My Greek Table: Authentic Flavors and Modern Home Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours

Traditional Greek cuisine is explored and expanded upon in this excellent outing from Kochilas (Food and Wine of Greece), host of PBS’s My Greek Table. Chapter introductions draw on personal experiences, such as growing a garden at her family’s summer house on Ikaria, where “talk of tomato varieties seeps into the house, hybrids vs. older types, thick-skinned vs. juicy.” Sidebars highlight indispensable ingredients, such as Kalamata olives and grape leaves. Kochilas plays gently with the classics: Greco-Mex whipped feta is an invitation to “cast a blind eye to tradition” and create a melting-pot–style dip. But there are plenty of traditional dishes on hand, ranging from lamb stuffed with rice, onion, mint, and raisins as well as sardine skeletons dredged in flour and fried. Emphasizing the vegetable-forward nature of Greek cuisine, Kochilas presents two vegetarian moussakas—one with artichokes and one with squash and sweet potatoes—and an entire chapter on bean dishes. Kochilas is a wonderful teacher, thorough without overwhelming readers, as in a chapter on savory pies in which she provides a doable recipe for homemade phyllo. Recipes for such desserts as coffee-flavored bread pudding and a primer on Greek wines complete the volume. This is an inviting, well-balanced look at an ever-popular cuisine. (Dec.)