Mediterranean Grains and Greens: A Book of Savory, Sun-Drenched Recipes

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 GreensBread and PastriesSoupsAppetizersSaladsLight MealsMain Course DishesSide DishesSweet Greens and GrainsSauces, Condiments, and SeasoningsPlus 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

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.

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.

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!

I've always loved Wolfert's cookbooks, and this is among her very best. Terrific recipes, impeccable fieldwork, great text, everything one has come to expect from this fine culinary expert. I've cooked four reicpes so far, and expect to cook my way through it over the coming months. Highly recommended!