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Irene Matys has a new cookbook, My Cypriot Table. (Submitted) jpg, SO, apsmc
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Often people who find out Irene Matys is from Cyprus ask what part of Greece that is, says the woman who grew up in Sarnia.
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“(They) don’t realize that Cyprus is it’s own country, has it’s own culture,” said Matys, whose family came to Canada in the wake of the Turkish invasion in 1974.
The former St. Peter’s school student, now living in Oakville, working as a food stylist and self-taught photographer, has written a cookbook – My Cypriot Table – as part of an effort to let people know more about the island country in the Mediterranean, she said.
She wanted to “leave a legacy” for her three daughters, she said. She’s also a grandmother of two.
“I don’t want them to lose their heritage,” she said. “I want them to know where we come from, the story behind it.”
The more-than-100-recipe tome is also about promoting Cyprus to the world and includes stories from Matys’ travels through its mountains, beaches, wineries and markets, she said.
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“The beauty of Canada is it’s so multicultural, so things like halloumi (cheese), rosewater, orange blossom water, mastic, all of these things are now available here in Canada, so people can stock their pantry and cook the Cyprian cuisine,” she said.
That’s like the Mediterranean diet, with lots of fresh vegetables, but also Middle Eastern influences, including tahini, cumin and cinnamon, she said.
“It’s east meets west, I like to call it.”
A meze table, showing some of the style and selection in Cypriot cuisine. (Submitted) jpg, SO, apsmc
Matys remembers being with her grandmother when the invasion happened.
“I was almost five,” she said.
Her father fought in the war and her family moved through refugee camps until they were sponsored to come to Canada in 1976.
They moved to Wallaceburg, where her aunt and uncle had a restaurant, she said, and her father worked in the kitchen.
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They didn’t know the language and relied on food stamps, she said.
“It was very scary for us.”
In 1979, her father purchased Sissio’s Pizza in Sarnia and the family moved to the city, she said.
Pizza is not a staple in Cypriot cuisine, but there’s a recipe in her cookbook in honour of that family connection to Sarnia, she said.
“I was allowed to share the pizza and sauce recipe,” she said, noting her dad is retired and no longer owns the restaurant.
The photos in the cookbook are hers, she said.
She’s lived in Oakville since 2000, and made the move to food styling and photography after a career in finance, she said. She also catered after graduating from culinary school.
She always loved cooking, but was encouraged not to pursue a career in restaurants by her family, she said, because of the long hours and time away from home.
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Irene Matys has a new cookbook, My Cypriot Table. (Submitted) jpg, SO, apsmc
“It was probably a blessing in disguise because what I do now is my passion,” she said.
That includes food photography and styling for different brands, she said, noting she also works for LCBO Food and Drink.
The farm to table advocate said she volunteers with Plan B Organic Farms, including using produce in recipes and promoting the farm to her followers.
Her parents still live in Sarnia, she said, as does one of her daughters.
Matys said she traveled repeatedly to Cyprus and visited all over the island for the book, reconnecting with old family friends in the process. She’s also returned often to Cyprus with her family over the years, she said.
She’s planning a book launch in Cyprus in September, and others in Sarnia closer to the book coming out in May, though details haven’t been confirmed, she said.
Pre-orders began earlier this month, she said, and sales have been going well.
“It hit number one bestseller on Amazon for Greek cookbooks,” she said, noting the island’s main language is Greek.
Work still remains to raise the country’s profile, she said, acknowledging “even Amazon does not have Cypriot cookbooks” as a category.
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