Lemon, Love & Olive Oil

Book excerpt: A New York Times Best Cookbook of the Year from the author of the cult-favorite Cooking for Artists—with eighty new recipes that celebrate her Greek heritage. Growing up in a close-knit Greek-American household, Mina Stone learned to cook from her Yiayia, who taught her that food doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious—and that almost any dish can be improved with judicious amounts of lemon, olive oil, and salt. In this deeply personal cookbook, Stone celebrates her grandmother and the other influences that have shaped her life, her career, and her culinary tastes and expertise. Lemon, Love & Olive Oil weaves together more than eighty Mediterranean-style dishes with the stories that inspired them. Stone offers home cooks a taste of her heritage with healthy, flavorful, and uncomplicated dishes such as Syrian Bulgur and Yogurt with Brown Butter Pine Nuts; Persian Figs with Cardamom and Rosewater; Baby Lettuces with Toasted Sesame Seeds, Mint, and Meyer Lemon Yogurt; and Braised Chickpeas with Orange Zest and Garlic Bread Crumbs. These recipes use fresh, flavorful ingredients to create elegantly simple dishes, complemented by beautiful, minimalist photography and original art throughout. A fresh and unconventional fusion of art and food, Lemon, Love & Olive Oil is an engaging (and delicious!) cultural and culinary tour, all complimented by the design of world-renowned artist Urs Fischer. “This is delicious ‘grandma’ cooking at its best—fresh, flavorful, simple, and seasonal, but with a modern twist that makes it exactly what I want to cook right now. I can’t wait to make everything!” —Lisa Gross, Founder/CEO of the League of Kitchens