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Hanging out at the kafenion

I’m off on my annual visit to Cyprus soon, which means a great amount of eating good, local food. With the exception of a night at a good Chinese, it’s local all the way for me. Some of my most memorable meals have been at a kafenion in the mountains, especially the homemade feta with watermelon.

Greek food all around the mainland and islands is hugely under-rated in my view, and there is such a lot to go at. Perfect for summer eating, there is such a lot to work through from savoury to sweet, and appreciation seems to be growing. Here’s some food for thought:

1. Vefa’s Kitchen – I’ve featured this one before, as part of a collection of books that you don’t want to carry home. This is five and a half pounds of working through the huge scope and variety of Greek food from its widest reaches, and from stuff you’d recognise from your local Greek restaurant through to regional specialities you may not have come across. If you’ve already worked your way through The Silver Spoon and I Know How to Cook, this is your next step!

2. Culinaria Greece- to be honest, if you’ve bought Vefa’s, you probably don’t need any other Greek cookbooks. But if your shelves can’t cope with the weight of that one, then this is a good guide to regional cookery. Organised by region, this will give you unusual dishes to work through without the weight. Plenty of illustrations make this a joy to look at.

3. The Greek Vegetarian- although I end up eating grilled meat or fish a lot in Cyprus, I also find it’s one of the easiest places to not eat meat and feel like I’ve had a fabulous meal. From saganaki through to spanakopita, all my favourites are here, and then a whole heap more. Wonderful eating, and not a bit of Quorn in sight!

4. My Greek Family Table – I’ve been lucky to enjoy some wonderful hospitality in various homes around the island, and have never come away hungry, regardless of the time of day. Eating, and eating together is a massive part of the culture, and food is at the centre of everything. This is a great book of home cooking recipes and would give you some amazing choices if you wanted to have a big get together with a difference.

5. The Complete Book of Greek Cooking – I love the sound of this book, as it was put together so that the newly married couples of the congregation would have the recipes of the old world, that hadn’t been written down. It also raises money for the church. Keep traditions going!

I’ll be working my way through some of these recipes whilst away, but preferably with someone else cooking them! Full reports to follow! Yiamas!

Great kafenion shot by margaretha_hopfner- thank you all’s photos on Flickr.

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