Mediterranean Cooking

by Paula Wolfert

Renowned food writer Paula Wolfert here revises her classic cookbook in which she celebrates the sensuous pleasures of healthy Mediterranean cooking with more than 150 delicious dishes from this region, 75 of them brand new. The focus is on Turkey, Tunisia, the regions of Provence in southern France, and Apulia in southern Italy.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only criticism is the way the chapters are organized, by ingredient, i.e. garlic, cheese,nuts, rather than the more usual type of recipe, i.e. dessert, soup, bread, etc.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book written with fire in its veins. Where Roden is graceful and expansive, Wolfert is intense, demanding, almost obsessive—and gloriously so.

This is a book for cooks who want to understand why as much as how.

Wolfert dives deep into technique, fermentation, slow cooking, and regional specificity. She does not smooth edges or simplify traditions. Instead, she challenges the reader to rise to the cuisine.

The recipes are exacting, sometimes intimidating, but deeply rewarding.

What sets Wolfert apart is her reverence for process. She treats clay pots, preserved lemons, and spice blends as sacred tools rather than accessories.

You feel her respect for traditional cooks who perfected these methods over generations.

This is not a book for casual browsing. It demands commitment. But those who give it that commitment are transformed.

You come away understanding Middle Eastern food as a system of knowledge, not merely a set of flavours.

Wolfert’s tone is authoritative, sometimes stern, but never dismissive. She believes in her reader’s intelligence.

And that belief elevates the entire experience.

Recommended.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recipes cover the entire Mediterranean, organized around particular ingredients. The spicy swiss chard is especially good.

[Eric Hines]

food & cooking

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think she wrote this one before she reached goddess-like perfection. it's okay, but not great.