Greek with Gusto! Greek Cuisine-Easy and Delicious

Greg Turko is a policy analyst at the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and
Universities.

Greek cuisine is rightly known for its robust and flavorful simplicity.
There is a certain comforting predictability about a Greek meal that
frequently causes long early-evening line-ups in front of Greek
restaurants.

The authors of Greek with Gusto! have provided recipes for many of the
dishes that “keep ’em coming back” to Greek restaurants. Garlic
lovers will be pleased to note that tzatziki, humus, and skordalia
recipes are included. Greek meatballs, with mint and oregano, are a must
for jaded folks who find meatballs boring. More adventuresome cooks may
want to try main-course and dessert recipes using phyllo pastry. Phyllo
can be difficult to work with, so early efforts may prove disappointing,
but it is worth persevering—and following the how-to-use-phyllo
instructions provided in this cookbook.

There is an excellent cross section of recipes, including meat,
vegetable, and poultry chapters. In the fish chapter, the squid recipes
can provide a taste of something different for anyone not familiar with
this tasty cephalopod. The dessert section is somewhat sparse, as it is
in most Greek restaurants, despite the authors’ statement that
“there are almost as many wonderful Greek desserts are there are Greek
islands.” Desserts—at least in their familiar, fancy northern
European or North American form—are simply not a feature of most Greek
cooking.

The recipes are easy to follow and the ingredients are generally
available in most areas of the country. Confirmed Greek-food buffs will
find this cookbook a welcome addition to their collections, while those
who may not have tried Greek cooking will find it an excellent starting
point.