In the heart of Corfu, away from the tourist beaches, old traditions of
living and eating still flourish. Over the centuries culinary influences
from all over the Mediterranean have been absorbed into the classical
Greek cuisine and adapted to suit the extraordinary variety of produce
that comes from this beautiful and very fertile island. The result is a
style of cooking unique in the world. For many years James Chatto and
his wife, Wendy Martin, made their home in the remote village of
Loutses, an olive-farming community in the north-east of Corfu. During
their first winter, when the tourists had left and the shops and
restaurants of the coastal resorts closed, they learned that there was
more to Corfiot cooking than they ever imagined. The Lousiotes take a
keen interest in food and were willing teachers. Cooking from memory,
measuring the ingredients by eye and correcting the seasoning by
frequent tasting, they have preserved their recipes without ever writing
them down. The island provides abundant produce: olives, vegetables,
fruit, meat, cheese and wine, a wide variety of fish and shellfish from
the sea, and from the hills, herbs, horta or wild greens, game, nuts and
wild fruits. The pace of life is unchanging, the rhythm of work and
daily fare determined by the seasonal cycle. Many of the dishes prepared
are linked with the festivals of the Christian calendar, such as Lenten
pilaf, Easter biscuits, Paschal lamb and the vasilopitta of New Year. A
sociable people, the Corfiots love to enjoy food and wine in good
company-at home or at the taverna. In this delightful book James Chatto
and W.L. Martin set down the recipes they have collected, describe the
growing, gathering and preparation of food, record the daily round of
their friends and neighbors and enjoy the life of a rural village in
Corfu.
