Stories on food traditions and fostering connections by Olea
In Conversation with Phoebe Tunis, Kouzina (Byron Bay)
Can you tell us a little about your Greek heritage and how it shaped your relationship with food and cultural traditions?
Both my grandparents on my mother’s side migrated from Greece to Australia in their early life. Settling in Adelaide, they naturally became part of a tight Greek-Australian community. Despite the distance from their ancestral land, my mother and her two sisters were raised with a strong connection to their heritage, culture and family values. Much of Greek cultural traditions and festivities revolve around food -Whether it be growing, harvesting, cooking and eating. From a young age i was surrounded by food and family, forming the foundation of my sense of belonging and experience in this world.
What values from your family kitchen have influenced you through your career as a chef?
I remember my yiayia always in the kitchen. She couldn’t speak much English but that didn’t matter too much as her love language was expressed via food and her efforts she went to nourish and care for the people around her. This genuine display of endless hospitality and generosity is at the heart of my family kitchen. Some of the values I have adopted from my family kitchen are ; appreciation of real ingredients and simple meals; be resourceful, consume consciously and never waste precious food; everyone and anyone is welcome to the table and there is always enough food to pass around; offer your guests the first and best slice of pie; celebrate the moments we have together as is it a gift to connect with others over food, drink and conversation.
How did Kouzina come to life, and what has inspired its warm, communal feel?
Thanks to my Greek heritage, Food and travel has always been a big part of my life and eventually one of my biggest passions. After spending much of my time in Greece as an early adult, I returned to Australia with a feeling that i wanted to share something with my community here in Byron Bay. I missed the social and cultural interactions that were part of everyday life in Greece and so I found myself cooking Greek feasts and inviting friends over to enjoy the meal with me. Eventually I needed a commercial kitchen and was lucky enough to find the perfect place to open Kouzina, my very own Greek kitchen in my hometown of Byron Bay.
What do you hope people feel or remember when they eat at your restaurant, Kouzina?
When people visit Kouzina Byron Bay I want them to feel immediately welcomed, excited and familiar, almost as if they have returned home after too long of a day out. I receive so much joy when my guests share that they can taste the love in my food or that it reminds them of their yiayia’s cooking.
What are your go-to ingredients, the ones you always reach for? What role does extra virgin olive oil play in your cooking?
My go-to ingredients are as follows; Extra virgin olive oil (ideally from Greece), lemons, fresh herbs, sea salt. For me and probably most Greeks, olive oil is the most essential product when it comes to cooking and preparing meals. In Greek cuisine, olive oil makes its way into almost every dish. Both my Yiayia and Mother only ever used olive oil, and now I do the same. In my kitchen food is either baked, fried, marinated, dressed, dipped, and sometimes even drowned in olive oil. For me, quality Extra virgin olive oil is the most precious and valuable ingredient I use, I honestly couldn’t live without it.
What are some of your favourite places to eat when you are not cooking?
My favourite place to go to eat is my mother’s place. After that I love to visit places that offer typical, authentic and homestyle food.
Can you tell us about the dish and the recipe you are sharing with our community?
Spanakopita // Spinach Pie is one of the most popular Greek dishes. You can find it in most traditional bakeries, as an appetizer in some restaurants or prepared in home kitchens for snacks, picnics and parties. I personally could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and sometimes do. Something about the combination of leeks, cheese, herbs and flakey, oily pastry that I can never resist. My favourite version is those with homemade filo pastry, although you need time, space and technique to master- which is why Yiayia’s spanakopita is always the best.
