The Complete Greek Cookbook contains the most comprehensive collection of Greek recipes ever published in this country with over one thousand variations of three hundred authentic recipes. They reflect a simplified modern approach to Greek cooking, step by step instructions, modified proportions of sugars, fats and oil, the use of instant foods and spices, tested short-cut methods and the use of appliances. Anecdotes and myths about the origins of these recipes makes this book fun to read and a treasure to have in the kitchen. This is a new edition of an Amazon five star classic which was revised in August 2000 that has sold over two hundred thousand copies.
Has some historical recipes from classical Greece, but they are more interesting than practical (roast peacock with plumage), Spartan “black broth” – which even its contemporaries described as terrible-tasting-, and camel). First published in 1970, the recipes rely heavily on canned foods and dried spices. Better for interesting notes on historical and regional foods than on actual recipes.
This is a great book if you are truly interested in understanding and learning how to cook as they do in Greece and nearby Mediterranean spots. My boyfriend is Greek and when I saw this book on his sister's shelf, I immediately ordered it. The author is like your nice, Greek friend, warmly welcoming you to her beloved traditional methods of preparing and cooking tasty foods. Names of dishes are given in modern Greek language as well as in English, with helpful phonetic spellings. So many of the dishes are simple and versatile. The author gives tips on how the food is often served in Greece as well as ideas for adapting to your own lifestyle. I have often used thus book as an encyclopedia of sorts after a meal at my bf's mother's home, looking up what we ate, how it is made and how to pronounce it! I can truly say I have learned a great deal. As you might expect, this book contains many fish recipes and many for ideas for preparation of vegetables. There is history ( recipes for Hippocrates wine and Aristophanes appetizers), brief lore and so many rich details, the reader truly gets a "taste" of Greek culture (without the airfare!) If you are planning a trip to Greece, or, alternatively, want to savor the memory if a voyage there, this book will help you. Like so many of her country's people, Theresa Karas Yianilos is a warm and generous host.