Chef Maria Loi to Release ‘The Original Greek Diet’

Celebrity Chef Maria Loi has just landed a publisher for The Original Greek Diet, a new book of recipes she put together in collaboration with Sarah Toland.

Loi’s agent, Alan Morell, sold the book to HarperCollins Publishers. The Original Greek Diet combines classic Mediterranean ingredients like olive oil, yogurt, and honey in some of the 100 recipes included in the book, which is structured around the 12 food pillars of the traditional Greek diet.

“My agent, Alan Morell, personally nurtured the relationship between HarperCollins by working with Sarah and myself, along with the Loi team, my chef de cuisine Dara Davenport, senior dietician Georgia Giannopoulos, and two chefs from the Chef’s Club of Greece, Kostantinos Vlachos and Giannis Tompas. This is one of many books we want to author in the U.S., and we already have plans for a developmental pilot, scheduled for this year — a TV series concept I feel is a winner. We’re also on course to market LOI commercial products on shopping channels, thanks to Alan’s guidance,” said Chef Maria, who is the owner of LOI Restaurant in New York City.

Loi moved on from an exemplary lobbying career to pursue her real passion of cooking with enormous success. In addition to her establishment in NYC, she also owns a gourmet restaurant in Nafpaktos, Greece, as well as designs her own line of home electrical micro-appliances and dinnerware under her name brand, and she is a founding partner in a clothing business representing international fashion firms. 

As the ambassador of Greek Gastronomy, appointed by the Chef’s Club of Greece, Loi writes and speaks publicly about Greek cuisine and culture. She has appeared at numerous food festivals, has been featured in online and print articles, and makes television appearances on various programs, including ABC’s “Good Morning America with Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos,” and NBC 4 New York’s “The Greek Easter Special.” She notably spent three days cooking at the White House in honor of Greek Independence.

Most recently, Chef Maria Loi spoke at Congress about the benefits of a healthy Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. She is also involved in fundraising for various causes, and is one of the core founders of Elpida, a foundation for children stricken with cancer. As a founding member of a children’s village in Greece, Chef Maria helps raise and care for the less-than-fortunate youth of the area, while overseeing a scholarship fund that helps underprivileged young adults receive a college education at major universities in Europe and the United States.