Flavours of Greece - Yiayia's Greek Kitchen Recipe Book Giveaway

A few month's back my lovely friend blogger Sarah Pylas excitedly told me about her plans to publish a recipe book of her Greek family's favourite recipes.  Having sampled some of this amazing food at blogger get-togethers and also at her book launch party, it was a book I couldn't wait to see.

It was fascinating hearing the process and the hurdles a cookery writer has to get through from concept; design; styling; translating and testing right up to getting the book on sale.

It must have been no easy feat actually penning all these recipes which have been handed down through the generations, and usually made by eye and taste rather than with specific measurements, but I'm so glad they did because now not only will their family secrets live on through the coming years, but we get to share in them too.

Flicking through the book I'm instantly taken back to happy holiday memories, sat on cobbled pavements at tavernas on balmy evenings.  Many of the recipes are foods I enjoyed in Cyprus this summer and even just looking at the photos makes me smile.

But don't be fooled into thinking this is a summer recipe book.  The hearty soups are great winter warmers and the meze and dips are perfect for entertaining this Christmas.

Our fallback weekend lunch is usually meze and various dips (picky lunch my daughter calls it), although if I'm being honest I totally cheat and buy it from the supermarket.  With this new book in my clutches I've got no excuse now for not making authentic, additive-free homemade versions of our favourites -taramosalata, tzatziki and houmous.

This weekend I whipped up a batch of melintzanosalata (aubergine dip) and I was delighted how easy snd quick it was to make.  The recipe was simple to follow and easy to adapt - I don't think our non-Greek taste buds are up to quite so much garlic!  It went down very well for lunch and I loved that I could make it with what I had in the fridge without any fancy ingredients, and best of all it was healthy and wholesome with no hidden additives like you'd get in the supermarkets.

Other Greek specialities in the book include keftedakia (meatballs), bourekia (mince filo rolls), calamari (squid), dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) and spanakopita (spinach and cheese pie).

Reading through the book written by Sarah Pylas and her sister-in-law Eva Ryan, you get a real sense of family through the stories and anecdotes that punctuate each dish, and understand that Yiayia (grandmother) is absolutely at the heart of it.  This is the first time that Vasso, the family matriarch has disclosed the secrets of her kitchen, and dishes that have been passed down through the generations.  You feel like you're actually being welcomed into the bosom of the family through this book.

The book is available to purchase now through Amazon. This is definitely one to add to your cookbook shelf, and I'm delighted to say I have a copy to give away to one lucky reader.  Simple complete the rafflecopter below for your chance to win.

Find more information on the website Yiayia's Kouzina.

Giveaway ands midnight Sunday 20th December 2015, open to UK entrants only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway