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Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean Grains and Greens shares her adventures as a cultural explorer. Her discoveries show the probing of a culinary scholar and the passion of a true amateur. The result is a rich tapestry of information, images, and alluring recipes. Even if you don't cook, you will be entranced as this culinary Scheherazade spins her tales of a thousand-and-one discoveries and delights, which, in this case, are all real. Typically, Wolfert introduces her recipe for Wheatberries, Lentils, and Rice with Fresh Herbs by regaling you with information about many other pulse-and-grain dishes from Spain to the Middle East that you have probably never heard of. She then enchants you with the story of how a Cretan chef shared this particular recipe, and explains that on Crete, there are three names for this type of soup: one is rooted in ancient times, one is linked to a local festival, and the third uses a play on words. Few recipes in this, Wolfert's fifth cookbook on the Mediterranean region, are familiar. Her goal is to open our eyes to ingredients like green wheat, farro, mallow, and Tuscan kale. Some of the work records recipes for earthy, traditional dishes that are fast disappearing from the table as women in Mediterranean countries no longer have the time to make them, and as prosperity pulls people away from this "cooking of the poor." This book should also inspire wider demand for wild greens such as tart purslane, spinach-like lamb's quarters, grains like farro, and other unfamiliar Mediterranean ingredients. Wolfert also suggests substitutes, since many of the greens are interchangeable with chard, arugula, watercress, or spinach. For simple dishes, try Escarole Stuffed with Capers, Golden Raisins, and Pine Nuts; Egyptian koshery, a blend of rice, lentils, pasta, and browned onions; and Winter Squash Pilaf with Bulgur. Bread bakers will be intrigued by recipes that use barley, semolina, and chickpeas. --Dana Jacobi
 
 Customer Reviews 
med greens and grains
Rating: 
ugh--after appreciating many of ms. wolfert's many cookbooks and other written offerings, i was deeply disappointed by this book. it might be of great interest to those who want to spend a great deal of time re- creating childhood experiences and tastes, but for someone looking for more of what she has offered previously--i found exactly 2 recipes i wanted to try in the entire cookbook. i like slow cooking, but lots of these recipes also required hard-to-find ingredients. wish i could send it back.
One of My Favorite Cookbooks...
Rating: 
Paula Wolfert is not known for her quick and easy recipes - but she IS known for authenitc, well tested regional Mediterranean recipes. I belong to a CSA, and often find myself with 2 pounds of dandelion greens or 5 pounds of turnips, etc. When I'm at a loss for what to do with those extra greens, this is THE book I turn to. Most of the recipes here can be on the table in under two hours, which is quick for this type of cooking, and nothing I've ever made from this book has been bad. If you are looking for a great book for using grains and greens which are a bit uncommon in the typical American household, and are willing to spend a little extra time in the kitchen to prepare exceptional meals, this is very much worth having in your cookbook library.
A book for Real Food lovers.....
Rating: 
I had high expectations for this book when I had a look at it on Amazon. What appealed to me especially was that it was a book about greens and grains. When I received the book, I looked through it page by page. I had high expectations about the number of recipes in the book, and was initially disappointed. It is a very romantic book, telling tales of the author, Paul Wolfert's experiences with cooks in traditional regions. Whilst these anecdotes are interesting, and lend a traditional flavour to the book, I would have appreciated more recipes. In one part of the book she spoke of how many hundreds of recipes she'd collected in her travels, then she puts only a small portion of them in the book. Also there are many pages which are filled with too much blank space, which if there had been better editing, much more could have been included in the book. Having said that, it is about 350 pages, and full of recipes, so it's not all as bad as it may sound!
Having given my criticisms, I do like the book. I was delighted to find a recipe for real, authentic Cous Cous, made the old-fashioned way! I'll have to try that one. I have made only one recipe so far (I only recently received the book) and it was a Garlic Soup with Leafy Greens from Spain. It was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! So I'm not as disappointed as I was, as the quality of the recipes, at first try, are high. I have the need to have a number of recipes on hand that aren't based on animal or dairy products, and I have found that very many of her recipes, if they include these ingredients, look as if they could easily be adapted not to include them. Being someone who really loves vegetables, this is a great book, there are so many recipes which feature vetetables. They are also the Mediterranean vegetables which I grew up with in California. This isn't one of the new types of books from chefs with 'good ideas', they are recipes which have stood the test of time, and proven themselves delectable. There are also good looking recipes for many different types of grains. She has recipes such as: 'Rusk Salad with Tomatoes, Capers, Olives and Lemon' from Greece (and all the tourists get is the standard Greek salad!); Mirsini's Spiced Barley Bread; Field Greens, Rice and Pumpkin Torta (Italy); Black Sea Soup with Cornmeal, Leafy Greens, and Mushrooms (Turkey); Medley of Wheat Berries, Lentils and Rice with Fresh Herbs (Greece); Summer Sorrel and Chervil Soup (France).... Ok, I'm getting hungry...
I still have high hopes for this book, and expect as I make more recipes it will become a favourite on my shelf. That's saying something. I've had so many cookbooks over the years, but if one is going to last, I need to be able to make more than just a few recipes from it - I need to use it often and regularly. So I like the book. I don't think, however, it will top my favorite book 'Greek Monastery Cookery' by Archimandrite Dositheos. It is a compilation of recipes from the moasteries of Mount Athos in Greece, the recipes are traditional, and I purchased it at the same time, and have made about 10 recipes so far. Everything has been delicious, and it is a warm and cute book - there are interesting things done in the translation into English! But I don't recommend it for beginning cooks, one needs to have some experience as things such as cooking times and temperatures are not always included.
I've given 4 stars due to the quality of the dish already tried, which speaks a lot about the other recipes, I feel. I haven't given it 5 starts due to the amount of space which could have included more recipes.
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