Reviewed by annieb123 on
The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook is a tutorial guide with recipes by Martina Šlajerová et al. Due out 13th April 2021 from Quarto on their Fair Winds Press imprint, it's 208 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
The Mediterranean diet has gotten a lot of attention because of its association with a wide variety of health benefits including a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and early death. This book provides a good introduction (the authors call it a crash course) to the science behind the diet and lifestyle for beginners wanting to make changes to their eating habits for health benefits and a healthier lifestyle. Extra information is provided in highlighted text boxes with short information bits which are accessible and easy to understand. The book also includes clear colorful graphics to help make information easier to remember. This book contains recipes which are also keto-friendly for weight loss and maintenance.
The layout is logical and easy to follow. The introduction covers the basics of the Mediterranean Diet, tools, supplies, and the how-to and why of choosing ingredients. The following chapters include the recipes arranged roughly by category: breakfast, snacks, salads & soups, lunches, dinners, sides, desserts, and partial recipe ingredients (sauces, spice mixes, pesto, etc).
Ingredient measurements are supplied in American standard measurements with metric in parentheses. The nutritional information: calories, fat, carbs, and protein content are listed for the recipes as well as macronutrient ratios, fat breakdowns, and serving sizes. Extra tips or recipe alternatives are listed in sidebars. The recipes themselves are fairly straightforward and are made with easily sourced ingredients. Many are very simple, none of them are overly complex. I didn't count the number of recipes, but there are a lot.
The photography is abundant, clear, and appealing; roughly 2/3rds of the recipes are illustrated, and serving suggestions are appropriate and appetizing.
This is a nice collection of recipes and will keep cooks going for ages. Many of these can also easily be adapted to other styles of cooking and meal planning.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 22 March, 2021: Finished reading
- 22 March, 2021: Reviewed