Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Mediterranean: Simple Recipes for the Home Cook

by Daen Lia

Mediterranean cooking is having its biggest moment ever thanks to a desire for food that is at once healthy, delicious, and at its very best when simply prepared—and now Daen Lia of @DaensKitchen shares the recipes that have made her a global home cook sensation.

Daen Lia learned to cook from her Spanish and Italian mother and grandmother. With the smell of garlic and roasted tomatoes wafting through the kitchen, Daen discovered the alchemy of a few simple garlic, olive oil, and whatever is fresh, whether a vegetable or protein—or both. In Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Mediterranean, Daen brings together modern Mediterranean recipes that any home cook, regardless of skill level can make, any day of the week.

With high-quality extra virgin olive oil, a little bit of butter, fresh herbs, and no-fuss techniques, such as pan-roasting, Daen shares the building blocks that enable you to make delicious meals, most of which can be ready in way less than an hour. Use a batch of silky Garlic Confit (just garlic melted into olive oil) to turn a basic meat sauce into the standout Confit Ragu Bolognese; or just add the delectable garlic onto Daen’s classic Focaccia. Here, too, you will find Peach, Tomato, and Burrata Salad drizzled with Basil Olive Oil; One-Pan Roasted Fish Puttanesca with burst cherry tomatoes, and a Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nut Quiche with a crispy puff pastry crust.

Other recipes
Cheesy Roasted Garlic Bread (of course!) Popcorn Eggplant (an ode to KFC popcorn chicken) Crispy Crumbed Chicken Tomato & Garlic Confit Soup with Grilled Cheese Pan-Fried Steak with Aglio e Olio Sauce Pasta Bake with Crispy Eggplant and Ricotta Pan-Fried Salmon with Cherry Tomato Confit

With versatile recipes that you can make once and use all throughout the week and stunning four-color photography, Daen Lia is just the ambassador of Mediterranean food we all need right now.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

Published June 3, 2025

Reviews

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cookbook from a content creator with millions of followers. This author makes nice ASMR food based videos. The cookbook is a collection of mostly simple, very familiar, dishes using lots of garlic and olive oil.

The book is nicely designed and full of well-styled photos of the dishes. The book seems geared for less experienced cooks and fans who follow the author. However, while recipes are generally well-written a few were a bit vague, like when making Cherry Tomato Confit how big should the large pan be? And there are no food safety instruction in the Basil Olive Oil recipe, like using a sterilised jar for storing the oil. Less experienced cooks making any of the few recipes in this book that will be stored in the pantry or fridge for more than a few days may want to look up food safety guideline first, since improper storage could be unsafe.

[Kristen Barenthaler · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone obsessed with all things garlic and all things olive oil, this was clearly the book for me. ❤️ I loved every recipe and want to make them all, especially since they were all home cook friendly.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cookbook is unique in that the recipes aren't organized by type but by the ingredient - garlic, olive oil, butter, bread, crumbs, and eggs. Each section has a variety of recipes all featuring that signature ingredient. Many of the recipes build on previous recipes in the book and there are also tips included with the recipes that either offer alternate variations or ways to use up any leftovers. There weren't a ton of recipes I'd like to try but there was a good variety of recipes and I liked the way they were organized by ingredient instead of appetizers, side dishes, etc.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook is truly a love letter to garlic and olive oil which are foundational to Mediterranean cooking. The garlic and herb compound butter is a treasure of a recipe and was something I thoroughly enjoyed having at the ready for dishes like the roasted chicken recipe and for adding to non-recipe things I made like sauteed string beans and garlic bread. The recipes are reliable and the pictures and descriptions will have you marking pages of things to make.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review.

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

When it says simple, it really means simple. Not what I was looking for.

[Naomie Barnabas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vibrant celebration of simple, soulful Mediterranean cooking, this book is a must-have for home cooks craving effortless flavor, nourishing ingredients, and recipes that feel like a warm hug from Nonna.