Mediterranean, the Beautiful Cookbook: Authentic Recipes from the Mediterranean Lands

It was labeled as in good condition, however the book was worn with some tear in the corner, outer book was soiled pages were yellowing, and not at all in good condition to be sold for this price. I would have paid 1.00 for this used book.

This cookbook makes a wonderful gift. I have one and have just purchased two more to give as gifts. Each book was around $10 with purchase, shipping and tax. What a bargain!

'Mediterranean the Beautiful Cookbook: Authentic Recipes from the Mediterranean Lands' is one of those special books written by Joyce Goldstein that is so extensive in its survey of the various countries and the qualities that make them unique that it serves as a fine travelogue as well as offering some of the most tempting samplings of cuisines from this region ever assembled: and remember this 'region includes Italian, Provencal France and coastal Spain, Turkey, the Middle East and northern Africa, Greece and the Balkans! As each country is visited there are extensive notes about the countries, their relationship and influences, and the flora and fauna that inform the cuisines from food scholar Ayla Aygar. The photography is as superb, both of the landscapes and cities and the people AND of course the foods. The recipes offered here are unique in that they are geared toward healthy eating - something not all cookbooks from other countries include! Here are recipes easily carried out in the standard American kitchen with information on how to find ingredients locally. The writing is casually refined and the recipes are easy to follow. For a book that will encourage the reader to extend that trip to one country to enjoy the kaleidoscopic magnificence of the entire Mediterranean this richly illustrated volume is on the top of the list. Buy it before it slips out of print! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 05

My neighbors Tom and Julia who know my passion for the Mediterranean region gave me this book yesterday as a surprise gift. I have traveled the world, tasted many different cuisines and I came to a conclusion that when it comes to La Dolce Vita, Joie de Vivre and Good Food, nothing compares to tasty, healthy Mediterranean diet and life style. I am telling you folks, it's the best in the world. This book is a good representation of the cuisines from the region and has many delicious recipes from Turkey to Italy, from Israel to Tunisia. Especially those mouthwatering Turkish recipes in this book are easy to make. The book also has wonderful colored photos of the region accompanied by articles on each country in the area. The Turkish cuisine which has long been rated by European experts as one of the best in the world together with French and Chinese, is not all that known in this country. This is partly due to the small size of the Turkish American society and partly the lack of publicity on Turkish resort towns in North America. However with this book, you do not have to wait until you visit Istanbul to try those dishes. This is one book you'll use over and over again, even if you immigrate to Europe, because the recipes in this book contain measurements both in English and metric. This is the third cookbook we have in our collection by Joyce Goldstein and I can tell you that, this experienced cookbook author together with co-author Ayla Algar have outdone themselves in this book.

This large format softcover book has beautiful pictures of various locations in the Mediterranean, as well as great pictures of almost every dish for which there is a recipe. The recipes are easy to follow, measurements in English and metric, with a helpful notation about the recipe at the start of each one. More importantly, they are useful dishes that you can acutally cook, not one of those books with 20 different ways to cook octopus. Where a particular local indgrediant is probably not available stateside, a creditable alternative is given. The book looks tasty to the eye, and the recipes are tasty as well. I am particularly fond of Turkish food and this cuisine is well represented, just as the other Mediterranean countires are.

I loved this book, but it was one of many that was damaged in the floods of 1998. Many of the dishes were very easy to make too. I've been waiting for a reprint since !