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From Tapas to Meze: First Courses from the Mediterranean Shores of Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa
 
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From Tapas to Meze: First Courses from the Mediterranean Shores of Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa (Hardcover)

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3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)


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The countries that circle the Mediterranean share more than the sea's azure waters. They share a love of first courses -- tapas from Spain, hors d'oeuvres and entrees from France, Italy's antipasti and primi piatti, mezethes from Greece, and the meze of the Levant and North Africa. These small dishes reflect the region's extraordinary bounty, its reliance on seasonal produce, and its emphasis on straightforward preparation.

More than 220 recipes demonstrate both the unity and the variety of Mediterranean cuisine. Olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, onions, and fresh herbs are the foundation of all Mediterranean cooking. But what a tremendous range of flavors and textures emanate from those ingredients!

Often one brilliant idea is manipulated differently by each cuisine. Take flat bread: In Spain we find Coca de la Huerta, a summer vegetable flat bread from the Balearic Islands. France offers Provence's Pissaladiere, laced with anchovies, onions, and olives. You're probably familiar with Italy's great flat breads (like Focaccia con Gorgonzola e Pinoli), but have you ever tasted Lahmacun, a Turkish lamb and tomato pizza, spiced with cinnamon, allspice, and cloves?

The Mediterranean plays the same game with savory egg pies. You can't enter a tapas bar in Spain without being confronted by some sort of tortilla, the ubiquitous Spanish omelette that appears here with caramelized onions as Tortilla de Cebollas a la Andaluza. In the South of France an omelette might be stuffed with pistou (the French equivalent of Italian pesto), and in Italy you would find the Italian equivalent of the omelette the frittata -- made with roasted sweet peppers. In Greece, the egg has been transformed into a Sfoungato me Kolokithia Apagio, a baked omelette with rice, zucchini, leeks, feta, and mountain herbs. In Tunisia, echoes of the French occupation can be tasted in the ajja, a traditional omelette filled with Tunisia's own spicy merguez sausage.

For this authentic collection, Joanne Weir ate her way around the Mediterranean cajoling home cooks and restaurant chefs into surrendering their finest recipes. Throughout the book is a reverence for the Mediterranean practice of hanging out at the table with a glass of wine -- or sherry, or ouzo, or raki -- while nibbling on an assortment of delectable little dishes. Let From Tapas to Meze bring this gracious tradition into your home.

From the Inside Flap

The countries that circle the Mediterranean share more than the sea's azure waters. They share a love of first courses -- tapas from Spain, hors d'oeuvres and entrees from France, Italy's antipasti and primi piatti, mezethes from Greece, and the meze of the Levant and North Africa. These small dishes reflect the region's extraordinary bounty, its reliance on seasonal produce, and its emphasis on straightforward preparation.

More than 220 recipes demonstrate both the unity and the variety of Mediterranean cuisine. Olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, onions, and fresh herbs are the foundation of all Mediterranean cooking. But what a tremendous range of flavors and textures emanate from those ingredients!

Often one brilliant idea is manipulated differently by each cuisine. Take flat bread: In Spain we find Coca de la Huerta, a summer vegetable flat bread from the Balearic Islands. France offers Provence's Pissaladiere, laced with anchovies, onions, and olives. You're probably familiar with Italy's great flat breads (like Focaccia con Gorgonzola e Pinoli), but have you ever tasted Lahmacun, a Turkish lamb and tomato pizza, spiced with cinnamon, allspice, and cloves?

The Mediterranean plays the same game with savory egg pies. You can't enter a tapas bar in Spain without being confronted by some sort of tortilla, the ubiquitous Spanish omelette that appears here with caramelized onions as Tortilla de Cebollas a la Andaluza. In the South of France an omelette might be stuffed with pistou (the French equivalent of Italian pesto), and in Italy you would find the Italian equivalent of the omelette the frittata -- made with roasted sweet peppers. In Greece, the egg has been transformed into a Sfoungato me Kolokithia Apagio, a baked omelette with rice, zucchini, leeks, feta, and mountain herbs. In Tunisia, echoes of the French occupation can be tasted in the ajja, a traditional omelette filled with Tunisia's own spicy merguez sausage.

For this authentic collection, Joanne Weir ate her way around the Mediterranean cajoling home cooks and restaurant chefs into surrendering their finest recipes. Throughout the book is a reverence for the Mediterranean practice of hanging out at the table with a glass of wine -- or sherry, or ouzo, or raki -- while nibbling on an assortment of delectable little dishes. Let From Tapas to Meze bring this gracious tradition into your home.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Crown; 1 edition (April 12, 1994)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0517589621
  • ISBN-13: 978-0517589625
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #362,061 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #63 in  Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Mediterranean
    #84 in  Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Meals > Appetizers

More About the Author

Joanne Weir
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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I want to travel around the Mediterranean and eat!, September 13, 1999
By BHarubin@aol.com (Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
I had a 30th birthday party and prepared several tapas to meze dishes for my guests! Everyone raved about them and then went out and bought the book themselves! The little stories behind each recipie add a special meaning to each dish as well.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great tastes from my favorite cultures, August 7, 2000
By David Lebovitz (Paris, France) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is honestly one of my favorite books. I had gone to a party where most of the dishes were made from this book, and was surprised at how good they all were. When I got a copy From Tapas to Meze, I immediately tried the recipes and they came out exactly as promised (the leek tart & cucumber feta salad, which I've made countless times and everyone loves it.) Buy this book just for that recipe... The previous review made numerous mentions of the historical/cultural missteps of the book, and I have traveled through most of these countries, and I think that Joanne Weir has done a admirable job of trying to assimilate many different cultures and foods into a book that's easy to cook from. I am also half-Syrian and while I don't pretend to be an expert on middle-eastern cooking, therecipes, flavors and the dishes that I have made from this book are truly inspiring...and taste great.I personally read cookbooks for the recipes and the primary reason for buying them is to be able to make tasty food. For this reason, I heartily recommend this book!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice meals, but time consuming ..., November 6, 2000
By T. C. Ross (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Don't get me wrong, From Tapas to Meze is a great cookbook. There's tons of ideas and dishes that deserve to find their way onto more and more plates. However, I wish Weir could have thought to include a few guidelines for substitutions. Not everyone has time to make their own pasta (although some of the dishes definitely benefit from the suggested fresh pasta) or to prepare dried garbanzos. I know the book isn't pitched as a "quick meals for the harried worker," but a lot of these recipes could be made more quickly and simply without compromising flavor; in fact, that's one challenge I'm taking from the book ... and I expect the work to be worth the effort.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book is a Classic
Joanne Weir, a la Chez Panisse, is a wonderful chef and this award winning book is fantastic. In this book Joanne shares her favorite hand-picked recipes from her travels around... Read more
Published on December 16, 2003 by Jean-Paul Cozzatti

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite cookbook
I cook using many of Joanne's books. This is my favorite. The Italian, Spanish, and French dishes are spot on. The Greek, Middle East and Turkish fantastic. Read more
Published on September 10, 2003 by Jean-Paul Cozzatti

1.0 out of 5 stars oh this book is bad!!!
...it is very poorly researched. The map on the cover is wrong for starters. This is Mediterranean food according to Joanne Weir (not a person who grew up with Med food) who... Read more
Published on March 2, 2002 by gourmetgurl

1.0 out of 5 stars I nominate this title for the worst cookbook ever title
I believe those who rated this book well are not familiar with the region. Joanne Weir makes so many mistakes that I am shocked this cookbook was approved by a publisher. Read more
Published on February 3, 2002

1.0 out of 5 stars A major disappointment
One of the most exciting features of Mediterranean food is its appetizers. I must say, however, that I have been extremely disappointed in both the text and recipes in this book,... Read more
Published on June 27, 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars So great I can't wait for her next cookbook!
I was introduced to this book at a friends house for dinner -- but instead of cooking these delicious, incredibly flavorful recipes as appetizers, she served them as the main... Read more
Published on April 3, 2000 by Mary Firme

5.0 out of 5 stars This cookbook has the best flavors imaginable!!
If you like Mediterranean food, you NEED THIS BOOK! Joanne has written an incredible cookbook filled with delicious and easy recipes. Read more
Published on April 1, 1998

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