Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share [Hardcover]

Paula Wolfert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 5, 2009

A one-of-a-kind cookbook showcasing modern and authentic clay pot cooking from the premier expert on Mediterranean cuisines

Paula Wolfert is legendary for her expertise on and explorations of Mediterranean cooking. Now, Wolfert shares her inimitable passion for detail and insatiable curiosity about cultural traditions and innovations, with Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking.

Here, the self-confessed clay pot "junkie"-having collected in her travels ceramic pots of all sorts: cazuelas, tagines, baking dishes, bean pots, Romertopf baking dishes, French diablos, ordinary casseroles, even Crockpots, which have a ceramic liner-shares recipes as vibrant as the Mediterranean itself along with the delightful stories behind the earthy pots, irresistible dishes, and outstanding cooks she has met along the way.

Wolfert demystifies the process of clay pot cooking by which fresh ingredients are transformed slowly, richly, lusciously into magnificent meals. She shares 150 recipes featuring soups, fish and shellfish, poultry, meats, pasta and grains, vegetables and beans, pies and breads, eggs and dairy, and desserts.

Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking offers

• Expert techniques and tips from Paula Wolfert, one of the world's foremost authorities on Mediterranean cuisine and now on clay pots
• An introduction to this ancient and modern-and practically foolproof-way of cooking
• A thorough clay pot primer, familiarizing you with the numerous names for different types of clay pots and tips on "Other Pots You Can Use"
• A delicious range of dishes, including Pumpkin Soup with Roquefort Cream; Wine-Marinated Chicken Thighs with Almonds and Sweet Tomato Jam; Fideos with Clams, Shrimps and Mussels; Tian of Leeks and Pancetta; Corsican Cheesecake; and Roasted Peach Gratin

Paula Wolfert in Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking will seduce you with the pleasures and benefits of cooking in clay.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A one-of-a-kind cookbook showcasing modern and authentic clay pot cooking from the premier expert on Mediterranean cuisines

Paula Wolfert is legendary for her expertise on and explorations of Mediterranean cooking. Now, Wolfert shares her inimitable passion for detail and insatiable curiosity about cultural traditions and innovations, with Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking.

Here, the self-confessed clay pot "junkie"-having collected in her travels ceramic pots of all sorts: cazuelas, tagines, baking dishes, bean pots, Romertopf baking dishes, French diablos, ordinary casseroles, even Crockpots, which have a ceramic liner-shares recipes as vibrant as the Mediterranean itself along with the delightful stories behind the earthy pots, irresistible dishes, and outstanding cooks she has met along the way.

Wolfert demystifies the process of clay pot cooking by which fresh ingredients are transformed slowly, richly, lusciously into magnificent meals. She shares 150 recipes featuring soups, fish and shellfish, poultry, meats, pasta and grains, vegetables and beans, pies and breads, eggs and dairy, and desserts.

Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking offers

• Expert techniques and tips from Paula Wolfert, one of the world's foremost authorities on Mediterranean cuisine and now on clay pots
• An introduction to this ancient and modern-and practically foolproof-way of cooking
• A thorough clay pot primer, familiarizing you with the numerous names for different types of clay pots and tips on "Other Pots You Can Use"
• A delicious range of dishes, including Pumpkin Soup with Roquefort Cream; Wine-Marinated Chicken Thighs with Almonds and Sweet Tomato Jam; Fideos with Clams, Shrimps and Mussels; Tian of Leeks and Pancetta; Corsican Cheesecake; and Roasted Peach Gratin

Paula Wolfert in Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking will seduce you with the pleasures and benefits of cooking in clay.

Recipe Excerpts from Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking

Poached Eggs with Yogurt and Hot Red Pepper Sizzle

Moroccan Fish Tagine with Tomatoes, Olives, and Preserved Lemons

Chicken with Red Wine Vinegar, Tomato, and Shallots

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Beginning with a simple premise—Food tastes better cooked in clay—this single-themed cookbook is an illuminating treatise on a technique that's used throughout the Mediterranean but is still relatively obscure in U.S. kitchens. James Beard Award–winner Wolfert (The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen; The Cooking of Southwest France), who has studied and written about the region's cuisine for decades, has become passionate about earthenware pots. Wolfert claims that all food cooked in unglazed vessels has an earthy sweetness, and that when the vessel is dedicated to a certain food, its porous surface gains a seasoning or memory that enhances the flavor. Because these same characteristics make clay pots tricky to care for, Wolfert provides tips for cleaning and safety as well as plenty of sources for more information. What these dishes have in common is that they can be prepared, baked and brought to the table in their respective dishes—be it in the Spanish cazeula (orange-glazed pork belly), the Moroccan tagine (fish tagine with tomatoes, olives and preserved lemon) or the Turkish guvec (summer lamb and vegetable guvec). Wolfert is a true cook's author, and as her use of obscure ingredients (dried eggplant, sweet and sour plums, argan oil) and colorful anecdotes/additional ideas (say, grilling over a flowerpot) illustrate, this book is not for the casual home cook. But for those willing to tackle them, Wolfert's clay pot dishes do indeed merit the hype. Photos. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076457633X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764576331
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Mediterranean

More About the Author

Paula Wolfert is widely acknowledged as one of the premier food writers in America and the "queen of Mediterranean cooking." She writes a regular column in Food & Wine, alternating with Jacques Pepin and Marcella Hazan (she came in as Julia Child's replacement), and she is author of seven cookbooks, several of which have remained in print for upwards of 30 years. Her two most recent cookbooks, The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen and The Cooking of Southwest France, 2nd edition, received glowing reviews.
Wolfert's writings have received numerous awards, including the Julia Child Award, the M.F.K. Fisher Award, the James Beard Award, the Cook's Magazine Platinum Plate Award, and the Perigueux Award for Lifetime Achievement. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, Saveur, Fine Cooking, and Cook's Illustrated. In 2008, she was inducted into the Cookbook Hall of Fame by the James Beard Association.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hooked on Wolfert, November 11, 2009

By 

Francois "Trout Hound" (Colorado, United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share (Hardcover)

This is my third book by Paula Wolfert. I intend to get all of them. Her books are not just full of recipes, but also contain relevant background information and insights into other cultures. I'm especially interested in learning more about cooking in clay. So this is the perfect book for me. In addition to the material in the book, you'll find more information about Paula's methods on eGullet's forums. I came across a thread on tagines and another on how to cure claypots. Paula contributed to both threads. Her knowledge, enthusiasm, and curiosity are amazing. It also speaks well of her how she encourages others on the forums. Clearly, a very neat lady.

Now the warning: you may end up with a house full of a new class of toys. So far I've accumulated a Chinese sandpot (which I cracked making a Wolfert recipe and successfully repaired using Paula's instructions), four different tagines, an Emile Henry Flame Top dutch oven, two Roemertopf's, a Japanese donabe, a Spanish Cazuela, and a Baeckeoffe oval tureen from Alsace. Regrettably, I'm not done yet. I still want to get some Black Chamba Clay Cookware and perhaps a daubière... unless my wife puts me out of my misery first.

Update (1-21-2010):
I've made numerous recipes from the book by now: Moroccan Fish Tagine with Tomatoes, Olives, and Preserved Lemons (for which I bought an inexpensive Rifi Tagra), Fried Spatchcocked Chicken (made in an Italian mattone), Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Sweet Onions and Raisins, Baked Moroccan Chicken with Charred Tomatoes, Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Winter Squash and Toasted Pine Nuts, etc. , etc. They were fun to make and tasted wonderful. Some recipes are easy to make and some require patience and dedication. There's a thread on eGullet that deals with cooking from this book. Its title is Cooking with Paula Wolfert's "Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking" You'll find some pictures, experiences, and hints on this thread, should you need help. Paula contributes here as well.

Update (2-17-2010):
I'm still happy with this book and I'm cooking at least one new recipe from it per week. My two recent favorites were "Chicken with Red Wine Vinegar, Tomato, and Shallots" and "White Beans with Tomatoes and Sage." The latter required making the beans before, according to another recipe: "Tuscan White Beans with Sage and Garlic." The beans were just terrific with the tomatoes and sage. It was an instant favorite for us while it was also one of the easiest recipes to make. I used my Chamba bean pot for this dish. (It's winter now in Colorado and it feels nice to put one's cold hands on the warm lid of the Chamba while inhaling the wonderful aromas escaping from the pot.) I'm completely sold on cooking in clay, thanks to Ms. Wolfert. Her book serves as an instruction manual on how to utilize the various clay pots available by providing the recipes that are best made in these pots. Months after I bought the book, I still have clay pots coming in on a regular basis--not that I *must* have them, but because I'm hooked. (Paula says in her book that 75% of the recipes can be made in just six different pots.) I'm also a fan of Ms. Wolfert's style of presenting information, which is not at all dry. As of today, I own all of her books.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Flavor Explosion Cookbook, December 10, 2009

By 

Thomas D. Wirt "clay coyote pottery" (Hutchinson, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share (Hardcover)

Paula Wolfert's new book, "Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking" will end up being a seminal work for the new - old way of cooking, in clay pots. There are the old style pots of mica rich natural clays, and the new high tech flameware ceramic stovetop cookware by people such as Bill Sax, Terry Silverman, Emile Henry and the Clay Coyote Pottery.

Clay Pot cooking seems as though it's becoming the third leg of the natural and local foods nutritional stool. As Paula points out, food simply tastes better when cooked in clay. When you combine it with local, fresh foods, your eating will move to a new level.

Paula has approached this book with her usual masterful presentation of authentic recipes from Morocco, France, Italy, Greece and more, but made them more approachable by adding alternative ingredients and alternate cooking methods for different pots. You can cook these dishes in the usual metal cookware, but if you go the extra step and find some clay pots or flameware pottery, you'll find out what I mean when I say these are "flavor explosion" recipes. It is no wonder a number of top lists have made this the number one cookbook for 2009.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Clay Pot Cookbook Review, January 30, 2010

By 

Egyptian Swede (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share (Hardcover)

The book needed more editing. I have made two recipes from it and both had errors. One called for olives in the list of ingredients but failed to mention when to add the olives. Another said to heat the oven to 400 degrees and then never used the oven.

I would also like a picture of the different pots. The recipes call for so many different types of pots and I have no idea about the shape of some of them.