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aprilleigh's review
4.0
This book is ideal for someone who already understands the basics of the Mediterranean diet and just wants more variety in the recipes they use. There's no explanation of the Mediterranean diet at all, but there are 2-4 page spreads scattered throughout the book on the essentials of various ingredients (peppers, herbs, garlic, spices, eggplant, tomatoes, cheese, honey, nuts, etc.) and the various Mediterranean communities (Greece, Tuscany, Sicily, Morocco, Andalusia, Turkey, Provence, Lebanon). The latter includes a typical meal for each community.
The recipes themselves are varied, and the directions are excellent. Many include short notes about advance preparation, variations on the recipe, and a variety of cook's tips. My only real complaint is some of the ingredients will be quite difficult to find (melokhia, for example), but many of these include alternatives (kale instead of melokhia). You'll learn a lot just reading through the recipes.
Every recipe is labeled with its region of origin, and there's a regional index in the front if you'd like to focus on a specific area. The Italian recipes are generally not separated by region (Italy is home to several very distinct food cultures), but the descriptions often give clues as to where in Italy the recipe originated.
The recipes themselves are varied, and the directions are excellent. Many include short notes about advance preparation, variations on the recipe, and a variety of cook's tips. My only real complaint is some of the ingredients will be quite difficult to find (melokhia, for example), but many of these include alternatives (kale instead of melokhia). You'll learn a lot just reading through the recipes.
Every recipe is labeled with its region of origin, and there's a regional index in the front if you'd like to focus on a specific area. The Italian recipes are generally not separated by region (Italy is home to several very distinct food cultures), but the descriptions often give clues as to where in Italy the recipe originated.
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