A Culinary Voyage Around the Greek Islands
Theodore Kyriakou Embarks on a Gastronomic Tour of the Aegean Isles
Sep 4, 2008
In his latest cookbook A Culinary Voyage Around the Greek Islands, Theodore Kyriakou aims to convey the Aegean people's inventiveness with frugal and limited ingredients, but also to communicate the character of the islands and the sheer poetry of sailing these legendary waters from dawn to dusk.
Real Greek Food
Theodore Kyriakou was born in Athens and trained as a captain in the Greek merchant navy before taking to the kitchen. In London, he co-founded two award-winning restaurants in the late 1990s. Still a keen sailor, for the last few years he has also organized regular week-long Greek cooking courses on board a large gulet sailing the Aegean. With Charles Campion, He has co-authored three other Greek cookbooks: The Livebait Cookbook, Real Greek Food and The Real Greek at Home.
The Greek Islands and their Food
In his prologue to A Culinary Voyage Around the Greek Islands, Theodore Kyriakou writes that "the natives and sailors are invariably forced to work with what to the mainlander might seem like a restricted palette, and island cuisine is more likely to be seasonal. Great skill and simplicity is needed to network the same ingredients and themes repeatedly while keeping them fresh."
Seasonal Island Cuisine
Island food reflects the seasons and the remarkable differences between the islands, each with their own staple foods and local delicacies. Where islands have their own particularly fascinating ingredients, Theodore Kyriakou examines these in detail, as well as providing traditional and original recipes using them.
Accordingly, the book's index lists the recipes not by their name but by their main ingredients, the underlying message being that you need ways to cook what you have in the pantry or what's available at today's local market, not the reverse.
Greek Recipes
A Culinary Voyage Around the Greek Islands is conceived as a day under sail, taking in the rhythm of the day, as well as a sense of the natural elements and seasons. It starts with breakfast recipes and continues with other chapters linked to time of day, as well as covering festive food and dishes for dinners on the beach and under the stars. A final chapter looks at sweet dishes.
Featured recipes range from a breakfast of 'Warm Bread with Feta Cheese and Peach-Watermelon Preserve' to 'Santorinian Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Peppers with Cinnamon' and 'Lobster Plaki with a Fig and Manouri Salad'.
A Culinary Sea Voyage
Theodore not only provides a wealth of fascinating recipes, but he takes the reader on a journey to some of the most magical spots on earth, sharing the excitement of each landfall. Sandy beaches, the shade of a seaside tavern, idyllic sunsets and the night sky mingle with the flavour of aromatic honey pies, the taste of strong grappa and delicious meat that melts in the mouth.
Greek Culinary Travel Resources
At the end of the book, a few concise chapters are real gems for the foodie traveler, providing a 'Brief Guide to the Greek Islands and Their Food', a 'Greek Island-hopping Calendar (Through flowers, Festivals, Sounds and Smells)', and a most welcome 'Glossary of Greek Ingredients' with a few dozens basic terms.
Food for Your Eyes
Jason Lowe's beautiful potography is possibly the most appealing feature of A Culinary Voyage Around the Greek Islands. Shot on location during a purpose-made cruise, the photos look inviting, but first and foremost they feel authentic: creased tablecloths and even the occasional chipped plate give a tangible impression that those tasty recipes can definitely be achieved in real life by me, you and anyone, unlike with studio shots of manicured gourmet dishes that illustrate most glossy cookbooks nowadays.
Book details
A Culinary Voyage Around the Greek Islands | by Theodore Kyriakou | Illustrated with 100 photographs by Jason Lowe | Published May 2008 by Quadrille Publishing Ltd (UK) | ISBN 9781844006045 | Hardback, 160 pages | Published price £ 20.00
