Aglaia Kremezi

Peppery Notes

This book is OK, It's quite usable, and you will get a lot out of it. But it has one flaw that repeats itself in every recipe, the ingredient called Aleppo pepper. The author seems obsessed by it. Every recipe has it. As far as I can tell, no other Greek recipe I have ever come across uses it, suddenly, though, it is in everything according to this author. The pepper is not even known as a Greek ingredient. What to do? Normal pepper is my guess. Paprika? Well, it's not Spanish, show more is it? So, maybe just ignore it, and try the recipes anyway. it reminded me of an early sourdough cookbook I used years ago from the 80s. It's peculiar ingredient that made its way into every bread was tofu.

So, Aleppo pepper? Just ignore it and season with black pepper. the author gives no other guidance as to where it comes from or why use it.

To be fair, the fava is wonderful. legumes are very common to the Cycladic islands. Chickpea and yellow lentils have a superb flavour, and you know its because they are perfectly suited to the earth they come from.

Addit.

After some conversation, perhaps I am being silly about the Aleppo pepper. It is too much, but
this book has so many good recipes using burghul, chick pea, beans, lentils that you are easily reminded how well you can eat with limited meat in your diet. I would recommend it to anyone just for that.

And all the wonderful ways to eat zucchini, tomato, potato, greens, herbs of all sorts. The pies are all very good too.

Perhaps it deserves 4 stars, I am too harsh. I blame too much pepper. show less

I could not give this cookbook a rating at all because so much depends on who you are and where you live. If you’re a serious foodie living in a world capital, you’ll find this cookbook a five-star read. Authentic recipes located by island with authentic ingredients. What’s not to like?

But the dedication to authentic ingredients means that many cooks cannot hope to replicate these recipes. We simply don’t have access to ramps, myzithra cheese, grape leaves, zucchini blossoms, Aleppo show more pepper, baby artichokes, taramasalata (fish egg spread) — well, you get the idea. In addition, these recipes from Greek Island grandmothers are incredibly labor intensive, which is not that useful for a working mom getting home at 6 p.m.

I found a few recipes to cull, but I’m very glad that I got the cookbook on sale; I’d have been irked if I had paid full price. Caveat emptor. show less

Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean