Prospero's kitchen : Island cooking of Greece /
Diana Farr Louis & June Marinos ; illustrated by Judith Ann Lawrence ; with photography by John Miller.
- London ; New York : I. B. Tauris, 2012.
- 252 p. : ill. (some col.), map ; 24 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. [241]-242) and index.
Corfu, Cephalonia, Zakynthos and the other Ionian islands are home to one of the finest cuisines of the Mediterranean. The stamping-ground of Captain Corelli and Lawrence Durrell, the Ionians have always held a particular, almost mystical, fascination for visitors, while for many of the thousands who travel to the region each year it is the special nature of Ionian cooking that forms an essential and unforgettable part of their experience. The recipes in Prospero's Kitchen come mostly from family notebooks handed down through the generations. They reflect both the cosmopolitan nature of Ionian tastes and the complex history of the islands. Placed astride important trade routes, the Ionians were coveted and ruled by the great empires of the day, from the Romans and Byzantines to the Venetians, French and British before their eventual union with Greece in 1864. All of these cultures left their mark on the islands' cuisine, which differs noticeably from that of the rest of Greece. Besides dishes flavoured with olive oil and herbs, imaginative vegetable pies (pittes) and stuffed artichokes; main courses like Corfiot sofrito and chicken stew from the village of Agala in Zakynthos; plus desserts and sweets as varied as Ithacan rice cake and Kytheran almond tart. Featuring over 150 easy-to-follow recipes as well as a wealth of information on Ionian culture and customs, beautiful photographs and original illustrations, Prospero's Kitchen is an essential guide to Greek cuisine with a lyrical Ionian accent.
9781780761367
Cooking, Mediterranean Cooking, Greek
Ionian Islands (Greece)--History Ionian Islands (Greece)--Social life and customs