It’s all about love and legacy for My Kitchen Rules mother-daughter duo Anne Ioannou and Maree Durkin.
The ‘Gourmet Greeks’, as they’re known by, have been able to showcase their heritage and honour their late mum/yiayia Mary’s legacy.
They say she would have been proud.
“I think growing up in such a tightknit family obviously the cooking influences only come from family, like me, my mum and yiayia,” Maree tells Neos Kosmos.
“Yiayia was a beautiful woman. She took the time to teach us and let us watch her do her dolmades, do her gemista.
“She was the biggest influence of our lives actually.”
Anne says her mother was a real lover of cooking and it was always about family, love and getting together. And food of course.
“What Greek doesn’t like to eat?” she laughs.
Anne and Maree had the opportunity to cook from the heart for an episode, cooking Greek recipes that would make Mary proud, but Maree says she also wanted to showcase her mum Anne and what she can do.
Being a close-knit family, the love and reception was aplenty, but it also came from the wider community.
‘Go the Greeks!’ they heard when they went to their local deli the other day.
Anne’s parents were Greeks from Alexandria, Egypt, and her in-laws from Cyprus.
Anne, a retired beauty therapist, says her kids and grandkids embraced their heritage.
“I think I’m very passionate as far as passing on tradition because that’s how my parents raised me and I do my best to show the influences of our Greek culture,” she says.
Mother of three Maree adds that her kids love it and tell her ‘mum, I’m Greek’.
Now the duo will be publishing their and Mary’s recipes, which will be a tribute to not just her but Greek cuisine.
In the day and age of quick social media food videos, the plan is for a simple and fun cookbook that will link to visual guides.
And they have already started with their Instagram Anne and Maree Gourmet Greeks.
