The Gerekou family, her ancestors, first came centuries ago to Corfu as fishermen. “They came down from Italy, went up to Epirus, to Souli, and settled in the Corfu lagoon which later became known as Gerekou. They named this place the island of Gerekou,” Angela Gerekou explains, who grew up in Corfu, the island that marked the most beautiful years of her life. She stayed there until she went to Italy for studies and later returned with her husband, Tolis Voskopoulos, and their daughter Maria, enjoying for a long time the picturesque Easter and carefree summer vacations.

These beautiful experiences inspired the writing of a special coffee table book. “At some point, I wanted to take a journey through the familiar flavors of my life. That’s how the idea for the book started. With a desire to return to my roots and a need to wander through the tastes of my memories,” the author explains. “Although all senses are linked to memories, touches, sounds, and images fade over time, while smells remain indelible in the human brain. The taste of loukoumades with cinnamon and honey immediately takes me back to my childhood and the alleys of the old town of Agios Spyridon. Pastitsada with free-range rooster or sofrito with the smell of garlic and lots of parsley and dozens of images from family tables appear before me like consecutive frames of a movie. Lemon chicken, and I’m in my grandmother’s kitchen in Kontokali, watching her cook while jasmine blooms outside. All these gave me strength and became my compass. Every time I lost my way, I mentally returned to the flavors of my memories to find my bearings because through the tastes of my mother and grandmother, I ultimately learned to savor life itself. One memory blends with another, and together they make this book which resembles more a tangible family album, like the ones we had as kids where we kept our most precious moments under the plastic cover.”

In the 175 pages of the autobiographical coffee table book “Flavors & Memories – From Thirty Corfiot Recipes of My Mother”, the president of EOT and popular actress guides us through her beloved place with wonderful photographs and gives us a taste of her personal life. One of the first chapters is about her life with the unforgettable performer and husband, Tolis Voskopoulos: “Tolis didn’t just love Corfu, he perhaps secretly considered it his second homeland. You knew it; he adored Corfu and looked forward to when we would finish our obligations to return to the island. One summer, we were together in the courtyard of the house in Kontokali. I was writing lyrics and he was strumming his guitar to find the melody. It was the second year of our acquaintance, and he was already in love with Corfu. He had read some of my lyrics, was enthusiastic, and suggested we create some songs together. We started working non-stop for hours. The only break was to taste Corfiot recipes like Bianco, which is still our daughter Maria’s favorite dish,” she recalls.

“Should I reveal something cute about Tolis?” she asks me. “My family loved music, and that’s why my father was the first to buy a record player in the village. I was in the early years of junior high when I first heard Tolis. As I mention in the book, his voice touched my soul, and that’s why I fell in love with it. Little did I imagine that many years later, I would fall so deeply in love with the man himself and that we would create a wonderful family together! Tolis loved Corfu and preferred to spend most of his time on the island. And the truth is, he did. Especially in the last years when he had fewer professional obligations.”

Our conversation returns to her beloved daughter Maria: “Every time my daughter goes to Corfu, my mother prepares her favorite pasta. Macaroni brou-brou. Maria goes crazy for this dish. I like seeing my mother teaching Maria the recipes. Passing on knowledge and flavor is passing on tradition. When we are in Athens, I ask Maria to cook for me. It’s this feeling of ‘mom’s cooking’ that undoubtedly exudes a special warmth.”