Kefi, loosely translated, is the Greek sense of joy, and is often found around the dinner table during large and boisterous family meals of Spanakopita, Keftedes (Greek meatballs), and much, much more. Largely considered a bit of a mystery to Americans, Greek cooking is far more expansive than simply prepping up a few gyro sandwiches and Greek salads. There is an earthiness about Greek cooking, an amalgam of many historic influences. Lighter than southern Italian, much less pretentious than French, much more refined than Middle Eastern, Greek cuisine at its best is aromatic, tasty, and satisfying. Around a Greek Tableexplores the intricacies of Greek cooking and makes these once-mysterious recipes both understandable and possible. The book also delves deep into stories of Greek life and kefiaround the dinner table. The 100 recipes are organized around the Eastern Church's yearly seasons, each explored in one of eight chapters, with historical and personal essays exploring the ancient stories that are told around Greek tables in the honored tradition of combining myths with food.

Katerina Katsarka Whitley is a native Greek who never lost her connections to Greece. Her freelance writing on Greek culture, food, and travel has appeared in the News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), The Catholic Middle East, and other religious journals, and in The Christian Science Monitor. Today she travels the country as a regular speaker at various religious organizations.