Santorini - Tastes of Greek Islands, by Myrsini Labraki

Santorini, is a warm and strong island full of energy, light, memories, history and mystery. A place of gray shores and busy beaches, light blue cupolas, small windows that gaze the Aegean and give you occasions to dream. The pre-historical name of the island, Stroggili (meaning Round, due to its round form), had been changed - probably by the Argonauts – to Kallisti (meaning beautiful, because of its natural beauty). After the arrival of Spartan colonists under their commander Thira, the island was named "Thira" to pay tribute to him. Time went by and during the Mediaeval times Italian seamen, that were stopping by for supplies traveling to the Holy Land, changed the name Thira to Santa-Irini. Due to the natural distinctiveness and the inaccessible location of Thira, they had to reach the harbor of Thirassia, right in front of the little church of Saint Irini. Thus the island was named after this particular roadstead. 

As you walk through the summer orchards you wonder how this dry land produces very little but so tasty and full of flavor fruits: little white and green sweet eggplants, little sun dried tomatoes, yellow chick pea, famous all over the country, round little zucchini. Of course you cannot leave the island with the most breathtaking sunset in the world, without trying the famous tomato balls served with a chilled local white wine. 

Myrsini Editions - 72 pages - Paperback

Myrsini Lambraki was born in Heraklion, Crete in July 1965.She studied Political Sciences and Public Administration at the Law School of Athens. She published a first selection of poems in 1990, under the title “Tritones”, and a second selection, “Oneireutis”, in 1992.
In 1993, following a family tradition of three generations, Myrsini Lambraki consecrated herself exclusively to the art of cooking. Her interest in diet has led her to research traditional Greek and Cretan food in al their aspects, turning her into an expert advisor in the art of using, serving and promoting traditional products.
She writes a gastronomic column in one of the country’s most important newspapers “Kathimerini” and has published articles on traditional cooking in Greek, American and European Union + Switzerland, Iceland, Norwayan magazines. She teaches Traditional Cretan - Greek Cooking in educational programs
She is a member of SLOW FOOD Administration Board, an international organization that promotes traditional cooking, and a member of ARCHESTRATOS, an association promoting the preservation and dissemination of Greek Cooking.
In 1997 she published her first gastronomic research on the edible greens in Crete and Greece “EDIBLE GREENS” which has become a national best-seller (five editions to date), and in 1998 a gastronomic treatise on cod-fish, “SALTED COD” (second edition).
In 1999, Lambraki published her book on the olive tree and its produce “OLIVE OIL: the Elixir of life” with a detailed description of the history of this tree and the use of olive oil in Greece from Antiquity to the present.