Culinaria Greece: Greek Specialties [Paperback]

Marianthi Milona (Author)

Book Description

Series: Culinaria | Publication Date: October 15, 2008

Food and culture are inexorably tied together. The Culinaria series reports on every aspect of the cuisine of a country within the context of the people who created it. One of the most successful series in cook book history, these new editions are updated with the guidance of first-class chefs, and come in a durable flexi-cover format to withstand abuse while spending time in the kitchen.

The teams behind each Culinaria volume spend months in the region they are working on, allowing them time to fully absorb all of the food and drink a country can offer. Profusely illustrated with spectacular photography and abundantly peppered with authentic recipes, these volumes are a treat for both the mind and the palate.


Learn about the history behind the dishes, their cultural significance, and how to prepare them.
Beautiful photographs take you on a tour from the local villages to inside the kitchen where you will find the final product.
Enormous variety of magnificent photographs and tempting recipes together with knowledgeable text that is easy for readers and cooks of all skill levels to understand.

Product Details

• Paperback: 459 pages
• Publisher: Ullmann (October 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0841603642
• ISBN-13: 978-0841603646
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #873,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #54 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Greek

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like getting a drink from a fire hydrant, September 3, 2009

By 

Myron A. Skulas (Cold Spring, KY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Culinaria Greece: Greek Specialties (Paperback)

This is without question, the finest collection of photos, anecdotal information, and cultural overview that I have ever experienced. At the turning of each page I was greeted with things that I had never heard of, or seen regarding Greek foods and spirits. As a second generation Greek-American, I had heard much from my yayias and papous (grandmothers and grandfathers) about the traditions and foods of their homeland, but their recollections were very localized. This wonderful book would be the equivalent of having hundreds of yayias and papous all spinning tales of what they did for the Easter Feast, or namesday celebrations, or the wonderful olive oil that they made in their old village. My only suggestion would be to increase the size of the fonts around the many beautiful photographs (which comes from the Greek words for light and writing--there you go). It looks like about a 6 point font, and is somewhat distracting. Yayia would need a magnifier to read them, but would nod approvingly and tell yet another story just like the one in the book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Culinaria: Greece, August 24, 2009

By 

Mr. R. Linkiewicz "R. Linkiewicz" (Dolans Bay, NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Culinaria Greece: Greek Specialties (Paperback)

After having purchased the France and Italy titles in this series I just had to buy the Greece volume when I saw it advertised. As a languages teaching resource, these books are outstanding: we're always studying food as part of our language studies and these books go beyond the mere recipes. The way the Greeks' attitude to food is presented, and the attention to detail in the book as well as the breathtaking photographs make this book invaluable to both teacher and gastronome. My Greek teachers were so impressed I had to order additional copies for them! I was always on the lookout for an 'Idiot's Guide' to Greek cooking and this book more than fits the bill. The recipes are presented in a manner that is easy to understand and the background information on the food is captivating. This is an excellent book in an excellent series.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great history, recipes unclear, March 15, 2011

By 

Stephanie Myers - See all my reviews

This review is from: Culinaria Greece: Greek Specialties (Paperback)

I see that others have found this cookbook to be great, but I've had issues with all of the recipes I've tried. Sometimes the recipe is unclear, other times it just seems wrong. One example is the Baklava. The syrup called for 6 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar, the syrup is boiled for 5 minutes then simmered for an undefined amount of time then honey and lemon juice are added and brought to a boil one more time. This amount of cooking does not reduce it by much and 6 cups of syrup is way too much to be absorbed by the baklava. The recipe itself tasted great, there was just he slight problem of either too much liquid or not enough cook time. I've run into problems like this with almost every recipe I've tried. I'm learning to look up a similar recipe from a different source to check if quantities or cooktimes seem to be way off.

I do love that the book is broken into different regions and I love the bit of history that goes with each recipe or region. The photography is also great.