Customer Reviews

Meze: Small Plates to Savor and Share from the Mediterranean Table

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

 

 

Cooking from this book was a great joy after having spent several days with books dealing with French haute cuisine. I heartily recommend this book to just about anyone as a source of tasty, easy, traditional dishes. The only reservations would be to people who may not have the time or inclination to search out some of the speciality ingredients.

Almost all recipes in this book use fewer than 12 ingredients and the technique rarely takes more than four (4) steps, taking no more than a half page of text. This is not exactly quick cooking, although there are a fair number of quick recipes herein. Some recipes do require long marinades, but very few require long cooking. Most heat is from either a quick saute or a grill.

The issues with ingredients, especially for those who like to stay authentic, is probably solved if you live in a large city and there is a Greek or middle eastern grocery available. It is also probably not a big issue if you live near a `megamart' which carries a generous supply of Greek and Turkish staples. Needless to say, even if you live in the sticks, there are internet sources for everything. The most important speciality ingredients are:

Greek feta - There is barrel cured and tin cured. Some recipes recommend one type. Some the other.
Other Greek Cheeses - Popular Italian cheeses like ricotta will substitute for most requirements.
Greek Oregano - Dried
Greek / Eastern Mediterranian yogurt - Fortunately, there is an easy way to make plain yogurt work.
Dried Mint - Yes, dried. Fresh mint is also commonly used.
Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil - `What is grown together goes together'. But Italian or Spanish will work.
Phyllo - Supermarket Phyllo is fine.
Octopus - The national seafood of Greece.
Pastourma - Cured Beef

Once you locate a source, I believe most ingredients such as the Greek olive oil will actually be less expensive than Italian substitutes. Almost all other ingredients such as eggplant, pita, and ouzo are very common everywhere in the country.

Meze, short for mezethes, denotes small dishes served typically at small eateries like `mezethopoleion'; ouzeri, similar to the Italian wine shop; and the tsipouradiko, serving Greek eau-de-vie. The object of these establishments and their meze fare is to offers its patrons a place to eat, drink, and have conversation in the hours between large meals. The author points out that although there is a strong similarity in portion size and preparation similarity to Spanish tapas, the dishes were specifically developed to be eaten only as an accompanyment to drink in the middle of the day, not as a `before the meal' bite to get you started on the main meal of the day. It is much more comparable to bar nuts, pretzels, and pickled eggs on American bars.

All portions are small and most are designed to be eaten with the fingers, bread, or skewer. Chapters in the book cover:

Dips, Spreads, and Relishes; Savory Salads; Small Egg Dishes; Phyllo Pies; Fried Finger Foods; Vegetables and Beans; Seafood; and Meatballs and Kebabs

The author is a recognized authority on Greek food and has a written a widely praised book on general Greek cuisine. The color pictures are decorative, but few. While I found all instructions very simple, the author did occasionally seem a bit opaque. I still don't totally understand her instructions for peeling a roasted eggplant. As Martha Stewart said in one of her book introductions, this book made me want to immediately try many of the dishes. This is a sure symptom that there is good food to be had here.

Busy with bowls of savory Bread Salad with Watermelon, Feta, and Red Onion and Little Meatballs Stuffed with Olives, thunderstorms couldn't stop us from enjoying the last weekend of Summer. I found numerous recipes in Meze's index calling for different combinations of the just-picked vegetables from my mom's lovingly tended garden. Baby Eggplants with Herbs & Bulgur was the visual star of our Meze-covered table: luxurious eggplants with savory herb-flecked stuffing baked over a rich tomato "sauce" was amazingly simple to make. Author Kochilas demystifies favorite ingredients like thick, creamy Greek-style Tangy Yogurt [with Sauteed Carrots and Mint] by sprinkling Notes on technique throughout her book. It was a spectacular summer feast. And I can't wait til Fall to try the Pumpkin-Cheese Triangles.

Lovely book, lovely photos...BUT I am disappointed in the recipes. Admittedly, I have only tried five of them, but was disappointed in all five. I am a good cook,lived in Greece for 2 years, and have been cooking Greek food for some 30 years with great success. Some of the MEZE recipes were O.K., but not REALLY good, and one was a disaster. Sorry.

I had seen this woman on a Bobby Flay throwdown and wanted to try one of her cookbooks (I love Greek food) this one sounded the best as it is for small things and I was not disappointed. I have tried several recipes and have not been disappointed with the results. I collect cookbooks (have done so for years) and must have over a thousand. This is one of my new favorites. Very good purchase and the seller was great.

This book has some nice twists on traditional Greek dishes. Some of the dishes are easy and some are time consuming, but they all came out great.

I was a little disappointed that they don't have the Greek names of the items - this is clearly a book that is geared for an English-only audience.

Our favorite is the Skewered Ground Lamb Kebabs, which contain cayenne and mint.

Bought this book as a gift for a friend - now I'm going to get one for my own collection! Great photos, presentation and very authentic recipes...good for any level of cooking experience