by A.J. Coltrane
New category! Favorite Cookbooks. First up is Little Foods of the Mediterranean by Clifford A. Wright.
The book contains 500 recipes — tapas, meze, hors d’oeuvre, and antipasti from around the Mediterranean — everywhere from Spain, to Italy, Greece, Tunasia, France, Morocco and Egypt. Wright is a scholar as well as a food writer; the book contains historical information about the origin of many of the dishes. There is also quite a bit of text about the history of the region that the dishes belong to.
The Chapters:
| Canapes, Crostini, Bruschetta, Little Sandwiches, and Croutes |
| Dips, Spreads, and Pates |
| Cheesy Mouthfuls |
| Frittatas and Other Eggy Delights |
| Saucy Little Dishes, Part I (Chicken, Meat, and Seafood) |
| Saucy Little Dishes, Part II (Vegetables) |
| Stuffed Vegetables |
| Salads and Other Cold Vegetable Dishes |
| Filled Pastries, Puffs, Pies, and Baked Turnovers |
| Pizzas, Calzones, and Empanadas |
| Fried Turnovers |
| Fried Tidbits |
| Roll-Ups and Wraps |
| Seafood Salads and Platters |
| Kebabs, Skewers, and Other Grilled Foods |
| Pickled, Marinated, and Preserved Little Dishes |
| Sauces, Condiments, and Spice Mixes |
| Pastry Doughs and Batters |
There is some “weird stuff” in the book — it’s helpful to have a fairly expansive pantry to call on. Overall though, there are hundreds of great recipes that can be done with common ingredients.
From the back cover:
This vast compendium encapsulates the type of Mediterranean food that I love: simple, tasty, unpretentious, and easy to eat. Whether they are tapas, meze, or antipasti, they represent Mediterranean street food at it’s best. I especially applaud Clifford Wright’s great research into the similarities and the differences among the little foods of the eighteen countries of the Mediterranean basin.
-Jacques Pepin
That sums it up well. Amazon.com link here.
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