“Marianna Leivaditaki’s Aegean is the work of a London chef longing for home, Crete. Showcasing recipes for grilled squid with lemon, arugula, and sheep’s milk cheese and slow-cooked leg of lamb with orzo, it exudes love; the splendid light in the photos also provides vicarious Vitamin D.” —Boston Globe, Round Up of Holiday Cookbooks 2020

“In a standout debut, London chef Leivaditaki, who grew up working in her family’s restaurant on Crete, writes with grace and passion about the region’s cuisine… This fresh take on Aegean cuisine introduces a captivating new voice.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Leivaditaki is able to truly dive into the unique specificities of her native Cretan cuisine … [You] will love this book’s photos of the island, also shot by Elena Heatherwick. The book is divided into recipes from sea, land, and mountains, with a final sweets chapter (called, charmingly, ‘for after’). The rustic seafood preparations really shine. A whole charcoal-grilled fish dressed simply with lemon, oil, and herbs; a pot of Kakavia, fisherman’s soup; and a spicy clam salad are all plenty beautiful on their own. In their entirety, they offer cooking inspiration for twenty or so varieties of fish and shellfish. To anyone committed to eating sustainable seafood that’s been thwarted by a cookbook’s narrow selection before: this one’s for you.” —Epicurious.com, Best New Cookbooks Fall 2020

“A fisherman’s daughter, Leivaditaki grew up on the island of Crete, but couldn’t wait to leave its confines. After gaining success as a London chef, she finally began to appreciate the culinary bounty that she had abandoned. Here she shares recipes from her Cretan life that sum up the riches of the island’s seas and its equally fecund plains and mountains. Many of Leivaditaki’s recipes are so grounded in Crete’s resources that they may be not easily reproduced in kitchens elsewhere. Limpets and turbot rarely reach North American markets, but a home cook may readily achieve mussels steamed in ouzo. Even more doable, her baked potatoes stuffed with shrimp and smoked salmon mayonnaise will star on any table. Lamb raised in Crete provides many an inspiration for red meat dishes, and beef stews appear as well. Leivaditaki concludes with sweets featuring honeyed goat cheese in filo pastry. Color photographs throughout display not only glorious Cretan food but also the dramatic beauty of the Mediterranean island’s landscape.” —Booklist

“I want to make everything in this beautiful book. An absolute treasure.” —Rosie Birkett, author of The Joyful Home Cook

“A delicious evocation of place and memory from one of my favorite cooks.” —Allan Jenkins, editor, Observer Food Monthly

“[The recipes] are clearly written with helpful and careful instructions. The photography is gorgeous, warm, and rustic, and the author’s notes are homey and welcoming; her stories aggregate almost into memoirs, an inviting glimpse into her lovely childhood memories of growing up on Crete … [T]his is a delightful cookbook that whets your appetite for foods from the Aegean….” —San Francisco Book Review