The timing of the arrival of international cuisine expert Amy Riolo’s latest cookbook, The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook could not have been better. First, because we’re near my favorite part of the year, when late spring and early summer vegetables are appearing at local farmers markets. Second, because I am in a huge menu-planning rut and I have already gotten a huge wave of inspiration from the book. I love Mediterranean-style cuisine, and this book is just the push I needed to get past the hump of my usual (and ubiquitous) spring and summer pasta salads.
But there’s that word: diet. There has been criticism of fad diets and diet cookbooks, so let’s just ignore that part of the title. It’s only important because there’s a lot of information about why each recipe was included from cultural and nutritional standpoints as well as how it’s eaten and why. It’s very interesting, but the real hook is the inclusion of recipes from 25 different countries around the Mediterranean Sea.
It goes beyond what I’ve read before in either Mediterranean cookbooks or diet cookbooks. It’s also beautifully photographed and filled with recipes that seem to be easy to prepare as long as you have access to international groceries. Nashvillians are fortunate to have access to a number of great Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Groceries (my favorite is Baraka Bakery on Nolensville Road).
The book is helpfully divided by key ingredients, so if you aren’t interested in poultry and eggs, for example, you can just skip that section. Each recipe includes gluten-free variations when needed.
Some of the more tantalizing recipes I found include Sweet Olive Oil, Cherry and Almond Cake (see the cookbook's Amazon page for this recipe), Kale and Almond Pesto Sauce, Moroccan Vegetable Tajine, Greek-Style Stewed Green Beans with Dill, and Cypriot Halloumi, Watermelon and Basil Kabobs. Clearly, even if you’re not interested in healthier eating or diet hype, you can enjoy this cookbook quite a bit. But you can also feel pretty confident that you’re eating heart-healthy and nutritious foods, too.
