About Diane

[cs_content _p=’7168′][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_headline _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]ABOUT\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_headline _id=”5″ ][cs_content_seo]DianeKochilas\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_text _id=”6″ ][cs_content_seo]Diane Kochilas is one of the world’s foremost experts on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. She is the host, creator and co-producer of My Greek Table, the award-winning 13-episode per season cooking-travel show about Greece that airs nationally on Public Television. The series is in its third season.

Diane hails from the Blue Zone Greek island of Ikaria and New York City and brings a combination of innate Blue-Zone wellness and result-oriented NYC spirit to everything she does. She is an award-winning author of more than 18 books on Greek-Mediterranean Cuisine and runs the Glorious Greek Kitchen on Ikaria Cooking School every spring and fall on the island. Diane also organizes culinary excursions and walking tours in Greece and cooking classes throughout the United States.

She has been on the forefront of bringing healthy Greek and Mediterranean cuisine to an American audience for more than 25 years. Diane has been consulting chef for many of the top Greek restaurants in the United States and for years has worked with university dining services at Harvard, Yale and UMass Amherst to bring healthy Mediterranean cooking to student dining halls. She is a frequent speaker at the CIA and other major culinary institutions.
Awards:

Taste Achievement Award, 2020, My Greek Table
IACP Nomination 2019, My Greek Table
Best Cookbook, 3 IACP Awards
Books for a Better Life Award
Art of Eating Award, long list

\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_column][cs_element_column _id=”7″ ][cs_element_gap _id=”8″ ][cs_element_image _id=”9″ ][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”10″ ][cs_element_row _id=”11″ ][cs_element_column _id=”12″ ][cs_element_headline _id=”13″ ][cs_content_seo]Highlights\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][cs_element_row _id=”14″ ][cs_element_column _id=”15″ ][cs_element_text _id=”16″ ][cs_content_seo]01. A born teacher, every spring, summer and fall since 2003, Diane has run the Glorious Greek Cooking School on her native island, Ikaria, a Blue Zone, renowned for the longevity of its inhabitants, and for its untrammelled beauty.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_text _id=”17″ ][cs_content_seo]02. Kochilas is an award-winning author of 18 books on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. Her latest book is My Greek Table, Authentic Flavors and Modern Home Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours (St. Martin’s Press, December 2018). Her book before that, Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die (Rodale), won the 2015 Books for a Better Life award by the MS Society as well as the prestigious IACP award Best Cookbook award in the International Category. The book was also long-listed for an Art of Eating award.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_text _id=”18″ ][cs_content_seo]03. The book before IKARIA, Country Cooking of Greece (Chronicle, 2012), was hailed by the New York Times as one of the 100 best books of 2012 and by virtual gourmet, John Mariani, as Diane’s “masterpiece.” Another tome, Glorious Foods of Greece (William Morrow), won the prestigious IACP Jane Grigson prize for excellence in research.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_text _id=”19″ ][cs_content_seo]04. Diane has been consulting chef at Committee Boston, an acclaimed small-plate and ouzerie concept, since the restaurant opened in June 1015. As consulting chef, she has designed menus at some of the top Greek restaurants in North America, including Molyvos and Pylos in NYC, Axia in Northern New Jersey., Avli in Chicago, and Volos in Toronto.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_column][cs_element_column _id=”20″ ][cs_element_text _id=”21″ ][cs_content_seo]05. Diane has also worked extensively in institutional dining, with Harvard University Dining Services, establishing a roster of healthy Greek menu items for student and retail dining; for Yale University Dining, and for UMASS, Amherst, renowned as the premiere college dining program in America.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_text _id=”22″ ][cs_content_seo]06. In Greece, she was host of Greece’s most popular TV cooking show, “What Are We Going to Eat Today, Mom” (in Greek) and was a columnist and restaurant critic for 20 years at the country’s largest circulation daily paper, Ta Nea.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_text _id=”23″ ][cs_content_seo]07. Diane has appeared on many major American television shows, most recently on FoxNews (Jan. 2014), as well as on “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” “The Today Show,” “Martha Stewart,” “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern,” and more.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_text _id=”24″ ][cs_content_seo]08. Diane divides her time between the United States and Greece.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”25″ ][cs_element_row _id=”26″ ][cs_element_column _id=”27″ ][cs_element_headline _id=”28″ ][cs_content_seo]WHERE IS DIANE\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_headline _id=”29″ ][cs_content_seo]My Schedule\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_headline _id=”30″ ][cs_content_seo]COMING NEXT\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][cs_element_row _id=”31″ ][cs_element_column _id=”32″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”33″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”34″ ][cs_element_image _id=”35″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”36″ ][cs_element_headline _id=”37″ ][cs_content_seo]ATHENS: Food, Stories, Love
FALL Book Tour with Diane Kochilas
\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_text _id=”38″ ][cs_content_seo]JAN 20 –  9 am PT / Noon EST
IACP TALKS – VIRTUAL
Creating a Multi-Pronged Culinary Travel Business Model
Sign Up Here

Read the IACP Food-Five Interview, too!

JAN 26 6:30pm to 8pm EST
WBUR Curated Cuisine – CitySpace Boston
The Greatest Dishes from Athens
Buy Tickets Here

JAN 27 – 28 – WELLESLEY, MA
COOKING CLASS – JOYFUL KITCHEN – WELLESLEY, MASS
A WINTER’S GREEK FEAST
Register Here

JAN 30 – 6:30 PM – NYC
AN ATHENIAN SUPPER CLUB
JAMES BEARD PLATFORM
with Executive Chef Roel Alcudia of House of Stefas
Buy Tickets Here

FEB 5 – 5:30 PM – PHILADELPHIA
THE BREAD ROOM – A Taste of Athens – Demo, Tasting & Book Signing
Make a Reservation Here

NEW YORK
Monday, October 20
Molyvos – 402 West 43rd Street, New York, NY
Book Dinner – Reservations
Tuesday, October 21
Thespis Theater @ Hellenic Cultural Center – 25-02 Newtown Avenue, Long Island City, NY
Author Talk & Book Signing
For tickets, call 917-635-8867
Wednesday, October 22
Williams Sonoma @ Columbus Circle – 10 Columbus Circle, Suite 114, New York, NY
Demo & Book Signing
Buy Tickets Here
Saturday, October 25
Union Square Greenmarket with Kitchen Arts & Letters – East 17th Street, b/t Union Square West & Union Square East, New York, NY
Book Signing – Free entry
WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY
Thursday, October 23
Holy Trinity Orthodox Church with the Ladies Philoptochos Society – 250 Gallows Hill Road, Westfield, NJ
Author Talk & Book Signing
Buy Tickets Here
BOSTON
Monday, October 27
Time Out Market Boston – 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA
Author Talk, Meet & Mingle
Buy Tickets Here
Tuesday, October 28
Maliotis Cultural Center @ Hellenic College Holy Cross – 50 Goddard Avenue, Brookline, MA
Demo, Author Talk & Book Signing
Buy Tickets Here
Wednesday, October 29
Trade – 540 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA
Book Dinner – Reservations
WASHINGTON D.C.
Sunday, November 2
Balos Estiatorio – 1940 North Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Book Dinner – Wines Provided by Kir-Yianni – Reservations
FORT LAUDERDALE
Tuesday, November 4
Theos Estiatorio – 1826 East Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Book Dinner – Wines Provided by Alpha Estate
(Reservations COMING SOON)
CHARLOTTE
Thursday, November 6
Verse & Vino @ Charlotte Convention Center – 501 South College Street, Charlotte, NC
Author Talk, Dinner & Book Signing – SOLD OUT
CHICAGO
Wednesday, November 12
Avli on The Park
Book Dinner (Reservations COMING SOON)
Thursday, November 13
Avli on The Park – 180 North Field Blvd, Chicago, IL
Book Dinner – Reservations
NEW YORK
Saturday, November 15
Sopra @ Amali – 115 East 60th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY
Cooking Class
Buy Tickets Here
Saturday, November 15
Sopra @ Amali – 115 East 60th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY
Book Dinner
Buy Tickets Here
NORTHVALE, NEW JERSEY
Sunday, November 16
Books & Greetings – 271 Livingston Street, Northvale, NJ
Book Signing
Buy Tickets Here
VIRTUAL
Sunday, December 7
Milk Street Cooking School
Virtual Cooking Class
Buy Tickets Here
Tuesday, January 20 (2026)
IACP Talks
Webinar (Bookings COMING SOON)
\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][cs_element_row _id=”39″ ][cs_element_column _id=”40″ ][cs_element_content_area_modal _id=”41″ ][cs_content_seo]SOME PAST APPEARANCES  
February 10, 2019
Book Signing and Prix-Fixe Dinner
Vidrio restaurant
February 8, 2019

VIP Cooking Class
University Park, PA.

February 5, 2019
Ousia Restaurant

Jan 31, 2019
Book Signing
Committee Restaurant

January 26, 2019
Book Signing & Dinner
Ikaros Restaurant
June 7-9, 2015
CHEF’S CULINARY CONFERENCE “THE FUTURE OF FOOD,” UMass, Amherst, MA.
June 28 – July 1
NY. SUMMER FANCY FOOD SHOW 2015
Agreeno : Hall 3, Booth Nο 1621
Sept. 5 – 7th, 2015
PAN-ICARIAN BROTHERHOOD OF AMERICA, Annual Convention, Pittsburgh, PA. Luncheon speaker
Sept. 15 – 26th
with ARGO TRAVEL. CULINARY TRIP. Istanbul, Athens, the Peloponnese.
Oct. 28th, 2015
JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION. Beard on Books. “Ikaria: Food, Life & Longevity” Presentation and signing.
Nov. 6 – 16th 
Santa Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, Master Class
Cliff Bar / Team Building Private Event
Pathos Greek Restaurant, Berkeley, Guest Chef dinner and cooking classes
Hellenic American Medical & Dental Association, Guest Speaker
April 28 – May 1, 2015
Central Markets, Texas, Passport to Greece
April 23, 2015
UMass, Amherst. Taste of UMass.
Feb. 26, 2015
St. Demetrios Church, Astoria, NY. NE Philoptochos Foundation Retreat & Book SIgning.
Feb. 27 – 28, 2015
NE Food Show
Oct. 18, 2014
Omnivore Books
Oct. 16th, 2014
National Hellenic Museum, Chicago.
Sept. 27 – 28, 2014
Harvard School of Public Health, Mediterranean Workplace & Health Conference
June 2014
UMass, Amherst. Chef’s Culinary, “Food Matters”
March 2013
Hattori School of Nutrition, Tokyo.
November 2013
US Congress, Greek Food Fest.
Oct. 2013
Harvard School of Public Health
June 2013
Harvard School of Public Health & CIA, Menus of Change Conference.
\n\nPAST APPEARANCES\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_column][cs_element_column _id=”42″ ] [/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”43″ ][cs_element_row _id=”44″ ][cs_element_column _id=”45″ ][cs_element_headline _id=”46″ ][cs_content_seo]Diane in the Media\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][cs_element_row _id=”47″ ][cs_element_column _id=”48″ ][cs_element_text _id=”49″ ][cs_content_seo]An Epic List of All* of Fall’s New Cookbooks – READ
The Best Cheese Books of Fall 2025 – READ
Book Dinner at Balos Estiatorio with Greek Chef & Author Diane Kochilas – READ
The Best Books to Read This October –  READ
Chef Diane Kochilas’ Kaseropita Kourou – READ
Mushroom Chickpea Tigania recipe – READ
Feast in the Kitchen: Chef Diane Kochilas – READ
Fall Cooking -READ
Celebrity Chef Diane Kochilas on Her Latest Book ‘Athens: Food, Stories, Love’ – READ
NYT bestselling author Diane Kochilas talks latest cookbook at Hellenic Cultural Center – READ
Chef Diane Kochilas brings new cookbook and Greek specialtiesto Boston – READ
Union Square Greenmarket Instagram Post – SEE INSTAGRAM POST
It’s a Fine Time to Eat in Athens’: Diane Kochilas on the City’s Delicious Evolution – READ
Where to Eat in Athens Right Now, According to One of Greece’s Most Influential Culinary Voices – READ
Alluring Athens: Food, Stories, Love. Greece Travel To Inspire You – READ
GOING ON in Greek-American Community – READ
Diane Kochilas on Modern Greek Food – READ
IG Live convo with Katie Parla and Diane Kochilas – READ
FOODIE & THE BEAST: NOVEMBER 2, 2025 – RAED
Diane Kochilas brings Greek flavor to kitchens without the passport stamp – READ
Eat like a Greek with “Athens: Food, Stories, Love” – READ
This Mediterranean Soup Is a Sumptuous Way to Get Your Fiber – READ
Interview about ATHENS book and Cookbook Club selection – READ
Outbound – READ
Are these the best Greek eats in Astoria? – READ
Athens: A Love Story – READ
Diane Kochilas Talks About the REAL Mediterranean Diet – READ
77. Diane Kochilas – Chef – Author of ‘ATHENS: Food, Stories, Love’ Cookbook. – READ
Greek Chef and author Diane Kochilas in Charlotte – READ
“ATHENS: Food, Stories, Love: A Cookbook” – READ
Culinary Journey: Diane Kochilas Releases New Cookbook, A “Love Letter to Athens” – READ
Celebrity chef Diane Kochilas brings Greek flavors home with new cookbook ‘Athens: Food, Stories, Love’ – READ
Dean cooks with celebrity chef and cookbook author Diane Kochilas – READ
A Guide to Athens’ Underrated Food Neighborhoods – READ
ATHENS: Food, Stories, Love Includes 150 Greek Recipes – READ
Diane Kochilas Will Challenge Everything You Think You Know About Greek Food – READ

\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_button _id=”50″ ][cs_content_seo]Load More\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”51″ ][cs_element_row _id=”52″ ][cs_element_column _id=”53″ ][cs_element_headline _id=”54″ ][cs_content_seo]CONSULTING & OTHER CULINARY SERVICES\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_headline _id=”55″ ][cs_content_seo]Put a Heading here…\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][cs_element_row _id=”56″ ][cs_element_column _id=”57″ ][cs_element_headline _id=”58″ ][cs_content_seo]RESTAURANTS (… and here?)\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_text _id=”59″ ][cs_content_seo]Diane is available for restaurant, retail and food-travel consulting for culinary professionals who want to learn more about Greek-Mediterranean cuisine. Contact Diane here, for further information or with specific requests: info@dianekochilas.com> \n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_headline _id=”60″ ][cs_content_seo]RESTAURANTS\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_text _id=”61″ ][cs_content_seo]Diane has worked with a long list of restaurants, retail food markets, and editorial and marketing entities to help shape the perception of Greek food internationally. She helped open Pylos Restaurant in NYC in 2004, and worked with the restaurant for a decade to serve forth rustic, elegant Greek cuisine, efforts which were rewarded with great reviews, top ratings in Zagat and many honorable mentions in the Michelin Guide. She has worked with Axia in Tenafly, NJ, and Avli in Chicago in the same capacity, helping to shape their menus. In 2011 she helped open Volos Restaurant in Toronto.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_column][cs_element_column _id=”62″ ][cs_element_headline _id=”63″ ][cs_content_seo]OTHER\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_text _id=”64″ ][cs_content_seo]HEPO. Diane worked with the Hellenic Exports and Promotions Board throughout the 1990s and up to 2008 as a consultant. The much-lauded GreekGourmetTraveler Magazine was her brainchild, a publication aimed at sharing the foods, wines and regions of Greece with an Emglish-language audience. Under her term with HEPO, she also spearheaded other award-winning publications, such as Simply Plated and Passport to Greek NY, all aimed at promoting Greek food and wine products internationally.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]