Mediterranean Feast or How to Cook Everything

Mediterranean Feast: The Story Of The Birth Of The Celebrated Cuisines Of The Mediterranean, From The Merchants Of Venice To The Barbary Corsairs, With More Than 500 Recip

Author: Clifford A Wright

The Story of the Birth of the Celebrated Cuisines of the Mediterranean, from the Merchants of Venice to the Barbary Corsairs, with More than 500 Recipes The story of the birth and evolution of the cuisines of the Mediterranean Basin is the story of wars and plagues, political intrigue and pirates, the Silk Road and the New World, the rise of capitalism and city-states, the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition, and the obsession with spice. A groundbreaking cookbook based on original, primary research in eight languages, A Mediterranean Feast weaves together historical and culinary strands from Moorish Spain to North Africa, from Sicily and the kingdoms of Italy to Greece, the coasts of the Balkans, Turkey, and the Near East. Author Clifford Wright shows how the cuisines of the Mediterranean have been indelibly stamped with the uncompromising geography and climate of the area and a past marked with both unstinting poverty and wildly outrageous wealth. The 500 recipes included, adapted for today's kitchen, show the range of culinary ingenuity and indulgence, from the peasant kitchen to the merchant pantry. They also show the migration of local culinary predilections, tastes for foods and methods of preparation carried from home to new lands by seafarers, soldiers, merchants, and religious pilgrims. Historical illustrations and maps of the Mediterranean, from the past to the present, also highlight this epic book. An astonishing accomplishment of culinary and historical research and detective work, A Mediterranean Feast is required-and intriguing-reading for any cook, armchair or otherwise.

Library Journal

Wright's first cookbook was Cucina Paradiso, a fascinating exploration of the Arab influences on Sicilian cuisine. Since then he has published several collections of quick and easy Italian food, but now he has returned to the culinary history and anthropology that is obviously his true love. Originally a Middle Eastern scholar, Wright has devoted an enormous amount of research to answering the question, "What is Mediterranean cuisine?" He debunks the common view of the region as one of historical culinary bounty, and he traces the influences and interconnections among the food and cooking of the diverse cultures that ring the Mediterranean Sea. Along the way, he considers such topics as "The History of the Fork" and provides dozens of what he refers to as "heirloom recipes"--they have a history to them, but they are contemporary rather than re-creations of medieval or other early dishes. A unique work, this is recommended for history as well as cookery collections. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Smithsonian

At first glance, this book seems a jumble of topics, traditions, tastes and techniques. Broad reviews of political and economic history are interspersed with discussions of topics like shipbuilding, irrigation, spices and the Mediterranean grain trade. Recipes for seafood, lamb, pasta and vegetables are scattered throughout the book; recipes from different regions are shuffled together like a deck of cards. But two good indexes—one of general topics, the other of recipes—guide readers through the confusion; the recipes I tested were very good. Wright's enthusiastic investigation of Mediterranean cuisines is a fine feast for readers interested in culture, history, and most of all, food.

What People Are Saying

Paula Wolfert
Paula Wolfert, author of The Cooking of South-West France and The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean

I always felt it would take several lifetimes to research the many faces of Mediterranean cooking — history, languages, influences, the range of culinary resourcefulness and extravagance, and the varied tastes of fourteen countries. In this monumental work, Clifford Wright has made a huge contribution. An astonishing accomplishment!

Book about: Timed Readings or Leading Your Team to Excellence

How to Cook Everything: Quick Cooking

Author: Mark Bittman

Make a quick home-cooked meal tonight!

Ziti with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce. Shrimp Marinara. Broiled or Grilled Chicken with Pesto. Stir-Fried Spicy Beef with Basil. With How to Cook Everything™: Quick Cooking, great-tasting, satisfying dishes like these can be made in 30 minutes or less!

Mark Bittman, the award-winning author of the bestselling kitchen classic How to Cook Everything™, shares his favorite simple–and infinitely flexible–quick recipes. You’ll be able to prepare family-pleasing everyday meals, spur-of-the-moment dinners for friends, even special-occasion feasts. To inspire you and help you plan your meals, you’ll find Bittman’s straight talk on cooking and special features, including:

• Creative recipe variations and ideas

• Tips for shopping, preparing, and cooking the recipes

• Illustrations to demystify trickier techniques

• Menu suggestions for a Weeknight Family Dinner Classic, an Elegant Dinner Party, and more

• At-a-glance icons highlighting recipes done in 20 minutes or less

Table of Contents:

	Acknowledgments	vi
	About This Book	vii
	What to Know About Quick Cooking	viii
1	Starters	1
2	Pasta	17
3	Fish	33
4	Poultry	49
5	Meat	63
6	Rice and Beans	83
7	Vegetables	93
8	Desserts	105
	Quick Menus	112
	Recipes That Take 20 Minutes or Less	114
	Tips Reference	116
	Index	123
	Conversions, Substitutions, and Helpful Hints	131