of the ingredients would be simple. I enjoyed learning about these new-to-me ingredients and appreciated that the author provided sources so I could obtain them if I want to. To be honest, I was a little annoyed initially that one of the links is to the authors own website, but then who am I to begrudge her crafty business skills? Plus she's giving me access to ingredients I wouldn't have otherwise known about.
The author makes no bones about her love of Ikaria and does an excellent job educating the reader about the diet and lifestyle of Ikarians, and their proclivity for longevity. The recipes lean heavily toward plants but there are chapters for fish and meat, with the meat recipes leaning heavily towards goat. There are plenty of photos of finished dishes, but not for every recipe.
The author makes no bones about her love of Ikaria and does an excellent job educating the reader about the diet and lifestyle of Ikarians, and their proclivity for longevity. The recipes lean heavily toward plants but there are chapters for fish and meat, with the meat recipes leaning heavily towards goat. There are plenty of photos of finished dishes, but not for every recipe.
May 30, 2023
Lovely descriptions and gorgeous photos of the beauty and bounty of this magical Greek island fill this cookbook along with tantalizing recipes and detailed information. Lots of interesting ingredients and ways to turn even the most humble staples such as potatoes or beans into luscious hearty meals. I am definitely planning to try a number of the vegetable dishes soon!
If you like seafood there are a plethora of authentic recipes and plenty more for goat and lamb. Descriptions of how to make homemade cheeses and pickled items are an inspiration to eat well off the land. If you enjoy the flavors of Greek or Mediterranean cuisine you will find this a beautiful addition to your cookbook collection!
If you like seafood there are a plethora of authentic recipes and plenty more for goat and lamb. Descriptions of how to make homemade cheeses and pickled items are an inspiration to eat well off the land. If you enjoy the flavors of Greek or Mediterranean cuisine you will find this a beautiful addition to your cookbook collection!
November 9, 2017
A very enjoyable book to read, chock full of information about the island of Ikaria, the inhabitants, and the food they eat. A reasonable amount of the recipes use ingredients that are readily available in the US, or note easy-to-find substitutions for more unfamiliar ingredients, such as fennel bulb for wild fennel. Others will require a trip to a Mediterranean specialty grocery for items like "petimezi" (grape molasses). Some of the recipes, involving goat & cephalopods, are not appealing to me, but are interesting to read about at the very least. A good book to add to a cookbook collection, as much for the cultural history as for the recipes.
January 4, 2022
I really appreciate the regional focus this book tastes, encouraging locally foraged and grown foods over commercially available foods. The first three recipes I tried all had some small errors or mistypes that would have turned a dish bad for someone who didn’t have experience cooking in this way (ex. adding half cup of water to cook 1 cup of rice in the spanakorizo recipe or not adding any liquid to the mushroom stew which would have rendered it sautéed mushrooms.)
September 30, 2019
I think that I own every Kochilas book published. Her recipes are straight forward and delicious with easily accessible ingredients. I also like her current PBS series (which does not relate to this book).
April 9, 2021
The more you look at recipes the more you realize that food is regional. Although familiar with Greek cuisine, the island of Ikaria has some wonderful takes and variations using the unique flavors found there. Worthwhile.
September 20, 2018
Lots of great recipes and interesting tidbits about the Greek island Ikaria, one of the longevity Blue Zones. Many of the recipes are from the Diane Kochilas cooking show, so that was fun.
June 19, 2019
An excellent view into the culinary and cultural world of the island of Ikaria.
October 4, 2020
The PBS chef writes another love letter to Greece and its food. I already made the chickpea stew and it was amazing!
February 6, 2021
Great stories and recipes, this author has a great passion for this past of Greece and the amazing food.
April 15, 2022
Interesting and peppered with recipes.
July 8, 2023
Good pictures. Good recipies. Interesting stories.
January 21, 2015
This was a great, new book to stumble upon! This cookbook focuses on the life and recipes of the small Greek island of Ikaria. Between recipes unique to this area, the author shares stories of the people, culture, and food of this beautiful island, alongside fantastic pictures. This cookbook is a great opportunity to delve into the lives of the locals, and the food that sustains them.
Sarah M. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.
August 25, 2016
This is a very interesting book about the people of Ikaria, a tiny Greek island off the coast of Turkey. Many of them live long lives and they are healthier than people in other parts of the world.
Their diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet with the exception of the large amount of potatoes they eat. I found it especially interesting that their breakfast usually consists of goat milk or herbal tea. That's it.
Besides interesting stories and information about how they eat, the book also contains a treasure trove of recipes. While I admit, some of the ingredients may be hard to find, suitable substitutions will be easy to come up with.
I loved this book, and I recommend it to anyone who wishes to look for a healthier lifestyle.
Their diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet with the exception of the large amount of potatoes they eat. I found it especially interesting that their breakfast usually consists of goat milk or herbal tea. That's it.
Besides interesting stories and information about how they eat, the book also contains a treasure trove of recipes. While I admit, some of the ingredients may be hard to find, suitable substitutions will be easy to come up with.
I loved this book, and I recommend it to anyone who wishes to look for a healthier lifestyle.
April 16, 2015
Such a clear sense of the area being described-- fresh, whole ingredients, history and flavor are my holy trinity in a cookbook, so this one gets a huge, happy, gushing recommendation. The mushroom stew was amazing, the hortas just like the ones I love from my favorite restaurant. I will continue to cook my way through.
October 10, 2015
I really enjoyed the lessons of food, life and longevity from Ikaria. The photographs and stories have me wanting to visit. The recipes that I tried were delicious. The only unfortunate thing for me, was that I do not have access to many of ingredients.
May 7, 2015
Very interesting. Not completely practical for me but I've saved a few recipes for sure!
October 31, 2015
Stunning stories and food. Cannot wait to eat all of the lentils!!!!
September 29, 2016
Beautiful pictures, beautiful people, beautiful food - and such a great story to go along with it all. More of a motivation to go to Ikaria and eat the food than make it myself.
September 1, 2015
Excellent healthy recipes. I have incorporated them into my staples.
May 11, 2018
3.5 stars. Beautiful pics. A lot of the recipes I don’t think I’d ever make. I’d never make anything with goat , what’s amaranth? Wouldn’t be able to find that where I live, nor can I get sea fennel which is apparently different from normal fennel, and mallow leaves ? There’s many things I wouldn’t make and wouldn’t be able to find the ingredients for; there are some for sure that I will try, but more often than not, there are recipes I would never make. But again I say, the pictures are very nice.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews