Kaukasis The Cookbook
"A sensitive, personal journey expressed through the beauty of food - just wonderful" - Jamie Oliver
"Olia Hercules is a storyteller-foodwriter, and a wholly original voice in the kitchen - there's not a recipe of hers I don't want to cook immediately" - Nigella Lawson
"You might not think you would be interested in a book celebrating the food and flavours of the Caucasus...but you would be wrong. Olia Hercules is a great storyteller who will take you on a journey through the region without you ever having to leave the sofa" - Sunday Time Ireland
"This is an incredible book - as I began to leaf through I started to smile, and I didn't stop" - Diana Henry
"Each recipe has a story, making this a fascinating read as well as a stunning cookbook" - BBC Good Food
"If the cooking of the Caucasian region isn't yet on your radar, it soon will be. (...) These gorgeous, flavour-packed recipes will give you a taste of what you've been missing" - delicious. magazine
From the winner of the Observer's Rising Star Award and Fortnum & Mason Debut Food Book Award 2016 comes a celebration of the food and flavours of the Caucasus - bridging Europe and Asia and incorporating Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Russia and Turkey. Olia Hercules introduces us to more than 100 recipes for vibrant, earthy, unexpected dishes from across the region such as Plum fruit leather, Chestnut plov with pumpkin crust, Quince stuffed with lamb & carmalised shallots, Vine leaf dolma, Village breakfast, Khachapouri, Armenian "cognac" profiteroles and Red basil sherbet.
Olia Hercules was born in Ukraine and lived in Cyprus for 5 years before moving to London to study a BA in Italian language, followed by an MA in Russian and English. A number of jobs followed before her interest in food as an amateur reached its apogee and she decided to retrain as a chef at Leith's School of Food and Wine. She kicked off her culinary career working at London's Union Market before landing her dream job as a chef-de partie for Ottolenghi's. Olia's focus nowadays is mostly on her son, her writing, her food styling and the occasional foray into film and television.
Find out more about Olia at oliahercules.com, on Twitter @oliasgastronomy and on Instagram.com/oliahercules.