Athens: Food, Stories, Love

by Diane Kochilas

New York Times bestselling author Diane Kochilas’s latest cookbook, with 150 recipes, explores all of the greatest dishes from Greece’s most-visited city.

Everyone’s favorite Greek chef, Diane Kochilas, is back with a cookbook dedicated to exploring the food of Athens. Diane has lived in Athens for thirty years and has been witness to the enormous social and culinary changes all around her. To navigate the city’s gastronomic scene today is to discover a city overflowing with new creative energy in its kitchens and myriad of international ingredients in its markets. These new global influences on the Athenian table live side by side with Greece’s great gastronomic traditions. Souvlaki, hand pies, and the classic pasta casserole pastitsio are included here along with Athenian “fancy” dishes like Noua, a classic Athenian pot roast, and Chicken Milanese, combining chicken, rice, and a velvety cream sauce. Giving readers a taste of the ways in which the culinary traditions of other countries are shaping the way Athens eats today, Diane offers a recipe for a French-influenced cross between a croissant and spanakopita, shares an Italian twist on a Greek classic with Shrimp Saganaki Risotto, updates a Greek bean dish with a Grec-Mex twist on gigantes, and much more. As with all of Diane’s other books, the recipes in Athens are home-cook friendly. So, bring a taste of today’s Athenian table to your home with Food, Stories, Love.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Greece, Food, Nonfiction

394 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 28, 2025

Reviews

[Jennifer Huberdeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes, the simplest recipes deliver the richest flavors.

Such is the case with this lemony, nutty, earthy chickpea soup from celebrity chef Diane Kochilas in her most recent cookbook, "Athens: Food, Stories, Love: A Cookbook." The soup, made with just a handful of ingredients — olive oil, onion, garlic, chickpeas, Greek oregano and lemon juice — is an homage to Diporto's revitahada (Greek chickpea stew).

read it here: https://www.berkshireeagle.com/arts_a...

[Aved · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a beautiful book. Each dish starts out with a story around it, and how it shaped the culture of the city. I particularly enjoyed reading about the history and the author's thoughts about everything, and the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. The recipes are easy to follow, and there are some vegan and vegetarian versions of the classic dish, which is nice to have.

One thing I would have liked is an illustration of what the dish is supposed to look like at the end, and only some of them have this accompanying illustration. But overall, if you are looking for some interesting new recipes to try, I would recommend this book. There are recipes for all skill levels, and the ingredients are easy to get from the local supermarket.

Thanks to Goodreads Giveaways and St Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of the book.

[Kendra Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolutely gorgeous book, fully living up to its as cookbook, memoir and travel guide - particularly, the exploration of how modern athenian cuisine has evolved to where it is today, and the influences that shaped it.

That said, and while I can't wait to dig in and try some of these recipes at home, I'm not sure I buy that it is truly "home cook friendly" for the casual or beginner cook - the recipes themselves are very accessible in that they are easy to understand and the steps laid out straightforwardly, but there are some ingredients that may be difficult to find, and methods that not be familiar or easy to master without some practice.

Overall I think this book would be a great addition to the library if anyone interested in Athenian cuisine and history, or those looking to expand their Hellenic recipe arsenal.

[Emily Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

This cookbook felt short for me. When a cookbook is meant to introduce people to foods from another culture, it feels important to include photos. Not only do we eat with our eyes first, but it is also serves a sort of guidance for readers to know whether or not they are on the right track when assembling the dish. This is especially helpful for those of us who may not be particularlly familar with the cuisine. This cookbook is very much lacking in photos, and when there are photos, they are often of markets (beautiful, not helpful) or of dishes not not being referenced (weird).

Pretty but disapointing.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is ideal for anyone who plans to visit Athens. Fans of Diane Kochilas will recognize a lot the places from her cooking show. She synthesizes all of the hot spots, history & recipes into one fabulous book. It was interesting to read her personal assimilation along with Athens food history. All of the photos have artistic flare & they're very inviting. My only complaint is that I needed a photo for every recipe for cooking inspiration. However, this book is both tour guide & cookbook. A great gift for any foodie or world traveler.

[Frankie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is beautiful a great gift for someone who has a love for Athen's and Greek Food. This book takes you on a foodie tour of Athen's dishes and recipes. I tried both the Moscharaki Kokinisto (beef stew) & the Cheese-Stuffed Taverna Burger. Both were delicious and worth sharing with friends/family.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of amazing sounding dishes in this book. I wish there were photos for each recipe. Honestly, there are quite a few with ingredients I've never heard of, would have no other use for, and would just not want to try. (octopus, squid, herring, etc. Might try one of the chickpea dishes.

[Karrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, interesting book. There isn't a picture for all the recipes, otherwise I would give it a 5. (ratings are dumb anyway). Looks really good. Tons of meat and tons of veg recipes as well.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just started this book and I can't wait to try some of these recipes. Beautiful pictures and and lots of information about Greece and Athens. Really makes we want to start planning a trip there.

[Margaret Gerberding · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of amazing recipes in this cookbook and I now want to go to Greece more than ever.

[Ashley Reel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book , only complaint is that every recipe should have a photo.

[Edie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diane Cochilos, best known for her cooking related television appearances, was a food writer in Greece in earlier days. She filled these pages with the wonderful delights of this capital city.

The pictures are beautiful and the recipes look delightful. I admit I haven’t made any yet due to the many dietary restrictions in my family and the fact that some of ingredients weren’t accessible. But the book provides you with much more than how to make its dishes.

The author writes a lot on Athenian food history. She begins by telling you that those favorites associated with Greek restaurants in other countries could be found in areas geared to tourists. However, current Athenian cuisine is a hybrid of international tastes brought to the country by returning expatriates, current immigrants, new wealth from abroad, and chefs bored with the status quo.

Although many current dishes owe their roots to other countries, so did many of the classics. What makes them uniquely Greek is the additional tweaks and touches of its inhabitants.. Cochilos shows us how.