Customer Reviews

Culinaria Greece: Greek Specialties

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This book is so lovely, with pictures, and it's a big book. So I make photo copies of the recipes I cook, in order to protect the book, which sits on my coffee table. I've cooked everything on page 327 several times. I make enough for leftovers. Be sure and cook the rice for the stuffed bell peppers first like the recipe says. I also add some avgo lemono sauce on the peppers when they are done baking--instead of using tomato paste and Zwiebacks. I also fry some ground turkey and mix it in with the rice filling. My husband likes to cook the Veal with leeks, on page 111. He was born in Thessaloniki, same as the author. This is one of my favorite Greek cookbooks!

As a Greek-American and a food fanatic, I am always on the prowl for cookbooks that put Greek food into context. This book is IT. I was drawn to the book not because of the content, but because I'm sure the fisherman pictured on the back cover is a long-lost relative of my dad's (the resemblance is uncanny -- right down to the smirk on his face!).

Upon opening the book, I found National Geographic-quality photography, along with narration that brings together:

*the history of ingredients ("In the same way the chestnut tree spread from Asia minor to Thessaly and thence to the Sporated Islands, the almond tree... likewise found its way to these small, rocky islands where it quickly put down roots...")

*the traditions and techniques of the geographic regions ("The women of the Sporades make an almond cream from peeled almonds by grating them while still warm and mixing them quickly with sugar and water.")

*drool-invoking recipes that are diverse and unique to the regions from which they came.

The book includes several handy reference tools- a table of contents, a detailed map of the regions by which the book is organized, a glossary, a bibliography, picture credits, and indexes of illustrations, dishes, recipes by English name, recipes by Greek name and an index of key words. Ingredient measurements are in American (1 generous cup) and International (250 g) measurements.

It's a great book for anyone who wants to go beyond a collection of recipes.

I spent the last two days reading this book from cover to cover. The book is jam packed with information about Greek food and culture. Each region gets its own section. There is information about agriculture, animal husbandry, Greek mythology, and oh yes, many wonderful recipes that you will want to try. The photos are excellent.

The author obviously has a deep knowledge and great love of Greece in all it diversity. I can't tell you what a joy this book is to read.

I will be moving on to the other Culinaria books, and am looking forward to them.