Not many people open their book to people to see what’s inside, but I am very proud of my book and have nothing to hide.
This blog is to introduce you to my cookbook Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste, which I self-published in December 2010. Although all the recipes have been published on my blog Kopiaste.. to Greek Hospitality, it would be very difficult to search and find every single recipe, so I have done this job for you by posting the pictures of the recipes and placing links where you can see what each recipe is about.
Although I wanted to add more information and recipes in the cookbook, this was not possible as the cost became too high, so you will find more information than what is included in a 158 pages book, by reading the blog posts I have already posted on my blog and I shall be adding more Cypriot recipes here.
The book includes 150 of the most popular Cypriot traditional dishes as well as a small sample of my own recipes, always based on the principles of the Mediterranean Diet.
I have named my cookbook “Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste”. Mint & Cinnamon are predominant flavours in almost all Cypriot savoury dishes and Cinnamon & Blossom water in most of our desserts. For those of you who do not know Greek, “kopiaste” is a polite way of inviting somebody to come in and literally means “make an effort to” but it is also synonymous to “welcome”. We say “kopiaste” when we want to invite someone in our house, to share our food with or when we open our house to friends and invite them to come and make themselves at home. So in my way I am inviting you to step inside my kitchen and to taste my recipes as I will share with you all my recipes and all my “little” secrets.
I am currently working on my second cookbook which will include authentic Greek recipes and more of my own and recipes.
If you like healthy Greek food, I am sure that this book will satisfy you to the utmost.
Order your copy now!
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Here are what the people who have bought the book have said:
History, Health and Happiness, by Andrew Iakovou (Australia)
As a Cypriot Australian living in Australia, I struggled for years to find Traditional village recipes that were lost with my Grandmother. This seems to be the plite of Cypriots and Greeks worldwide.
Ivy recognised this need and set about over many years compiling a Recipe book unlike I’ ve seen from Greece or Cyprus.
On most recipes you receive a small history lesson on the meal, before a comprehensive list of ingredients and very simplistic directions.
Ivy had pictures and easy to follow steps with pictures most of the time to keep you on track.I Love my cooking but consider myself a dud baker with a bad oven and yet i succeeded in making some amazing dishes with Ivy’s helping hand.
Ivy has her own website Kopiaste.org where she helps us out with anything we may get stuck on.
The Book is beautifully written, the pictures are clear and the writing is easy to read while racing around the kitchen!
I recommend this book to anybody looking to to explore an amazing diverse culture through its 10,000 years of cooking history, or those looking to step back into Yayyas Kitchen again.
Kali Orexi
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An Exciting Trip through Taste, by Eftychia – Cyprus
This cookbook was a present from my husband.
Very well written, Ivy gives details about: preparation time, cooking time and portions which makes it easier for the user of the book to get organized. At the end of the book there are several traditional dessert recipes which make the content of this book even more exciting.
Each recipe is preceded by a beautiful color photograph of the prepared dish. There are recipes which include some step by step photos as well. Ivy also writes a small narrative in all recipes explaining exactly what each recipe is about, and the traditional origin behind it.
I would recommend this cookbook for everyone who wants to make an interesting trip through taste!
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Fabulous Book, by George – United Kingdom
I was looking for a book with Greek recipes to gift to my wife. I found this book by chance, it looked good and I decided to buy it. It was amazing. It has so many greek (and cypriot) recipes and what my wife tried to cook so far were delicious. She also told me that the cooking instructions were easy to follow. I’ve read from other reviews that the author has a blog, which I am very curious to discover.
I highly recomend this book to anyone interested in delicious food!
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Cookbook by Ivy, the lovely Greek lady, by Lisa – Canada
Ivy did a lovely job of creating this self published cookbook and has kindly offered to help me out with mine. Lots of photos and if you want to know about traditional Greek cuisine, then you will want this book. Meat eaters and vegetarians and vegans won’t be lacking for inspiration in the kitchen. Lots of helpful tips and advice from one of my favorite home cooks. Thanks Ivy for your efforts.
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This is the best Cypriot Cookbook ever!!, by Lisa H – Austria
I thought the cover looked very attractive and interesting. As soon as I saw it I had a huge appetite to start cooking.
I have been a fan of Ivy’s blog for a few years and whatever I cooked from her blog was a great success, so I did not hesitate a moment to buy her cookbook. Ivy is Cypriot of origin so she knows Cypriot cuisine better than anyone else as she has been cooking Cypriot food since she was a child as she tells us in her book.
Each recipe is preceded by a beautiful color photograph of the prepared dish. In some recipes, I’ve seen some step by step photos as well. What a great thing for a cookbook to have!
The recipes are very well written and the directions are easy to follow, best of all the ingredients are readily available from any grocery store and she gives them both in the U.S. and metric system. For a few Cypriot products used, Ivy makes sure to give some substitutes.
I have the book in my hands for only a week and have cooked a few recipes over the holidays. A huge success with my family who were very satisfied with the outcome.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Cypriot Cuisine, which is a blend of healthy Greek food but where you will also see the influences of other cultures as well, especially Middle Eastern.
A perfect gift for newlyweds and anyone interested in cooking up full bodied wholesome meals!
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Thank you all for the great reviews and hope that many more people will buy the book.
Order your copy now!
“Kali Orexi” (Bon Appétit) and hope that you will enjoy all my recipes.
Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water 