"Greek archaeologist Soultana Maria Valamoti takes readers on a culinary journey in her synthesis of plant foods and culinary practices of Neolithic and Bronze Age Greece. Plant foods were the main ingredients of daily meals in prehistoric Greece and most likely of special dishes prepared for feasts and rituals. For more than thirty years, Valamoti has been analyzing a large body of archaeobotanic data that spans 7,000 years from the Neolithic to Bronze Age and that was retrieved from nearly one hundred sites in mainland Greece and the Greek islands. This book also reflects experimentation and research of ancient written sources. Her approach allows an exploration of culinary variability through time. The thousands of charred seeds identified from occupation debris correspond to minuscule time capsules. She is able to document changes from the cooking of the first farmers to the sophisticated cuisines of the elites who inhabited palaces in the first cities of Europe in the south of Greece during the Late Bronze Age. Along the way, she explains the complex processes for the addition of new ingredients (such as millet and olives), condiments, sweet tastes, and complex recipes. "Ancient Grains" also explores regional variability and diversity. Rich chapters are devoted to overviewing plantstuffs in their spatial and temporal distribution, with ritual and symbolic significance noted, and also to broader themes and practices. The main chapters are on bread/cereals, pulses, oils, fruit and nuts, fermented brews, healing foods, cooking, and identity. Valamoti also offers insight into engaging in public archaeology and provides recipes that incorporate ancient plant ingredients and connect prehistory to the present in a critical way. Finally, a thorough bibliography also includes archaeobotanical publications in Greek. Copious color and black and white photos enhance the text"--

This book is the outcome of more than 20 years of archaeobotanical research conducted by the author at prehistoric sites in Greece. In its 13 chapters the book offers an overview of a wide range of plant food ingredients, starting from their retrieval in the field and proceeding with a presentation of their spatial and temporal distribution as well as an exploration of their potential uses in prehistoric cuisine. Cuisine transforms nature into culture and the book offers a journey from the prehistoric fields and harvests from the wild to the dishes prepared and consumed in daily meals and special occasions. The culinary innovations introduced by the first farmers European farmers become transformed into traditions of the Neolithic which, in turn, are further modified with crop introductions from far-away places during the Bronze Age. Changes in available ingredients and recipes observed in the course of time allow insights into contact networks, culinary innovations and identities forged on food preparation and consumption practices. Special plant based substances like oil, alcoholic drinks, medicinal and hallucinogenic preparations form the basis for a discussion of special contexts of consumption and the appropriation of power. The prehistoric recipes are investigated using actual archaeobotanical food remains as well as ethnography and experimental reproduction. Continuities and change from prehistory to the historic periods are explored through ancient Greek texts while current perceptions of prehistoric cuisine by the wider public are critically discussed. The book ends with a selection of delicious recipes with simple ingredients the author has compiled, the outcome of her passion for cooking grafted with her archaeobotanical knowledge on plant ingredients and recipes.

Take a culinary journey through Greece in All You Can Greek with Eleni Saltas, a blogger with a flair for Greek food, life, and travel. Eleni knows the power of oregano, olive oil, history, and friendship- just a few key ingredients that bring these approachable and traditional Greek recipes to life. A cookbook that also lists the best beaches and monasteries in Greece? Yes! Eleni blendstrue life tales and Greek spirit with the flavors of Greece so that you, too, will feelwhat it means to live andlove like a Greek.

Celebrity chef and award-winning cookbook author Diane Kochilas presents a companion to her Public Television cooking-travel series with this lavishly photographed volume of classic and contemporary cuisine in My Greek Table: Authentic Flavors and Modern Home Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours. Inspired by her travels and family gatherings, the recipes and stories Diane Kochilas shares in My Greek Table celebrate the variety of food and the culture of Greece. Her Mediterranean meals, crafted from natural ingredients and prepared in the region’s traditional styles—as well as innovative updates to classic favorites—cover a diverse range of appetizers, main courses, and desserts to create raucously happy feasts, just like the ones Diane enjoys with her family when they sit down at her table. Perfect for home cooks, these recipes are easy-to-make so you can add Greece’s delicious dishes to your culinary repertoire. With simple-to-follow instructions for salads, meze, vegetables, soup, grains, savory pies, meat, fish, and sweets, you’ll soon be serving iconic fare and new twists on time-honored recipes on your own Greek table for family and friends, including: — Kale, Apple, and Feta Salad — Baklava Oatmeal — Avocado-Tahini Spread — Baked Chicken Keftedes — Retro Feta-Stuffed Grilled Calamari — Portobello Mushroom Gyro — Quinoa Spanakorizo — Quick Pastitsio Ravioli — Aegean Island Stuffed Lamb — My Big Fat Greek Mess—a dessert of meringues, Greek sweets, toasted almonds and tangy yogurt Illustrated throughout with color photographs featuring both the food and the country, My Greek Table is a cultural delicacy for cooks and foodies alike.

Framed by her own personal struggle with bulimia and body dysmorphia, Maria Koutsogiannis' Mindful Vegan Meals traces the foods she ate to get her to the next stage of her recovery in a way that will inspire and help others with this large and growing problem as evidenced by her large social media following. Maria pairs stories of her recovery from bulimia and body dysmorphia with the recipes that kept her body nourished along the way, giving an intimate look at how she went from eating disorder to proclaiming her personal mantra: "Fear not. Food is your friend." Packed with vibrant and healthy recipes inspired by her journey, including milestone recipes like the first carbs she allowed herself to eat, Mindful Vegan Meals offers a hopeful look at life while overcoming an eating disorder.This book will have 75 recipes and 75 photos.

As a result of domestication - considered to be the most important cultural development of the past 13,000 years of human history - we depend today on a tiny number of domesticated plant and animal species for our food supply. Nevertheless, people continue to gather food which grows around their homes or they cultivate local varieties of food plants (as well as keep land races of domestic animals). Generally, wild varieties tend to be richer in micronutrients and bioactive secondary metabolites, which are produced in adaptation to local environmental conditions. These metabolites trigger further adaptive responses by producing 'protective', bioactive compounds which, when ingested, result in the transfer of protective effects to our organism. The preservation of local knowledge for future generations as well as the identification of new nutraceuticals by means of characterizing plant extracts with potential health beneficial effects are the main objectives of this book. The first part therefore focuses on the ethnobotanical study of local food plants in selected regions of the Mediterranean, i.e. their use as well as beliefs and cultural practices associated with it. The biological-pharmacological effects of these plants on selected (mostly in vitro) targets of the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system make up the second part, highlighting the potential of these plants for developing novel health foods, herbal medicines or local products with beneficial effects on health. Those interested in an integrated approach to the identification of new and health beneficial foods will undoubtedly find this book a valuable source of information and an inspiration for new scientific approaches to this age-old topic.

150 simply yet abundantly flavorful recipes for irresistible Mediterranean vegetarian dishes you can enjoy at home. Aglaia Kremezi, who first introduced Greek cooking to an American audience with her award-winning book The Foods of Greece, leads a cook’s tour of the entire Mediterranean with Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts. Realizing that so many of the traditional dishes of the Mediterranean diet are naturally meat-free, Kremezi has collected 150 simple yet abundantly flavorful recipes that will appeal to even the most ardent carnivore. Opening with detailed descriptions of essential ingredients and the basic preparations that make the most of seasonal shopping at farmers’ markets, she takes us from meze and soups to mains and desserts, with dishes like Toasted Red Lentil and Bulgar Patties; Roasted Cauliflower with Zahter Relish; Pseudo-Moussaka (a meatless version of the classic); Quince Stuffed with Wheat Berries, Nuts, and Raisins; and Rose Petal and Yogurt Mousse. Kremezi’s arsenal of master recipes for spice, nut, and herb mixtures, sauces, jams, and pastes inspired by eastern Mediterranean and North African traditions transform even the humblest vegetable or grain into an irresistible dish. Praise for Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts “Aglaia Kremezi’s fine sense of flavor and seasonality is captured in this beautiful celebration of Mediterranean cooking. In these thoughtfully considered recipes, her deep understanding of vegetables, fruits, and herbs is paired with a respect for tradition and place—and the results are universally delicious.” —Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse and author of The Art of Simple Food “A teacher, a cook, a master storyteller, and a friend: Aglaia is all of these things to me, my team, and so many others. Her generous spirit is alive in this book. And now, more than ever, her amazing look at the rich and robust vegetables at the heart of Mediterranean cooking could not be more important. Everyone wants to eat smart, healthy, and always with lots of flavor!”—José Andrés, chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup including Zaytinya, Jaleo, and The Bazaar by José Andrés