Just in time for the holidays, Chef Al Levinsohn invited me to talk about Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska on his television show, What’s Cookin’. The show aired on Wednesday, December 14; the video is courtesy of KTUU-TV’s website (I’ve embedded it here because out-of-state friends weren’t able to view it directly on KTUU’s website).

Cooking with Chef Al was great fun. Since his restaurant, Kincaid Grill, has the best food in Anchorage, it was a particular honor to meet him. In person, Chef Al is funny, easy-going, and lives and breathes his passionate love of food.

On Chef Al’s show, we made two recipes from Tastes Like Home, both perfect for the holiday season. The first was Roasted Kalamata Olives, an incredibly easy appetizer to make and one that never fails to draw compliments. We also baked Butter-Almond Cookies (Kourabiedes), traditionally made in Greece for Christmas and weddings, and an extremely popular item at the Anchorage Greek Festival held every August.

Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska is available to purchase in Anchorage at Title Wave Books, Barnes and Noble, and the Museum Shop; in Eagle River at The Book Shelf; in Homer at the Homer Book Store; in Soldotna at River City Books; in Fairbanks at the airport, and in Dillingham at The Cracker Box.

For out-of-towners, Tastes Like Home can be ordered online (and, yes, we ship internationally). If you order online and want the book signed or gift-wrapped, please drop a note and either request will be honored.

Here are the recipes Chef Al and I made on What’s Cookin’: