Aglaia Kremezi introduced Greek cooking to the United States. I’m just sorry I didn’t get introduced to her books until now. Her new book, Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts, contains 150 simple but flavorful dishes that would satisfy anyone.
Aglaia is the ultimate teacher and her instructions and narrative are perfect. The photographs are beautiful and jump off the page. I have been wowed by a few vegetarian cookbooks this Fall and this one is right up there.
Aglaia starts off with chapters on essential ingredients and seasonal menu suggestions. I was pleased to see a recipe for phyllo pastry — I’ve always wanted to try to make my own – and I’m excited to try with Aglaia’s detailed instructions. The recipes are labeled gluten free, vegan, vegetarian to make them easily identifiable for those of us with certain restrictions and lifestyles.
Some of the recipes I have marked are:
Pink fermented cabbage
Concentrated vegetable broth
Pepper, onion and turmeric paste
Vegetable fritto miso in tipsy batter with garlic sauce
Garlic and bread soup with sage and bay
Summer tomato and bread soup (one of these soups will be made this week)
Red lentil soup with spicy aromatic basil oil
Cauliflower gratin with garlic and feta
Roasted potatoes with garlic, orange and mustard
Crispy cheese pie
Linguine with spicy lentils and caramelized onion
Green risotto with garlic, herbs and lime
Pumpkin, tangerine and marmalade bread and
Orange and crumbled phyllo cake
Tonight I made the roasted potatoes with garlic, orange and mustard as well as the crispy cheese pie to accompany my husband’s pork chops. Andrew actually rolled his eyes back into his head when he ate both. I had pointed out the two recipes to him earlier in the day and he said, “I thought about those potatoes all day.” After the piece of the pie – he declared it was one of the best things he ever ate.
Edited on Friday — made the garlic with sage and bay soup tonight – it is so delicious!
I strongly recommend this book for vegetarian and carnivores alike!
Thank you, Aglaia, for the opportunity to review your book. It will be a favorite in my collection.
I have avoided vegetarian cookbooks – all I see is no flavor. Thanks to your reviews I’m changing my mind and willing to give them a try. During the summer our Farmers Market is on Wednesday and I normally fix vegetables for dinner, usually roasted and will be nice to do something different with them.