Customer Reviews

The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook (Essential Cookbook)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is, by far, my favorite cookbook. The design and photos are so well done you can't help but to page through it time and time again, wanting to try every recipe in the book.

The recipes are broken up by country/region: Greece, Turkey, Italy, France, Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East. There are even a few recipes that are shared in each of these regions, and the differences between them are plain to see. Fortunately, this doesn't happen so much that you think you're being cheated out of variety. There are quite a few dishes for you to try.

It also has several other sections such as making your own pasta, dressings and sauces, etc, as well as little asides about many of the ingredients you will use. I can't stress enough how much I like this book. I only wish amazon would use the "look inside" feature so people could see exactly what I mean.

This is a fantastic book. Everything from the 6 page listing of the key ingredients in a Mediterranean pantry, complete with color photos of the items, to the explanation of the different types of olive oil make this a very nice book. I like to know how a dish should look and this book delivers. There are color photos on every page.

Recipes are divided into regions, as noted in the previous review, and there are also special sections on such topics as antipasto, making pizza, making pasta, dressings and sauces, tapas and preparing olives. Recipes cover everything from soups, salads, breads, main dishes, and desserts.

I agree, it is a shame that Amazon doesn't do a "Look Inside" feature for this book. It is beautifully done. I expect to get a lot of use and enjoyment out of this book for years to come.

I have had this book for a number of years now and everyone who comes to my house asks about it. Finally, I decided to buy a bunch of them and hand them out as gifts.
I have tried many of the recipes - all work great. Even the African recipes - my Peace Corps friends said the food tasted just like it had in Africa. I have been all over Greece and I can attest for those recipes' authenticity. I made a French Tart - great. I make the Tira Misu recipe a lot. You won't be sorry. I have Alice Waters, Williams Sonoma, books on Greek, Portuguese, Italian, Cuban you name it - but this is the book I use the most.

I agree with Shawn, this is hands down my favorite cookbook. I spent my early childhood in Italy and fondly remember the the incredible meals I had there. This cookbook has really taken me back and given me new recipe ideas that I have gotten to share with my parents. Everyone I have cooked for using this book has been impressed and it is a joy to reference. I often take time to sit and thumb through this book to look at the wonderful pictures and get inspired.
Everything I have cooked out of this book, even recipes that I was initially unsure about, has turned out delicious. My boyfriend won my heart forever when he bought me this book.
Anne

This is absoultely one cookbook that everyone should own. We own the entire series and there is no other cookbook like it. There are beautiful pictures for every recipe and the recipes are very unique, interesting, and delicious. Several recipes will suggest ingredients that may be difficult or expensive to find but the recipes can also be simplified. My husband loves to cook and looooves this entire series of cookbooks. This cookbook will help any chef tap into their creativity and explore their passion for cooking and take it to a new level.

easy to read and follow. Great food and nice rating.