Mediterranean Light

by Martha Rose Shulman

Provides Mediterranean-style recipes for breads, salads, soups, pasta, pizza, vegetables, fish, chicken, rabbit, and desserts

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction

432 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1989

Reviews

[Sarah Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a wide variety of recipes at various skill points. Shulman adds a personal touch to this cookbook with her stories, recommendations, and personal experiences with cuisine in Mediterranean countries. Although the book is extremely detailed, it is also a little dense and difficult to navigate, with no pictures to help the reader visualize the cuisine. Overall, I appreciate that this book explores the culture rather than focusing purely on the health benefits and diet culture.

[Aprilleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. Mediterranean Light seemed like more of a good thing, to me, but the book itself is rather lackluster. There are no photographs to whet the appetite, which is always helpful with a cookbook. The recipes themselves are excellent, although some of the obvious basics, like minestrone, are missing.

One of the features I liked was the separation of recipes from different parts of the Mediterranean, but she only did this for the chapter on Salads and Starters. Sigh. This is hugely useful if you want to prepare a meal from a specific culture, but only if you do this for the entire book. Another thing that will be useful is the meal plans in Chapter Nine.

There are better books out there for Mediterranean Cooking. The attempt to make this one different by focusing on light cooking doesn't actually make it much different than any other book that stays true to the Mediterranean diet. The diet itself is largely healthy and light, and what isn't is typically served in very small portions. This focus is unnecessary.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Mediterranean Light” takes recipes from all around the Mediterranean Sea; Italy, Greece, Egypt, the Middle East, north Africa, even France, and reduces the calorie content of them all. While admitting that olive oil is good for one’s health, she cuts the amount of oil in the recipes down drastically. There are almost no dairy products included, and red meat is super scarce. Even chicken doesn’t make very many appearances. There are some fish recipes, and a couple of egg ones. So it’s a good book for the near-vegetarian. The part I love, though, is that the recipes are all well flavored with herbs and spices, so that one never feels like one is eating ‘diet’ food. It’s a complete way of eating. I can’t wait to try the Moroccan Chick-pea soup, among others.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll need to pick this up again this summer when more fresh produce is available. Recipes are simple but sound too good to substitute lesser quality ingredients. Will want to try bread recipes next fall.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only thing I ever make from this is the chicken couscous.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

My initial sense is that many of these recipes are simplified for America, which is good and bad. I like the health angle.

[Malia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yum!!! Some of the meals are a bit complex to make but amazingly delicious!