The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

May 1, 2015
Today, no food expert, nutritionist, or health-care professional would nay-say the benefits of following a Mediterranean diet, whose benefits range from preventing heart attacks and strokes to promoting longevity. And just as many chefs use (and applaud) this plant-based food system. Add Riolo to the list of proponents (although she is, admittedly, a culinary advisor to the Mediterranean Foods Alliance) and to the ever-growing number of cookbooks on this topic. In her 100-recipe collection, she varies from the norm by adding gluten-free alternatives for ingredients and by emphasizing the tradition behind specific dishes. For instance, the use of eggplants inspires her sidebar that Turkish chefs aren't considered professional unless they know at least 40 different ways to cook eggplant, while an Arabian rice-and-lamb skillet dish underscores that lamb is a lean meat, containing 175 calories per three ounces. Everyday recipes won't surprise, whether a whole-wheat-and-grape focaccia or an aioli herb sauce. Yet her occasional variations will be welcome: Mediterranean-style cornbread with mozzarella and dried tomatoes, or spiced Greek yogurt with apricots.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)