The Greek Vegetarian: More Than 100 Recipes Inspired by the Traditional Dishes and Flavors of Greece

First of all, a mistake in the amazon review, taken from page 3 of the book's introduction:"Only recently have Greeks gained the dubious title of biggest meat eaters in Europe, and even then all they did, according to the author, was make their plates bigger for the added meat. They still eat a diet rich in vegetables. Always have; always will."Not true. Traditionally Greeks didn't eat lots of meat because of poverty, not because of choice. Whenever they could, they did. Some couldn't more than twice a year, or once a week, but it was considered the best thing to offer if you had an honoured guest. There is no tradition of vegetarianism here. And I know some men that say that vegetables are for women, meat is man food. And, while it is true that even middle class families before WW2 ate meat or chicken only on Sundays and fish on Fridays, leaving all the days as vegetarian or semi-vegetarian, now I know many people who need meat on every meal and if they don't eat it, they felt they "haven't eaten".The author also states (on page 1 of the introduction) that "even today, when meat is no longer considered a luxury, it often plays a subordinate role, combined (in small portions) with greens or beans or other vegetables." Again, not true at all. Ask my son what there was on offer in summer camp, and how he had to survive on milk and muesli he had brought along, so the other children gave him the sobriquet "muesli" (he never went to a summer camp again, and I wonder what he'll do in the army for food)!Just go to any eatery in Greece, and see the options you have as a vegetarian: beans, French fries, salad, horta, maybe if you're lucky some stuffed vine-leaves and tomatoes (often these too are with mince meat). And women, who don't want to get fat, don't eat meat in addition to other things, they eat it alone, with some lettuce.Now about the book. Diane Kochilas, an American of Greek origin who didn't grow up in Greece (I understand she came to live here as an adult), and has written many books about Greek cuisine, has done a good job with her recipes, but it's still obvious that she's a Greek from abroad: there are some funny mistakes or even downright errors in her introduction. As when she says that ancient Greeks made bread with baking powder, or that Greeks make generous use of spices like cinnamon, cloves and allspice in sauces and other savory dishes. In reality, Greeks use mostly herbs and very little spices. Those particular spices are used in some dishes from Asia Minor (they came after the burning down of Smyrna by the Turks in 1922 and the subsequent exodus of the populations to mainland Greece), but mostly in sweets. She says that "filotimo" (literally "love of honour", but meaning more generally sense of honour/justice/dignity/duty) means "sense of hospitality" which in Greek is not "filotimo" but "filoxenia" (the world "xenos" meaning "stranger", so filoxenia was a loving way to treat strangers). OK, so she doesn't even understand the Greek language correctly? Not a crime, of course, but she should have looked it up. At the end of the book, there are measurement conversions. She states that drams are "a measure still used in Greece". WHAT????? Look it up in the Greek wikipedia site, it says it was abolished in 1959. Who on earth was she talking with?But all of this, irritating as it is, for a self-proclaimed expert on Greek cuisine, is not the most important part. The most important part in a cookbook are the recipes. Let's come to them.There are some traditional ones but many (most) are inspired - as the title says - by Greek cuisine, not traditional. Some come from the author's friends, some she has tasted at modern creative restaurants. You know, the ones which combine traditional ingredients in new ways and make unusual combinations, sometimes with excellent results, sometimes not. Greece is now full of these. Don't get me wrong. No big deal if a recipe isn't traditional, as long as it's tasty. And at least the author honestly acknowledges it. I'm pointing it out just to set the record straight.For instance, the first recipe you'll find are Pickled Brussels Sprouts (unknown to Greece until a couple of decades ago). Then you have "Spicy Lentil and Wild Rice salad" and then "Ziti with cranberry beans and celery". Again wild rice is an imported delicatessen item, not a Greek food. Same for Cranberry beans. I would never know where to find them in Greece. Otherwise, the recipe is fine.On page 52, she advises to substitute Cretan graviera cheese with Gruyere or Emmenthaler. Absolutely not. The name might be the same, but Greek graviera is a lot harder and saltier. Not as much as Parmesan, but still salty.To conclude this:There are some really wonderful recipes in this book, and it's strongly recommended that you try them out. Just don't take the book as your Bible as far as the information goes, and don't think that this is all traditional Greek fare.

For those not in the know, my title is from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," in which John Corbett plays Ian Miller, a vegetarian high school teacher. His fiancee Toula's Greek family doesn't understand the meat-free concept. Thankfully, Diane Kochilas, author of several definitive cookbooks on Greek cuisine, does.Although your first impression of Greek food might be the flaming cheese appetizer saganaki or greasy lamb or chicken gyros, many Greek recipes were meatless, particularly those that coincided with the fasting required by the Greek Orthodox calendar (48 days before Easter, 40 days before Christmas, and lesser fasting periods throughout the year in which meat and animal products were not allowed). The Lenten dishes in particular, called Lathera ("oiled"), consist of hearty bean stews, stewed eggplants, and other braised dishes with loads of olive oil as flavoring agent.In addition to a brief cultural and culinary history of the Greek Islands, Kochilas also provides primers on various varieties of Greek olives (kalamata, conservolia, halkidiki, megaritiki, thrubolea), cheeses (feta, teleme, sfela, batsos, touloumotiri, galotiri, kopanisti, kasseri, graviera, kefalotiri, etc.), and a section devoted to bread (after such luscious descriptions of Greek bread, the book is noticeably lacking in bread recipes; a sore oversight). Greek flavor combinations of lemon, dill, olive oil, eggs, oregano and garlic, tomatoes and cinnamon, and others are also discussed in the introduction.The book is dominated by vegetable and grain dishes, including a simple variation on the ubiquitous Greek salad. The recipes open with meze, or Greek appetizers similar to tapas. Some of the more unusual offerings include eggplant puree with walnuts, potato-garlic dip with walnuts, harvest pumpkin-chestnut puree, and spicy lentil and wild rice salad.Main dishes are usually a grain-veggie combo, including numerous recipes for orzo (a rice-shaped pasta), bulgur, rice pilafs, and polenta. Soups include potatoes stewed with kalamata olives, tomato and rice, and artichokes stewed with potatoes, tomatoes, and mint. There is an entire chapter devoted to stuffed vegetables, and another to savory pies and homemade phyllo dough, including spanakopita, savory pumpkin pie in a phyllo coil, and onion pie with raisins, dill, and nutmeg.The final chapter covers egg dishes perfect for a light brunch, including a baked omelet with chestnuts and feta, asparagus frittata, and scrambled eggs with fresh tomato and parsley.This is a wonderful addition to any kitchen, particularly vegetarian / vegan ones, as many recipes are meat-and-cheese free. A classic variant of the much-touted Mediterranean diet, it places great emphasis on seasonal produce, whole grains (bulgur, wild rice) and dried beans, and olive oil (if you're watching your fat intake, you'll want to drastically decrease the oil called for in recipes, which many times can be 1/2 cup or more). The recipes are clearly written, and each chapter offers the cook a background on traditional Greek cuisine and regional cooking.The only downside is that it may be difficult to locate the myriad of Greek cheeses (and olives) that Kochilas lovingly describes, particularly if you live in a small town that's not close to a Greektown. Also, I generally stick to a very-low-fat diet with no added oils, so I scaled back on the 1/2 cup or more of olive oil called for, but that's more a matter of personal taste (I recently read where Greeks have the highest per capita consumption of olive oil at 26 *liters* a year!!).

A substantial portion of the recipes in this are vegan, and there are plenty that could be made vegan by leaving out the cheese. This includes the main dishes, not just sides and salads. Best of all (from my perspective), the book never calls for faux ingredients.The recipes are straightforward and fairly simple, but not simplified. I've had no trouble following them and have been happy with the results. My favorite is "Potatoes Stewed with Kalamata Olives," and I've made it so often that it alone is worth the price of the book. I've really been enjoying the stuffed vegetable recipes, too.There are hardly any page-filler recipes - you know, the kind where one page tells you how to make plain rice, and the next page tells you how to make plain rice but with peas in it.There is a 22-page introduction, and each section of the book has its own introductory blurb. After that, each recipe just has a paragraph explaining its background. The writing is factual. I like that the book doesn't waste my time with saccharine prose about unctuous drops of oil or the memory of a mother's lullaby. It is about Greece and food.More pictures would have been great, although what pictures there are, are helpful. I counted about 20 photos out of over 100 recipes. The binding also isn't very robust.

I recently began following a pescitarian diet and this is my go to reference for vegetarian main courses. Lots of variety and easy to prepare.

There aren't too many choices for Greek vegetarian cookbooks, probably because vegetarian isn't really a natural fit with Greek cuisine (beyond mezes). This book is fairly basic, with few pictures and illustrations. However, it does the basics right and gives some good ideas for variations. I found some recipes a bit bland, but it's easy to adjust to your taste once you have the basics spices right. Recommended.

The recipes are great, but this book needs a lot more photos to inspire the reader to actually use the book. Otherwise, I would give it at least a 4 rating.

Great healthy greek style vegetarian recipes very classy !

I am a meat eater but found these recipes excellent and may become a vegetarian?

I love Greek food and this is the best recipe book for Greek Vegetarian food. I love the way it's laid out and can't wait to try out some of the recipes. The only thing that prevented a 5 star review was having to anglicise several ingredients and some ingredients are a little hard to source in the UK. Regardless, this is a beautiful book.