Shaily Lipa is the author of 'Yassou', a Greek cookbook with recipes from her childhood. (Photo: Amir Menahem)[Missing Credit]
Lipa's childhood favourites – like leek patties, roast lamb shoulder and white bean salad – feature alongside plenty of other classic Greek recipes in Yassou, her first English-language cookbook, which is just as much about Greek food as it is about the country’s custom of hospitality.
“I grew up in a house that loved to host and to feed people, which is very Greek – the culture is so warm and inviting,” she said. “Hospitality is like a religion in Greece: it doesn't matter if you enter a poor house or a rich house, they will treat you like royalty, feeding you and serving you and treating you with kindness.”
Hosting remains a cherished tradition in Lipa’s household, where she and her husband love to gather friends and family around an abundant table, and after some 20 years in the food industry she has the practice down to a science - especially when it comes to hosting dinners for the holidays. With Rosh Hashanah around the corner, Lipa's tips for cooking and entertaining are all about minimising hassle on the day by knowing which dishes to make ahead, and Yassou has plenty of “no fuss” recipes to choose from, she said.
For starters, Lipa recommends making two salads: one fresh green salad with a dressing that can be made the day before, and another easy-prep vegetable dish like her grandmother's white bean salad.
“You just cook the white beans, cut the red onion and parsley, and you add the dressing, which has time to soak into the beans when you make it ahead,” Lipa said. “It's so easy to make, and very healthy.”
Beef Stifado is a no-fuss favourite Photo: Amir Menahem[Missing Credit]
For show-stopping main dishes, she suggests either the Kleftiko (roast lamb shoulder) or Stifado (beef stew with shallots), both of which taste even better when prepared in advance.
“The Kleftiko is absolutely a dish for holidays or special occasions because it takes a few hours, but the meat is falling off the bone and it makes a great centerpiece for the table when you serve it with potatoes, which soak up the juice from the meat,” Lipa said. “It's very Greek in that it only uses a few ingredients, but it's a family recipe and my grandmother used to make it every Passover and Rosh Hashanah, and now I also make it every holiday."
The Stifado, made with beef or lamb chunks cooked in red wine and shallots, only becomes more flavourful the longer the meat has to steep in its hearty, savoury sauce. As a rule, Lipa said saucy meat dishes are best for prepping in advance and reheating just before dinner, whereas fish is best cooked fresh on the day. Dessert, like honey cake, is another easy make-ahead.
And for a festive Rosh Hashanah touch, Lipa always creates a visually appealing platter of apples and honey.
“I like to cut green, red and yellow apples into slices with the skin still on and arrange them nicely on a board with a bowl of honey and a bowl of pomegranate seeds,” she said. "You have it for nibbling, but it looks beautiful too.”
Honey slathered walnut cake Photo: Amir Menahem[Missing Credit]
Yassou, Lipa's love letter to the flavours of the Mediterranean, is as much a companion for special occasions as it is for weeknight family meals. But above all, it is a kind of homecoming for Lipa, a return to the beloved cuisine of her childhood.
“I'm very proud of the book,” she said. “Writing it was a dream that came true.”
Yassou: The Simple Seasonal Mediterranean Cooking of Greece (Artisan) is out now
'Yassou' is Israeli chef and TV personality Shaily Lipa's first English-language cookbook.[Missing Credit] 