I was just a bit disappointed when I began reading this book, as I was expecting something a bit more scholarly, based on the title, the very classy artwork on the cover, the impressive blurbs from Paula Wolfert and Jacques Pepin on the back cover, and the large number of expository books on Mediterranean cuisine by the likes of Ms. Wolfert. As it turns out, this book is neither a historical and geographical study like Claudia Roden's `The New Book of Middle Eastern Food', nor an analytical study of Mediterranean cuisine like Nancy Harmon Jenkins' `The Essential Mediterranean'. The book is teacher and restaurant chef Joyce Goldstein's interpretation of a cuisine which skips around the entire rim of the Mediterranean.Since these other books and many like them have some interest beyond the recipes themselves, Ms. Goldstein's book will shine primarily if she succeeds in doing a better job with the recipes. After all, unlike the other authors who are primarily culinary journalists, Ms. Goldstein is a professional chef with credentials that include a stint at running the shop for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse.
Thus, what I did was to compare Ms. Goldstein's recipes to those for the same dish in the books by the culinary journalist / scholars. The first is the old war-horse Baba Ghanouj. Comparing Ms. Goldstein to Ms. Roden, the first difference one sees is that Ms. Goldstein adds pine nuts to the recipe and gives a wider range of presentation tips. The more significant difference is that Ms. Goldstein's procedure is just a bit fuller and fussier in its detail. While Ms. Roden clearly knows her stuff, Ms. Goldstein proves her professional kitchen experience here.
The second comparison was based on a Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Lemon and Olives, comparing again to Ms. Roden. The first thing which jumps out at you is that Ms. Goldstein is very clear that this is not an authentic dish, as she substitutes a lemon conserve for the traditional briny Moroccan preserved lemons prepared with salt. The second big difference is that Ms. Goldstein begins by marinating the lamb cubes with a spicy olive oil `rub'. The third big difference is that Ms. Goldstein (optionally) adds baby artichokes and specifies `Moroccan or Kalamata' olives to Ms. Roden's generic green olives. Lastly, Ms. Roden's method is specifically written to be done in a tagine, while Ms. Goldstein's procedure is more friendly to a commercial kitchen.
The third comparison with Ms. Roden was for a Fish and Couscous soup / stew. Ms. Roden's recipe is an Algerian recipe, while Ms. Goldstein bases her recipe on a suggestion from Paula Wolfert. Both recipes call for harissa and both books give recipes for same. Ms. Goldstein's recipe from Pantelleria adds Moroccan Charmoula (go figure), a spicy lemon / olive oil based fish sauce. The procedures are remarkably similar, although Ms. Goldstein's method is more clearly based on restaurant practice, where prepared fish fumet is used and lots of flavor are imparted by a long, refrigerated marinade.
As the pattern of differences with Ms. Roden the journalist have become clear, I decided to compare a pasta, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca from Ms. Goldstein to a `gold standard' recipe by Cooks Illustrated `best recipe' workup. True to the spirit of the dish, Ms. Goldstein's recipe is simple, but does not violate any cautions posed by the fastidious `Cooks Illustrated' interpretation. My only reservations with Ms. Goldstein's recipe is that it uses a prepared tomato sauce as an ingredient, which seems contrary to the spirit of the dish and she does not offer any suggestions on using the pasta cooking water to loosen up the sauce, if necessary.
In my last comparison, I decided to put Ms. Goldstein against the great (literally) Mario Batali's potato gnocchi recipe which Mr. Molto says has been done in his family since his Nonna made them. In all essential matters, the recipes follow almost identical steps, with the single major difference that Ms. Goldstein bakes her russets rather than boils them as Mario does. Ms. Goldstein spent a great deal of research to arrive at this variation to tradition. Also, while Mario describes a simple well method done with riced potato, Ms. Goldstein adds many cautions regarding minimal working and the smallest possible amount of flour added. Other gnocchi recipes have also been more emphatic about being spare with the flour than Mario is, but then, his book is stressing simplicity and other books are not. I give Ms. Goldstein big points on adding to our understanding of this dish, even if I am sure Mario's technique is much more traditional. Ms. Goldstein's method will work better for those of us who have not been making potato gnocchi for the last forty years.
Ms. Goldstein's book literally takes a cooks tour of the Mediterranean with chapters on Appetizers; Antipasto and Other Mixed Plates; Mediterranean-Inspired Salads; Soups; Pasta; Beans, Rice, and Other Grains; Fish and Shellfish; Poultry; Meats; Vegetables; and Desserts. There is no plan to the selection and a clear statement that these are interpretations done for the restaurant, not traditional dishes.
The book includes a rather good chapter on wine recommendations. I cannot speak for the choices, as I know nothing about wine. I can only say the presentation of the wine selection rationale is as good or better than I have seen elsewhere.
Highly recommended source for a thoughtful, tasty, and very wide-ranging selection of Mediterranean dishes from Gibraltar to the Levant. Not always easy, but always fully explained.
