cover image Lemon, Love & Olive Oil

Lemon, Love & Olive Oil

Mina Stone. Harper Wave, $40 (272p) ISBN 978-0-06-297326-9

In her latest collection of simple yet satisfying dishes, chef Stone (Cooking for Artists) shares more than 80 recipes “from different avenues of my life” that have influenced her cooking. Inspired by her yiayia (the Greek term for grandmother) and summer trips to Greece, the bulk of the dishes she shares are Greek staples—such as tzatziki and crispy octopus with oregano—but there are also unexpected selections such as latkes (a nod to her father’s Jewish heritage) and egg noodles with grated tomatoes and lemon zest (a creation of her partner, Alex). Throughout, Stone shares heartfelt anecdotes and cultural context: she recalls that koulourakia me tahini (tahini biscuits) is one of the “most revered recipes” her yiayia taught her, and then continues to explain that the biscuits are sometimes eaten during Lent when dairy and meat are prohibited. For home cooks who detest searching for hard-to-find ingredients, she encourages making substitutions based on availability and preference (“it’s OK not to have all the right ingredients”); her spigarello (an Italian heirloom broccoli rabe) with olive oil and lemon, for instance, is just as delicious made with Swiss chard, and while the olive oil–poached fish combines a sampling of her favorite ingredients, she suggests infusing the oil with different herbs and spices. Fans of Mediterranean cuisine will find a lot to like. Agent: Kari Stuart, ICM Partners. (Sept.)