Flourless Almond & Orange Cake, Rustica: Delicious Recipes for Village-style Mediterranean food by Theo A. Michaels. Photography by Mowie Kay.

The Mediterranean diet has long been famed for the proven lifetime benefits of eating simply prepared, seasonal foods. There are pockets of people in the Mediterranean countries (and further afield) who are living longer than most; these communities are most often found in rural villages where they grow their own produce and keep livestock.

Chef Theo Michaels explores this concept of “eating like a villager” and this new collection of recipes was born from conversations he has had with his family about life in Cyprus 60 years ago when growing produce and keeping a few animals was the norm.

He celebrates a way of eating based on these principles through his delicious yet simple food. It’s a modern, mindful, and relaxed way to eat well with no need to adhere to a prescribed diet—no strict regimes, just sensible portion sizes, no processed foods, and a few treats—simple, frugal and honest. In practice, it means cooking with what is in season, enjoying a good intake of vegetables, fruit, grains and legumes; eating fish and seafood in moderation and reducing meat consumption.

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