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.

It's a great word, Skordalia. Sounds like a flower that grows on Venus, or a rare breed of pygmy squid. What it is in fact is a Greek dip made from pureed potatoes and garlic. Not as exotic as a Venusian dandelion, but probably much tastier. The Recipes for Health column in the New York Times has a version using nothing more than potatoes, kosher salt, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. The kind of thing you can whip up out of spare pantry ingredients and wildly impress your hungry friends. Skordalia is traditionally served with fried fish or cooked vegetables, but it's also excellent as a spread or a dip for raw veggies. Try it in a sandwich with roasted red peppers and spinach.

Oh no she di-n't.

Oh yes, she did.

In our annual food showdown inspired by opposing team cities in the Super Bowl (now dubbed the Slashfood Bowl), Marisa has gone to pizza. I knew she would, and knew that I would have to come up with something. Now I know that arguing that there might be something better than New York-style pizza (which happens to be my favorite kind) is just asking for it, so since I have to rep-ra-zent for the New England Patriots, I am merely going to say that Boston-style pizza simply exists, because really, I can't say that it's better. I just can't.

Fresh and contemporary are two of the words that come to mind after reading through >Modern Greek. At least, they come to mind once you have gotten over the gorgeous pictures that generously illustrate the book. The cookbook has 170 recipes that, while very Greek in flavor, are also very accessible to the average home cook, with fresh flavors that will appeal to just about anyone.

The book starts of with mezes (appetizers and dips) and includes recipes for salads, grains, meats and lots of pastries and baked goods. Some of the recipes are more modern, while others are more traditional, such as Spanakopita and Greek Salad. Figs Baked with Red Wine, Chicken with Yogurt and Spinach and Meat and Pasta Pie are a few of the othr selections. More recipes turn towards being rustic than being fussy, which adds a final level of appeal to this book; even a busy cook will be able to discover some new favorites and have time to make them.

It's hard to say whether we can call a gyro a sandwich because it's made of bread wrapped around the fillings, but who's making the rules here anyway? This is a gyro we shared as part of a late afternoon lunch at Le Petit Greek on Larchmont in Los Angeles. Now technically, "gyro" refers to the vertical, slow-spinning spit on which meat like chicken, lamb or pork, is placed. "Gyro" is Greek for "turn," thus the name. However, when we say "gyro" in the food world, we're talking about the sandwich made with slices carved off the meat on the turning rotisserie, fresh tomatoes, sliced red onions, French fries, and tzatziki. I have no idea how French fries play into this Greek equation, but I'm certainly not complaining.

This one from Le Petit Greek

Californians are crazy for Spanish wines, especially since they are a good value; but SIV's Wine of the Week is a 2003 Berra Sassisto Langhe from Piedmont. It's "warm and earthy," and for $22, makes me warm and earthy, too.

In the kitchen, parsley isn't just a garnish anymore. Fabiolus Cafe on Melrose offers its recipe for Bigoli all'Anatra, a pasta with a rich duck sauce. If you need sausage, Bob's Market in Santa Monica makes it fresh. A story on Greek food has recipes for Balkan moussaka, pastitsio, masahri yiouvetsi, as well as resources around LA for ingredients.

Out on the southeland dining scene, SIV treks out to Ojai and gives two stars (**) to Christian and Tedde Shaffer's Auberge. Neal Fraser will be serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner at BLD.

Regina Schrambling seeks out intelligence on the newsstand that's covered with the likes of "Yum-o" Rachael Ray and Paula Deen.

I have no idea why I'm reading Men's Health. Regardless, the magazine has an article that encourages men to cook these seven dishes from around the world at home, to keep them lighter than the restaurant versions that are always loaded with too much pasta, rice and potatoes. Men's Health says that the "secret isn't tiny, Frenchman-like portions; it's a redistribution of nutrients." Hey, if it makes you look like Mr. Cooking Guy in the photo, I'm all for it! 

The recipes are for:

1. Curried Shrimp Kebabs with Basmati Rice (Indian)
2. Sausage and Pepper Pasta (Italian)
3. Steak and Bean Burrito (Mexican)
4. Pork Fried Rice (Chinese)
5. Teriyaki Salmon Bowl with Broccoli (Japanese)
6. Cajun Chicken Fingers with Sweet Potato Fries
7. Broiled Lamb Chop over Cucumber Tomato Salad (Greek)

The recipes are for one portion though. I'd double it, and make dinner for yourself and your date!

Stuffed grape leaves are a typical Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. Depending on which cultural cuisine, they are called by slightly different names: "dolma" in Turkey, "dolmade" in Greece, and "dolme" in Iran. The grape leaves are filled with anything from rice, different types of nuts, and meat, usually lamb.

Though I call my stuffed grape leaves "dolma," and they include rice and pine nuts, they are nowhere near traditional because I leave out typical herbs like mint (I don't love mint), and cook the rice before wrapping in the grape leaves.