Food from many Greek Kitchens. Tessa Kiros. Review.

Tessa Kiros is a fabulous writer of cookery books. They are not traditional recipe books, more cultural insights. It’s no surprise that she wins awards for her writing skills as well as her recipes.

She has the most unusual background. Born in London to a Finnish mother and a Greek Cypriot father, her family moved to South Africa when she was four and she lived here until she was 18 years of age.

Her last book ‘Falling Cloudberries:  A world of family recipes.’ was a massive best seller and was truly inspiring.

‘Food from many Greek Kitchens’ is her latest tome.

I’m delighted that she has decided to concentrate on Greek cooking. With her father being Greek Cypriot there is definite impression she has a real feel for this type of cuisine.

This book is obviously about Greek cooking and recipes but there’s so much more to her book.

Poached fish in herbs.

Food festivals, feast days, family get-togethers feature, as well as the memories and stories of real people and their lives.

Tessa is very connected into food, family and history. Great platters of meze testify to the interlinking of food, family and community.

The book is beautiful and the photos are evocative of real Greek food and Greek life.

All the old traditional recipes are there but there’s also new ones and ones from Tessa.

You’ll find typical dishes like Baklava and Spanakoptia

I wasn’t familiar with Mayiritsa; it turns out it’s a soup with lamb and served at Easter time, the lemon and oregano lamb sounded divine and what about an ouzo sorbet?

Cumin meatballs sound divine, and also the playful Vasilopita, a New Year’s cake baked with a lucky coin in its centre.

Food from many Greek Kitchens is another winner for Tessa.

She writes so well about food and memories. It seems to me she can turn her hand to any world cuisine and conjure up a wonderful set of images, recipes and thoughts.

Food from many Greek Kitchens

By Tessa Kiros

Price  R352

Available from Exclusive Books.