The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Denise “DedeMed” Hazime is part of the Idiot’s Guides collection. Don’t let the bright orange Idiot’s Guides logo keep you from taking a look. Hazime penned an excellent overview of a Mediterranean culinary lifestyle with recipes that should appeal to most.

I love my cookbooks and love to cook. Whether mainstream, ethnic, healthy eating, plant-based, Paleo, or classic, I’m likely to have at least one book of the genre on my shelves. But I did not have a cookbook dedicated to Mediterranean food in my collection until the publishers of an Idiot’s Guide offered one. I accepted the offer and am glad I did. Denise “DedeMed” Hazime penned an excellent primer on a delicious, healthy, flavorful type of food that adds variety to the menu any time of day.

The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook includes an overview of the Mediterranean food pyramid and glossary of ingredients found in the Mediterranean kitchen. Some of these items are hot commodities in general right now, including Greek Yogurt, pomegranate, and quinoa. If you want new recipes with these flavors and other heart-healthy favorites, this is a good book for you. Besides, summer is just around the corner and the bright, lemony, fresh flavors of the Mediterranean are perfect this time of year.

As per usual, I made some substitutions on some recipes to suit dietary preferences. For breakfast, the Yogurt Spread (page 28) was a nice change from the usual nut butter or avocado, and was easily made dairy-free. Fatteh, a breakfast casserole (page 38), was a hearty and filling brunch dish that also worked well on breakfast for dinner night. A switch to non-dairy yogurt and vegan beef crumbles made this dish perfect for me. An easy substitution of quinoa for the bulgur in the Tabbouleh Salad (page 50) made it a wheat-free, protein-packed side dish. Stirring in chickpeas made it a fantastic light entree.

Many recipes were perfect as-written. Ful Madammas (page 43) is one of my all-time favorites and Hazime’s version is as flavorful and addictive as the version sold in a local Mediterranean deli. If you’re a hummus fan, there are five versions in Chapter 11: Delightful Dips and Spreads. This and Chapter 17 (Vegetarian Entrees) were my favorites. Husband and Teen Boy like the chicken chapter (Chapter 15), while Teen Girl agreed with me on Chapter 11 and is also partial to the cake chapter (20).

Did your doctor recommend a Mediterranean Diet? Do you want to mix up your menu? Pick up the Mediterranean diet Cookbook. Don’t let the bright orange Idiot’s Guides logo keep you from taking a look. Hazime penned an excellent overview of a Mediterranean culinary lifestyle with recipes that should appeal to most. Vegetarians and meat-eaters will find recipes that make them smile.

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