Book review: Eat Like a Greek by Tim Vasilakis

Tim Vasilakis says his aim is to make people’s lives “tastier, healthier and a little bit more Greek”, and his mission continues with the first cookbook from his Athenian restaurant brand.

Born and raised in Athens, Vasilakis moved to the UK at the age of 18 in the early 2010s and fell in love with a burgeoning London street food scene. “Finding authentic Greek food in London was really tough,” he writes. “I thought, ‘why don’t I start a stall?’” He began trading at a north London market in 2014 and the Athenian now runs three London restaurants and one in Bristol, with a strong presence on Deliveroo.

At 127 pages long, the book is a broad introduction rather than a definitive guide to the country’s cuisine. The 60 simple recipes rarely stretch beyond a page and are accompanied by tips, variations and brightly coloured images.

“The idea is for everyone to see modern Athens and Greek cuisine as I see it, to discover Greek food as it really is, and to come on a journey to this amazing city,” he writes. “[It’s] not about stereotypical Greece at all, but all about modern Athens, and living and eating the Athenian way.”

Dishes include “takeaway favourites”, such as meat and vegetable grilled souvlaki, as well as more personal recipes drawn from his mother’s home cooking. These range from youvarlakia, a lemony meatball soup traditionally served in winter, to spanakopita (spinach and feta pie) and a Greek “lasagne” that is eaten year-round.

There’s also a section on fundamentals, covering the perfect Greek salad dressing, souvlaki sauce and how to make pitta.

Other sections include meze and snacks; salads and sides; and light meals, breakfasts and brunches. A baking and desserts section is on the shorter side but includes recipes for mosaiko, a no-bake chocolate ‘salami’, and melomakarona (Christmas honey cookies).

While there’s little to challenge a professional chef here, Eat Like A Greek serves as a solid introduction to Greek cuisine.

Eat Like a Greek by Tim Vasilakis (Ebury Press, £14.99)

>> Recipe from Eat Like a Greek: Spinach and feta pie