Under The Olive Tree

'Glorious and sumptuous. From the simplest dishes through to the more complex, Irini totally captures the gastronomy of Greece.' Victoria Hislop 'This is my favourite cookbook of the year. A total joy from start to finish.' Russell Norman 'A treasure trove of personal and factual information about the food of Greece and its islands.' Simon Rogan Under the Olive Tree is a stunning and user-friendly collection of delicious Greek family recipes from Irini Tzortzoglou, the 2019 champion of MasterChef UK. Including accessible, everyday dishes for the home cook, as well as an entertaining section full of Irini's tips and tricks for when you have a little more time or want to impress your guests. Not only is Irini a fabulous cook, but she is a great teacher who cannot wait to show readers the dishes of her beloved homeland. With over 80 recipes, from breakfasts to quick dinners via salads full of sunshine, and on to feasting for Christmas, Easter and dinner parties, this cookbook is Irini's celebration of Greece. 'These recipes represent me as a cook and diner in that I like to experiment a little in putting flavours together, mixing classic combinations with my own touches.' Recipes include: * Chickpea and cumin fritters with a lemon and coriander yoghurt dip * Cured salmon with star anise, yoghurt and ouzo cream, cucumber and fennel salad * Aubergine topped with bulgur, sultanas, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts * Braised Octopus in Red Wine with Sweetcorn Puree and Pepper Salsa * Moussaka with beef, aubergine and red pepper sauce * Slow-roasted lamb with herbs, lemon, mustard and honey * Olive Oil, Almond and Candied Orange Baklava

FROM THE ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF THE LAST PEARL AND DANCING AT THE VICTORY CAFE, this is a beautiful novel about family secrets, wartime betrayals and redemption. May 1941 and the island of Crete is invaded by paratroopers from the air. After a lengthy fight, thousands of British and Commonwealth soldiers are forced to take to the hills or become escaping PoWs, sheltered by the Cretan villagers. Sixty years later, Lois West and her young son, Alex, invite feisty Great Aunt Pen to a special eighty-fifth birthday celebration on Crete, knowing she has not been back there since the war. Penelope George - formerly Giorgidiou - is reluctant to go but is persuaded by the fact it is the 60th anniversary of the Battle. It is time for her to return and make the journey she never thought she'd dare to. On the outward voyage from Athens, she relives her experiences in the city from her early years as a trainee nurse to those last dark days stranded on the island, the last female foreigner. When word spreads of her visit, and old Cretan friends and family come to greet her, Lois and Alex are caught up in her epic pilgrimage and the journey which leads her to a reunion with the friend she thought she had lost forever - and the truth behind a secret buried deep in the past... Praise for Leah Fleming 'I enjoyed it enormously.It's a moving and compelling story about a lifetime's journey in search of the truth' RACHEL HORE 'A born storyteller' KATE ATKINSON

Layla Anwar is a young Palestinian born into a land plagued with war and an apartheid regime. She knows all too well what it means to be an outcast, second class in a country she calls home. But Layla is also an outsider within her village and family. Whispers surround her growing up... ones that mask the secrets her family has kept for generations. Secrets and subjugation continue to plague Layla's adolescence and young adult life after the move to America, as the monsters of her past threaten to break the relationships she most cherishes. A lifetime of tragedy haunts her until she is forced to confront the truth and rectify the mistakes that have shaped her destiny. Layla uncovers the unholiest of secrets on her path to redemption as she discovers the truth of her family's history.

Discover irresistible flavors from across the Arabic world with this cookbook exploring the region’s exquisite cuisine with more than 100 recipes. Dutch writers and cooks Nadia Zerouali and Merijn Tol are in love with the culture and foods of the Mediterranean-Arabian world. They set out on a journey that took them across Morocco and Tunisia, Syria and Lebanon, Sicily and Spain, to experience the rich, exotic flavors of the Middle East. Here, they unpack the secrets to the region’s healthful and intensely flavorful food. They teach the reader about the ingredients—from orange blossom and honey to coriander and argan oil—and how to use them to maximize taste. The region’s food comes alive with color, as illustrated by the luscious photographs that accompany the more than 100 recipes. But it is the taste and texture of the foods that will win readers’ hearts: creamy labne, sweet pomegranate, flaky filo pastry, silky hummus. There are whole grains, such as simple summer bulgur salads and vegetable couscous, and tricks for preparing meat to be as flavorful as possible. Easy enough for cooking novices, Under the Shade of Olive Trees will transport readers to a magical, delicious region of the world.

"Many of the recipes in this book were never written down – they were demonstrated by mothers to their daughters. In the same way the reader, trying out the recipes, can use their own imaginations, but remembering that Italians have very specific ways of cooking, varying from region to region. Puglia is known for the quality of its olives, vegetables and fruit: the traditional recipes use these ingredients, cooked simply and deliciously. Each season is different and the recipes passed from generation to generation celebrate, rather than disguise, the intense flavours and colours of the raw ingredients. This is not a simple cookery book; it is enhanced by beautiful illustrations in pencil and ink by Emma Hobbins"--

Two strangers, both newly divorced women, are determined to start life afresh amongst the olive groves of Puglia in the South of Italy, as they both attempt to put their old lives behind them. Claudia has a seemingly perfect life: a successful novelist, a loving mother, beautiful and admired by all, but she's haunted by a decision she made. Her confidence is destroyed at the hands of another. Is she able to move on, put it behind her and find happiness once more? Janet is determined to make a new life for herself after her husband left her for a younger woman, and she yearns to live in an idyllic trullo under the Pugliese sun. As the paths of Claudia and Janet cross and their lives become entwined, one woman's dream is threatened by the past of the other when they discover it's not always easy to escape one's previous life. Sometimes it follows in unexpected ways.

This Mediterranean travel memoir offers “an engaging mix of history, food travelogue, and botany lesson . . . There is much to enjoy here” (Library Journal). Inspired by her Syrian forebears’ intimate relationship with the olive, Julie Angus embarks on a voyage around the Mediterranean to unlock the secrets of the fruit that meant so much to them. Accompanied by her husband and their ten-month-old son, Angus collects samples from ancient trees to determine where the first olive tree originated; feasts on inky black tapenades and codfish drizzled with olive oil, among many other delights; witnesses the harvesting of olives in Greece; and visits perhaps the oldest olive tree in the world, on Crete. The result is a fascinating history and biography of this most influential and irresistible fruit. “It is a pleasure to try to keep up with this book; like its author, it covers an enormous amount of territory.” —Christopher Bakken, Wall Street Journal

"From ancient to modern times, this olive plant has provided us with a multitude of health benefits and a wealth of culinary possibilities. Woven throughout this beautiful book are insightful reflections from Helen Melser as she takes us on a journey to different olive-growing countries and introduces us to irresistible recipes using not only the olive, but the flower and leaf too. Among these you will find Chocolate Olives, Olive Flower Champagne, Melt-in-the-mouth Olive Shortbread and even Crispy Beer-battered Olives! Includes the latest research on how the olive can support your overall health and well-being."--Publisher.