New Greek Cuisine: Fresh and Modern Recipes from Aristedes' Kitchen

Beryl Hamilton is a freelance writer in Thunder Bay who specializes in
home gardening.

Over the past 30 years, Canadian chef and restaurateur Aristedes
Pasparakis has remarkably reshaped Greek cuisine. His restaurants
Orestes in Vancouver and Ouzeri in Toronto have revolutionized the Greek
restaurant scene and subsequently led to successful restaurants being
established in London, Los Angeles, and Athens.

Pasparakis gives us a lighter approach to classic Greek dishes in this
cookbook, emphasizing the use of little or no oil, two frying pans, a
chopping board, and a blender. He also shares his tricks of the trade,
original thoughts, and cooking techniques perfected over many creative
years in the kitchen.

Although there are only a few pages of coloured illustrations in this
cookbook, the instructions are very easy to follow, and the book is
richly filled with the chef’s personal stories, which almost make it
read like a biography. There are sections on appetizers, soups, salads,
pasta and rice, breads and pies, meats and poultry, seafood, vegetables,
legumes, and desserts. Each recipe is prefaced with a personal anecdote,
and each section starts with a full page or two of thoughts, personal
notes, or experiences. The book features more than 150 recipes; these
include Lamb and Greens Lemonato, Spanakopita, Tarama, Calamari in Burnt
Mustard Salad, and Filets of Striped Bass with Citrus. Preparation of
the dishes requires some chopping, blending, and quick frying in two
frying pans, and then some assembly.

Along with his co-author, acclaimed food writer Byron Ayanoglu,
Aristedes has produced a unique and soon-to-be-classic cookbook of tasty
recipes and engaging stories that are guaranteed to appeal to veteran
cooks as well as novices. For those who just like to “read”
cookbooks, this is also an extremely good read.