What could be better than family and friends gathered around a table laden with laughter and good food? The Food Network's Cat Cora is the perfect companion in the kitchen to help create meals and memories to share and remember. With recipes inspired by Cat's Greek heritage and her roots in the American South, honed by her experiences in restaurants in France and California, Cat Cora's Kitchen shines with simplicity and flavor. Organized by menu, these dishes tempt palates with specialties such as freshly baked Spana-kopita, the traditional Greek favorite of spinach, dill, and feta in pastry, and savory chicken stew, redolent of wine, garlic, and cinnamon. Desserts are also not-to-be-missed, with treats such as the Orange-Scented Almond Cookies or an unusual rolled version of Baklava. The pantry offers basic recipes for homemade stock and a resource section gives suggestions for finding unusual ingredients. With gorgeous photographs throughout, these approachable, elegant dishes will leave everyone asking for the recipe.
Cat Cora is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. She was Chef de Cuisine at Napa Valley's Bistro Don Giovanni and went on to be executive chef of Postino in Lafayette, California. Cat has been featured on the TV Food Network's Melting Pot and Date Plate and she writes a biweekly food column for the Contra Costa Times. She lives in Northern California.
Ann Krueger Spivack wrote the series Michael Chiarello's Napa for public television. She lives with her husband and two children in Berkeley, California.
Maren Caruso is a San Francisco-based photographer whose work also appears in The New Complete Coffee Book (0-8118-2867-0).
| Introduction | 10 | |
| The Cora Kitchen in Jackson, Mississippi | 12 | |
| Getting my mom to cook kota kapama for my brother's birthday: I've bribed him to ask for my favorite meal | 15 | |
| Chicken Stewed in Wine, Garlic, and Cinnamon (Kota Kapama) | 16 | |
| Butter and Cheese Noodles (Makaronia) | 18 | |
| Caramelized Brussels Sprouts | 19 | |
| Tomato, Cucumber, and Feta Salad (Horiatiki) | 21 | |
| Olive Oil Cake (Lathi Torte) | 22 | |
| Sharing my family's two secret ingredients for pork: Bourbon and my grandmother's mustard give this roast its zing | 25 | |
| Spring Onion, Fennel, and Potato Soup (Patatosoupa) | 26 | |
| Slow-Roasted Pork with Bourbon (Hirino Psito) | 27 | |
| Southern-Style Greens (Horta) | 28 | |
| Walnut Tart (Karithi Tarta) | 30 | |
| Roasting a chicken with lemon and herbs: The Zouboukos brothers cook an old-fashioned church supper, Jackson style | 33 | |
| Fish Roe Spread with Crostini (Taramosalata) | 34 | |
| Classic Greek Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Herbs (Kotopoulo Psito) | 35 | |
| Church-Style Lemon-Roasted Potatoes (Patates Lemonates) | 36 | |
| Stewed Green Beans with Fresh Oregano (Fassoulakia Yahni) | 37 | |
| Milk Pie (Calatoboureko) | 38 | |
| Slow-smoking a beef brisket: Greek flavors take on a Southern flair when my dad cooks | 41 | |
| Pork Skewers with Pita Bread (Souvlaki Me Pita) | 42 | |
| Spiro's Brisket (Vodino Spiros) | 43 | |
| Greek Potato Salad (Patatosalata) | 45 | |
| Bell Peppers Stuffed with Meat and Rice (Piperies Yemistes Me Kima Kai Rizi) | 46 | |
| Greek Butter Cookies (Kourambiedes) | 48 | |
| The Karagiozos Kitchen on Skopelos, Greece | 50 | |
| Arriving in Skopelos: Aunt Demetra is worried we'll be hungry | 53 | |
| Spinach, Dill, and Feta Baked in Phyllo Dough (Spanakopita) | 55 | |
| Artichoke Hearts Braised in Lemon Juice (Anginares Me Latholemono) | 57 | |
| Cucumber Yogurt (Tzatziki) | 58 | |
| Spicy Feta Spread (Htipiti) | 59 | |
| Sour Cherry Torte (Tortes Me Vissino Glyko) | 61 | |
| Cooking a classic stifatho with my Aunt Demetra: This Greek stew calls for rabbit, wine, and beautiful pearl onions | 65 | |
| Stewed Rabbit with Pearl Onions (Kouneli Stifatho) | 67 | |
| Polenta with Fontina and Parmesan | 70 | |
| Fresh Spinach with Preserved Lemons (Spanaki Me Lemone) | 71 | |
| Honey-Dipped Cookies with Fresh Figs (Melomakarona Kai Sika) | 72 | |
| Stopping at a taverna after wandering through town: Sampling shrimp with capers, Aegean meatballs, and baklava orthi | 75 | |
| Shrimp and Caper Salad (Carithosalata Me Kappari) | 77 | |
| Aegean Meatballs with Pita Bread (Keftethakia Kai Pita) | 78 | |
| Cabbage Leaves Filled with Lamb and Rice (Dolmathes Me Arni Kai Rizi) | 79 | |
| Skopeletti Stuffed Tomatoes (Domates Yemistes) | 80 | |
| Rolled Baklava (Baklava Orthi) | 81 |
Overview
What could be better than family and friends gathered around a table laden with laughter and good food? The Food Network's Cat Cora is the perfect companion in the kitchen to help create meals and memories to share and remember. With recipes inspired by Cat's Greek heritage and her roots in the American South, honed by her experiences in restaurants in France and California, Cat Cora's Kitchen shines with simplicity and flavor. Organized by menu, these dishes tempt palates with specialties such as freshly baked ...