GreekIsh, a new cookbook by Georgina Hayden, explores simplified Greek and Mediterranean recipes. The recipes are firmly rooted in Greek food and culture, but Hayden describes them as being family-friendly and ‘low-effort, high-reward dishes’ still full of flavor.
Greekish by Georgina Hayden
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on April 25, 2024
Pages: 288
Source: NetGalley
- - THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER - -
120 STRAIGHT-FORWARD AND STRAIGHT-UP TASTY RECIPES FROM AWARD WINNING FOOD WRITER, GEORGINA HAYDENBrimming with vibrant, modern food that sings of the Mediterranean, Greekish is a must-have for simple recipes that are perfect any day of the week.
'THIS FOOD, FROM MY GREEKISH SISTER, IS EXACTLY THE KIND I WANT TO EAT' JAMIE OLIVER
'If you like Greek food, you'll adore Greekish!' Itamar Srulovich, Honey & Co
'Sunshine on a plate' Tom Kerridge____________________
'This book? It's Greek. ish. And if you are saying 'ish' with a scrunched-up nose, a squinted eye and a slight wobble of the head or tilt of the hand, then you are on the right track. Truth be told, when it comes to writing recipes, sometimes hiding behind tradition actually makes life easier. You don't like something? Take it up with my ancestors. But these Greekish dishes are all me and I think they're some of the best I have written. I hope that you love them, that they become part of your repertoire and that over time you make them your own.'
Inspired by her Greek-Cypriot roots and Greek travels, Georgina has collected recipes that are easy, bursting with flavour and sure to be cooked on repeat. With fewer ingredients and less stress, the recipes include familiar Mediterranean classics, as well as plenty of Greek-influenced dishes with Georgina's twists.
Standout recipes include:
Fried sesame cheese bites to serve up as an irresistible snack
Tuna, egg and caper salad to make an easy lunch
Sticky aubergine and pomegranate tart for a crowd-pleasing centrepiece
Spanakopita jacket potatoes as a twist on the weeknight classic
One-pot pastisio for an easy meal everyone will love
Meat, fish and veggie kebabs delivering the ultimate barbecue
Baklava cheesecake as a show-stopping dessertThere are easy breakfasts, small dishes and snacks, salads, desserts and even whole sections of recipes inspired by the iconic spanakopita and baklava. Greekish is full of flavour-packed recipes that are easy, enticing and ready to be made your own.
______________'Vibrant, flavoursome food that everyone can enjoy' Tom Kerridge
'Simple, vibrant, joyful dishes' Jamie Oliver
'Georgina has a magic touch – her food looks and tastes so beautiful and is always so easy to make' Itamar Srulovich, Honey & Co
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Author
Georgina Hayden is a cook, food writer and food stylist from London. She is the author of four cookbooks in total, GreekIsh being the most recently published. Per her biography, she grew up above her grandparents’ Greek Cypriot taverna, which greatly influenced her love of cooking and the recipes she makes.
Mission
This book is meant to help the average home cook find easy Greek recipes to add to their weeknight rotations. Some show-stopping recipes would work well when hosting or for special occasions. She also provides a list of menus for all sorts of events, from fancy parties to daily dinners.
GreekIsh certainly succeeds in being a useful resource for the average person cooking for their family. The book is laid out nicely and the section dividers list what to expect in each section. Photographs are beautiful and generally show a styled final dish, so if you are one to compare, this book would work well for you.
Her language and tone are very informal, which continues to make the book feel like home. Each recipe has a story, either what it means to the author personally or how beloved the recipe is to the Greek Cypriot community. Overall, it’s a great book with unique recipes for a home cook to try daily.
The one thing that the book is missing, in my opinion, is a total time count on the recipe page. Even a general estimate helps a home cook gauge how long they need to start if they need dinner on the table at a certain time.
Audience
Any seasoned home cook would enjoy adding GreekIsh to their library. Fans of Mediterranean or Greek cooking would also find this book enjoyable to cook through. If you’re looking for advanced, technical recipes to further your cooking skills or extremely basic skills to learn how to cook better, this is not the book for you.
If you’re a fan of Milk Street Mediterranean or Meals Made Simple, you’ll love this book.
FAQ
Yes, definitely.
GreekIsh has moderate recipes. None of the techniques are too advanced, but it doesn’t go through basic techniques step by step. It assumes the reader knows how to mince garlic or do other foundational culinary skills. The recipes don’t feature intense skills though in order to be able to create a dinner recipe.
Recipes are labeled as vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free when applicable.
The photos that are included are beautifully styled. Most recipes are included somewhere in the photos, though some sections are far more clear than others about what is being made. A couple of recipes have some in-depth photos of the process of cooking, but the vast majority of photos are of a finished product.
No unique tools are obvious. General Dutch ovens, knives and kitchen implements are necessary, but all are likely present in a well-stocked kitchen or easy to order from a local store.
Ingredients are generally easily found at an average grocery store. There are 2-3 specific Mediterranean ingredients that could be hard to source if you do not have a good international grocery store near you, but they are only necessary for a few recipes and have alternatives that are more likely to be found.
GreekIsh has 120 recipes.
To-Make List
Youvetsi: a meat and orzo stew (pg 175). Pulled chicken gyro (pg 168). Psari plaki: baked fish with tomatoes and olives (pg 158). Filo-wrapped feta with spiced honey (pg 64). Patates antinahtes: pan-fried potatoes (pg 194).
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