Greek food is one of the most loved and recognized around the world. Synonymous with sunshine and holidays, it conjures up fresh ingredients, great flavors and uncomplicated dishes.

It feels plentiful and yet healthy, too. Add to this the image of Greek islands and you're immediately transported to a beach-side taverna, olive trees, and sun-dappled lunches al fresco.

This new book from Greek chef Carolina Doriti plays up to the perennial popularity of Mediterranean food and adds the unique allure of the Greek islands. The recipes – such as fluffy pancakes with Greek yogurt, warm figs and cinnamon, watermelon salad with feta and mint, tomato fritters, classic roast lamb, and baked fish with saffron – and stunning photography will inspire home cooks to recreate some Greek vacation magic in their kitchens.

Carolina Doriti was born in Αthens and completed her BA and MA at universities in the UK. Cooking has been her greatest passion from a very early age. Her mother was a food writer and recipe developer and Carolina grew up in a lively home kitchen environment, developing her own recipes from the age of 12. In 2005, she started working as a chef and gradually got involved with restaurant business development, particularly focusing on setting up restaurant kitchens, designing their menus and training kitchen staff. She particularly loves Αthens and has explored the city and its culinary scene in depth, discovering every little eatery, bar, and café, learning about their history and the peοple behind them. In 2013, she started working with Culinary Backstreets, an awarded US company operating globally, known for their exceptional gastronomy tours in several cities around the world, with a successful web presence showcasing global cuisine and local culinary traditions. She is the Αthens' Bureau chief, and their tour designer in Αthens. She writes about food with a special focus on the history of Greek gastronomy, the products, the regional cuisines, and lost recipes. She is the Culinary Producer of My Greek Table, a TV series on Greek gastronomy, broadcasted on PBS across the US and Canada. She has appeared on various cooking and other food related shows in Greece and abroad. Salt of the Earth was her first cookbook.