Yassou The Simple, Seasonal Mediterranean Cooking of Greece

By: Shaily Lipa

Published by Artisan, 2025-03-11

"Yassou unlocks the secrets of this flavorful cuisine, with eighty home-cooking Greek recipes that capture the delicious tastes and utilize the superfood ingredients that make the Mediterranean diet one with lasting appeal. Author Shaily Lipa learned the secrets of the Mediterranean diet from her paternal grandmother, whose traditional Greek dishes were some of the first Lipa ever made. In the years since, she has led an entire country of home cooks in her beloved Israeli TV shows and cookbooks. Now, in Yassou, Lipa returns to her roots with modern takes on eighty classic recipes, from spanakopita to souvlaki and baklava. Guided by the principals of Greek cooking, Lipa shows readers how to capture the enchanting flavors of this food paradise. The secret? Keep it simple, keep it fresh, and make the most of every ingredient. Yassou, a phrase used as a greeting in Greece, begins by introducing readers to the heart of the Mediterranean table: mezze, the small, flavor-forward dishes that anchor a meal and capture the communal spirit of Greek dining. Lipa's recipes for tzatziki (a cucumber and yogurt dip), dakos (Greek bruschetta), and horiatiki salata (the iconic Greek salad) will become staples in every reader's kitchen repertoire. For millennia, the Greeks have found creative ways to incorporate seasonal fruits and vegetables, hearty whole grains, plus fresh fish, meat, and cheese into their diets. Lipa offers easy recipes for eggplant stuffed with luscious rice and baked in a warming sauce; phyllo pie bursting with layers of winter greens and melting cheese; leek patties lightly fried in olive oil ("green gold" to the Greeks); salt-crusted fish baked whole and finished with a bright pop of lemon; and quince baked in red wine. Throughout, photo-lined essays transport readers to the Greek islands with stories of how a golden apple, or was it a quince?, started the Trojan war and why Orthodox Greeks celebrate Easter with roasted lamb"--