Customer Reviews

A Mediterranean Feast: The Story of the Birth of the Celebrated Cuisines of the Mediterranean from the Merchants of Venice to the Barbary Corsairs, with More than 500 Recipes

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the great cookbooks of all time. "A Mediterranean Feast" is just that, a rich stew that one could feast on for years. The recipes are woven into the history of the Mediterranean and its foods, from the history of macaroni, to the spice trade, and the economic and social forces behind the cuisine; this is an altogether new approach to the cook book. The book itself is beautifully done, and the recipes look mouth-watering...everything from complex ones to a simple pasta with homemade ricotta cheese, ground pistachios and almonds and how to make a proper couscous. A fascinating culinary history with recipes.

This tour de force is not your usual cookbook. It is a story, a history, told through recipes, the recipes acting much the same way illustrations do in an art book. The recipes are authentic and some are difficult and some are very easy. I tried the bouillabaisse recipe and it was as good as what I've had in Marseilles. The organization of the book is also untraditional. It's not organized like a cookbook but like a history, so the recipes appear as illustrative of the various historical trends that the author is writing about. This book is simply the best cookbook I've ever seen, the singularly most informative, and a real treasure that seems endless in its depth and information. A library without this book is like a library without a dictionary.

This is an amazing resource, a thorough compendium of Mediterranean foodlore. Perhaps the most valuable aspect is the ethnographic research, with many unique folk recipes from the author's own observations. Almost equally valuable is the amazing bibliography, which lists all the significant historical works on food in the region, including medieval Arab titles. The author is far too modest on p. 567 when he claims to be a mere "food writer" and "consumer of scholarship." The scholarship here is superior and incredibly up-to-date on matters ranging from wheat taxonomy to Meccan trade. A few tiny errors have crept in (foxtail millet is NOT panic millet...). I disagree with the negative reviewer, above, on everything except one point: the organization of the recipes in the book is beyond rational analysis. But one can use the indexes, where everything is arranged for the cook.

The Mediterranean is its own country and most positively well known for its cuisine. But it wasn't always like that. At one time peasants would be routinely found dead, face down, their teeth stuck in the earth. Wright brilliantly traces the evolution of the Mediterranean gastronomic sensibility from the times of famine and shows how trade, politics, religion and technology influenced the creation of the cuisine so many of us revere and enjoy. He shows how the Mediterranean psyche finds food a deeply sensual experience, and how appreciation of History and Culture is to be savored in every bite of a dish. He explains also why it's never proper to look down your nose at meat dishes when travelling in these countries. Recipes, most modern, some old, grace the book generously with blurbs on the ingredients and their interactions. Many are just delicious. I tried my versions of the leek stew, the cabbage rolls, and the salted cabbage with mint dressing and simply adored them. I can't wait for what the next three quarters of the book have in store for me, over time. This isn't a volume to just check out of the library. This is one to have on hand for whenever the mood or the necessity strikes you.

In recent years there has been a growing hunger on the part of many readers for more informaton on the cultural and historical background of food. If you are such a reader, "A Mediterranean Feast" would be a welcome addition to your cookbook library. Along with traditional recipes from many countries, this massive volume offers extensive text on the history of Mediterranean food, including the influences of climate and geography. The book is handsomely produced, with maps and period illustrations adding their own interest to the narrative.

Also recommended: "Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen," by Sonia Uvezian. Fascinating text and fabulous recipes make this definitive volume a must for anyone interested in the cooking and culture of the region.

While the Mediterranean climate can give the impression of sea, sun, and fun.....Clifford Wright makes us aware that the climate can be ferocious. He also brings out the realities of the basic struggle for survival, what people ate in the past, and how government, agriculture, and religion determined what people ate.

I enjoyed the delicious descriptions of gardens, stories behind the recipes, vivid descriptions of Medieval life, and the historical aspects of cuisine. Yes, I did feel overwhelmed with information. If at birth we tried to imagine our entire life, we would be equally overwhelmed. So, I suggest taking this book by the spoonful. Even though I love to read an entire book in one sitting, this book was not one you could devour in one sitting. For the cook who's mind longs for cultural information and the historical background of food, this book contains a variety of interesting ideas and historical facts.

"The story told in this book is a complex one because the lives of people are complex." --Clifford A. Wright

This is a story of the birth of the celebrated cuisines of the Mediterranean. I have sat at an outdoor restaurant next to the Mediterranean and selected a freshly caught fish which the chef then cooked to perfection. I have never tasted fish so well prepared. Perhaps this is why I could relate to some of the recipes.

"This book is a history with recipes." --Clifford A. Wright

The goal of the authors writing was not to overwhelm, but to give the reader a memory of why a food came into existence.

"All cuisine is a reflection of the society from which it emanates." --Clifford A. Wright

So, with that said.....To say this is a cookbook is an understatement. It is a history book with recipes to illustrate the historical data. You will learn:

The history of the fork

That "minestrone" means "big soup"

How to preserve lemons

That peaches were introduced to Europe from Persia

When Tiramisu was invented (but I could not find a recipe)

Clifford A. Wright first sets the stage, then explores the relationship between the geography of the Mediterranean and the populations interactions with the environment. Then he shows the importance of trade and how it caused cuisines to develop.

"A cuisine exists when people are eating not simply to fuel up or sustain themselves but because they are emotionally and intellectually relating to culinary creations in the same way they might relate to a work of art." --Clifford A. Wright

In order to appreciate this monumental work, I found it helpful to see the book from the authors perspective. From the first chapter, I realized the author felt that certain cultures had not been given credit for their accomplishments and contributions to Mediterranean cuisine. He definitely promotes the significance of Arabic civilizations and also makes a comparison of the Muslim chefs in ninth century Baghdad to the chefs in France.

Humanism, Feudalism, Capitalism, Crusades, agricultural revolution, ship building, and peasants versus aristocracy is discussed. With such an array of interesting information one could be distracted from the recipes. Each recipe does begin with some interesting information, while most of the historical aspects are written before or after the recipes in each chapter. Here are the recipes I found to be interesting: Gyro's, Baba Ghannuj, Scrambled Eggs with Asparagus and Shrimp, Lemonade, Shish Kebabs, Pesto and Shrimp Risotto.

While I believe American food as we know it today is the best food we can find from everywhere....I didn't agree that Americans don't have a cuisine. I mean, what are hamburgers? I am sorry....but I could not help myself on that one!

~The Rebecca Review

This is a doctoral thesis and complete cookbook all in one. This was given to me as a gift and it is not only informative, but the recipes REALLY WORK. I have a lot of cookbooks, but I will never give this one up, ever. IT has hundreds of recipes with very simple ingredients. Even substitutions for ethnic seasonings is already provided in the book. It is healthy, tasteful, easy to cook and you dont need to be a genius to have wonderful meals with this one. EXCELLENT BOOK.

At 24.50 dollars this book is the bargain of the century. And that is not an exaggeration. Almost a thousand pages filled with meticulously researched information. For example Boullaiblaise is not an easy dish to make away from the Mediterranean sea. The author makes sure you will choose suitable substitutions to create this aromatic and beautiful dish in your American kitchen while giving you detailed history and background on the recipe. Perfect!

I have the highest praises for Mr. Wright's work. There are many "Mediterranean" cookbooks written by those who have a very superficial understanding of the region. One monumental example to this would be Joanne Weir's 1994 "From Tapas to Meze" book which was just filled with errors. Another lightweight book on Mediterranean cooking was Renee Salaman's cookbook. If you've tired of these poor quality books on the region, please go buy Clifford's book. I promise you'll thank me. A++++++

I borrowed this book from the public library. After spending time with it I ended up ordering a copy for my home library and another for the collection of the library where I work. Now I think I may have to buy one for my sister. If you like Mediterranean food, Mediterranean history, or both, this book is a bargain. Buy one while it is still in print.

A Scholar, Storyteller, and Cook
My guess is the one negative review of this book came from someone who wanted a dry reference book and found a storybook instead. This is not a complete and authoritative cookbook on cuisine of the Mediterranean, nor is it a compendium of the last 1000 years of Mediterranean history. That is clearly not what the author wanted and if that is what you are looking for then you are wasting your time.
What you do get is a beautiful book filled with well-researched articles, each one telling a slice out of the life and food of Mediterranean history. Each section flows with history, recipes, and detailed side articles on specific foods, concepts, or bits of history. While in many ways the scholarly style and depth of knowledge may seem like a college text at times, the lyrical changes in focus and the obvious passion and excitement that the author has for the subject make it into a series of compelling stories. These stories are not a bunch of facts presented in a linier and plain fashion, but facts synthesized into organizing concepts, a real forest through the trees look at the wide ranging multiple cuisines of the Mediterranean. It would be hard to study this book for a test, but who is getting tested here? This is a book to read for curiosity, enjoyment, and culinary inspiration.