In addition to the recipes left by my mother in an old tattered notebook, as well as the memories I have of her cooking at home in Pittsburgh, I have three cookbooks that I always consult for recipes and other culinary advice.
The Greek Diet by Maria Loi
Chef Maria Loi’s The Greek Diet contains a wealth of valuable information and recipes. It is not a typical cookbook filled with glossy photos and stylized presentations of food. Rather, it stands out because it offers extensive nutritional information, practical tips for everyday use, and even instructions for making your own Greek yogurt at home
Chef Maria Loi’s The Greek Diet has so much good information and so many recipes in it. It’s not your typical cookbook with fancy photos and stylish displays of delectable food. This book is great because it contains a lot of nutritional information, tips you can use at home—even instructions on how to make your own Greek yogurt.
Cooking for Artists by Mina Stone
Sitting on my coffee table—although carrying many stains from my kitchen, as well, is a copy of Mina Stone’s Cooking for Artists. This beautifully styled and photographed book includes many recipes that Mina shares from her grandmother. My go-to recipe for Revithada comes from this book and Mina does a great job in sharing the folklore behind some of her recipes.
The Cuisine of the Holy Mountain Athos
Ever since I cut down on my meat intake and switched to a mostly-plant-based diet after recovering from cancer, I have started eating more and more like the monks on Mt. Athos. My diet includes a lot of greens and beans, chickpeas and good fish when I can find it.
A friend from Greece sent me a copy of a wonderful book called “The Cuisine of the Holy Mountain Athos” that includes recipes by a well-known monk named Epiphanios. The book is sometimes difficult to follow as the measurements are in European standards but, with a bit of practice, I’ve been able to standardize many of the recipes for the American kitchen.
The book is hard to come by and is ridiculously priced on Amazon but if I get enough interest, I may see if I can place an order from the publisher in Greece to distribute them here in the United States. Feel free to email me if you’re interested.
