Kochilas was born in New York to a native Greek father, Thomas Kochilas, and a Greek-Italian-American mother, Zoe Picos. She was raised in Jackson Heights, Queens. Kochilas attended Greek parochial elementary schools and New York Citypublic high school. She attended New York University where she graduated with a B.A. in Journalism in 1981. Kochilas' father, a Greek immigrant from the island of Ikaria, was a professional chef and an early influence before passing away in 1970, when Kochilas was 10. At age 12, Kochilas visited Greece and her father's native village of Christos, Rachesfor the first time, where she developed her interest in food and cooking.
Career
As consulting chef, Kochilas has helped open many Greek restaurants in North America, including Volos in Toronto, Canada, Axia in Bergen County, New Jersey, and Avli in Winnetka, Illinois. From 2004 to 2013, she was consulting chef at Pylos Restaurant in New York City, which was awarded during her tenure there. From January 2015 to December, 2016, she was collaborating chef at Molyvos in New York City. She is currently consulting chef at Committee, a meze-concept restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts. Kochilas has also consulted for Harvard University Dining Services, where she helped establish a roster of healthy menu options for student and retail dining. She works regularly with University of Massachusetts Amherst, designing Greek dishes for the campus' student dining menu. In Greece, Kochilas was the host of "What Are We Going to Eat today, Mom" and was a columnist and restaurant critic for 20 years at the country's daily paper, "Ta Nea". Every summer, Kochilas and her husband, Vasilis Stenos, run the Glorious Greek Cooking School on the island of Ikaria.
Print journalism
Kochilas has been a frequent contributor to many American and international publications, including "The Washington Post", "The Huffington Post", "Saveur Magazine", "The New York Times", "The Los Angeles Times", "Gourmet", Food & Wine", and "EatingWell". From May, 1993, to December, 2013, Kochilas was the weekly food columnist for Greece's daily newspaper, "Ta Nea," covering cuisine, gastronomy, cooking, food history, and restaurants. Kochilas was the founding editor of the "GreekGourmeTraveler," a magazine published by HEPO.
Television
Kochilas has been featured on many American and Greek television shows, including:
Since 2012, Kochilas has hosted "Ti tha Fame Simera, Mama," a Greek cooking show She also hosts a show called My Greek Table with Diane Kochilas on PBS and Create which is produced by Maryland Public Television..
