What have been the highlights of your journey and the key steps that have brought you to where you are today?
The first important steps were my studies at Le Monde and my collaboration with Chrysanthos Karamolegos, which helped me gain momentum at the start of my career. Significant highlights also include my collaborations and experiences in Greece and abroad – in Miami, New York, Dubai, France, and England.
The story of discovering a creative perspective through cooking. How was it born and how has it evolved over time?
From a very young age, through my family and home, I had the desire to get involved with cooking. This love started when I was six years old, and my family allowed me to freely nurture it. It further evolved with my professional career starting in 1998, through experimentation, collaborations, and experiences, always with a love for nature and quality ingredients.
What makes cooking hold a special place in your heart and how important is it to pass on the knowledge you’ve gained?
For me, cooking is communication, care, and sharing. It’s a way to show love without many words. Through a dish, a pot, people open their hearts, sharing stories, memories, and emotions. This is what gives it a special place in my heart. Passing on the knowledge I’ve gained is both a responsibility and a joy. I’m not so much interested in sharing just a recipe, but in passing on the respect for raw ingredients, the value of simplicity, and the story behind each product and every person who produces it. If through my work I can inspire someone to cook more consciously, simply, and with more love, then I feel the cycle of knowledge continues in the right way.
How do you feel you’re evolving in your field?
I feel that, at this stage of my life, I am evolving by returning to the basics. This is something that deeply concerns me and runs through my latest book, 81: the return to the value of raw materials, simplicity, and essence. I don’t feel that I’ve fully mastered it – it’s an ongoing process that I work on every day. For me, evolution comes from many paths: through collaborations, travel, interactions with other cultures and cuisines, reading, and observing people and life around me. As I get older, I feel more mature and clearer about what I don’t want to do, and that in itself is evolution. A significant part of this journey is learning to enjoy time and moments, giving space to whatever I do, without rushing. This helps me think more clearly, create more meaningfully, and move forward with greater awareness.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievements? What makes your creations special?
My greatest achievements are the collaborations I’ve had abroad and in Greece, the show I currently host on ERT about Greek products, POP Mageriki, and my books, especially 81. What makes my creations special is their simplicity, respect for the truth and the raw material, and the connection I aim to establish through the recipe with the producer. I want everything to be understated, without excess.
Who are the people around you who help you move forward? How difficult is it to stand out in such a demanding field?
There have always been people who have helped and supported me, whether personally, family-wise, or friends. I think I’m lucky because the people who have crossed my path leave a positive imprint. I’ve never been interested in standing out – everyone stands out through their own way and story.
How do you handle ingredients? Do you follow your instinct or are there techniques that guide you? Is cooking an art of the heart or something that is simply learned?
It’s important to work with high-quality ingredients. Everything starts from instinct and feeling, while technique is necessary to respect the raw material. Cooking is an art of the heart, but you need foundations and constant learning. For me, it’s a way of life.
What makes Greek cuisine stand out? What do you consider its most important strengths and weaknesses?
Greek cuisine stands out first and foremost for its raw materials, simplicity, and its deep connection with memory and family. It’s a cuisine that carries stories, experiences, and emotions within it. When we eat Greek food, we often don’t just taste a dish, but a whole way of life. At the same time, Greek cuisine is inextricably linked to the culture and history of the country. It’s a cuisine shaped by its relationship with the sea and the mountains, a land with exceptional flora and a wide variety of products. It has been influenced by Asia Minor, Pontus, the Balkans, the Greek-speaking villages of Southern Italy, as well as the Greek diaspora in Egypt, Cairo, and Alexandria. All these worlds that embraced and were embraced by Greece formed a complex yet clear cuisine. What concerns me at times is the excessive need to modernize Greek cuisine. In my opinion, it doesn’t need it. Greek cuisine has strength when it’s spoken simply and cooked cleanly, with respect for its raw materials and history. This is what, ultimately, the person sitting at the table needs.
Which other cuisine would you compare Greek cuisine to?
The cuisine I often compare Greek cuisine to is Italian. I love it deeply for its simplicity and substance. What I particularly admire about the Italians is the way they protect and respect their cuisine: they firmly hold onto their recipes, have rules for combining ingredients, and aren’t afraid to defend tradition without compromise. One dish I always admire and perhaps “envy” in the good sense is carciofi alla romana: artichokes cooked almost only with olive oil and herbs. It’s a recipe that proves when the raw material is exceptional, you don’t need anything more. This purity and trust in the product is something that deeply moves and inspires me in my own cooking.
Do you feel that you’re returning to your gastronomic memories and roots? How does this make you feel? How important is it for a chef to grow up in a “tasty” environment?
I feel that I always return to my gastronomic memories. They are the core of my cooking. I’m fortunate to have grown up amidst orchards, fields, vegetable gardens, olive groves, and vineyards in Samos. This environment taught me from a very early age what the true taste of ingredients is: how a tomato smells, when a fruit is truly ripe, what good olive oil means. Growing up in a “tasty” environment doesn’t just mean eating well; it means training the memory, taste, and the sense of respect for nature. This knowledge never leaves you. I carry it with me even today, and it’s my guide in cooking: to recognize the truth of the raw material and let it speak without exaggeration. I think this is, ultimately, one of the most essential foundations for anyone who chooses to cook.
Have you experimented with foreign cuisines? What else is in your gastronomic repertoire?
I enjoy experimenting with cuisines from around the world. I deeply love Thai cuisine for its aromas, Mexican cuisine, and especially Japanese cuisine for its philosophy and simplicity.
What about your books. How did writing came to your life and how has it evolved until today?
For me, writing started from a deep need to bring back memories of my childhood and honor the flavors I grew up with in my family’s home. My first book, The Flavors We Grew Up With, was dedicated to this experience, to the recipes passed down by my family, and served as a way to rediscover my childhood memory through cooking. Subsequent books led me to explore further, traveling to different parts of the world, working with Greek products, feta, and other themes, which together shaped my journey to 81. For me, the writing of 81 was born from the need to redefine myself, to philosophize about life and creation, to connect my love for raw materials with personal quests and deeper experiences. Cooking here becomes a means of reflection, personal discovery, and expression, and the books are my way of sharing this process with others.
What different does your new book, 81 offer?
81 offers recipes based on Greek products, with a different perspective and a more philosophical approach. It’s dedicated to Greek producers, to those I deeply admire for their dedication and passion, as they keep the tradition and magic of raw materials alive. The recipes are not merely instructions for food; they are a way to express my love for the ingredients and the land, to show how Greek raw materials can be transformed into flavors that speak of our land, our history, and our continuous personal search. 81 speaks of the philosophy of simplicity, truth, and connection with the producer, but also about personal discovery through the art of cooking. It consists of 81 dishes based exclusively on Greek products. It’s a book that was born from a deeper need for personal exploration and redefining. It’s based on Heraclitus’ saying “ἐδιζησάμην ἐμεωυτόν” (I searched for myself), which speaks of continuous exploration and self-discovery. Through this book, cooking becomes a tool for self-knowledge. It’s an effort to stand more consciously before life, to reflect, philosophize, and approach deeper parts of my soul. Creating 81 wasn’t just a writing process, but an inner journey, where each recipe functions as a stop on this path. Yet, there’s something that remains unchanged throughout this search: my love for nature and the earth. That’s where it all begins and ends. It’s my constant point of reference, the place where I draw inspiration and truth, both in cooking and in life.
What inspires your steps and evolution in the way you create?
I am inspired by a moment, a person, a scent, or a journey. Returning to Samos is always rejuvenating for me; there, I take deep breaths and clear my mind, which gives me the drive to move forward.
What would you like to create, a dream project?
A project that fills me with joy would be to create a place in Samos that could host 20 people, where I would cook exclusively with what the island’s land produces.
The chefs you hold close to your heart and why you choose them.
There are several chefs in my heart whom I deeply admire. I appreciate those who can put their soul and personal touch into every dish, who show love and respect for the raw ingredients. For me, what matters is not just their journey in cooking, but also their attitude as people: integrity, passion, and authenticity in whatever they do. From the first cook I met to the new generation, I value those who manage to connect their art with their soul and bring something personal, meaningful, and real into their dishes.
Are we the choices we make?
We are certainly our choices. Our choices determine how we move forward in life, make us more mature, and allow us to enjoy life, or not.
The last thing you bought and why you chose it?
I buy and collect plants. Gardening is my hobby and a way for me to ground myself. I love taking care of them, watching them grow, noticing how they react to light, water, and time. Recently, I bought a cypress tree, though often it’s not really a purchase—I might pick up a plant that was discarded, almost forgotten, and try to “revive” it. This process of care and bringing life back to something soothes me and reminds me that, with a little attention and love, even something that seems lost can find its place again.
An object you would never part with
The first cookbook I was given when I was young, with instructions for appetizers and little hors d’oeuvres. For me, it’s precious because it connects me to my first culinary discoveries and the beginning of my love for cooking.
The best book you’ve read recently
The last book I read is Roots and Foundations by Maria Efthymiou. It takes me through the history of the Greeks and gives me the opportunity to reflect on our roots, tradition, and identity. It’s a book that inspires me and helps me look deeper into things, connected to both our past and present.
In another life, what path would you choose?
I think, in another life, I would choose cooking again. I always feel that something about taste and creation would pull me in because cooking is for me a way of expressing myself and connecting with people. I could also pursue perfume-making or architecture because I enjoy creating and shaping things with aesthetics and soul. And, of course, I would want to explore gardening because I love nature and the connection it brings to our lives, to the earth, and our roots. In this life or any other, creating, nurturing, and cultivating is always at the core for me.
Three places you love to return to and why.
Samos: For me, it represents authenticity. It’s the place that taught me to walk slowly, observe, and listen. There, I learned the relationship with the land, with time, and with raw ingredients. It’s a place that doesn’t give itself easily, but if you respect it, it gives you everything.
France (especially Paris): It’s the dream. It’s the place where I first imagined myself as a chef. There, the desire for progress, technique, discipline, and aesthetics was born. Paris symbolizes for me cooking as an art and its deep connection with the culture, philosophy, and life of the city.
Kastelorizo: A small neighborhood by the sea. A simple, almost silent place with a unique energy. Its proximity to the shores of Asia Minor, its history, its memories, and its geography make it feel like a bridge between worlds.
Is creativity a path to becoming better people?
Yes, because through creation, we discover ourselves, touch our inner selves, and embrace our inner child.
Tell us a story you will never forget.
When I was 17, doing my internship, I made a mistake. My chef said to me: “Whoever works makes mistakes.” I always remember this and share it with the younger generation. Our mistakes help us move forward and learn.
Give us your definition of beauty
For me, beauty lies in simplicity. In how one can strip away unnecessary things and express themselves meaningfully. Beauty is what nature creates without intending to impress: a product at its perfect stage, a landscape as it is, a person standing truthfully before themselves. I don’t believe that beauty and ugliness are defined absolutely. If we look at things with a clear perspective, without filters and biases, even what we consider ugly has something to teach us. It has information, experience, truth. For me, beauty is this acceptance: to see, observe, and respect what is, without trying to alter it. In cooking, but also in life, beauty is revealed when we allow things to be what they truly are. When we give them space to speak in their own way. That, I believe, is the most essential and timeless meaning of beauty.
What do you consider authentic these days?
Authentic is honesty, the free expression of feelings, and respect for others. Authentic is communicating, loving, and showing it through actions—even through a plate of well-cooked food.
If you were to create something for TheAuthentics.gr, what would it be?
If I had to translate it into action, I would create a meal. A dinner around a simple but thoughtfully set table, covered with herbs from the Greek land, with scents of thyme, oregano, alisfakia, and thrumbi. A table without pretense, with pure ingredients and true flavors. We would cook foods that don’t try to impress but to move us. A good tomato in season, an egg with bread, a little sun-dried tomato paste, nice olives, authentic cheeses. Flavors that carry memory and return us, even for a moment, to our childhood. To that time when everything had feeling, time, and meaning. I would want this table to be a purely sensory experience. To activate taste, smell, touch, and memory. Because through food, we don’t only remember what we ate, but who we were. And that child we carry inside us deserves to stay alive. I firmly believe that when you bring life to a recipe—when you cook it with presence, respect, and truth—it gives it back to you. It nourishes you not only physically but also spiritually. And perhaps, this is the most meaningful essence of cooking: an act of memory, love, and connection.
