The New Greek Cuisine
In this book, Epicurus passionately explores what exactly Greek identity means in our cuisine. He begins by examining what it means to be Greek, drawing on references and examples from literature, painting and architecture.
In this book, Epikouros passionately explores what exactly Greek identity means in our cuisine. He begins by examining what ‘Greekness’ means, drawing on references and examples from literature, painting and architecture.
He wonders what Greekness meant to the generation of the 1930s, how it is changing today, and what this means for gastronomy. He traces, from the Ottoman period to the present day, the folkloric, local, cultural, economic and many other factors that constantly shape what we call Greek cuisine. What is ‘mum’s cooking’ and what is restaurant food? Who are the great chefs who have shaped our tastes and palates from Nikolaos Tselementes to the present day? Is moussaka Greek? Will our great-grandchildren consider sushi to be Greek? In other words, joking aside, the dialogue we were having continues. What will be the next chapter in this fascinating story of our Greek cuisine?
It is a great joy and honour for us that, 20 years after *Deipnosophists*, this dialogue continues at Ikaros.
- Pages: 256
- ISBN: 978-960-9527-64-4
- Publication: 2012
- Categories: eBooks, Essays & Thought, Δοκίμιο
- Epicurus
Albert Arouch (1950–2014) became known as a restaurant critic and writer under the pseudonym Epicurus. He contributed to the magazines VIMAGourmet, Harper’s Bazaar, E and Gourmet (published by Kyriakatiki Eleftherotypia), View in the Sunday edition of Kathimerini, Status, Men and Ev Zin, the newspapers City Press and Kerdos, and the philosophical magazine Cogito.
His literary works include the books: ‘Comedo Ergo Sum: Ten Dialogues on the Spirit of Food’ (Novoli, 2011), ‘Art Cuisine: Food as Art’ (Imako, 2006), which won first prize in the Food Literature category at the 2007 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, ‘Critique of Gastronomic Discourse’ (Kedros, 2006), ‘Flavours of Sephardic Thessaloniki’ (Fytrakis, 2002), and the Athens restaurant guides: ‘Only the Best’ (Axon Publishing, 2001) and ‘2011 Restaurant Guide to Athens and Piraeus’ (special edition of Kyriakatiki Eleftherotypia). His essay on modernism in gastronomy was published in the collection “Modernism in 20th-Century Thought and the Arts” (Alexandria, 2013).
His penultimate book, ‘The New Greek Cuisine: On the Greekness of moussaka, our gastronomic identity and its renewal’ (2012), whilst one of his essays is included in the commemorative publication ‘For an Anniversary’ (2013).
