How to bring the Mediterranean home with you this summer

Tomato table-scaping, the ultimate summer dinner party menu and boycotting Amazon!

WHAT. A. WEEK!

Flying to London from Athens last weekend, I crash Landed into my old neighbourhood of Columbia Road (East London) just in time for my MEDITERRANEA book launch supper club on Monday evening. It’s been a whirlwind of a week, which included a pit stop at the Penguin offices (I can’t believe I’m being published by one of the world’s biggest and most esteemed publishing houses?!?!?) to sign books and I’m coming down from the great elation of presenting my book to a selection of close friends and journalists. It meant a lot to gather a group of incredible women together to celebrate all the matriarchs in our lives in an evening of story telling and great food.

Anyone who has experience working in events will know how chaotic and all consuming planning a dinner like this is - especially when your entire planning period takes place remotely. Despite the madness, my Mediterranean themed dinner party was a great success and I’m sharing lots below from the night, including how to dress your tables to great effect this summer, my playlist for a Mediterranean dinner party and my dinner party menu from the night (plus a sneak peek recipe from the new book - the most incredible, zingy and little known Sicilian salad which will revolutionise your summer tables!) In addition, on instagram you asked me to compile a list of Greek hangouts, restaurants and delis in London. I am delivering this in today’s newsletter too!

There’s lot going on today BUT before all of this:

I’m sharing a list of stockists for my book that are NOT Amazon. Pre sales in this period before my book is released are REALLY important for determining the fate of MEDITERRANEA so if you enjoyed Yiayia / like reading my work / LOVE grannies and Mediterranean food and beautiful photography - please do pre-order your copy. While I do need to make a living, I also agree with so many of you boycotting Amazon (I haven’t used it in years and that guy does not need more cash to line his pockets with!) It’s the worst way to buy books for the planet, for authors and because of its exploitative employment practices. So, I’ve compiled this list below for those of you wanting to buy ethically

WHERE TO BUY A COPY OF MEDITERRANEA: LIFE-PERFECTED RECIPES FROM GRANDMOTHERS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN ONLINE (AND AVOID AMAZON!)

The instagram hive brain has delivered on Amazon alternatives - thank you to all who messaged me to keep me better informed and please do share any others I can add to this list…

USA - Bookshop.org , Barnes & Noble

UK - UKBookshop.org , WHSmiths, Waterstones, Foyles,

Canada - Bookcity.ca, AnotherStory.ca

Australia - Readings, Booktopia, Dymocks,

Greece - Hyper Hypo (email at shop@hyperhypo.gr to reserve your copy for pick up in Athens once it drops this summer!) or you can order online after August, Bookodyssey.gr if you’d like to pre-order online now

Germany - Fairbuch

Belgium - standaardboekhandel

Netherlands - American Book Centre

Bringing the Mediterranean home this summer

Monday night’s launch dinner for my book was really an exercise in recreating the flavours and feels of the Mediterranean in London, despite the temperamental weather forecast. I have so many people to thank for this including my dear friend Ola at Table Magazine for giving us her beautiful studio for the night, Odysea for supplying us with so many incredible Greek goodies and to SeasonItaly (a UK based Italian produce importer with their own subscription service) for the fresh, seasonal ingredients. In addition to this, Zymi Organic, Lamiri Harissa, Citizens of Soil and Nonna’s Gelato all contributed with their incredible Mediterranean inspired offerings.

What was on the Menu?

I really wanted to show the breadth of where I travelled to across the Mediterranean for this next book. We had so much food left over at the end because I couldn’t narrow down my dishes much further than these! They were some of the highlights from my journeys across the Mediterranean and I’m so proud that the dishes (with the exception of the Sicilian swordfish rolls!) are plant based.

Below, I’m sharing an exclusive look at the Sicilian salad recipe, a perfectly balanced summer dish - singing of sweet honey melon, salty anchovies and a punchy kick from red chilli peppers. Mamma Mia! This one is on REPEAT all summer long and I’m so proud to share a sneak peek for my loyal paying subscribers before everyone has access to it on the book’s release day at the end of July.

Each of these recipes feature in my new book, MEDITERRANEA.

Table scaping and aperitivo

My first thought and slightly crazy ambition was to create an enormous, interactive tablescape completely covered in tomatoes that ultimately, would be enjoyed by my guests. I had this dream to bring the Mediterranean style of eating tomatoes to London: a great, juicy, seasonal tomato that tastes of summer, sliced there and then with a ‘nonna’ knife (those small, plastic handled beauties with a serated edge that all grandmothers in the Med own) and sprinkled with sea salt flakes. Isle of White Tomatoes kindly obliged!

As is common practice in the entire region I travelled to for my latest books, great tomatoes need little extra dressing. It’s a salt, drizzle of oil on crusty bread affair and this is what I wanted for the guests at my dinner. Isle of White Tomatoes provided my ACTUAL WEIGHT (60kg for those of you wondering) in tomatoes for the dinner and offered such a diverse variety the colours across the table varied from pillar box red to orange, yellow and green. Great, bulbous heritage tomatoes perfect for salads, beef tomatoes for yemista, vine tomatoes in a bright bold palette that wafted a fresh summer scent throughout the space.