Ep 10 - From Idea to Cookbook: How We Created Kasandrinos’s Kitchen

What does it really take to turn a family's recipes into a cookbook that lasts forever? Tony and Effi Kasandrinos sit down to talk about their new cookbook, Kasandrinos Kitchen, and how a decade of shared recipes finally became a real book. It started as something they kept promising customers and almost never pulled off. They get into why they nearly self-published, the friend and publisher who turned a 20-minute call into almost three hours of advice, the recipes that made the cut and the ones they still wish they added, and why the book carries their family story alongside olive oil, the Mediterranean diet, and real cooking techniques. Then it drifts happily into Greece, harvest season retreats, and the best time of year to visit. If you have ever thought about making a book of your own, or you just want an olive oil first way to cook, this one shows the real work behind the cover. Listen now. ### **Timestamped Highlights** - 00:00 What the cookbook actually is, and why it is more than recipes - 01:24 The one thing Tony wants to send to his old English teachers - 02:38 The surprising way customers use olive oil that has nothing to do with food - 03:18 The next book they have already planned - 04:11 Why you should never buy flavored olive oil - 04:48 Tony and Effi each name their favorite recipe in the book - 07:10 The hardest part of turning family recipes into a cookbook - 08:52 The old app that got them posting recipes in the first place - 11:49 Why they almost self-published, and started calling print companies - 12:52 The 20 minute call that turned into a two and a half hour masterclass - 14:51 The text that turned a favor into a real published book - 16:32 The two-year process, the reshot cover, and endless rewrites - 18:16 Where you can buy the book right now - 20:54 The book's original name, and the newsletter it became - 22:39 The Greece retreat idea Tony cannot stop thinking about - 28:10 The Spartan race in Sparta they want customers to join - 29:03 The best and worst times to visit Greece for the first time ### **Mentioned Resources** - Kasandrinos Kitchen - the new cookbook from Tony and Effi Kasandrinos, on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble - The Mediterranean Code - the Kasandrinos newsletter, and the book's original name - Victory Belt Publishing - Kasandrinos Olive Oil - Spartan Race ## **Important Links** - Learn more about us: Kasandrinos.com - Buy our book: Kasandrinos Kitchen - Join our Facebook community: Facebook - Follow us: Instagram | TikTok | Pinterest - LinkedIn: Tony Kasandrinos | Effi Kasandrinos Booth **The Kasandrinos Effect** is an original podcast brought to you by Kasandrinos International and editing by Podcast Your Brand.