Where to Start with Diane Kochilas
Diane Kochilas was born in New York to Greek immigrant parents and grew up straddling two culinary worlds. She studied and worked in Athens, eventually settling in Greece full-time, splitting her life between the capital and her family’s native island of Ikaria in the eastern Aegean. Ikaria is famous as one of the world’s five Blue Zones, places where people live measurably longer lives, and the island’s food traditions have deeply shaped Kochilas’s cooking philosophy. She is the author of 18 books on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, including “The Food and Wine of Greece” (1990), “The Glorious Foods of Greece” (2000), “My Greek Table” (2018), and “Athens: Food, Stories, Love” (2024). She is also the host and co-executive producer of “My Greek Table with Diane Kochilas,” a cooking and travel series on PBS that has run for multiple seasons. She operates the Glorious Greek Cooking School on Ikaria, where she teaches students from around the world. Her work has been instrumental in bringing authentic Greek cooking to international audiences, moving far beyond the stereotypical gyro-and-feta image of Greek food.
Start here
My Greek Table
Diane Kochilas · 400 pages · 2018 · Easy
Themes: greek cuisine, mediterranean diet, home cooking, beginner-friendly
The companion cookbook to Kochilas’s PBS television series, bringing together over 100 recipes that represent the full range of Greek home cooking. “My Greek Table” is the most accessible entry point into her work, combining traditional dishes with modern updates, all informed by decades of cooking, teaching, and traveling across Greece.
Why Start Here
Of Kochilas’s 18 books, “My Greek Table” is the best starting point because it distills her lifetime of knowledge into a format that works for anyone, regardless of experience. Her earlier books like “The Glorious Foods of Greece” are more scholarly and encyclopedic. “My Greek Table” keeps the depth of knowledge but wraps it in a warmer, more personal style. The recipes are tested for home kitchens, the ingredient lists are realistic, and the instructions leave no gaps.
The book reflects Kochilas’s unique position as someone who lives and cooks in Greece but communicates effortlessly with international audiences. She understands which techniques need extra explanation and which ingredients might need substitutions. The chapters cover everything from salads and mezedes to soups, savory pies, grains, meat, fish, and desserts. Her Ikarian heritage shines through in the emphasis on vegetables, legumes, and olive oil, making many recipes naturally healthy without feeling like diet food.
What to Expect
A beautifully photographed 400-page hardcover that works as both inspiration and practical reference. The recipes range from very simple (a 15-minute Greek salad done right) to moderately involved (handmade phyllo pies), with most falling in the approachable middle ground. You will want to stock your pantry with good olive oil, dried oregano, feta, and phyllo dough. Kochilas writes with warmth and confidence, sharing stories about the people and places behind the food. This is the book that will make you want to cook Greek food regularly, not just occasionally.