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Summary: To the person that wrote..."Kurdish Cookbook
Review: I Believe that this book was fantastic although I am familiar with many of the recipies I would like to say your behavior was inappropriate and should be corrected.
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Summary: Authentic flavors of the Mediterranean
Review: I have all of Paula's books. They are my most treasured books and this one is no different. The recipes work and delight the palate with bright fresh flavors. I've always enjoyed her stories of her adventures in these exotic places. If you are interested in raising your palates flavor bar and wowing guests with great flavors dive right into this wonderful book.
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Summary: Grains and greens
Review: I love this book as much for the stories as for the recipes. I also loved Paula Wolfert's Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean. This is not a book about basic Mediterranean cooking that you usually see, nor is it vegetarian. These are wonderful, authentic recipes that taste like they are supposed to taste. I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: Not quite what I expected
Review: I was quite excited to get this book, but when I looked through it I found that it was very wordy and not so big on substance as far as recipes go. Alot of fluff with not much in terms of recipes to try. I dont know- Im not an expert, I am just glad that I only paid 4 bucks for it.
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Summary: A delicious way to eat your greens
Review: I've made about a dozen of the recipes so far and all were delicious. I've even substituted tofu and "fake meat" in some of the recipes and they still were very tasty. I like the unexpected combinations of ingredients and unusual treatments -- who would have guessed that pureed greens could be used as a sauce? I only wish I had access to some of the native greens that Paula describes, which would truly make the dishes ambrosial, but her suggestions for substitutes work just as well. It makes me eager to travel to these countries just to try "the real deal." This is the book to get if you have vegetable haters in the house!
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Summary: Author makes political statements in a cookbook
Review: I've never had a Paula Wolfert cookbook before. I used this at someone's home last year and bought it immediately. The grilled asparagus is so good I can't believe it hasn't been published before! The recipes are simple and delicious, as is mediterranean cuisine. If you think you don't have access to some of the more exotic grains and greens, it might be worth trying to find them, just to use this book. She really knows a lot about so many ingredients! Very well done.
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Summary: Rare Intelligence, Well Told, by a Major Food Writer
Review: One of my greatest pleasures is to read a book by an author whose reputation has gained my respect even in advance of my having read any of their works. This was certainly the case when I started this book by Paula Wolfert of whom I have been reading for several years. With Elizabeth David and Claudia Roden, she is one of the three great distaff writers of Mediterranean cuisine. This is just appropriate because, as Ms. Wolfert says early in the book, the cuisine of the Mediterranean is the cuisine of women. Even so macho seeming an authority as Mario Batali confirms that most of his recipes he steals from Italian mothers and grandmothers.This book is a pure delight for foodies to read. The depth of personal research and understanding of the material is palpable. At the same time, Ms. Wolfert exercizes one of the most valuable traits of the knowledge business in that she liberally shares with us the sources of understanding. I have no knowledge of her middle eastern sources, but names like Harold McGee, Shirly Corriher, and Nancy Silverton grace the pages with their contributions to Paula's treatise. As the subtitle 'A Book of Savory, Sun-Drenched Recipes' indicates, this is primarily just that, a book of recipes where the primary ingredient is either a grain or a green or both from a Mediterranean cuisine. But, Paula spends a considerable amount of room on introducing her subjects with valuable information, all of which is helpful and some of which is surprising. Three of my favorite discussions are: 1. Catalogue of greens by taste and by the best way to prepare them. Even books dedicated to the topic of vegetables do not give as good a precis on how to approach leafy green foods as a class. An added attraction is anechotes on episodes where Paula has accompanied people on wild greens collecting excursions.
2. Description of how to make couscous and the debunking of myths about the preparation, lead by the statement that couscous is not a pasta.
3. Essay on Spanish rice dishes grouped under the heading of arroz OTHER THAN the famous paella Valenciana. It is no surprise to learn that a true Spanish arroz must be made with a Spanish rice such as Calasparra, which can absorb up to two and a half times its weight in liquid. The Italian arborio and carnaroli rices will come close, but they are not the real deal. Another intellectual virtue in this book is that Ms. Wolfert makes a significant effort to not repeat material from her other books, but to refer the reader to them instead. When she does, she specifically quotes the earlier volume. The chapters in this book are: A Bowl of Leafy Greens
Bread and Pastries
Soups
Appetizers
Salads
Light Meals
Main Course Dishes
Side Dishes
Sweet Greens and Grains
Sauces, Condiments, and Seasonings
Plus notes on wild edible greens and a generously long mail order sources appendix. One little serendipitous encounter was when I discovered the John Cope and Company in the list of mail order sources. This was a great surprise, as Cope produces but a single product, the PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH speciality, dried corn! It turns out this is an excellent substitute for toasted corn kernels in a Turkish dish of chard stuffed with veal, corn, and mint. Who knew! As always, Ms. Wolfert's recipe narratives are highly detailed, giving the reasons for doing each step along the way, and run the fine line between recreating the authentic dish without putting too great a strain on resources available to the typical American chicken. In thinking about all the things the Food Network has been neglecting to tell me in their programming, it just occurred to me that it would be absolutely delightful to see a short series on major American and British food writers such as Wolfert, Ruth Reichl, Jim Villas, Diana Kennedy, and many more. Just give them 30 minutes to discuss anything they want. I cast that idea on the waters. This book belongs on the shelf of anyone who is seriously interested in food.
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