Greek Food

I bought this book in Greece in the early 1980's and have been reading and cooking from it ever since. It has no photographs, nor does it need them, because the author describes each dish so skillfully that one can imagine not only the procedure and presentation of it, but also its heart, soul, and spirit. I have tried many of the recipes; they are delicious and never fail. Her writing is at once personal, scholarly, precise, clear, elegant, and warm. She includes family anecdotes, cultural lore, and well-chosen quotes. If I had to narrow my cookbook library to ten volumes, this would be one of them.