Hirinopitta (Ground Pork Pie) and Spanakorizo (Rice and Spinch Pilaf) from THE FOOD AND WINE OF GREECE

How would you describe Diane Kochilas’s writing style? Do you like her tone? Did you enjoy the introductory sections of her book, where she describes the characteristics of Greek cooking, the importance of wine in the culture—as well as the wines themselves—and the basic ingredients? Did you enjoy her introductions to the recipes?

What skill level do you think this cookbook is geared toward? Does it assume a basic cooking knowledge? Did you find her recipe steps and explanations of cooking techniques clear and complete? Is there anything in the recipe instructions that you think could be clearer?

Was cooking from The Food and Wine of Greece your foray into Greek cooking? If so, would you say it is a good introduction for someone new to cooking Greek food?

What did you learn about Greek cooking that you didn’t know before using this book? Were there any surprises? Did you know, for example, that dill is such a commonly used herb in Greek cooking?

In general, what do you think of the food? Did you enjoy it? How does it compare to other Greek food you’ve eaten, either prepared by you using another Greek cookbook, prepared by other home cooks, or that you’ve eaten in restaurants?

What do you think of Greek cooking compared to Indian cooking, which we just explored? Do you prefer one to the other—whether for flavor, the ease of preparation methods, or time necessary to prepare the food?

Of all the recipes you tried, including those prepared by others at the potluck, do you have a favorite (or favorites)?

Have you been to Greece? If so, how does the food in The Food and Wine of Greece compare to the food you ate while there?

Do you think you will cook recipes from this book again? If not, why not?

If the club were to do another Greek cookbook one day, is there a particular aspect or regional style of Greek cooking that you’ve like to delve into in more detail?