Customer Reviews

Mediterranean Grains and Greens: A Book of Savory, Sun-Drenched Recipes

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

One of my greatest pleasures is to read a book by an author whose reputation has gained my respect even in advance of my having read any of their works. This was certainly the case when I started this book by Paula Wolfert of whom I have been reading for several years. With Elizabeth David and Claudia Roden, she is one of the three great distaff writers of Mediterranean cuisine. This is just appropriate because, as Ms. Wolfert says early in the book, the cuisine of the Mediterranean is the cuisine of women. Even so macho seeming an authority as Mario Batali confirms that most of his recipes he steals from Italian mothers and grandmothers.

This book is a pure delight for foodies to read. The depth of personal research and understanding of the material is palpable. At the same time, Ms. Wolfert exercizes one of the most valuable traits of the knowledge business in that she liberally shares with us the sources of understanding. I have no knowledge of her middle eastern sources, but names like Harold McGee, Shirly Corriher, and Nancy Silverton grace the pages with their contributions to Paula's treatise.

As the subtitle `A Book of Savory, Sun-Drenched Recipes' indicates, this is primarily just that, a book of recipes where the primary ingredient is either a grain or a green or both from a Mediterranean cuisine. But, Paula spends a considerable amount of room on introducing her subjects with valuable information, all of which is helpful and some of which is surprising. Three of my favorite discussions are:

1. Catalogue of greens by taste and by the best way to prepare them. Even books dedicated to the topic of vegetables do not give as good a precis on how to approach leafy green foods as a class. An added attraction is anechotes on episodes where Paula has accompanied people on wild greens collecting excursions.
2. Description of how to make couscous and the debunking of myths about the preparation, lead by the statement that couscous is not a pasta.
3. Essay on Spanish rice dishes grouped under the heading of arroz OTHER THAN the famous paella Valenciana. It is no surprise to learn that a true Spanish arroz must be made with a Spanish rice such as Calasparra, which can absorb up to two and a half times its weight in liquid. The Italian arborio and carnaroli rices will come close, but they are not the real deal.

Another intellectual virtue in this book is that Ms. Wolfert makes a significant effort to not repeat material from her other books, but to refer the reader to them instead. When she does, she specifically quotes the earlier volume.

The chapters in this book are:

A Bowl of Leafy Greens
Bread and Pastries
Soups
Appetizers
Salads
Light Meals
Main Course Dishes
Side Dishes
Sweet Greens and Grains
Sauces, Condiments, and Seasonings
Plus notes on wild edible greens and a generously long mail order sources appendix.

One little serendipitous encounter was when I discovered the John Cope and Company in the list of mail order sources. This was a great surprise, as Cope produces but a single product, the PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH speciality, dried corn! It turns out this is an excellent substitute for toasted corn kernels in a Turkish dish of chard stuffed with veal, corn, and mint. Who knew!

As always, Ms. Wolfert's recipe narratives are highly detailed, giving the reasons for doing each step along the way, and run the fine line between recreating the authentic dish without putting too great a strain on resources available to the typical American chicken.

In thinking about all the things the Food Network has been neglecting to tell me in their programming, it just occurred to me that it would be absolutely delightful to see a short series on major American and British food writers such as Wolfert, Ruth Reichl, Jim Villas, Diana Kennedy, and many more. Just give them 30 minutes to discuss anything they want. I cast that idea on the waters.

This book belongs on the shelf of anyone who is seriously interested in food.

I've always loved Wolfert's cookbooks, and this is among her very best. Terrific recipes, impeccable fieldwork, great text, everything one has come to expect from this fine culinary expert. I've cooked four reicpes so far, and expect to cook my way through it over the coming months. Highly recommended!

I've made about a dozen of the recipes so far and all were delicious. I've even substituted tofu and "fake meat" in some of the recipes and they still were very tasty. I like the unexpected combinations of ingredients and unusual treatments -- who would have guessed that pureed greens could be used as a sauce? I only wish I had access to some of the native greens that Paula describes, which would truly make the dishes ambrosial, but her suggestions for substitutes work just as well. It makes me eager to travel to these countries just to try "the real deal." This is the book to get if you have vegetable haters in the house!

I've never had a Paula Wolfert cookbook before. I used this at someone's home last year and bought it immediately. The grilled asparagus is so good I can't believe it hasn't been published before! The recipes are simple and delicious, as is mediterranean cuisine. If you think you don't have access to some of the more exotic grains and greens, it might be worth trying to find them, just to use this book. She really knows a lot about so many ingredients! Very well done.

I had high expectations for this book when I had a look at it on Amazon. What appealed to me especially was that it was a book about greens and grains. I wasn't disappointed. It is a very romantic book, telling tales of the author, Paul Wolfert's experiences with cooks in traditional regions. Whilst these anecdotes are interesting, and lend a traditional flavour to the book, I would have appreciated more recipes. In one part of the book she spoke of how many hundreds of recipes she'd collected in her travels, but they're not all in the book - rats!

This book is a delight... surprises such as a recipe for real, authentic Cous Cous, made the old-fashioned way! The first recipe I tried, Garlic Soup with Leafy Greens from Spain, was absolutely DELICIOUS, and has become a family favourite (even my kids eat it!!!) I have the need to have a number of recipes on hand that aren't based on animal or dairy products, and I have found that very many of her recipes, if they include these ingredients, look as if they could easily be adapted not to include them. Being someone who really loves vegetables, this is a great book. This isn't one of the new types of books from chefs with 'good ideas', they are recipes which have stood the test of time, and proven themselves delectable.

There are also good looking recipes for many different types of grains. She has recipes such as: 'Rusk Salad with Tomatoes, Capers, Olives and Lemon' from Greece (and all the tourists get is the standard Greek salad!); Mirsini's Spiced Barley Bread; Field Greens, Rice and Pumpkin Torta (Italy); Black Sea Soup with Cornmeal, Leafy Greens, and Mushrooms (Turkey); Medley of Wheat Berries, Lentils and Rice with Fresh Herbs (Greece); Summer Sorrel and Chervil Soup (France).... Ok, I'm getting hungry...

I like the book, have used it a fair bit since I've bought it, but I don't think, however, it will top my favorite book 'Greek Monastery Cookery' by Archimandrite Dositheos, which is a compilation of recipes from the moasteries of Mount Athos in Greece. The recipes are traditional, (but which I don't recommend it for beginning cooks, one needs to have some experience as things such as cooking times and temperatures are not always included.)

I've given 4 stars due to the quality of the dishes already tried, but if it were packed full of recipes, like the monk's cookbook, it would rate a '5'.

A Book of Savory, Sun-Drenched Recipes says it so well.

Various studies show that Americans compared to their European, Middle Eastern and Asian counterparts eat far less vegetables and far fewer types of vegetables and our health and obesity rates show it.

Fortunate for me, I grew up savouring vegetables of all kinds and pass this love onto my son. Which is why I love giving this book to friends who don't know vegetables beyond potato, tomato and corn.

Some of my friends have discovered that their child(ren) love as an example the authors recipe on page 304, Tender Young Greens with Tomato and Onion from Greece, which is stuffed in warm pita bread. The recipe calls for young salad greens found in most American produce sections, some herbs, tomato and garlic with virgin olive oil and salt.

Or the Sorrel, Spinach, and Artichoke Ragout recipe of France on page 308. Which calls for baby artichokes, fresh lemon juice, thin sliced onion, and carrots, whole cloves spices and white wine with a bit of diced salt pork for seasoning. Her bean section should make any serious eater happy, since the recipes are easy and delicious, as well as economical.

Paula Wolfert is not known for her quick and easy recipes - but she IS known for authenitc, well tested regional Mediterranean recipes. I belong to a CSA, and often find myself with 2 pounds of dandelion greens or 5 pounds of turnips, etc. When I'm at a loss for what to do with those extra greens, this is THE book I turn to. Most of the recipes here can be on the table in under two hours, which is quick for this type of cooking, and nothing I've ever made from this book has been bad. If you are looking for a great book for using grains and greens which are a bit uncommon in the typical American household, and are willing to spend a little extra time in the kitchen to prepare exceptional meals, this is very much worth having in your cookbook library.

I love this book as much for the stories as for the recipes. I also loved Paula Wolfert's Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean. This is not a book about basic Mediterranean cooking that you usually see, nor is it vegetarian. These are wonderful, authentic recipes that taste like they are supposed to taste. I highly recommend this book.

Possibly because I had been led to expect that this would be a wonder, I found it lacking when I bought it through mail order, sight unseen. I found it to be annoying in several ways. 1) There was an irritating amount of self-promotion in naming other cookbooks of Wolfert's along with other recipes not in this book. 2) I prefer a book that isn't so big on the big type. I'd rather have had more IN the book. 3) The recipes seem more California than Mediterranean, but that might be an unfair criticism. I don't live in California, but have experience with Mediterranean food. Perhaps I'm jaded, too, having other cookbooks from the region that perhaps are just too hard to compete with, though a new good one is something I'm always ready to treasure.
All round, though, I was disappointed. But I gave this book to an English friend who likes to cook, but who had never seen a dried fig till I showed her, and she loves it.

I love this book as much for the stories as for the recipes. I also loved Paula Wolfert's Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean. This is not a book about basic Mediterranean cooking that you usually see, nor is it vegetarian. These are wonderful, authentic recipes that taste like they are supposed to taste. I highly recommend this book.