Dina
Nikolaou
The ambassador of Greek gastronomy
Multiple discriminations since 2017
Author of 12 books since 2002
Supporter of Greek traditional and local gastronomy
Evi Evane restaurant
5 traiteur in Paris
The cheffe: Dina Nikolaou
The gastronomical quest of Dina Nikolaou begun at a very early age. Though she studied Finance and Marketing in Paris, her passion for the culinary art soon took over and made her follow a whole new path in her life.
To make her lifetime dream come true, she studied in famous French culinary schools, such as «Le Cordon Bleu», «Ritz Escoffier», «Alain Ducasse formation» and «Lenotre».
In Paris, Dina and her sister Maria created Evi Evane (www.evievane.com), a restaurant that would reflect their passion for the Greek cuisine, Greek local products and their love for their home country.
In the five delicatessen that were soon created under the trade name Evi Evane Traiteur, one can find only Greek food for home or for work as well as 150 different products coming from Greek local producers, which are selected by Dina herself .
Dina has always believed that in order to succeed you must gain valuable knowledge and she wanted to share her knowledge, passion and experience through teaching in culinary schools of Greece & France (Chef d’ Oeuvre, Le Monde, Le Cordon Bleu).
Discrimination
Τα βιβλία της cheffe:
2002: Cooking with Fruit
2002: Savory & sweets tarts
2002: Savory -sweet cakes and side salads
2005: cookbook Chef d'Oeuvre
2008: Grece cuisine familial et traditionnelle
2009: What are we eating today?2010: My mum’s kitchen
2014: Alone in the kitchen
2016: Dina’s favorite recipes for the lent
2016: Greece for every month
2017: Grèce – La cuisine Authentique
2023: Dina's Bakery my best recipes
2023: Crète – La cuisine authentique
BOOK - PRESS
With her book entitled Cooking with Fruit, which was published in 2002, she creates a culinary journey in the Mediterranean, with fruits and juices becoming the protagonists, integrating them into cooking.
Salty & sweet tarts was published in 2002 by Technikes Publications and is the first book in a series of books under the title “Creating in the Kitchen”. Salty & sweet cakes and side salads followed in the same year.
The Cookbook of Chef d' Oeuvre School, which she wrote in 2005, won the 1st prize in the international Gourmand competition (World Cookbooks Awards) as the best Greek professional cookbook, while her other 6 books on cooking are fully appreciated by the Greek and international audience.
Grèce cuisine familial et traditionnelle was published in 2008 by the Swiss – French La Martiniere publishing house.
My mum’s kitchen was published in 2010 by Fereniki Publications and it was dedicated to her hometown, Kirtoni.
Alone in the kitchen was published in 2014 by Minoas Publications. This book is a tool for all those who have decided to live on their own, students and bachelors that are not familiar with cooking. All copyright earnings go straight to the Bank of Bone Marrow Volunteer Donors of Orama Elpidas Association.
In 2016, her cooking diary Greece for every month comes out, with 48 delicious and easy-to-make recipes inspired by the local cuisine and the local products.
In 2017, Grèce – La cuisine Authentique was published by Hachette Publications in French. Dina wanted to introduce French people to the Greek culinary culture. The book includes her best recipes, purely Greek and based on our tradition.
In 2023, her new book entitledDina's Bakery, My best recipes, is published by Minoas Publications. A book dedicated to the primal stuff we all have inside us, our memories and stories to share. Flour... breads baked with love, pies with simple ingredients, modern cakes and easy pastries.
As a follow-up to her book Grèce - La cuisine Authentique, published in 2017 by Hachette Publications, she is releasing a new book in 2023 entitled Crète - La cuisine authentique, introducing French people to the authentic Cretan cuisine and hospitality.
ACTIVITIES
2011 - 2016
Since 2011, Dina is the Ambassador Cheffe for the gastronomic promotion of the region in front of Mount Athos and consultant of the Gastronomy Festival of Chalkidiki, Mount Athos Area Cuisine.
Since 2013, Dina is an honorary member and supporter of the traditional local cuisine of the Festival of Cretan Cuisine.
Since 2016, she participates together with Evi Evane restaurant in the global food and beverages fair of Paris entitled SIAL, where she offers Greek recipes and participates in all cooking events.
From December 2016 until March 2019, Dina facilitated cooking dinner classes, at Yolenis.
2019
In 2019, she participated, as a member of the jury, in the competition Elles ont du Talent, within the framework of the big Equipôtel fair in Paris, with the participation only of women chefs. She also participated, as Ambassador, in the 1st Biofestival that took place in Athens.
In the same year, she becomes Brand chef, undertaking the new project of Miraggio Thermal Spa Resort, aiming at the promotion of the Greek cuisine.
In June 2019, she accepts the invitation of the world-famous chef Alain Ducasse, to cook for 3 days in his newly established restaurant, called the “ÔMER”, which is located in the luxurious hotel “Hotel de Paris” in Monaco. Alain Ducasse was so impressed from the elaborate dishes that the chef presented and he declared: “Dina expresses the female version of the Mediterranean taste...and that’s a great talent!” and in order to confirm his point of view, he decided that the Taramosalata “Evi Evane” and the Mousaka “Evi Evane” of hers, will be served in the summer menu of the Ômer all year long.
2017 - 2018
Since 2017, Dina and Evi Evane participate in the international festival Village International de la Gastronomie et des cuisines populaires held in Paris, France, , where she promotes the Greek cuisine.
2020 - 2023
In 2020, she becomes member of the project team for the Gastronomic Greek Tourism established by the Ministry of Tourism.
In 2023, in collaboration with the Municipality of Sitia in Crete, she is cited in the Guinness Book of Records after, together with a team of cooks, she created the largest Kakavia - Greek fisherman’s soup (650 kg) ever created.
Evi Evane
Two sisters, six addresses. “Evi Evane” means “Cheers” in ancient Greek. It was with this old saying that sisters Maria and Dina Nikolaou launched their first Parisian address in the heart of St Germain-des-Près in 2005. Traditional dishes from different regions of Greece are revisited and reinterpreted by Chef Dina, while Maria takes care with a smile and generosity to reproduce the conviviality so specific to Greek meals. More than 15 years later, Maison Evi Evane has 6 addresses and a catering service that takes you on a journey to Greece… And as they say among the Greeks, Evi Evane!