Reviewed by annieb123 on
Instantly Mediterranean is a cookbook and recipe collection by Emily Paster slanted toward the cuisine of the Mediterranean (not the Mediterranean diet) and utilizing the instant pot electric pressure cooker for preparation and time-saving. Due out 14th Sept 2021 from Simon & Schuster on their Tiller Press imprint, it's 224 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
The layout is logical and easy to follow. The introduction covers the basics of the foods and grains of the Mediterranean region, tools, supplies, how-to for the Instant Pot, some safety & maintenance, pantry lists and ingredients. The following chapters include the recipes arranged roughly by category: breakfast, dips spreads & breads, soups & stews, grains vegetables & pulses, meat & fish, desserts, and air fryer recipes.
Ingredient measurements are supplied in American measurements only. There's a conversion chart for metric measures in the appendices. The nutritional information is not included. Extra tips and recipe alternatives are listed in sidebars with the recipes. The recipes themselves are fairly straightforward and are made with (mostly) easily sourced ingredients. Many are very simple, none of them are overly complex. The recipes are drawn from a wide variety of Mediterranean cuisines and it was really nice to see Moroccan and other Northern African recipes included. The loubia soup recipe was delicious and warming, and I've made it a couple of times since my initial review attempt.
The photography is not abundant; about 20% of the recipes include a photo, but the photographs which are included are clear and well done. I wish there had been more photographs and serving suggestions, but I do understand that extra photography increases the price of book projects very quickly.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 7 September, 2021: Finished reading
- 7 September, 2021: Reviewed