"VefasKitchen" news and stories

Cracking egg. Photo: Sugar Sweet Sunshine, Flickr

• Eggs: why the whites matter, what the difference is and why we should crack the shells with one hand.
• When made with the right rice, Paella is so magical that it can become an aromatic party centerpiece.
• The ins and outs of that tasty little thing called rice.
• White, red or pink -- each wine has its own optimal temperature, and it's not as easy as "room temp." Plus: what happens to some wines when an ice cube enters the mix.
  
• The Tribune now offers a "Good Eating Meal Planner" -- a search engine of the recipes that have appeared in the newspaper.
• Simple tricks to make your outdoor summer dinner come together a little bit faster.
• "Vefa's Kitchen" is a Greek cookbook chock full of classic recipes.
• Wine and beer events across the Windy City.
• Recipe: Omelet with Corn and Smoked Mozzarella.

Photo: Amazon.com

'Vefa's Kitchen'
The Bible of Authentic Greek Cooking
Recipes collected by Vefa Alexiadou
Photographs by Edward Park
Phaidon -- 2009
Buy it on Amazon

No longer content to be the neglected little sister to Italian cuisine, Greek cooking has enjoyed quite a renaissance of late, perhaps in part spurred by Michael Psilakis' popular eateries in New York City (Anthos, Kefi, Mia Dona).

When Vefa's Kitchen, a compilation volume from Vefa Alexiadou (trumpeted by press materials as the "leading authority on Greek cookery,") arrived in the mail, we felt optimistic, busily stocking our fridge with Greek yogurt and mint, and the cupboard with garlic and tuna. To give an idea of the book's breadth, there are 14 recipes involving octopus alone.

Takeaway tips: This is a sprawling, 700-page volume, with many different styles of recipes. If you purchase it, be sure to read every recipe all the way through; they are occasionally a bit confusing.

What we tested and whether the book's worth buying, after the jump.