Product Description

Mediterranean food expert Clifford Wright presents a jaw-dropping collection of more than 500 recipes for all sorts of appetizers, snacks, and little foods traditional across the Mediterranean.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #497786 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Wright continues his exploration of the Mediterranean region (after Mediterranean Vegetables and A Mediterranean Feast) with this investigation of tapas, antipasti, meze and whatever else one might call small dishes that start a meal. The recipes-and there are a generous 500 included-are uniformly excellent, but sometimes Wright's commitment to authenticity leads to too much exotica (Curried Cucumber and Lamb Tongue Skewers, Vols-au-Vent Stuffed with Veal Sweetbreads and Black Truffles), with too little space dedicated to clever but more accessible tidbits such as Spinach with Garlic Yogurt on Fried Arabic Bread and Rolled Yogurt Balls. Numerous recipes, such as Tunisian Lamb, Brain, and Fried Potato Frittata with Cheeses and Baby Octopus in Piquant Sauce call for hard-to-locate ingredients. Chapters are organized by type of dish, with two chapters dedicated to fried foods: the one on fried turnovers opens with four recipes for briks (North African pastries). Another chapter on cheese-based foods (despite Wright's earlier insistence that cheese "is too rich and heavy" to make a good starter) includes Taleggio Cheese and Buckwheat Flour Fritters from Lombardy. Although Wright provides copious information in headnotes and sidebars, there is one integral thing lacking. A long list of menus for parties of various types and an introduction that details the history of eating small dishes before a larger meal are helpful, but there is no indication of how to figure portion sizes when serving items such as Pizza Margherita, Stockfish, Fava Bean, and Potato Stew from Liguria and Polenta with Porcini Mushrooms as entrees.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Clifford A. Wright is a food writer and scholar specializing in the cuisines of the Mediterranean. He is the author of A Mediterranean Feast, which was named James Beard Cookbook of the Year in 2000. He contributes to Saveur, Fine Cooking, Gourmet, Bon Appétit, and Food & Wine. He lives
in Santa Monica, California.