The remote and lush island of Ikaria in the northeastern Aegean is home to one
of the longest-living populations on the planet, making it a blue zone. Much of
this has been attributed to Ikaria's stress-free lifestyle and Mediterranean
diet-daily naps, frequent sex, a little fish and meat, free-flowing wine,
mindless exercise like walking and gardening, hyper-local food, strong
friendships, and a deep-rooted disregard for the clock.
No one knows the Ikarian lifestyle better than Chef Diane Kochilas, who has
spent much of her life on the island. Part cookbook, part travelogue, Kochilas's
Ikaria is an introduction to the food-as-life philosophy and a culinary journey
through luscious