Mediterranean Every Day is the antidote to our current times: easy, unfussy recipes that don't require a ton of effort and yield delicious, satisfying results. I've already made a handful of recipes (the vinaigrette, the roasted chicken, the cucumber/tahini soup, the Niçoise salad) and each has been more delicious than the last. I feel deeply appreciative that the recipes can be appropriate for a harried mid-week get-food-on-the-table meal, to a luxuriating and lingering weekend dinner.
My favorite part of the book is the personable tone of the author. I feel that the intro to each chapter and the headnotes above each recipe have made me feel like I know Sheela (and her husband, Joe!). From their love story of scallops, to inspiration she found while living in Italy, the entire book feels like you're chatting with a friend while she shares her pro cooking tips.
I'd highly recommend this book to anyone seeking fresh, light, and inspired (but not difficult) meals. The recipes feel thoroughly tested, the photography is gorgeous, and all aspects of the book feel very thoughtful. I can't wait to see more from this author!
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From the Publisher
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IntroductionWhen I think about what or who inspired my deep affection for Mediterranean cuisine, it’s a simple answer: Graziella. Picture the most Italian of Italian nonne—a bit rotund, apple-cheeked, with an apron almost always tied around her waist. I’d lived in Italy and had traveled around the Mediterranean and tasted great food—some of the best ever—before I met Graziella, but it wasn’t until her that I knew what true Mediterranean food was—that it’s a feeling more than a practice. |
Where to BeginThis book harnesses the relaxed attitude of Mediterranean cooking. Each recipe isn’t made to feel overwhelming or time consuming and most (though there are a few exceptions) are easy enough to pull off no matter the night of the week. This is the type of food I cook each and every night, whether just for my husband, Joe, and me or when family or friends gather around the table with us. The flavors of the Mediterranean—the grassy olive oil, the sweet tomatoes, the fragrant herbs—are what most inspire me and also just so happen to be ingredients that naturally lend themselves to wholesome, satisfying eating. |
Three-Ingredient (or Fewer) Snacks and CocktailsWhether I’ve invited over a few friends for dinner or it’s simply a relaxed Saturday night without any guests, having something to snack on and sip while the evening gets going is a must in my book. I, however, under no circumstances, will make it harder on myself than it needs to be. That’s where these simple situations come in. Each recipe calls for just two or three ingredients, not including salt, pepper, and olive oil, which are such pantry essentials I consider them passes. They’re effortless appetizers and drinks that manage to show off a little when they’re the kickoff to a dinner party—or when you’re just feeling peckish and thirsty at 5 o’clock on a quiet night in. |
Salads and SoupsI grew up with a salad on the dinner table every night, and it’s a habit I can’t shake. I find it’s just about the easiest way to squeeze an extra serving of vegetables onto my plate, and I’ve always appreciated the crunchy, cold contrast it lends to whatever else is part of the meal. Often, however, the salad is the meal when I’ve loaded it with a bunch of extra-satisfying things. |
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Beans, Grains, and a Few Bready ThingsWhat I love about things like beans, risotto, and even good toast, all of which are featured in this chapter, is their versatility. They’re all such empty canvases that can be transformed into whatever you want them to be depending on what you add to them and how many mouths you want to feed. Sure, a slice of toast is more often thought of as a snack but pile it with one or two tasty things and suddenly it’s a dead-simple dinner, too. Or stir lots of vegetables into a pot of cooked grains like farro and you’ve got something that’s just as good at playing side dish as it is taking the role of a satisfying, albeit meatless, main. Eat these recipes as you like them, when you like them. |
Colorful PastasAlthough pasta has a reputation for being less than wholesome, I’d argue that’s hardly the case. Sure, it can sometimes be made decadent with cream, butter, and such, but it also can be light enough to make it into your weekly dinner routine. When you use pasta as a base for lots of colorful vegetables, it’s suddenly something you can feel good about eating. The approach is simple: Flip the proportions so you’re eating a vegetable dish with pasta rather than a pasta dish with vegetables. (All that means is you’re using less pasta and bumping up the vegetables.) Don’t worry! There will still be cheese and other good things tucked inside. Your pasta isn’t going to be any less comforting than usual—it’s just going to be a whole lot more interesting. |
Gathering DishesA gathering doesn't necessarily mean the kind with lots of people involved. A small crowd should never feel like any less of an occasion to share a good meal. What I cook midweek or on a quiet Sunday night isn’t always a whole lot different from what I cook when friends come by for dinner on Saturday night. Of course, there are hectic Wednesdays when some semblance of a civilized dinner seems impossible, but if you’re able to feed yourself well as many nights a week as possible, I deem that a major win. To do that, make simple the goal and lean on good ingredients. Unfussy main dishes have a magical way of coming together easily enough that whatever the situation may be or however many mouths you’re feeding, what you’re gathering around the table for always feels special. |
DessertsMy approach to dessert is fairly simple: Enjoy it. I say that as someone with an unyielding sweet tooth who also believes strongly in an everything-in-moderation approach. Satisfying a craving for a slice of cake is just as important as loading your plate with colorful vegetables, if only for your personal well-being. My favorite desserts are the most uncomplicated—those that can be pulled together with only a handful of ingredients. If it’s a dessert involving peak-season fruit (as many of my favorites do), this allows their sweetness to really shine. Even if it involves chocolate instead, it means it’s something that’s easy enough to enjoy without the need for an occasion, because I firmly believe you don’t need one. |
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Reviews with images
I can’t stop reading
Just got the book. Everything looks delicious. I’ve been reading it like a novel for the last hour, making a shopping list, and planning meals. Most but not all recipes have photos. Instructions make sense. The recipe intros/stories are interesting and helpful. Good variety of simple to more complex. Lots of meatless options but most of these recipes could easily accommodate shrimp or chicken or fish if you’re a meat eater like me. Addition of meat could also make many of the sides and appetizers into weeknight meals. Great section in pantry items to have. Most items in lists are easy to find and if not she provides good suggestions for alternatives. I just bought 5 lbs I of carnaroli rice on Amazon for the summer corn and tomato risotto to which I will add shrimp.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2020
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I got this cookbook a couple weeks ago with very high hopes and was not disappointed! Sheela’s recipes provide everything I want out of a cookbook: simple and smart recipes, using whole ingredients that result in amazingly delicious dishes. Every time I make one of these recipes I feel like I am treating myself to a restaurant meal. I have already made 7 recipes in about two weeks, including the polenta with shrimp scampi twice! I can’t wait to make more and am so grateful to Sheela for writing this book for us!! It’s through using books like that this that you can really learn how to cook.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2023
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