Customer Reviews

Greek Vegetarian Cooking (A Thorsons wholefood cookbook)

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Finally a recipe for stuffed grape leaves where I didn't burst the leaves and make a big mess. I also love that there are recommendations for side dishes/dips to serve with the grape leaves. Most of the recipes have a note at the end that tells you an extra tip like this or if you can freeze it etc. There are some wonderful moussaka recipes too which we really love. We were in Greece about a year ago and these recipes definitely bring back memories. There are no photos in here but it doesn't really need it. Itr has all the classic dishes that you'd think of for Greek cooking. Both Greek and translated names of the dishes are provided.

I'll tell you what: The book is as good as the other reviewer states.

However, if you've been cooking mediterranean food in general or greek food in general for a while and are looking to expand you collection of cookbooks on the subject or your knowledge, it won't hurt to pass on this one.
It is a very basic greek food cookbook; Rice with Cheese and Butter, Tomato Salad, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Lentil Soup, nothing you haven't seen before.

But, if you are just startting to explore the beauty that is the mediterranean food, then, by all means, this is a good book to start with!.

Happy Cooking!.

Wife of osteopath and health education writer, Leon Chaitow (who wrote the introduction), Alkmini Chaitow gives a basic introduction to Greek food, with a welcome slant towards cooking more healthily. For instance, she tells us that the traditional Greek way to cook vegetables is to boil them until they're soft and tasteless, but she suggests a less traditional but more healthy way, steaming them. I appreciate both the distinction and the recommendation. At the end of the book, she has some general guidelines for health, as for instance that 30% of the food should be raw. She also offers a couple of pages of recipes suitable for children, and a couple of pages of balanced menus. The desserts, as would be expected, are not many. Here I was treated to a surprise: in most she recommends the use of alcohol in the form of cognac, and the most unhealthy thing you've heard of, margarine! Hardly what you would expect from someone so keen on health. But most people won't mind, and even I, who do mind, can easily skip or substitute. No big deal.
The introduction to each food group is general, I mean the information is not about the use of this food in Greece and Greek cooking, but rather on why this food is good for you and how you should use it. For instance, in the rice chapter, she rightly recommends using whole, brown rice, which was never used in traditional Greek cooking and until recent years, was to be found only in health shops, not in supermarket shelves.
A nice touch: after each recipe title, she marks which ones are gluten and dairy-free. So if you're a vegan or allergic to gluten, you can find more easily what's suitable for you.
The recipes are not many, but the basics of Greek cooking are there, and you won't regret buying this book.

no time to cook, no training, but i know how to follow directions, and this book certainly worked for me.
really have no time for long involved recipes.
someday all books will be digitized and online, so you could argue it is senseless to buy any paper books.
but you can pencil in things in a book, especially useful when it comes to recipes.
by the way, if you really want to taste the real deal, you have to go to greece.
it helps if you look greek, stay away from the expensive restaurants and pretend you are british or a kiwi. have never eaten as well for so little money. bought this book trying to duplicate the flavors of greece
since the restaurants in the USA are unable to. decided it was impossible - the key is the ingredients you can only find in greece. it can be fun trying however. this book helps.