Sea Salt and Honey

Book excerpt: An enchanting celebration of Greek provincial life—its charming culture and sublime food—captured in 100 delectable recipes and captivating stories from the Greek-American Tsakiris family, accompanied by more than 100 visually stunning full-color photographs by James Beard award-winning photographer Romas Foord. Sea Salt and Honey is a delightful ode to the rustic lifestyle of Nicholas Tsakiris’ birthplace. Though America has been his adopted country for the last thirty years, he felt himself irresistibly drawn back to his homeland after his two daughters, Olivia and Chloe, were grown. Over the years, Olivia and Chloe too felt the desire to reconnect to their roots. The family now live almost full time on the Mani coast, in a little house nestled in the Taygetos foothills close to Kardamili—a charming village of roughly 450 residents, where a walk across town takes five minutes. With the abundance of nature and boundless possibilities of ingredients around them, Nicholas, Olivia, and Chloe indulge in their favorite pastime—cooking delicious meals together while sharing family stories. They eventually began to grow their own food, working together to plant and harvest each season’s bounty in their garden. Like many Greeks, they eat seasonally, and most of the recipes they prepare are inspired by the food grown in their own backyard. In an age when retaining your roots, mindful eating, and work-life balance are becoming increasingly rare, Sea Salt and Honey is a reminder of the importance of tradition and a celebration of personal history that combines delicious, healthy recipes with a call to a simpler way of life. Nicholas, Olivia, and Chloe invite you to take a seat at their table, to enjoy the scenic vista of the Taygetos mountain range and the Messinian gulf, as you indulge in hearty, wholesome, and easy-to-make dishes such as: Smoked Trout and Wilted Lettuce Garden Salad Savory Greek Yogurt Bowls Winter Garden Pasta with Purple Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Sage, and Dried Chiles Grilled Octopus Marinated in Red Wine Vinegar, Honey, and Oregano Lamb Slow-Cooked in the Gastra (Clay Pot) Sea Salt and Honey Chocolate Chunk Cookies James Beard award-winning photographer Romas Ford’s incredible images capture the sense of community and Greek culture that infuse and inspire these dishes. Filled with stories, adventures, memories, and beautiful photographs, Sea Salt and Honey pays tribute to authentic and Greek-inspired cuisine, and is a culinary celebration of a place where the love of the land, of nature, and of a simple but rich life makes you feel at home.