The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook
By Nancy Harmon Jenkins
Bantam, $35, 512 pages
First published in 1994, this new edition of The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook explains the Mediterranean diet philosophy and why it’s so healthy, then backs it up with fantastic recipes featuring flavors from across the region. More than a diet, it’s a “delicious alternative for lifelong health,” says the author.
Complete with an explanation of Mediterranean cooking methods, materials and ingredients, in the book Jenkins does a good job of laying out how to incorporate the philosophy and recipes into lifelong eating habits. The book’s layout itself is not so user-friendly. Ingredient lists and instructions are side by side and usually overflow into two pages. The book doesn’t lay flat, but using a cookbook holder is problematic because of having to turn the page for the rest of the recipe.
Based solely on the recipes and information, this book gets 5 stars. Take into account usability, and it drops to a 3.5.
Reviewed by Jamie Engle
