☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ with M.C.V. EGAN: orexi! FEASTING AT THE MODERN GREEK TABLE

Orexi!

Feasting at the Modern Greek Table

by Theo Michaels

Genre: Cookbook

In this enticing collection of more than 80 recipes inspired by the flavours of Greece and Cyprus, MasterChef UK’s Theo Michaels pays homage to his family heritage, championing traditional dishes and sharing his own modern cooking.

Presenting a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds, his fresh and delicious food is organized into chapters entitled Meze, Sea, Land, Sun, Fire and Sundowners, evoking the Greek way of life.

You too can eat like a Greek by celebrating simplicity, seasonality, abundance, healthy balance and most importantly, the joy of sociable eating.

Beautiful food sings from these pages: from juicy watermelon, glossy kalamata olives, to fragrant oregano-roasted meats and delicate fish wrapped in vine leaves. Choose a selection of mouth-watering dips and sharing plates to create a Cypriot-style meze; enjoy the freshest fish and seafood, perfectly grilled or fried and served with nothing more than a dusting of salt flakes and a squeeze of lemon juice to season; cook tender yogurt-marinated lamb on skewers over charcoal and wrap it in fluffy homemade pita to experience souvlaki at home; or whip up vibrant vegetable and pulse dishes, from cracked wheat pourgouri to slow-cooked fasolia beans. Finally, make rich Greek desserts the sweet note to end your meal; serve just enough syrup-drenched baklava with a bitter black coffee to satisfy that craving or unwind with an Ouzo Sour or Brandy Sunburn Cocktail.

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Good cookbooks often have recipes that are tempting and easy to follow. Images that make the dishes appetizing. A variety in dishes.

GREAT COOK BOOKS have that and more. Orexi is such a cookbook. The photos make my mouth water. The recipes are easy to follow and enticing.

Before I read OREXI from cover to cover I liked Greek food, NOW I love it!

MasterChef UK’s Theo Michaels is clearly cooking from a place of love and understanding of his family’s culture. While adding his unique perspective and modern touches.

A beautiful book to have very visible in a kitchen. Sure to be a favorite in many homes.

Theo was born in London and comes from a large Greek Cypriot family. Theo lived in America for five years, has eaten his way around the world with a backpack and now lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and three children.

After reaching the heats of the semi-finals on Masterchef 2014 Theo resigned from his position as a Board Member of a PLC to follow his passion for ‘food’.

Theo started by hosting his own sell-out pop up restaurant in Hertfordshire cooking an 8-course taster menu championing modern Greek cuisine inspired by his family.

When people couldn’t get a table at Theo’s pop-up restaurant (the waiting list still remains at over 700) he worked as a private chef creating exclusive dinner parties for private clients, eventually receiving recognition in The Financial Times and Telegraph.

Theo’s private dining and popup restaurant won the regional ‘Best Lifestyle Service’ award – you can find out more about his private dining service and read reviews here). Theo is now the full time Executive Chef for Elsewhere Events creating imaginative dining experiences for Elsewhere’s venues and popup events around the world.

In Theo’s spare time he has been a guest chef for the Sheraton Grande in Bangkok, a regular judge for the annual Quality Food Awards and is frequently in the press and other media including The Food Network, BBC Radio and usually has one or two other projects up his sleeve.

Theo Michaels is known for cooking ‘elegant village food’ inspired by the flavours of Cyprus and his travels but also for creating innovative family friendly food that satisfies the reality of modern life.

Theo has appeared on BBC Breakfast News, Sky TV, The Food Network, is a regular on BBC 3CR Weekend Kitchen show and is a regular guest chef on ITV’s This Morning. He is called upon by the national press for comment and interview on private dining, food and drink trends and for recipe inspiration. He’s also regularly spotted cooking at food festivals. Theo’s inspiration for food varies from his roots, his travels to cooking for his family and his love of anything cooked over charcoal.