The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: A Delicious Alternative for Lifelong Health

By Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Book Overview

The eating style proven to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. "An irresistible invitation to share the healthiest diet in the world. It has one alluring recipe after another, each one fragrant with the fresh aromas of the ingredients I love the most: fish right out of the water, ripe vegetables from open-air markets, herbs from the garden. This book makes an overwhelming argument that the things that taste the best are good for you." --Alice Waters Spanning the Mediterranean from Spain to France, Italy, and Greece, with side trips to Lebanon, Cyprus, and North Africa, this revised and updated edition of Nancy Harmon Jenkins's acclaimed cookbook offers ninety-two mouthwatering new dishes plus the latest information about the nutritional benefits of one of the world's healthiest cuisines. But best of all are the recipes--bursting with flavor, easy to prepare, and sure to please everyone at your table, whether you're cooking for yourself, your family, or your friends. Known for classic favorites like tabbouleh and ratatouille, flatbreads, pastas, zesty herbs, and flavorful oils pressed from succulent olives, the Mediterranean diet combines delicious taste with health-supportive ingredients as few other cuisines do. With an emphasis on fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes, fish, lean meats, and heavenly desserts, here are recipes for over 250 outstanding dishes created for today's American kitchens. You'll also find new cooking techniques and a simplified approach to cooking--because simplicity is what the Mediterranean way of eating is all about. Experienced and novice cooks alike will be inspired by these delectable, seasonally inspired recipes ranging from sweet young Roman-style peas for spring to skewered shrimp for summer, robust North African Pumpkin Soup when autumn is in the air, and warming winter dishes like Lebanese Garlicky Roast Chicken and Cypriote Braised Pork with Wine, Cinnamon, and Coriander--plus a variety of fabulous pizzas and dinner pies, hearty salads like Tuscan panzanella, and satisfying small dishes known as tapas. Also included is a special selection of traditional dishes prepared for Islamic, Jewish, and Christian holidays that can be enjoyed year round. Rich in flavor and healthy nutrients but low in saturated fats and cholesterol, here are recipes that will delight your palate, nourish body and soul--and can be prepared with ease in your home kitchen.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553385097
• ISBN13: 9780553385090
• Release Date: December 2008
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 2.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 7.3" x 10.2"

Customer Reviews

New Beginners Adventure Mediterranean Cooking

The book has no pictures. Some of the ingredients can be substituted (cooking wines, spices etc.) I hope the book help me to eat healthy and to restore my quality of life. It's an adventure learning the cooking of different cultures along the Mediterranean Sea. I found the book at the City Library for $2.00 immediately I brought it for myself. I'll be studying and making the recipes. I love to cook @ home vs. going to restaurants.

Beautiful book filled with ingredients not available in US grocery stores

The headline says it all.

Love this book

This cookbook is always at the top of my cookbook stack-- a rather large feat! I especially like the fish recipes because they are easy, different, healthy and make fish taste way better than, well, fish. I really recommend this book. I'm not top chef either but while some of the recipes are more complicated, plenty are simple too. Enjoy!

My New Favorite Cookbook

This is my new favorite cookbook, and I'm excited about trying more of the recipes. I made the North African Spiced Fish twice already because it's so flavorful and easy. Many of the recipes are easy to prepare (30-45 minutes prep then pop into an oven), but, naturally, there are several recipes that are more challenging for an ordinary home cook like myself. But I still plan to give a couple of those a shot. Many of the dishes are based around tomatoes, herbs, olive oil, onions, garlic, and peppers (not necessarily hot); if you like those foods, which I do, then these recipes will suit you well. Also, one thing I really liked as a novice is the author's reassurance that it's okay to "make do" with what you have on hand and not fret over exact measurements/ingredients. If a particular ingredient or measurement is critical to the dish, she points that out.

So many good ideas!

I checked this book out of the library yesterday to give it a test drive before buying it. Well, this is a pretty short test drive -- I'm here at the dealer's lot. I'm sold! The book has a lot of ideas that I've just not seen before. Last night I served the grilled asparagus with bitter orange and it was a refreshing change from the usual puddle of olive oil. Tonight I'm trying the fish and spinach au gratin. Tomorrow, the swordfish with almond sauce. These are three dishes I hadn't seen even though I have several cookbooks from the Mediterranean region. And the book is loaded with recipes for next week. What to try next? I'm a happy man and my family is going to be happier. One of the features that makes the book work for me is the stories that accompany each recipe. This is such a diverse region with differing food traditions and palates that the introductory paragraphs help set a context for each recipe. I agree with others that pictures would be nice. In 2009 there are a bunch of books on the market where the pictures are better than the recipes. But even if a picture is worth a thousand words, in the end I need the ingredients, steps, and times to put the dish together, so I can't take away a star for leaving the pictures out.

General-interest libraries won't be able to keep this on the shelf!

Revised and updated to reflect new insights on the Mediterranean Diet, this updated edition of a classic guide provides close to a hundred new dishes paired with the latest facts about the nutritional benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, a plan easy to produce and sure to be popular with a wide audience. From Lamb Meatballs with Pine Nuts in Lemony Tomato Sauce to Middle Eastern Pizza, there's an outstanding range of healthy choices and dishes reflecting increased attention to their health values. General-interest libraries won't be able to keep this on the shelf!

Classic healthful recipes

This book is well written, and the recipes are solid. Some of the recipes are not for novice cooks and could be frustrating for them. But, the recipes are well worth the time (these are NOT 30 minute meals!) and effort. I really like the snippets of history woven through the book, making certain recipes feel like they are being handed down to you.