Customer Reviews

The Olive and the Caper: Adventures in Greek Cooking

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According to the preface and acknowledgments to this book, `The Olive and the Caper' by Susanna Hoffman, the author went through many more difficulties than usual in bringing this book to completion. Heading the list was the loss of the virtually complete manuscript in 1991, and its reconstruction in the following years. I for one am delighted that the author took the effort to reconstruct this volume, as it should stand as a template for how to put together a readable, useable, entertaining exposition of the cuisine of a country.

I am not saying Ms. Hoffman has given us the very best treatment of a national cuisine or even necessarily the very best treatment of Greek cuisine. Diana Kennedy's `From My Mexican Kitchen' is a different approach to a national cuisine that works equally as well as a format and her content is of the highest possible quality. Similarly, Diane Kochilas approaches Greek food in `The Glorious Foods of Greece' in an entirely different manner than Hoffman, giving us a third valuable approach.

While Kochilas' approach is by region, with each chapter covering a different ethnic and culinary enclave such as The Peloponnesos, The Ionian Islands, Thessaly, Macedonia, Crete, and Athens and others, Ms. Hoffman approaches her subject by ingredient or type of dish. While this seems very conventional and while it is definitely less scholarly than Ms. Kochilas book, it is done with a depth that is uncommon among lesser books on a national cuisine. For example, the very first chapter deals with the drinks of Greece, including lowly water, which just happens to have a special place in Greek tradition. It reminds us that it is Greek intellectual tradition and customs that contributed much more to the development of early Christianity than Roman customs. Most of the first bishops of the church in Asia Minor were Greek and the intellectual underpinning of theologians such as St. Augustine was Plato. If the traditions of baptism and holy water did not originate with Greek Christians, their traditions certainly reinforced these Christian ideas.

Interspersed with recipes within each chapter are excellent culinary sidebars on things like Greek cheeses, olives, pickles, bread, tomatoes, saffron, and marinades, among many other topics. There are also excellent sidebars on Greek history and mythology on subjects such as Zeus, Byzantium, Cyprus, Pericles, the Olympics, Alexander the Great and so on. And, there is much here which may be new to even well informed readers. I did graduate studies in Philosophy and was an avid reader of Greek Mythology, and I find things here that I did not know. The reference to the mysterious Sythians, a culture which lived in Hellenic times above the Black Sea shows they had culinary and trade connections to the Greeks, before they were erased from world history by the Tartars.

The book divides the material into three great parts. The first is Drinks, Meze, and Savory Pies. I have already discussed the drinks section which includes wine ouzo, tsikoudia (similar to Italian grappa), brandy, beer, coffee, tea, and fruitades. The second chapter is Meze, of which much has been written recently. The third chapter in the first part covers savory pies, primarily constructed from filo pastry.

The second part covers the lions share of savory dishes. The chapters are:
Bread - Greek bread is really different from what you expect from French and Italian bakers. This is where the Eastern Mediterranean flatbread terroir starts, with lots of stuff like eggs, olives, and figs baked into the bread.
Soup - Much closer to Italian traditions and recipes than the bread. Lots of vegetable soups with beans and greens.
Salads - The famous Greek Salad plus new variations on common Mediterranean themes.
Eggs - One of the most distinctive Greek ingredients. The author explains how the Greek colony in Denver, with their traditional involvement in running diners, created the Denver omelet, much more a Greek than a cowboy dish, it turns out.
Sustaining Grain - Barley, Wheat, Rice and Noodles
The Vegetable Parade
Fish and Shellfish - One of the very few lapses in this book is that it makes no mention of the fact that contrary to expectations, fish does not play as big a part in most island cuisine as you may expect, since almost all fish is shipped off to Athens for sale. That is not to say Greece does not have a lot of fish recipes, just that you may not find them where you expect.
Meat - Lots of lamb.
Birds - Mostly Chicken
Wild Game - The other birds
Sauces, Toppings, and Marinades
Fruit as the Finale

The third part of recipes is a single chapter on sweets. Like the Italians, Greeks eat fewer sweets after their meal than they do in the afternoon with coffee or late at night. The star of Greek pastry is filo, honey, and nuts in dishes such as baklava, kadaifi, and other cakes, fried pastry, cookies, and puddings.

There are many very good books on Greek food, but if you have none yet, this should definitely be your first. It is a great survey by topic with recipes written in an extremely clear, detailed style which even a novice should have no trouble following. I also find practically no overlap between this book and Diane Kochilas' classic. Get them both, but get this one first. Then get Kochilas' book on Mezes, as neither of these others cover the full range of this topic.

Highly recommended for all foodies, especially for those with an interest in the Greek, Turkish, and Eastern Mediterranean cuisines.

Having never been to Greece, I won't even begin to comment on how "authentic" Ms. Hoffman's recipes are. They are, however, accompanied by many sidebars, articles, anecdotes and mini history lessons that make the recipes seem like illustrations in a wonderful travel book.

The recipes run the gamut from difficult (exotic ingredients and complicated prep) to simple (glass of water, anyone?) and not all dishes are for everyone. But there is a nice sense of generality to the collection, from the traditional to the seasonal, as if everything you ever wanted to *sample* from a Greek table is in this book.

What really makes it so attractive, however, is the conversational running commentary kept up by the author throughout. One learns why water is such a sacred inclusion at the Greek table, why Constantinoble became Istanbul, and what it takes for a foreign woman to be accepted by her Greek neighbors. Whether giving us a history lesson or just a glimpse into modern daily life, Ms. Hoffman's experiences in the Greek Isles are an invaluble inclusion here. Perhaps even enough to start a new sub-genre: Culturebooks!

A lovely book, with interesting history and geography, colorful photos, and recipes which a stay at home mom with two small kids can actually contemplate cooking. I take it with me to read in the "pick-up line". A super gift-giving book for the holidays, as well.

This book is truly a winner. The recepies are just delicious and I have been serving them not only to my own family but at school meetings and community parties, and everybody wants to know where I got them and what makes them so increadibly good! But also all the little stories and facts are delightful. Each one is like a new little adventure within a greater adventure. I have never been to Greece but if it's anything like it sounds like from this book, I want to go there--and never leave! I will take this book as my guide as i move from dish to dish! A charming, lovely cookbook which has brought me many happy friends and smiles.
Pasta Primavera

This homage to Greek regional cooking offers snippets of history, mythology and reminiscence throughout. From the familiar Spinach Pie to the less familiar (but still traditional) Baked White Fish Fillets with Blood Orange, Sweet Wine and Bay Leaf, Hoffman offers step-by-step directions, notes on ingredients, menu suggestions and variations.

Organized by course this lively, ebullient paperback includes lots of pies (Mushroom and Retsina; Lamb; Pastitsio); Mussel Soup; Eggs with Yogurt and Greek Salsa; Orzo and Beans; numerous stuffed vegetables; Beef with Olives and 100 Cloves of Garlic; Duck with Ouzo Orange Cinnamon Sauce, and Walnut Cake. Wide-ranging and snappily designed, this is as much fun to read as to cook from.

Hoffman has managed the right mix of anecdotes, Greek myths, folklore, history and recipes. This is one of those enjoyable creatures: a readable cookbook. The recipes are practical and delightful. Be careful: if you have visited Greece, it will make you desperate to return; if you haven't, it will make you want to visit.
The prose is a bit overdone, epecially when she waxes liyrical about how "Greek beckons with rich and vivid people, multifarious folkways - and incredible food." But her passion for things Greek is excusable. A delightful book on all counts.

I purchased this cookbook nearly a year ago. Amazon never requested feedback so I never wrote a review until now. I had been searching for over 20 years for the Greek cookbook that would duplicate the wonderful food tastes I had experienced during my trips to Greece. I asked friends born in Greece for their recipes and yet something was still missing. This book is the one. It ended my search. I have given away all the rest of the Greek cookbooks I had collected thru the years. And, in addition, the book is so well presented. The history provided, the helpful notes, the photos and the easy to follow recipes take me back to those happy times spent in Greece laughing with friends and sharing great food. For someone like me who is not known for their culinary skills, I can turn out a very tasty meal with the use of this book. It is very practical yet a work of art in many way. Highly, highly recommend.

An opening quote is a great way to get started with this cookbook: "Grinning up at me, the casserole boils and chatters to itself and fishes leap up in the frying pan." This is credited to Euboulos, Giants, 385 B.C.E.

Why the book title? One of the reasons for relating the olive to the caper is probably their opposition and sameness: the olive was domesticated on Greek shores; the caper sprouts wildly from almost every cliff and cranney. In their alikeness, they are both cured much the same way, brined and stored in clay vessels or jars.

Workman Publishing is capable of some large production cookbooks, but The Olive and the Caper has to eclipse many. Its handsome intro could be compared with a grand musical fanfare, and they accomplished this with exquisite photographic folk and geographic studies. The early pictorial preview starts with Central Greece and its olives. They then move to the Peloponnesos' awesome citrus, ease up to Northern Greece's elegant capers, then swoop to the Ionian Islands and its succulent seafood, fish from the Aegean at Cyclades. Next, it's on to Crete and her tavernas' treats, then the preserves of Dodecanese resting at last with the bountiful fruits of Cyprus.

Author, Susanna Hoffman, a chef and anthropologist, has lived in Greece on and off for thirty years which gave her the opportunity to get into the backgrounds of the people, their foods and customs. This brings their history and geography together nicely.

It would be easy to get lost in this book if it weren't for the loose groupings in its Table of Contents: For instance, Part One starts with "From Water to Wine," followed by the "tapas" in Greek cuisine, "Meze." These are broken into fascinating categories. (Not the least of which seems "A Mix of Mushrooms Marinated in Wine, Fennel, and Thyme.") The next sections are Savory Pies, Breads, Soup for Hard Times and Good Times," Salads, Eggs and Sustaining Grains, Barley, Wheat, Rice & Noodles. Her Vegetable Parade is broken down into Simmered, Sauteed & Fried, Stewed Vegetable Stand-outs, Crisp Croquettes and Fritters and Stuffed Vegetables then the famed Greek Casseroles. The remaining sections: Fish and Shellfish; Meat, Birds; Wild Game; Sauces, Toppings and Marinades; Fruits as the Finale and Sweets in Profusion round out this large undertaking.

Here's some pauses during an Olive and Caper riffling:

In the meze section, Eggplant and Yogurt Spread with Red Onion and Olives.

A simple Pickled Red Onions recipe calling only for red wine vinegar, water, sugar and a bay leaf.

Zesty Lentil Soup with fresh dandelion greens, fresh oregano and a touch of tomato paste. Your reviewer made this delicious dish using green Parisian lentils.

Tomato and Bread Salad with Feta, Basil and Capers. The recipe suggests you use the book's recipe for Barley Ring bread.

Homemade Trahana Sour Dough Noodles, again is simply made with an egg, yogurt, salt and semolina flour.

Spinach-Oregano Pesto with scallions, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil. Plan to serve that day.

Pork Stew with Olives, Anchovies, Cilantro and White Beans.The recipe directs the book to used freshly wilted Cilantro which is the green tossed with vinegar and salt.

For desserts: Semolina Custard Pie with Clove and Orange Syrup.

Sesame Cake with Sesame Icing. The icing is made with tahini, confectioners' sugar and vanilla.

The Greeks seem to be quite taken with many varieties of Spoon Sweets (fruits stewed down with sugar to a desired consistency): Quince and Pomegranate, Cherry and Tsikoudia, Apricot and Metaxa and Grape. There are probably as many Spoon Sweets as there are fruits.

Spoon Sweets are usually served with Greek-inspired ice creams like: Olive Oil Ice Cream, *Mastic Ice Cream and Mavrodaphne Ice Cream.

The Olive and the Caper is a beautiful book covering not only the Moussakas we find in all Greek restaurants but a whole lot of family, highly-nourishing, dishes. If you have room for only one Greek cookbook, along with some well-told Greek history, you'd be pretty well off making this book the one you keep.

* Hoffman also confides her love affair with the "very special Greek ingredient, Mastiha" (mastic).



Reviewed by Marty Martindale © 2005, Largo FL





© Marty Martindale, 2005, Largo FL

if i could only have one book on greek cooking, this would be it. not only are the recipes good and consistent, there is a ton of info on the food and its origins, traditions, folklore, history and more. i teach a cooking class in greece every summer ([...]) on the mediterranean diet and i carry this book back and forth to show it to my students.

Do you love Mediterranean flavors, fresh tasting "jump in the mouth" dishes? This is the cookbook for you. I have tried more than a few recipes from this book, all were outstanding. The skewered shrimp with tarragon made me do a little dance! I have made the Potato Salad with olives, capers, and caraway, a Black-eyed Pea salad w/tomatoes and basil, and Greek Country salad, on several occasions. The Giant Beans Plaki-style w/honey and mint and Skordalia, Oh My! Right now, I have Oven Fried Potatoes w/oregano & lemon cooking.

I ordered another copy for my vegetarian son, and he says it is the best cookbook he's ever read. Yes, it has loads of stories, mythology, history, and is an enjoyable read, but the recipes are spot-on. Not a bad one yet. Tons of great vegetable recipes, and of course wonderful seafood and meat recipes as well. All very fresh, healthful, and tasty...a great way to enjoy a mediterranean diet.