Mediterranean Vegetables: A Cook's ABC of Vegetables and Their Preparation in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa, with More Than 200 Authentic Recipes for the Home Cook

The author of A Mediterranean Feast introduces more than two hundred authentic vegetable recipes from Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa, providing a comprehensive A-to-Z culinary reference of vegetables that provides detailed descriptions, culinary history, preparation and storage tips, and more.

A thoroughly comprehensive guide to vegetables from Mediterranean countries, Wright's latest is part cookbook, part academic reference. Originally an appendix to Wright's Mediterranean Feast, this book's alphabetically ordered vegetables run the gamut from acanthus-leaved thistle to zucchini. Wright admits that "practically speaking, only about eighty or ninety of the over two hundred vegetables listed will be even remotely available to a typical American cook." The book lists vegetables' English and Mediterranean names, characteristics, varieties, plant origins and history, and explains how to buy, store and prepare them for cooking. No nutritional information is given; the author wants to guide the reader away from what he views as "the gastronomically destructive `food as fuel' concept." While information on grape hyacinth, paper pumpkinseed and sea holly might seem esoteric to the average cook, some of Wright's recipes are treasures indeed. Shawandar bi'l-Laban (Beets with Yogurt) is stunningly colorful, and the fresh mint along with garlic is new and unexpected. Makbuba (A Potato and Bell Pepper Frittata in the Style of the Tunisian Jews) is made with ingredients most American cooks have, and caraway and coriander seeds enhance its simple ingredients in new ways. While Wright's recipes focus on vegetables, they are not exclusively vegetarian; it is common in Mediterranean cuisine for meat and dairy products to be used as condiments for vegetables. Impeccably researched, this book will appeal to botanists, food scholars and vegetable aficionados. Agent, Doe Coover.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Wright's latest book was originally intended as an appendix to his impressive Mediterranean Feast, but he realized that it should be a book in itself. This thoroughly researched guide to more than 200 vegetables used in Mediterranean cuisine is, in fact, unique. For some of the more obscure entries some of the vegetables are unavailable outside of the region or, even there, are only foraged rather than commercially raised he provides only the English name, botanical name and family, other common names (including those in French, Italian, etc.), and "characteristics and varieties." In addition to this information, other listings indicate origin, history, a short growing guide, buying and preparation tips, and recipes, as appropriate. Thus, he gives the Albanian yam, for example, just a brief identification, while the artichoke entry runs to four pages of text plus 16 recipes. Of interest to cooks, gardeners, and culinary historians, this is recommended for special and larger collections, as well as any library where Wright's A Mediterranean Feast is popular.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.